Submission Form

Contest Summary

For the JNC Original Light Novel Contest, we are accepting original English language light novel manuscripts for publication by J-Novel Club for the English market. This is your chance to be published, get professional illustrations made for your work, and even possibly have your work adapted into a manga. There is also the possibility of having your work translated or adapted into an LN or manga in Japanese. Please see submissions guidelines, rules, and terms below.

Application Period

Opens:

September 1, 2026

Closes:

December 30, 2026

(NOTE: Extensions or Grace Periods may be announced to extend the Close Date at J-Novel Club’s sole discretion.)

Manuscript Guidelines

• Your work must be submitted in either Microsoft Word doc or docx, or Adobe PDF format. If selected as a winner, you must be able to submit it as either a Microsoft Word Doc or a Google Doc. Works will be edited using tools like track changes and comments on Microsoft Word, so for editing rounds, it is asked that the author understands and has a method to work with such documents.
• Handwritten works or works which are scanned from handwriting are not accepted. It must be typed and submitted digitally.
• Unsolicited works outside of the contest period are not accepted.
• Your work must consist only of text. Works which contain illustrations are not acceptable. Your work can only use black colored text.
• Please make sure that your work is easily readable. You may freely use any layout and typography you wish, but keep in mind that the winning works will need to be published as eBooks and should not include typographic features which are not easily reproduced in that format.
• Winning manuscripts will have several rounds of editorial with J-Novel Club and thus, do not have to be in their “perfect” final state. However, they need to have a clear beginning, middle, and end that would signify they could be published as a single book, even if it is intended as a series.
• Books that are one volume only or the first volume in a series are both accepted.
• Works must be no less than 35,000 words and no more than 75,000 words.
• All genres are accepted.

JNC Original Light Novel Contest Awards

Grand Prize: Up to 1 winner

$15,000 USD + the winning work will be adapted and published in Japanese by KADOKAWA

First Prize: Up to 5 winners

$3,000 USD + publication by J-Novel Club digitally, with the potential for print and audio adaptations

Runner-Up Prize: Up to 5 winners

$1,000 USD + publication by J-Novel Club digitally, with the potential for print and audio adaptations

BookWalker Prize: Up to 1 winner

$2,000 USD + publication by J-Novel Club digitally, with the potential for print and audio adaptations. Additionally, an extra chapter and illustration will be commissioned for exclusive publication at BookWalker digitally

KADOKAWA Comicalization Prize (NEW THIS YEAR)

All prize winners across all categories will additionally be considered for a Comicalization Prize by KADOKAWA’s editorial team. In addition to a certificate, this will mean automatic allowance to adapt the work into a comic in English or a manga in Japanese, at KADOKAWA’s discretion. Additional terms and conditions will apply.

Notes on Awards

• The Grand Prize award will only be given out to a work which a KADOKAWA editorial group wishes to publish as a Japanese edition.
• Additional Comicalization Prizes by KADOKAWA will be under separate contract with KADOKAWA with help and input from their editorial team to either adapt the finished light novel (published by J-Novel Club) into a comic in English or a manga in Japanese.
• Multiple works may win the First Prize and Runner-Up Prize. At least one of each of these prizes will be awarded.
• All prize-winning works will receive original cover, color, and interior art commissioned by J-Novel Club, and will be published digitally (and possibly in print) by J-Novel Club.
• Prize money will be deposited in USD into an account of your choosing upon the signing of a publication contract if your entry is chosen for an award. Exchange fees, other banking fees, and any applicable local taxes may be deducted from your prize money. Each prize winner is responsible for paying taxes on their prize money in accordance with their local laws.

Participant Benefits

Participants who make it to the final stage of judging will receive an evaluation, which will give you feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of your submission, even if you do not win.

Participants who pass the second round of judging will be able to participate in an online seminar with light novel editors from Kadokawa and other experts, who will give writing advice and tips for success!

Participants may have the ability to participate in an online seminar with light novel editors from KADOKAWA or other experts, who will give tips for success!

Participants who are finalists will have a preview (no more than 30%) of their work made available on J-Novel Club's web and mobile platforms (until the final winner announcements) to collect community feedback on your submissions, which will be used as one element of the final judging.

Selection Process and Results Announcement

There will be 3 rounds of judging. A public announcement of the works which are finalists will be made no later than May 30, 2027 on J-Novel Club’s website. The prize-winning works will be announced publicly at Anime Expo in July, 2027, and announced to the winning participants ahead of the public announcement. All participants will be notified by email prior to the public announcement. All works will be anonymized for the judging process, with personal information hidden from the judges throughout.

Eligibility for Application and Prizes

Anyone may apply regardless of experience or nationality, as long as their country is not under trade embargo with the USA and/or Japan.

You must be of age according to the laws of your country of residence to sign a legally enforceable contract on or before January 1, 2027.

Current employees for KADOKAWA Group companies are not eligible to receive monetary prizes, though you may submit your work.

Participants may submit only one work. The entry should satisfy the submission requirements.

Submitted Works Eligibility

Submitted works shall be written in English and consist of no less than 35,000 but no more than 75,000 words and must be a completed story with a clear ending.

