About the contest
Meet the Inkys: Inkitt’s first annual writing awards. Ten categories, one goal – recognizing the stories and storytellers that made 2026 a year for the books.
The Clean & Modern Romance category is specifically designed to celebrate slow burns and steady hearts, the love stories that hit hard without turning up the heat.
What you win
🥇 1st Place
- Official 2026 Gold winner status
- A trophy made for your shelf
- $500 cash
- Inkitt VIP Badge
- Contest Winner badge for your book cover
- Social media spotlight across Inkitt winners and social media platforms
- 200,000 audiobook credits
🥈 2nd Place
- Official 2026 Silver winner status
- $250 cash
- Inkitt VIP Badge
- Contest Winner badge for your book cover
- Social media spotlight across Inkitt winners and social media platforms
- 100,000 audiobook credits
🥉 3rd Place
- Official 2026 Bronze winner status
- $100 cash
- Inkitt VIP Badge
- Contest Winner badge for your book cover
- Social media spotlight across Inkitt winners and social media platforms
- 50,000 audiobook credits
Winner Announcement / Payment / Selection
- Winners will be announced by December 18, 2026 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.
Contest Terms
Contest Dates
- Start: September 18, 2026
- End: October 18, 2026 at 11:59pm PDT
- Winners will be announced: December 18, 2026
Entry Guidelines & Terms
✅ Must have been published on Inkitt on or after January 1, 2026
✅ New stories encouraged; previously published stories published on Inkitt after January 1, 2026 are allowed.
✅ Minimum 20,000 words by the deadline. No maximum word limit.
✅ Story genre must be clean and/or modern romance.
✅ Stories must be submitted in English.
✅ Stories must be original (no plagiarism).
✅ Multiple entries allowed (only one story per author can win).
❌ Paid-tier subscription stories are not eligible
❌ Poetry is not eligible
❌ Fan fiction is not eligible (see The Inkys: Fan Fiction)
❌ AI-assisted stories are not eligible (see The Inkys: AI-Assisted)
❌ Entries already signed/published on Galatea or part of a signed series are ineligible.
❌ Check the terms for your specific category for all specific terms.
Age Rating & Title Guidelines
- Titles must be suitable for all audiences.
- Mature/age-restricted content is allowed if correctly labeled.
- Explicit sex scenes are not permitted in this contest.
- Other mature themes — such as violence, strong language, or sensitive topics — are permitted if appropriately labeled.
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