Submissions

Submissions are currently OPEN for The Kitschies. Deadline to submit books, first published in the UK between 1st January and 31st December 2023, is midnight on 16th February 2024.

General Information

The Kitschies celebrate progressive, intelligent and entertaining books that contain elements of the speculative or fantastic. All submissions should keep these criteria in mind.

Please read the details below carefully and contact us before submitting your book(s).

The three categories are:

  • The Golden Tentacle – debut novels.
  • The Red Tentacle – non-debut novels.
  • The Inky Tentacle – cover art

All entrants should be first published in the UK in the calendar year. (e.g. the 2024 Kitschies will judge books first published in the UK between 1 January and 31 December 2023)

There is no submission fee for The Kitschies. Submissions are welcome from publishers, authors or their agents. Please note the following: 

  • The Kitschies only accept digital submissions (DRM-free ebooks) – preferably as epub
  • Although there is no limit on the number of titles that can be submitted from any given publisher, we do ask that entrants take our criteria seriously
  • We strongly encourage submission as early as possible, as we receive 200+ books each year
  • Where possible, entrants should disclose IP projects, media tie-ins or ghost-written works. In the event of such a work being shortlisted, we will work with the publisher on crediting and awarding appropriately.
  •  Translators should always be credited, and will be credited by the Kitschies.
  • The Kitschies celebrate work published in the UK, by publishers of all sizes (including self-). Books published internationally, but made available to the UK market (e.g. ‘distributed in the UK’) are not eligible.

Any queries should be sent to: submissions at thekitschies dot com.

Red Tentacle (Non-Debut Novel)

Only novels first published in the UK within the calendar year are eligible for the Red Tentacle. Digital original submissions are eligible, as long as they were first published in this calendar year.

Novels should be roughly 50,000 words or more. If you are interested in submitting a non-traditional format (such as a graphic novel or piece of interactive fiction), please contact us first. 

Please send DRM-free ebook editions to: [email protected], with [Red] in the subject line.

Golden Tentacle (Debut Novel)

To qualify as a debut, the submission must be the author’s first novel in any genre and under any name, and first published in the UK within the calendar year. The author may have previously published short stories, novellas, non-fiction, screenplays, and collections.

Novels should be roughly 50,000 words or more. If you are interested in submitting a non-traditional format (such as a graphic novel or piece of interactive fiction), please contact us first.

Please send DRM-free ebook editions to: [email protected], with [Golden] in the subject line. 

Inky Tentacle (Cover Art)

Inky Tentacle submissions must be editions published in the UK within the calendar year.

Unlike the other categories, anthologies, collections and novellas are eligible for the Inky Tentacle, as are reprints and paperback editions, as long as the cover is new for the edition submitted.

Please note, for ease, all Red and Golden submissions are automatically included in the Inky category.

Submissions solely for the Inky Tentacle should include the name of the artists or designers involved. For those automatically entered (see above), we will contact the publisher if the work becomes a finalist.

Please send a digital file of the final artwork to: [email protected], with [Inky] in the subject line.