First Page Contest #4: Middle Grade Fiction -- Judged by Agent Morgan Hughes of Fineprint Literary1/11/2026
 FREE CONTEST FOR WRITERS! Welcome to First Page Contest. Contest #4 -- for writers of Middle Grade Fiction (all types). If you write in this age category, keep reading and submit your work! This free contest ends on Jan. 31, 2026. Here’s how it works: We invite an awesome literary agent to judge the contest. The agent picks the genre(s) they want to judge. Writers in that genre are invited to send in their first page as part of the competition. Winners get a fabulous critique from your agent judge. It’s free to enter. Sound good? Then let’s get to some details and rules! There are three other contests happening right now in late 2025 into 2026 -- one for writers of Thriller / Mystery / Crime / Suspense, one for writers of Adult Science Fiction & Fantasy, and one for writers of Romance / Women's Fiction / Romantasy. DATES AND GENRE SPECIFICS: For Contest #4, you have until Jan. 31, 2026 to submit to the contest. Winners will be announced by end of February 2026. We will reach out to the winners by email and post their names above on this post. This contest is only for writers of Middle Grade Fiction (any category). PRIZES: The agent judge will pick three winners (in no particular order). All three winners are invited to send their first 5 double-spaced pages to the agent judge for a free critique. If you've ever wanted to know what an agent is thinking when they read your submission, this critique is a great way to learn just that.  Need an expert critique of your query letter, synopsis, novel/manuscript, or nonfiction book proposal? We have you covered. Check out our critique options and many success stories who found literary agents after working with us. OUR SOCIAL MEDIA REQUIREMENTS: Although the contest is free to enter, in order to be considered, you must fulfill our social media requirements. For every submission, you must spread word of this contest twice through social media — Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or something comparable. In other words, you just have to share news of it online, twice, to spread the word. (Share the website/URL of this contest -- that's the key. You can copy and paste the URL of this post, or use this shorter version: https://tinyurl.com/wdwcontest4) When you e-mail your submission, make sure you include some kind of way for us to understand you have followed these guidelines. For example, if you have shared news on Facebook, include a link to that status. If you have shared news of it on BlueSky, you can take a screenshot or send us a link of that status update, etc. An easy way to notify us is to tag us:
If you use Twitter/X, put our handle at the middle or the end, not at the very beginning of the tweet, or else the tweet will be invisible to others. (Please note that simply tweeting does not count. You have to include the contest URL with your mention; that’s the point -- to spread awareness of the contest page here.) If you want to share news of the contest on the same social media platform, try and spread your mentions out, because two mentions at the same time will not help spread the word. At least separate them by a day Here is text that can be copied and used: New FREE contest for writers of Middle Grade Fiction — https://tinyurl.com/wdwcontest4 — Judged by Agent Morgan Hughes of Fineprint Literary, via @writingdayworkshops. Winners get an agent critique of their work. If you belong to a writing group that may be interested in this contest, feel free to tag them on social media by using their handle when tweeting the news.   THE AGENT JUDGE: Morgan Hughes grew up in the Midwest before relocating to Texas as soon as she turned eighteen. There, she attended Texas Tech University and earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in English literature. Morgan was previously an intern and Agency Assistant at Pippin Properties before joining FinePrint Literary in 2023 as an Associate Agent. She currently lives in Texas with her husband and their dog. Morgan believes that books can change the world and is committed to discovering and uplifting underrepresented voices. She is seeking Middle Grade and YA fantasy/adventure with a particular interest in graphic novels. She is also interested in picture books, YA, New Adult, and Adult romance. She loves unique narratives, strong voices, and impressive world-building but is also drawn to small-town vibes and sports settings. She is currently not seeking science fiction, thrillers/mysteries, or nonfiction. Here are some titles Fineprint Literary has recently represented. How to submit to the contest is below these titles.  RIDE OR DIE Complete with a unique playlist, this adrenaline-packed joyride of a debut is an ode to Gen Z and chaotic teens—perfect for fans of Grace D. Li, Ebony Ladelle, and Baby Driver. Best friends Loli Crawford and Ryan Pope have earned their nickname, the “Bonnie and Clyde of Woolridge High.” From illegal snack swapping in kindergarten to reckless car surfing in high school, they've causied trouble in their uptight California town forever... (Read more & buy the book here.)  LET'S FLY The true story of Barrington Irving, who broke records as the youngest person and first Black man to fly solo around the world—co-authored by Barrington and award-winning author Chana Stiefel, with art by New York Times bestselling illustrator Shamar Knight-Justice Age Range: 3-7 years Learn more and buy the book here.  EVERY OTHER CHRISTMAS After his parents’ divorce, a young biracial child spends every other Christmas celebrating the differing traditions between the African American and Colombian sides of his family. Every Other Christmas is a picture book that explores the heart, soul, and fun of Christmas. The narrative’s parallel structure highlights how each family’s celebrations are similar while showcasing their exciting differences. Learn more and buy the book here.  THE GHOST WHO SAVED HALLOWEEN It’s up to Ghost to save Halloween in this irresistible picture book -- perfect for fans of How to Catch a Monster and Trick or Treat on Scary Street. Pre-order the picture book here. SUBMIT TO WDW'S CONTEST #4: Submit your manuscript’s first double-spaced page, via email, to [email protected] 300 words of manuscript text, maximum. Do not attach your page. Just copy and paste the page into the email submission. At the beginning of the email, before you paste your first page, this is what we need to know:
Self-published novels are not eligible for this contest. Unpublished (new) material only, please. You may submit more than one submission; however, you are encouraged to only submit your best work. FINAL NOTES: By e-mailing your entry, you are submitting an entry for consideration in this contest and thereby agreeing to the terms written here. If you have questions or concerns, write me personally at chucksambuchino [at] gmail.com. The Gmail account above is for submissions, not questions. This contest buys no rights; so even if you win, you can still do whatever you like with the work. We do not acquire or own or publish anything. Good luck! Make sure you fulfill the submission requirements to be considered — i.e., do NOT skip the social media requirements. Attend a Writers Conference in 2026:
 This post by Chuck Sambuchino, freelance editor and lead director of Writing Day Workshops. Chuck is a former longtime staffer with Writer's Digest, editing the Guide to Literary Agents. He is the author of the writing guide CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM as well as the bestselling humor book HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK. His most recent books are all about pickleball -- daily tear-off calendars as well as the picture book GOODNIGHT, PICKLEBALL. He is a proud #GirlDad, movie geek, and guitar/piano player. Connect with him through WDW's Instagram and Twitter, Check Out Other Great Articles & Resources:
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