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Uncharted Magazine Novel Excerpt Prize

A project of Uncharted Magazine (see other related projects).

About

Each year, novel excerpt submissions are some of our readers’ and editors’ favorite narratives to read. We love to be swept away into magnetic worlds full of drama and consequences for robust and dynamic characters. We can feel the time, effort, inspiration, and genius moves that have gone into producing such thrilling stories. We’re honored by your trust in sending us your novel excerpts, and we can’t wait to read them.

We’re looking for the best 5,000 words or fewer of your novel in progress! We love to read opening chapters, climaxes, and anything in-between. Give us those scenes full of tension, crackling dialogue, and worlds we’ve never even imagined. Give us a chance to read the most captivating section of your novel—and make us want to read more!

Uncharted Magazine publishes genre novel excerpts from fiction writers of any background or experience. We want excerpts that make us hunger for new worlds we can explore through sensual details and human empathy. We want excerpts that make us feel alive, that awaken our desire to go on adventures.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions, except for limited waivers available for historically marginalized groups. The fee is USD $20.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2022

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Awarded 1 x per year

Fiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 15 October 2025* (approx. 89 days from now) through 14 December 2025.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General.
Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres.
Horror Open to all/most Subgenres.
Mystery/Crime Open to all/most Subgenres.
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres.
Suspense/Thriller Open to all/most Subgenres.

Lengths:

Novel Excerpt: 1,000 - 5,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $1,000 for each winner.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Multiple entries: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Uncharted Magazine Novel Excerpt Prize Submission Statistics Free Preview!

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

Accuracy:
We have received 21 reports from 20 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported:
25 min | 62.7 mean avg | 59.5 median | 211 max days (63.6 std dev)
Responses
100.00 %
Acceptances:
4.76 % of submissions accepted (211.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 5.00 % of submitters accepted Rejections are often underreported, which skews the statistics in favor of acceptances. Most publishers have a lower acceptance rate than indicated here.
Rejections:
95.24 % (59.3 avg. days per rejection) | 5.0 % personal, 75.0 % form, 20.0 % unspecified
Non-Responses
0.00 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawals:
-
Pending
8 responses are pending (31 min | 60.6 mean avg | 38.0 median | 210 max days waiting | 194.8 std dev) from 8 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $20.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 14 Jul 2025.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 11 Jun 2025.

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Your Submissions

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Voyage Anthology Contest CLOSED  Charges fees for some submissions
Voyage Best Chapters Contest CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Voyage Book-Pitch Contest CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Voyage First Chapters Contest DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
Voyage YA Open CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Voyage YA Short Story Award CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
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Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 02 Jul 2025
Last Audited: 23 Jun 2025
Date Added: 02 Aug 2022

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.