About the contest
Love in Full Color Writing Contest 2026
Love comes in every shade - and we want to read every single one.
The Love in Full Color Writing Contest is a celebration of queer romance in all its forms. A slow-burn sapphic rivalry, an aching M/M second chance, a nonbinary lead falling hard in a fantasy kingdom - if the love story at the heart of it is queer, it belongs here.
🌈 Every romance subgenre is welcome: contemporary, romcom, small-town, fantasy, paranormal, werewolf, romantic suspense, historical.
🔥 Spice welcome. Sweet welcome. Write the love story you wish someone had handed you years ago.
📅 Submission Deadline: November 6, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST
Story inspiration
- Two rivals on the same team, one locker room, and a secret about to go very public.
- She was sent to break the curse. Nobody warned her about the witch who cast it.
- An alpha who was never supposed to want another alpha and a mating bond that doesn’t care about the rules.
- Ten years after they swore they’d never speak again, they’re seated at the same wedding table.
Submission Deadline
11:59pm PST on November 6th
What you win
🥇 1st Place
- A Galatea publishing contract offer
- $300 USD
- 200,000 audiobook credits
- Social media spotlight across Inkitt platforms
- Inkitt VIP Badge
- Contest Winner badge for your book cover
- Feature on @inkittbooks Instagram
🥈 2nd Place
- $150 USD
- 100,000 audiobook credits
- Social media spotlight across Inkitt platforms
- Inkitt VIP Badge
- Contest Winner badge for your book cover
- Feature on @inkittbooks Instagram
🥉 3rd Place
- $50 USD
- 50,000 audiobook credits
- Social media spotlight across Inkitt platforms
- Inkitt VIP Badge
- Contest Winner badge for your book cover
- Feature on @inkittbooks Instagram
Contest Terms
Contest Dates
Start: August 6, 2026
End: November 6, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST
Entry Guidelines
✅ Entry is free!
✅ Publish your story on Inkitt and submit via the contest page or your work settings.
✅ Minimum 20,000 words by the deadline
✅ No maximum word limit
✅ Stories must be original (no plagiarism)
✅ The main character and central romance must be queer — F/F, M/M, nonbinary, trans, bi leads are all welcome
✅ All romance subgenres are welcome (contemporary, romcom, small-town, fantasy romance, paranormal romance, werewolf, romantic suspense, historical)
✅ Explicit sex scenes are allowed when the book is correctly age-rated
✅ Multiple entries allowed (only one story per author can win)
✅ New stories only - the entry must be a new story, started and published on Inkitt on or after August 6, 2026
❌ Previously published, previously completed or already-ongoing stories are not eligible
❌ Entries already signed/published on Galatea or part of a signed series are ineligible
❌Paid-tier subscription stories are not eligible
❌ Fanfiction and poetry are not eligible
Age Rating & Title Guidelines
- Titles must be suitable for all audiences.
- Mature/age-restricted content is allowed if correctly labeled.
- Explicit sex scenes are permitted in this contest when the book is correctly age-rated.
- Other mature themes — such as violence, strong language, or sensitive topics — are permitted if appropriately labeled.
Winner Announcement / Payment / Selection
- Winners will be announced within 4 weeks of the contest end date on Inkitt’s Instagram and the Inkitt Winners Page.
- Winners will be paid the month following their selection.
- Winner selection is determined by Inkitt’s algorithm, analyzing reader behaviors when interacting with your book.
