Meet The Inkys

We are excited to announce Inkitt’s first annual writing awards, celebrating the stories and storytellers that made 2026 a year for the books.

Our inaugural 2026 awards will recognize standout stories across romance, romantasy, sci-fi, action, fan fiction, AI-assisted storytelling, and international fiction.

Whether you published your first story this year or gave readers their newest obsession, this is your chance to put your work in the running to win an Inky.

Entries open: September 18, 2026
Entries close: October 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m PDT
Winners announced: December 18, 2026

2026 Award Categories

We are kicking off the awards with 10 unique categories to honor some of the most popular genres on our platform, industry innovation, and support our global author community. Click the category you would like to submit to below.

English Awards

International Awards

What Can You Win?

There is no fee to enter and each category will award Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners for 30 winners total.

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 Inkitt Audiobook creation 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 Inkitt Audiobook creation 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 Inkitt Audiobook creation credits

Rules

To qualify for the 2026 Inky Awards:

Your story must have been published on Inkitt on or after January 1, 2026. New to platform stories are highly encouraged, but previously published stories are also eligible as long as they were published on Inkitt after January 1, 2026.
Your story must contain at least 20,000 words by the October 18 deadline. There is no maximum word count.
Your story must align with the genre and requirements of the category you enter.
Your story must be submitted in the language specified for that category.
All entries must be original and comply with Inkitt’s plagiarism policies.
You may submit multiple eligible stories, but only one story per author can win.
Only one submission per story can be made at a time. This means that if you’ve already submitted a story to an Inky category or another active contest on Inkitt, you cannot submit that same story to another.
Stories already signed or published on Galatea, or that are part of a signed series, are not eligible.
Paid-tier subscription stories are not eligible.
Poetry is not eligible.
Additional requirements may apply depending on each award category, so be sure to review the complete terms for your category before entering.
Mature content is welcome when relevant to the category and properly labeled. Explicit sex scenes are permitted when the story is correctly age-rated and fits the requirements of its category. Other mature themes, including violence, strong language, and sensitive subject matter, are also permitted when appropriately labeled.
Story titles must be suitable for all audiences.
Additional requirements may apply depending on each award category, so be sure to review the complete terms for your category before entering.

How Are Winners Selected?

The Inkys are designed to recognize stories readers genuinely connect with. Winners will be determined using Inkitt’s algorithm, which analyzes reader behavior and engagement with each book.

Winners will be announced by December 18, 2026 through Inkitt’s Instagram and the official Inkitt Winners Page. Prize payments will be issued during the month following winner selection.

Enter Today

It’s time to see where your story can take you. Choose your category, submit your story, and enter for your chance to become one of the first-ever Inky Award winners. Click the category you would like to submit to below.

Entries open: September 18, 2026
Entries close: October 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m PDT
Winners announced: December 18, 2026

The Inkys: Inkitt’s First-Ever Writer Awards

Meet The Inkys