Contest Terms

Contest Dates

• Start: May 8th, 2026
• End: July 31st, 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 10,000 words by the deadline.

✅ No maximum word limit

✅ The story needs to be completed by the deadline.

✅ Stories must be original (no plagiarism).

✅ Inspired by actual events that incorporates significant fictional elements.

✅ Biopic, founder drama, tech origin story, docudrama, and historical fiction are all welcome

✅ Go beyond the myth. We want the human behind the legend — the doubt, the gamble, the moment before everything changed

✅ Previously completed stories and ongoing stories are allowed

✅ Paid-tier subscription stories are eligible

✅ Multiple entries allowed (only one story per author can win)

❌ No hagiography. If your protagonist has no flaws, no contradictions, and no cost — start over

❌ No passive founders. The story must turn on a decision your character makes, not on circumstances happening around them

❌ No slow starts. The central tension must be established in the first 5 pages

❌ Entries already signed/published on Galatea or part of a signed series are ineligible

❌ Stories that won a previous contest 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 not eligible for this contest (closed-door / fade-to-black is welcome).
• 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.

FAQ

• Is this a free writing contest? Yes, Inkitt’s writing contests are always free to enter.
• Can I submit multiple entries? Yes! Multiple stories are allowed, though only one can win.
• Who can enter this contest? Any author worldwide.