The James Jones First Novel Fellowship was established in 1992 to “honor the spirit of unblinking honesty, determination, and insight into modern culture as exemplified by (the writings of) James Jones.” Jones was the author of the National Book Award-winning novel From Here to Eternity as well as the novels Some Came Running and The Thin Red Line.
A prize of $12,000 is given annually for a novel-in-progress by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel. First runner-up will receive $3,000, second runner-up will receive $2,000.
All selections are at the discretion of the judges. For more about James Jones and the James Jones Literary Society go to jamesjonesliterarysociety.org external website.
34th Annual Fellowship Awards
The 34th Annual James Jones First Novel Fellowship awarded the following:
First Place
Emma Binder (Madison, WI) was awarded first place and $12,000 for her novel Small Heaven.
Binder has received a Stegner Fellowship in fiction from Stanford University, an Elizabeth George Foundation Grant, a Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellowship, and a Vermont Studio Center Fellowship. For their short stories, they have received an O. Henry Prize, the Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction, the Indiana Review Fiction Prize, and a Wisconsin Writers Award, among other honors. Their fiction has recently appeared or is forthcoming in The Best American Short Stories 2025, Kenyon Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Electric Literature’s Recommended Reading, Gulf Coast, and elsewhere.
First Runner Up
Sandy Nietling (Lowell, MI) was awarded First Runner Up and $3,000 for her novel Black River.
Nietling is a Pushcart-nominated writer. She's the winner of the First Pages Prize for Fiction, judged by Edwidge Danticat. Her short stories have appeared in Blackbird, Quarter After Eight, and New Ohio Review. She is currently working on her second novel.
Second Runner Up
Diana Jihye Kim (Flushing, NY) was awarded Second Runner Up and $2,000 for her novel Black River.
Kim is an immigrant writer based in New York City. She and holds an MA in English from Seton Hall University and MFA in fiction from CUNY Brooklyn College. She won the South Wind Thesis Prize and the Himan Brown Award for her short fiction. She has received support from Tin House workshops, Kundiman, and One Story. She is currently working on her first novel about South Korea’s sea women (haenyeo) while living on Jeju Island and learning freediving.
The competition is co-sponsored by the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Wilkes University and the James Jones Literary Society. A total of 541 entries were submitted this year.
The 35th Annual James Jones First Novel Fellowship will be awarded to an American author of a first novel-in-progress in 2026 by the James Jones Literary Society.
Submission Guidelines
Eligibility Details
Eligibility Details
Eligible writers
- Have never published a novel
- Are U.S. citizens or permanent residents of America with Green Cards
- May have published any other type of work including non-fiction articles and short stories
Non eligible writers
- Officers of the James Jones Literary Society
- Writers who have published previous novels
Eligible submissions
- Unpublished novels
- Novels in which one or more chapters have been published
Non eligible submissions
- Collections of short stories
- Linked short stories
- Self-published novels
Manuscripts may be simultaneously submitted for the First Novel Contest and to a publisher for publication. If the work is accepted by a publisher at any time up to the announcement of the First Novel winner, the Society must be notified and the selection will be withdrawn from the contest.
Please note: The James Jones First Novel Fellowship will no longer be accepting mail in submissions. Entries for the 2026 contest will be accepted beginning Oct. 1, 2025. Entries should be sent via the online submission form no later than midnight, March 15, 2026, Eastern Standard time. The winner will be notified in Sept. 2026.
The entry fee is $30 plus a $3 processing fee.
Submit Your Entry external website
For more information, please contact jamesjonesfirstnovel@wilkes.edu email link.
Manuscript Guidelines
A two-page (maximum) synopsis of the entire novel and the first 50 pages of the novel-in-progress are to be submitted. A specific format for the synopsis is not required.
The manuscript must be typed and double-spaced. Synopsis may be single-spaced. Entrants should include their name, address, telephone number and email address (if available) only on the cover letter, but nowhere else on the manuscript. Pages should be numbered. Please attach your cover letter in the cover letter box, and your synopsis and the first 50 pages of you novel as one document under attached files. Please do not include your name in the title of your attached file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I submitted a manuscript for last year's contest. Can I resubmit it this year?
Q: I submitted a manuscript for last year's contest. Can I resubmit it this year?
A: Yes, resubmitted manuscripts are accepted.
Q: How many manuscripts are received every year?
Q: How many manuscripts are received every year?
A: We usually receive close to 600 manuscripts.
Q: May I enter more than one manuscript?
Q: May I enter more than one manuscript?
A: Yes, multiple entries from the same author are allowed, but each submission must be submitted separately. $30 for each online entry plus a $3 processing fee.
Q: I plan on making several revisions to my novel-in-progress. If I am selected as a finalist, can I submit my revised version?
Q: I plan on making several revisions to my novel-in-progress. If I am selected as a finalist, can I submit my revised version?
A: No. Please keep a copy of the original version you submitted to the contest. All judges will read the original version.
Q: Does a self-published novel make me ineligible for the fellowship?
Q: Does a self-published novel make me ineligible for the fellowship?
A: Yes. We do not accept entries from authors who have self-published.
Q: Are novella's, collections of closely linked short stories, and self-published novels considered for the competition?
Q: Are novella's, collections of closely linked short stories, and self-published novels considered for the competition?
A: No. The contest is only open to unpublished novels.