There are moments in life when you’re in the right place at the right time. Serendipity strikes. Sliding doors align. And there are moments in a writing life when the window opens.

Not one day. Not someday. Not when the manuscript is perfect. Not when your confidence finally arrives. Now.

I’m always reminded at times like this of comments the incomparable Katherine Rundell has shared in interviews when talking about finishing books - she often echoes the idea that a book is never perfect. It just reaches the point where you have to let it go. She’s talked about writing as something you release, not complete. That perfection isn’t the goal, communication is. 

She’s pushing against the myth that writers submit polished diamonds. Perfect manuscripts. Reality is often far from that truth. With just two weeks left to submit to The Libraro Prize 2026, we must remind ourselves of that. Writers everywhere are hovering. Over drafts. Over the first chapters. Over the send button. Wondering if they’re ready. The truth is: most writers never feel ready. They feel brave.

So be brave. Go for it. Put yourself out there. The Libraro Prize isn’t just another competition. It’s a golden opportunity: a £50,000 prize package and a book deal with Hachette UK. So if you have a fiction or crossover YA bestseller sitting in your drafts - go for it. Here we’re sharing Libraro’s top tips for any writer out there on the brink. On the precipice. Read these - then press send. You won’t regret it.

Ensure your entry meets the submission criteria 

You can only submit your manuscript once to The Libraro Prize 2026 to read the guidelines thoroughly and ensure you are fulfilling all of the requirements.

Your entry points matter more than you think

Before anyone reads your full manuscript, they encounter:

  • your title
  • your blurb
  • your opening chapters
  • your story about the story

These aren’t admin boxes. They are positioning.

A strong blurb is not a summary, it’s a promise. It tells readers what emotional experience they’re signing up for. Your “story about the story” isn’t bragging; it’s context. Why this book? Why now? Why you?

Your full manuscript

You must upload a full manuscript or full first draft (minimum 40,000 words) as part of your competition entry. Your manuscript is submitted securely and only sample chapters will be visible to readers.

Genre is not a cage - it’s a signal

Choosing genres isn’t about limiting your work. It’s about helping the right readers find it. You can select up to four sub-genres to help your work reach readers most likely to engage with it. Meeting them - and then surprising them - is where great storytelling lives.

Enter The Libraro Reader Referral Prize

If you know a writer who you think deserves to win The Libraro Prize 2026, invite them to enter. If that writer goes on to win the publishing deal with Hachette UK, you will be eligible to receive the £10,000 Reader Referral Prize.

Your time is now.

To view the full Libraro Hints and Tips document, click here. And remember, pressing submit is not the end of your writing journey - it’s the beginning of taking yourself seriously as an author.

And that shift changes everything. Good luck!

Entries close midnight GMT, 15th February 2026. The rest of your writing life begins NOW.

#Libraro