I am considering entering the Mslexia Women’s Novel Competition 2017 – it’s for unpublished novels by women, and they consider self-published novels to be unpublished, so that’s the first hurdle cleared.  They want the first 5,000 words, and the novel must be completed, so that’s the second hurdle done.  The third hurdle, however, is deciding which book to enter.  I could – the rules permit me to – enter more than one, but each entry costs £25 and we all know how much profit I am already making as an author…  Back in 2013 I did enter this competition – unsuccessfully – with “Fatal Forgery”, so I won’t try that one again.  But that still leaves three possible entries.

So please may I ask you a favour.  If you have read the other books, please could you indicate which one you think is the strongest – the most likely to win.  The competition rules say nothing that helps us to gauge the Mslexia preferences, beyond telling us that the judges are novelist Philippa Gregory, literary agent Sarah Such and literary journalist and editor Alex Clark, and that the novels submitted must be fiction for adults or young adults.  I can’t promise (as I do with my title polls) that I will definitely go with your favourite option, but I thought it was worth asking in case there is a clear favourite.

Here are your options:

 

I’ll keep the poll going for a fortnight, and let you know the result.  Many thanks for your thoughts!