{"id":12181,"date":"2026-09-17T14:02:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T18:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writersblog-backend.inkitt.com\/?p=12181"},"modified":"2026-09-18T18:03:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T22:03:55","slug":"2026-inky-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersblog-backend.inkitt.com\/2026-inky-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"The Inkys: Inkitt\u2019s First-Ever Writer Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet The Inkys\u00a0<\/b><\/h1>\n

We are excited to announce Inkitt\u2019s first annual writing awards, celebrating the stories and storytellers that made 2026 a year for the books.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our inaugural 2026 awards will recognize standout stories across romance, romantasy, sci-fi, action, fan fiction, AI-assisted storytelling, and international fiction.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Entries open<\/b>: September 18, 2026<\/span>
\n<\/span>Entries close: <\/b>October 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m PDT <\/span>
\n<\/span>Winners announced: <\/b>December 18, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

2026 Award Categories<\/b><\/h2>\n

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.<\/span>\u00a0Click the category you would like to submit to below.<\/span><\/p>\n

English Awards<\/b><\/h3>\n

\n
• The Inkys: Clean & Modern Romance<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
• The Inkys: Spicy Romance<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
• The Inkys: Romantasy<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
• The Inkys: AI-Assisted<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
• The Inkys: Ironblood Adventure<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
• The Inkys: Fan Fiction<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  International Awards<\/b><\/h3>\n

  \n
  • The Inkys Deutsch 2026 (German-language stories)<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
  • The Inkys Fran\u00e7ais 2026 (French-language stories)<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
  • The Inkys Espa\u00f1ol 2026 (Spanish-language stories)<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
  • The Inkys Portugu\u00eas 2026 (Portuguese-language stories)<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    What Can You Win?<\/b><\/h2>\n

    There is no fee to enter and each category will award Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners for 30 winners total.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \ud83e\udd47 1st Place<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    \n
    • Official 2026 Gold winner status<\/span><\/li>\n
    • A trophy made for your shelf<\/span><\/li>\n
    • $500 cash<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Inkitt VIP Badge<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Contest Winner badge for your book cover<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Social media spotlight across Inkitt winners and social media platforms<\/span><\/li>\n
    • 200,000 Inkitt Audiobook creation credits<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      \ud83e\udd48 2nd Place<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

      \n
      • Official 2026 Silver winner status<\/span><\/li>\n
      • $250 cash<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Inkitt VIP Badge<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Contest Winner badge for your book cover<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Social media spotlight across Inkitt winners and social media platforms<\/span><\/li>\n
      • 100,000 Inkitt Audiobook creation credits<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        \ud83e\udd49 3rd Place<\/b><\/h3>\n

        \n
        • Official 2026 Bronze winner status<\/span><\/li>\n
        • $100 cash<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Inkitt VIP Badge<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Contest Winner badge for your book cover<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Social media spotlight across Inkitt winners and social media platforms<\/span><\/li>\n
        • 50,000 Inkitt Audiobook creation credits<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Rules\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

          To qualify for the 2026 Inky Awards:<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
          • 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.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Your story must contain at least 20,000 words by the October 18 deadline. There is no maximum word count.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Your story must align with the genre and requirements of the category you enter.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Your story must be submitted in the language specified for that category.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • All entries must be original and comply with Inkitt\u2019s plagiarism policies.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • You may submit multiple eligible stories, but only one story per author can win.
            \n<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Only one submission per story can be made at a time. This means that if you\u2019ve already submitted a story to an Inky category or another active contest on Inkitt, you cannot submit that same story to another.<\/li>\n
          • Stories already signed or published on Galatea, or that are part of a signed series, are not eligible.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Paid-tier subscription stories are not eligible.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Poetry is not eligible.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Additional requirements may apply depending on each award category, so be sure to review the complete terms for your category before entering.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • 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.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Story titles must be suitable for all audiences.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Additional requirements may apply depending on each award category, so be sure to review the complete terms for your category before entering.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            How Are Winners Selected?<\/b><\/h2>\n

            The Inkys are designed to recognize stories readers genuinely connect with. Winners will be determined using Inkitt\u2019s algorithm, which analyzes reader behavior and engagement with each book.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Winners will be announced by December 18, 2026 through Inkitt\u2019s Instagram and the official Inkitt Winners Page. Prize payments will be issued during the month following winner selection.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Enter Today<\/b><\/h2>\n

            It\u2019s 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. <\/span>Click the category you would like to submit to below.<\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
            • The Inkys: Clean & Modern Romance<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
            • The Inkys: Spicy Romance<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
            • The Inkys: Romantasy<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
            • The Inkys: AI-Assisted<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
            • The Inkys: Ironblood Adventure<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
            • The Inkys: Fan Fiction<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
            • The Inkys Deutsch 2026 (German-language stories)<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
            • The Inkys Fran\u00e7ais 2026 (French-language stories)<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
            • The Inkys Espa\u00f1ol 2026 (Spanish-language stories)<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
            • The Inkys Portugu\u00eas 2026 (Portuguese-language stories)<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Entries open<\/b>: September 18, 2026<\/span>
              \n<\/span>Entries close: <\/b>October 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m PDT <\/span>
              \n<\/span>Winners announced: <\/b>December 18, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Meet The Inkys\u00a0 We are excited to announce Inkitt\u2019s 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<\/p>\n

              Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12181","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized"},"yoast_head":"\n