Contest Description and Rules
Contest Description and Rules
FF&P’s 2025 PRISM Awards Contest for Published Authors is open to all authors of traditional and self-published Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal Romances in Novel and Novella format which meets the following criteria:
- An Original Publication Date of 2023 OR 2024 (*).
- Entries need not be published in the romance genre; however, entries must contain a Central Love Story, where the main plot centers around individuals falling in love with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
- Fantasy, Futuristic, or Paranormal elements must be present and essential to the plot.
- Content/Trigger warnings must be included with the submission or will be disqualified at the discretion of the FF&P Executive Board.
* An Original Publication Date of 2023 or 2024 means that the book was originally published in 2023 or 2024 and has a notice of Copyright date no later than 2023 or 2024. A book with a notice of Copyright date prior to 2022 or 2023, which was not published until 2023 or 2024, will be eligible. A book published prior to 2022, which lists a notice of Copyright date of 2023 in the originally published edition, will also be eligible.
The 2025 Prism Awards will open for entries February 14, 2025. The cutoff date for registration is April 16, 2025. All fees and submissions must be received by this date.
You are not required to be a member of RWA or FF&P to enter the contest.
2025 PRISM Contest Schedule
2025 PRISM Contest Schedule
- Submissions Open: February 14, 2025
- Submissions Close: April 16, 2025. All entries and payments must be received by this time.
- First Round Judging: April 16, 2025 to June 15, 2025.
- Judges’ Scores Due: June 15, 2025
- Finalists Announced: June 30, 2025
- Winners Announced: July 19, 2025
- Scores Sent: to all entrants soon after the announcement. Good luck!
Entry Fee
- FF&P Members in Good Standing: $35.00 each Novel/Novella entered. (You must log in for Membership Discount)
- All Others: $45.00 each Novel/Novella entered.
How to Enter
Prizes
- First Place Winners will receive the FF&P exclusive PRISM Statue, a commemorative FF&P PRISM Winner Pin, and Certificate.
- Second and Third Place Winners will receive a commemorative FF&P PRISM pin and Certificate.
- Best of the Best and Best First Book Winners will receive the FF&P exclusive PRISM Statue, a commemorative Best First Book and Best of the Best FF&P PRISM Pin, and a Certificate.
How the PRISM Works
- Authors will submit (1) electronic copy in PDF format of each Novel/Novella entered.
- Content/Trigger warnings for each submission must be included on the entry form. Entries without Content/Trigger warnings included with the submission will be disqualified at the discretion of the FF&P Executive Board.
- Three (3) judges will be assigned per entry. In the event that the lowest two scores differ in number by twenty-five (25) or more points and the entry has the possibility of making the finalist list, a discrepancy judge will be added, giving that entry four (4) judges, and the lowest score of the four will be deleted. The average of the other three scores will be used for final judging.
- Winners will be announced on July 19, 2025.
- Winners will also be announced via the FF&P website and our social media accounts.
- Final Scores, with comments as applicable, will be sent to all entrants shortly thereafter.
Contest Categories
With the exception of Erotic, all categories may have varying levels of sensuality.
DARK PARANORMAL: These stories include paranormal happenings as a major element of the plot and contain ominous overtones.
LIGHT PARANORMAL: These stories include paranormal happenings as a major element of the plot and are lighter in tone.
SCI-FI & FUTURISTIC: These stories may be set in an alternate or dystopian reality or in the future, and include elements such as technological advancements, space travel, and aliens. NOTE: Time Travel by scientific means (e.g., a time machine or wormhole) falls in this category.
FANTASY: These stories may be, but are not limited to, settings in the past, and include mythical creatures and magical elements.
URBAN FANTASY: These stories take place in contemporary urban settings and include mythical creatures and magical elements.
EROTIC: These are stories in which explicit sensuality is inherent to the work. They may take place in a historical, paranormal, contemporary, futuristic, or otherworldly setting.
HISTORICAL/TIME TRAVEL/STEAMPUNK: These are paranormal stories that take place in the past, from ancient times to World War II. GASLAMP also falls in this category. Time Travel by magical means (e.g., an imbued object or supernatural portal) falls in this category.
YOUNG ADULT: These are stories that are appropriate for teen readers, featuring main characters in high school or of equivalent ages (14-18). They may take place in a historical, contemporary, paranormal, futuristic, or otherworldly setting.
Novellas are a separate category.
NOVELLAS: These stories may encompass any of the categories listed above, but word count must fall between 20,000 and 40,000 words.
Entry Rules
- Entries must represent the author’s own original work and be published in novel or novella length.
- Novels must have a minimum of 40,000 words. Novellas must have between 20,000 – 40,000 words.
- Electronic entries must be in PDF format. No other formats will be accepted.
- By sending an eBook entry the author acknowledges that at least three copies will be sent for judging, with a fourth copy in the event a discrepancy judge is required for further scoring.
- Entrants may enter as many novels/novellas as they wish; however, each book may be entered only once, i.e., one book may not be entered in two categories. In addition, a single entrant cannot have more than fifty percent of the entries within an individual category.
- You must submit the entry form online.
- Fees may be paid online through PayPal. Please note on the entry form the email address of the account (for payment verification purposes).
- Judges may not judge in any category they have entered.
- The contest is limited to 35 entries per category.
- Entries that do not meet the criteria of an Original Publication Date (*) in 2023 or 2024 will be disqualified. Your entry fee will be refunded.
- A minimum of ten (10) entries is required for each category. Categories receiving less than the minimum must have FF&P Executive Board approval to run. If the category does not receive the minimum and the Board declines to run the category, affected authors will have the option to move their entry to the secondary category identified during registration or to another category or to request a cancellation of their entry and a refund. If cancellation is requested, their eBooks will be deleted and their fees refunded.
- Entries deemed at the discretion of the FF&P Executive Board to be plagiarized in part or total; to not be written by the author; to lack a central love story with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending; OR to lack Paranormal elements essential to the plot will be disqualified for content.
- Entries containing abuse, rape, bestiality, pedophilia, or other illegal, non-consensual, or objectionable practices will be disqualified for content at the discretion of the FF&P Executive Board.
- The FF&P Executive Board’s decision to disqualify an entry for any reason is final. If an entry is disqualified for content, no refunds will be issued.
Judging for The PRISM
Fill out the
by April 16, 2025.
- PRISM contestants may judge in the PRISM, but not in categories in which they’ve entered.
- As part of our continual efforts to offer the best contest possible for our entrants, bias training is required for judges. Bias training may be found on the judge sign-up form and should be completed prior to judging any entries.
Questions?
Questions?
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