Works which have previously been published for profit are ineligible for submission. This includes works that were self-published on sites which monetize the sale or streaming of the work.

Works which have been published on free websites or websites where the author is not directly remunerated for the work can be submitted, however J-Novel Club may request that any versions of the prize-winning works be removed or substantively changed before being officially published under J-Novel Club.

Upon submitting your application, you agree that your work does not infringe upon the copyrights, other rights, or interests of any third party of any kind.

Works that include excessive sexual or cruel descriptions or depictions, infringe or are likely to infringe upon the copyright or other rights or interest (including parodies and imitations), slander specific individuals or groups, are offensive to public morals, violate the application guidelines, or are deemed unsuitable by the judges will be disqualified from the competition.

If you submit your work to multiple contests at the same time, you are responsible for ensuring other contests and relevant agreements do not limit your ability to sign into an exclusive publishing agreement for said work, otherwise submitted material will be deemed ineligible. If your work is accepted as a winner and you accept the title of winner, you must withdraw your work from any other pending contest. If you win another contest or enter a publishing agreement with the work, please inform J-Novel Club immediately if your need to withdraw.

You may submit each work only once per each year's competition (resubmission of a work submitted in a previous competition is okay, but if previously rejected, it is asked that you have significantly reworked the manuscript). Once a work has been submitted in this year's competition, it cannot be revised.

Handling of Submitted Entries

Submitted works will be anonymized, with your personal information kept separately and securely, according to J-Novel Club's privacy policy. The rights to your submitted work shall remain entirely with you, and J-Novel Club shall make no claims to the rights to the works or any IP contained within, with one exception: By submitting your work, in the event it becomes a finalist, you agree to allow J-Novel Club and its business partners to stream no more than 30% of the submitted work for free for a period of no longer than 1 year. No financial remuneration will be made for this free streaming, and this streaming shall not imply the transfer of any other rights to the work, including but not limited to the character or story IP. You agree not to post on any public forum or website the remainder of the story while it is being judged.

Handling of Prize Winning Entries

Upon notification that a submitted work has been chosen for a prize, winners will be asked to sign an exclusive publication contract with J-Novel Club for the digital publication of the work. This contract will set royalties to be paid to the winner for the sale of the submitted work by J-Novel Club, and the prize money will be considered an advance on those royalties. In the event of a Grand Prize winner, the contract will also include the Japanese adaptation rights for the submitted work, and J-Novel Club will then enter into a contract with Kadokawa for the light novel translation into Japanese. If awarded the Comicalization prize in addition to any other prize (prize can only be awarded additionally), the author will enter into a contract with Kadokawa for an adaptation manga in Japanese or comic in English, which will be pursuant to the contract between those parties. Contracts with J-Novel Club will be a standard exclusive publishing contract, with a term of 5 years, after which any rights to the submitted work will return to the original rights holder, unless renewed upon mutual agreement by both parties, or as set by the contract offered and signed by both parties. Any subsequent sublicense or third-party use will be subject to the terms and conditions of the contract with J-Novel Club. Authors are also asked not to themselves sell any likeness of characters that may conflict with J-Novel Club’s ability to commission art for, market, or sell the book. If a winner chooses not to sign the publication contract, the prize will be revoked and may be granted to another work instead. The rights to any illustrations commissioned by J-Novel Club and any secondary rights deriving from those illustrations shall remain with J-Novel Club.

Additional Legal Notes

In the event that any facts are discovered after the winners are selected that would disqualify a prize winner from the competition (including cases in which a minor has signed a contract without legal authority), the prize will be revoked and the prize money, along with any and all other prizes, must be returned to J-Novel Club. In the event that the applicant causes damage to J-Novel Club or any other third party as a result of violating these guidelines, the applicant will be required to compensate for the damages. J-Novel Club shall not be responsible for any loss or damages incurred by the applicant, unless the loss or damages can be attributed to J-Novel Club. In no event shall J-Novel Club be liable for any indirect damages, loss of profits, attorney fees or similar damages to the applicant, and shall only be compensated for damages incurred in direct connection with the competition, unless in the case of gross negligence on J-Novel Club's part. These Application Guidelines shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Texas, United States. Bexar County, Texas shall have exclusive jurisdiction of the first instance over all disputes arising out of or in connection with this agreement. By submitting your work, you agree to these terms.

Please note that J-Novel Club is the publishing division of M12 Media, LLC. Accordingly, although the contest is conducted and administered under the J-Novel Club name, any contracts entered into with contest winners, and any prizes awarded in connection with the contest, will be made or provided by M12 Media, LLC, dba J-Novel Club, for purposes of this Agreement.

• Your work must be submitted in either Microsoft Word doc or docx, or Adobe PDF format.
• Handwritten works or works which are scanned from handwriting are not acceptable.
• Your work must consist only of text. Works which contain illustrations are not acceptable. Your work can only use black colored text.
• Please make sure that your work is easily readable. You may freely use any layout and typography you wish, but keep in mind that the winning works will need to be published as ebooks, and should not include typographic features which are not easily reproduced in that format.