Help Please! Thoughts on Libraro and Hachette Prize

[Rachael Burnett]

Hi lovely Litopians,

Anyone got any experience with Libraro or thoughts on Libraro and/or the 2026 prize with Hachette? Here's the link below, any thoughts are much appreciated Libraro Prize 2026

 

[Jake E]

Found this.

Libraro Aims to Solve the Slush Pile Problem Libraro Aims to Solve the Slush Pile Problem

 

[Jake E]

Looks promising.
If they can pull it off

 

[Rachael Burnett]

Looks promising.
If they can pull it off

It does, and totally legit. They have been promoting it heavily on LinkedIn. I can’t decide whether to submit. The reader prizes are pretty impressive too. Would you submit yours?

 

[Jake E]

Yeah. I might do.
It's only the first three chapters and it doesn't stipulate the work must be unpublished

 

[Rachael Burnett]

Yeah. I might do.
It's only the first three chapters and it doesn't stipulate the work must be unpublished

Exactly, your work would be really good. The humour I could see getting a good response. Also, others agents might look, you never know.

 

[Sedayne]

I just had a look at the info. As you say, seems legit and Hachette is a massive publisher.
It's completely free to enter, so nothing to lose, I suppose.
And yet... The prize seems huge, until you realise that £20,000 of it is marketing budget. £30,000 still pretty neat and might be more than you'd ever make on your novel anyway. And yet... that's it. Committed to publishing with them, but no commitment from them for any royalties or future investment other than the prize money.
I don't know enough about publishing contracts to know if it's a good deal or if it's taking the piss. But I earn more working for the NHS.
The reader prize however, of £10,000, seems pretty good.

 

[Rachael Burnett]

I just had a look at the info. As you say, seems legit and Hachette is a massive publisher.
It's completely free to enter, so nothing to lose, I suppose.
And yet... The prize seems huge, until you realise that £20,000 of it is marketing budget. £30,000 still pretty neat and might be more than you'd ever make on your novel anyway. And yet... that's it. Committed to publishing with them, but no commitment from them for any royalties or future investment other than the prize money.
I don't know enough about publishing contracts to know if it's a good deal or if it's taking the piss. But I earn more working for the NHS.
The reader prize however, of £10,000, seems pretty good.

Ooh, I hadn’t dissected it quite like that, but it seems worth the punt. Also, whilst I’d like to earn some decent dosh from writing, I’m more interested in getting a publishing deal. Although I’m not willing or to do Faustian deal, one with an okay deal sounds good to me in the very unlikely event Lupercalia might win.

Might you have a punt?

 

[Sedayne]

Ooh, I hadn’t dissected it quite like that, but it seems worth the punt. Also, whilst I’d like to earn some decent dosh from writing, I’m more interested in getting a publishing deal. Although I’m not willing or to do Faustian deal, one with an okay deal sounds good to me in the very unlikely event Lupercalia might win.

Might you have a punt?

Probably not. Aside from the fact I don't think my novel would be popular enough for this kind of contest, I'm wary of being tied into a non-negotiable contract. It might be an amazing opportunity, but something about it feels off. I could be wrong, but instinctively, it doesn't feel right for me.

 

[Pamela Jo]

It's the usual if you have a high concept probably not a good idea to submit. It will be read by those you have no control over and I think basically be in the public domain. Fine if you win, but what about those many that dont. What protection do they have for their work being uploaded to AI, their concept kicked. When I read it, I understood that the whole manuscript had to be made available Did I misunderstand?

 

[Rachael Burnett]

Probably not. Aside from the fact I don't think my novel would be popular enough for this kind of contest, I'm wary of being tied into a non-negotiable contract. It might be an amazing opportunity, but something about it feels off. I could be wrong, but instinctively, it doesn't feel right for me.

I’m naturally sceptical about everything and I massively respect your opinion. Do you think it’s worth trying Lupercalia as I have decided to wait subbing it until I have finished my PhD?

 

[Rachael Burnett]

It's the usual if you have a high concept probably not a good idea to submit. It will be read by those you have no control over and I think basically be in the public domain. Fine if you win, but what about those many that dont. What protection do they have for their work being uploaded to AI, their concept kicked. When I read it, I understood that the whole manuscript had to be made available Did I misunderstand?

I think that although you upload the whole manuscript, the public only see/read the first three chapters or 10k words. But the fact that you have to upload the whole thing means that it maybe vulnerable and it makes me question why you have to upload the whole thing if only 3 chapters are available.

 

[Sedayne]

It's the usual if you have a high concept probably not a good idea to submit. It will be read by those you have no control over and I think basically be in the public domain. Fine if you win, but what about those many that dont. What protection do they have for their work being uploaded to AI, their concept kicked. When I read it, I understood that the whole manuscript had to be made available Did I misunderstand?

That's a good point. It's a contest judged by readers who are also going for a big cash prize. Who are these readers? Anybody who wants to join in, it would seem.

I had to read the T&Cs to discover that only the sample chapters are read by public readers, but the full MS needs to be submitted from the start. This is only read by judges and 'industry professionals'.
I couldn't find the names of any of the judges which is a bit of a red flag.

At least with novel competitions run by agencies or magazines, it's clearer just who will be reading your work and what they'll do with it.

Chill Subs have a competition calculator as a decision tool for entering writing comps. I haven't run the numbers on this one yet to find where it sits on the reputable to dodgy scale, but named judges is one of the criteria.

The Contest Calculator

Assess the quality of writing contests. Make informed submission decisions.

www.thecontestcalculator.com

 

[Sedayne]

I’m naturally sceptical about everything and I massively respect your opinion. Do you think it’s worth trying Lupercalia as I have decided to wait subbing it until I have finished my PhD?

I honestly think Lupercalia deserves print as well as digital and audio publishing. It deserves royalties if it continues to sell, not just a one off payment of less than the UK average salary (once marketing budget is deducted). And you deserve an agent to grow future success and negotiate better deals.
Will you get all those things? Who knows?
But I doubt this competition will bring them.

 

[Rachael Burnett]

I honestly think Lupercalia deserves print as well as digital and audio publishing. It deserves royalties if it continues to sell, not just a one off payment of less than the UK average salary (once marketing budget is deducted). And you deserve an agent to grow future success and negotiate better deals.
Will you get all those things? Who knows?
But I doubt this competition will bring them.

Thanks, Rachel. I appreciate that and will probs not bother and give it my full attention next year.

 

[Sedayne]

It gets a woefully poor score on the contest calculator btw.

 

[Rachael Burnett]

It gets a woefully poor score on the contest calculator btw.

Interesting, and I didn’t even know the calculator existed.