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 must be action, sci-fi, or adventure genres.

✅ 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 permitted in this contest when the book is correctly age-rated and aligns with the genre.
• Other mature themes — such as violence, strong language, or sensitive topics — are permitted if appropriately labeled.