Please note that this year the Prize is open to authors in the UK, Commonwealth (excluding Canada) and Europe. It will NOT be open to authors in the US & Canada.
Greenhouse exclusively represents and manages the careers of authors writing fiction for children, from picturebooks through middle grade novels to sophisticated teen fiction.
The name says it all. Greenhouse aims to nurture and grow the talent of exceptional writers. With an emphasis on working creatively with clients, Greenhouse can help writers develop their voice and craft – and then be their advocate and long-term partner through the publishing process and beyond.
They believe young people deserve great fiction. Greenhouse seeks outstandingly talented authors who are ready to put down roots. The agency has offices in both the USA and UK. With its transatlantic approach, Greenhouse is in an unequalled position to find the very best market for your work– on whichever continent that may be.
Greenhouse say:
We are looking for picture books, middle grade, teen and YA stories with outstanding plots. Make us feel funny – whether that’s smiling with delight or splitting our sides laughing. Send us your funniest fiction in all genres! Please note that this year we are not running the Funny Prize in the US and Canada.
CLOSING DATE: Midnight on 30 June 2015
SHORTLIST ANNOUNCEMENT: 3 August 2015 at noon
WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT: 7 August 2015 at noon
WHAT SHOULD I SEND?
Your entire book (or as much of it as you have written) but definitely the first chapter. Also send a clear synopsis of no more than one page, double spaced. Please send your manuscript as Word.doc (not .docx) attachment.
Please note that we will be judging the Funny Prize on the first chapter only. The exception to this are picture book texts; in this case, we need to see the entire text.
Do not send any illustrations.
HOW SHOULD I SEND MY WORK?
By email only as a Word.doc (not .docx) attachment. We will not accept postal submissions. The email address is: Greenhousefunnyprize2015@gmail.com
Entries must be double-spaced and set in 12-point type, preferably Roman.
WHO CAN ENTER?
Unpublished and unagented authors living in the UK, Commonwealth (excluding Canada) or Europe. All entries must be in English. Our one change this year is that we are not running the Funny Prize in the US and Canada.
LATE ENTRIES – WILL YOU ACCEPT THEM?
No. In order to treat everybody fairly, late entries will not be considered.
CAN I POST MY SUBMISSION TO YOU?
No. Entries sent by post will be returned unread.
WILL YOU ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF MY ENTRY?
You will receive an automated response confirming that your story has arrived safely. If you do not receive this, check your spam filter and junk email folder. If you still don’t see anything from us, resubmit your story or send us a query at the same address (Greenhousefunnyprize2015@gmail.com). It may take a few days to respond to queries but we will get back to you.
YOU ASK FOR THE WHOLE STORY. DOES THAT MEAN YOU WILL READ IT ALL?
No. We will definitely read the first chapter of each entry (or the whole text if it is a picture book) and your synopsis. We do not undertake to read more than that. We also won’t tell you how much more of your book we read.
WHOOPS! I’VE SENT THE WRONG VERSION OF MY STORY. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
We anticipate a high number of entries to the Greenhouse Funny Prize 2015 so we ask you, please, to try to get everything right on your first attempt. Equally, we understand that errors happen. If you need to get in contact with us after you’ve submitted something, please email us at the Funny Prize email address (Greenhousefunnyprize2015@gmail.com), explaining the problem/concern. You will receive an automated acknowledgement of your email, but sit tight. One of us will respond in person as soon as we can, almost certainly within five working days.
I HAVEN’T FINISHED WRITING MY BOOK YET. DOES THAT MATTER?
No. You can submit what you have written so far, though we undertake to read only the first chapter. But you must have a clear idea of how your novel will end. Don’t forget to include a short summary! We would advise that you don’t enter the Funny Prize this year unless you are pretty close to finishing the book. All of our previous winners have subsequently got publishing deals for their books but you are unlikely to get a deal with only half a manuscript. It may be wise to think about finishing your book and submitting it next year instead.
I DON’T THINK MY FIRST CHAPTER IS THE STRONGEST PART OF MY BOOK. CAN I ENTER A DIFFERENT CHAPTER INSTEAD?
No. In order to treat all entrants fairly, we will read the first chapter. Don’t forget that we aren’t reading it for storyline only. We’re looking for hook, freshness of voice, prose style, plausibility of dialogue, atmosphere, pacing etc. So work as hard as you can on your opening chapter and send that in. (In bookshops, most people glance only at the first paragraph or so before deciding whether or not to buy a book. The importance of Chapter 1 cannot be underestimated!)
SYNOPSIS – HOW LONG SHOULD IT BE?
‘Not very’ is the answer to that! No more than the equivalent of one A4 page, double spaced.
SYNOPSIS – HELP! MINE IS TOO LONG. IT WON’T FIT ON A SINGLE PAGE
Are you sure? Really? Writing a synopsis is an art and it takes practice. Our advice is to keep it as simple as possible and write it in the plainest language. Self-edit brutally! Do you really need all of those adjectives? Do we really need to know the name of the protagonist’s dog? With work, you probably can fit it all on a single page. Please do!
SYNOPSIS – IN WHAT STYLE SHOULD I WRITE IT?
As a straightforward summary of the book. Please tell us exactly what will happen, including any twists or reveals. Please do not end with an ellipsis (three dots) and/or a question mark. You are not writing jacket copy . . . are you?
I HAVE LOADS OF FUNNY STORIES. HOW MANY CAN I SUBMIT FOR THE FUNNY PRIZE?
One only – so make it your best! (And, no, that doesn’t mean that you can enter one picture book and one book for older readers.) It’s one submission per person.
I ALREADY HAVE AN AGENT. CAN I ENTER THE FUNNY PRIZE ANYWAY?
The Funny Prize is open only to writers who don’t yet have agents. Even if your agent has not yet seen this manuscript, it’s not eligible for the Prize.
MY BOOK IS ALREADY OUT WITH AGENTS, THOUGH NO ONE’S SIGNED IT YET. IS IT ELIGIBLE FOR THE FUNNY PRIZE?
Yes, though we would ask you to let us know if the situation changes during the judging period. You will need to withdraw your story from the Greenhouse Prize if you accept representation at any point between submission and the winner being announced.
WILL YOU CONTACT ME ONCE YOU’VE READ MY SUBMISSION EVEN IF I DON’T WIN OR MAKE THE SHORTLIST?
Sorry. No. It’s just not practical for us to contact everybody who enters. Only the shortlisted authors will hear from us. You will however receive an automated response once your story arrives in our inbox so you’ll know it’s arrived safely. We will be reading every submission.
WILL YOU PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON MY STORY?
We would love to but it’s just not feasible given the number of entries we anticipate, and the number of non-Funny Prize submissions Greenhouse receives each day.
I HAVE ALREADY SELF-PUBLISHED MY STORY AND IT IS AVAILABLE TO BUY ONLINE. IS IT ELIGIBLE FOR THE PRIZE?
No, sorry. Only books that have never been published in any form are eligible.
WHAT WILL I WIN?
The winner will be offered representation by Greenhouse.
Two runners up will receive a selection of children’s books chosen by the judging panel.
Please note that we reserve the right not to award a winner if we don’t feel that there is an entry that reaches a high enough standard.
WHO WILL BE JUDGING THE FUNNY PRIZE?
The Children’s Editorial team at Faber & Faber Ltd and Polly Nolan at the Greenhouse Literary Agency.
Can you deliver the story to make children chortle? Go on. Give it a try!