2026 STAR Award for Published Women’s Fiction

 

 STAR Award Information

Entries for the 2026 award open on February 1st.

 

Overview of Award
Important Dates
Submission Details
Entry Fee
Guidelines
Eligibility
Format
Frequently Asked Questions

 

Overview of the Award

The STAR Award for Published Authors is designed to recognize excellence in published full-length women’s fiction.

The STAR Award for Published Authors has two categories: General and Debut

  • Authors already published in women’s fiction are eligible to enter the General Category which includes women's fiction of any time period, premise, or with any additional plot element.
  • The Debut Category recognizes authors who are not previously published in full-length fiction of any genre.

The STAR Award Contest is limited to the first 50 entries in each of the two categories. 

A novel may be entered in only ONE category and an author may submit only ONE novel.

First round judging will be by readers of women’s fiction.

Entries with the top three scores in each category (General or Debut) will be declared finalists and advance to the final round.  Scores will not be shared with entrants.

Final Judging will be by readers with a strong interest in women’s fiction e.g. librarians.

Winners will receive the traditional STAR Award trophy, recognition by WFWA, and a $500 prize.

 

Important Dates

Entry Opens February 1, 2026. WFWA members-only submission dates are 2/1/2026 to 2/14/2026. 

If there is space available, non-WFWA members may submit starting February 15, 2026.

Entry closes February 28, 2026.

Preliminary judges’ scores are due May 31, 2026.

Finalists are announced on National Women's Fiction Day, June 8, 2026.

Deadline for finalists' books to be received by the Award Coordinator is June 25, 2026.

Final scores are due September 1, 2026.

Winners are Announced at the WFWA Retreat at the end of September.

 

Submission Details

Registration and Submission of your novel:

After completing the registration form and paying the registration fee, your confirmation email will direct you to our submission portal, where you will submit your novel.

The preferred submission is either an EPUB or a PDF file.

If you do not have access to these files, you can submit (3) unredeemed Amazon Kindle gift links.

Kindle gift links will be provided to the judges in order for them to download a copy of your submission, but because they sometimes cause technical difficulties, they are not the preferred method.

NOTE: the electronic submission process allows for only ONE submission per email address. Agents or publishers attempting to submit multiple novels will be unable to do so.

If you are selected as a finalist, you will need to be able to provide three physical books. That is a book that is traditionally bound as a hardcover, trade, or paperback. No unprofessionally printed manuscripts will be accepted.

Print editions must be provided to the STAR Award Contest Coordinator by June 25, 2026.

 

Entry Fee

$50 WFWA Membership

$65 non-WFWA Members

Fees must be paid electronically during the submission process.


Guidelines

Eligibility

Definition

Format

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Eligibility

The contest is open to all authors of book-length women's fiction (60k words or more). 

Books must be written in English but do not need to follow standard American English spelling and grammar rules. 

All work must have an ISBN and an original first edition PUBLICATION date of 2025.

If an entry does not meet these requirements, it will be disqualified and entry fees may be forfeited. 

NOTE: No novellas or short story collections are accepted.

 

Format

For the initial round, the STAR Award for Published Authors accepts EPUB and  PDF files. Kindle Gift Links may also be submitted, but EPUB is the preferred format.

The final Round requires 3 copies of a professionally printed edition.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

My book is available online as an ebook only. May I enter?
Yes. But for the final round, all entrants must be able to submit a print book alongside an ebook.

I’ve self-published my book. Can I still enter?
Yes. Providing it has an ISBN and a 2025 first edition publication date and is available at retailers, either physical stores or online.

I’m published in another genre, but this is my first work of women's fiction. Can I enter as a debut author?
You may enter the debut category only if your previous publications are either non-fiction or not full length novels. For example, if you’ve published a memoir, short stories, non-fiction, blogs, or academic papers, you are still eligible to submit in the debut category. But if you’ve published a novel in a different fiction genre, you would not be eligible.

Will I be able to see my scores?

No, we don’t provide authors with the judges’ comments or scores for their submissions.

How do I determine if my novel is Women's Fiction?

Women's fiction is defined as a story where the emotional journey of the protagonist is the driving force of the story.

The protagonist’s journey must lead to a more fulfilled self.

PLEASE NOTE: A book can have a protagonist of any gender, he, she, or they. It's the genre, not the gender that matters. However, to be eligible for the STAR Award, the main character must be an adult, 18 years or older, for at least half of the book.

Women’s fiction is a flexible genre in that it may include romance, or it may not. It could be contemporary or historical and have magical, mystery, thriller, suspense, or other elements.

The driving force of a romance novel is a love story, a mystery's is the exposure of an event, a thriller's is a fear-inducing chase or escape, etc. 

If your manuscript's driving force best fits another genre, such as romance, science fiction, thriller, etc., it is not eligible for the STAR Award.

For more information about women’s fiction, click here.

 

Additional Questions? Contact the STAR Award coordinator at [email protected].