Hello all, I keep reading conflicting views on what should go into a query letter, so wondered what the group thinks. Should the pitch focus on the inciting incident or the plot climax? And what is the right amount of detail?

Congratulations to all those who entered the prize. We had over 533 entries, which is significantly more than last year (which was our first). Judging & feedback will proceed in line with the schedule on our website.

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From an author’s perspective, what separates amateur books from professionally published ones?