JOFFE BOOKS PRIZE
FOR CRIME FICTION WRITERS OF COLOUR TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. This competition is promoted by Joffe Books Ltd., Finsgate, 5-7 Cranwood Street, London, EC1V 9EE.

2. This competition is open to all UK residents and British citizens (including those residing abroad) who are not currently represented by a literary agent in any capacity, except employees of Joffe Books, Audible or any of the judges (or any affiliated companies) and their immediate families, who are not allowed to enter the competition.

3. You must be aged 18 or over and identify as being from a Black, Asian, Indigenous or minority ethnic background to enter this competition, and will need to provide this information in your submission.

4. You do not need to be a debut author, but your submission must be a brand-new, previously unpublished novel, and should be either a standalone or the proposed first in a new crime, mystery or thriller series. 

5. By entering, you guarantee that you have written your submission yourself, and that you have not used generative AI tools, such as Claude and ChatGPT, to generate or significantly rewrite any of its content. (The use of AI tools for standard grammar or spell-checks is fine.)

6. The winner will be offered a prize package consisting of the following: a two-book publishing contract with Joffe Books on its standard author agreement terms; a £1,000 cash prize; a two-year membership to the Society of Authors;  a £25,000 audiobook contract with Audible for the first book. The prize is a package and can only be accepted in its entirety.

7. All submissions must be sent BY EMAIL with the book title and the entrant’s (pen) name in the subject heading to the designated email address: prize@joffebooks.com

8. Submissions may be sent any time between 15 June 2026 and 31 October 2026, 23.59 p.m. GMT. No entries received after this date will be accepted. No purchase necessary.

9. Each submission should contain the following attachments, each marked in the file name with the author’s name and the title of the novel:

a. The first 10,000 words of your manuscript (written in English) attached to the email as a Word document, with the first page being the title page.

b. A synopsis of whole book*, including the complete plot and the story’s end (maximum 2,000 words); and a one paragraph summary of the book.

c. A covering letter that confirms eligibility for the prize and includes an author biography and information about their writing career thus far (including writing courses attended, publications, prizes won, etc.) and any blogs and/or social media information (maximum 1 page), as well as their full name, address and phone number.

* The synopsis of the whole book should outline the book’s themes and full plot, including spoilers.

10. Submissions that do not meet requirements of these Terms and Conditions shall not be read:

a. Submissions that have been sent by post or means other than email to the correct email address will not be accepted.

b. Any submission containing incorrect, false or unreadable information will be rejected.

c. Any submission made on behalf of or for another person, or multiple submissions, will not be read.

11. No correspondence between Joffe Books or the hopeful authors can be entered into, unless at Joffe Books’s request, and we will not respond to unsolicited communications.

12. In addition to the winner(s), some finalists may have the opportunity to discuss their work with Joffe Books or the judges, who may choose to offer a contract to them but are not obliged to, and by entering this contest you agree to be contacted by both companies.

13. The winner will be notified no later than November 30, 2026, and an announcement will be made after this time.

14. The prize is non-refundable, non-transferable and subject to availability. The prize will be offered to the selected winner and acceptance must be confirmed within one week. Joffe Books may choose an alternative winner if the prize is not accepted.

15. No prize alternatives are available.

16. As part of the contract the winning author must be:

a. prepared to complete their novel within a maximum of 12 months, if submitting a work in progress, to a minimum wordcount of 60,000;

B. prepared to undertake editorial work on their novel;

b. prepared to undertake publicity and promotional responsibilities.

17. Joffe Books reserves the right to extend the deadline.

18. Joffe Books’s decision is final; successful entrants will be notified but Joffe Books reserves the right to not provide feedback on unsuccessful entries.

19. You will retain all copyright in your submission and by submitting your novel you grant Joffe Books a licence to copy your submission and share it with its affiliates solely for the purpose of reviewing it.

20. Any personal information you give us will be used solely for reviewing your submission and will not be passed on to any other parties without your agreement. Joffe Books’s privacy policy can be found at: joffebooks.com/privacy

21. Under no circumstances will Joffe Books be responsible for any loss, damages, costs or expenses arising from or in any way connected with any errors, defects, interruptions, malfunctions or delays in the promotion of the competition or prize.

22. Joffe Books will not be responsible unless required by law, for any loss, changes, costs or expenses, which may arise in connection with this competition and Joffe Books can cancel or alter the competition at any stage.

23. Joffe Books can cancel or alter the prize at any stage.

24. The entry instructions are part of the Terms and Conditions for this competition.

25. By entering the competition you are agreeing to accept these Terms and Conditions. Any breach of these Terms and Conditions by you will mean that your entry will not be valid, and you will not be allowed to enter this competition.

26. By entering this competition, you are agreeing that if you win your name and image may be used for the purpose of announcing the winner in any related publicity with Joffe Books, without additional payment or permission.

27. All entrants are expected to act fairly and in the good spirit of the competition. Joffe Books reserves the right to investigate any irregularities and disqualify entrants at its absolute discretion.

28. Any dispute relating to the competition shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales and will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.