James Jones First Novel Fellowship

じぇーむず・じょーんず・ふぁーすと・のべる・ふぇろーしっぷ

Annual fellowship award for unpublished first full-length novels (work in progress allowed).

Debut novelFirst novel fellowshipFictionAmerican literary awards

Established: 1992
Organizer: James Jones Literary Society / Co-sponsored by: Wilkes University
Category: General Fiction and Popular Fiction
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Newcomer
Frequency: 1 per year
Application Deadline: around March
Announcement Period: around September
Status: Active

Description

The James Jones First Novel Fellowship was established in 1992. It is an annual award organized by the James Jones Literary Society and co-hosted by Wilkes University. It targets unpublished first full-length novels by American writers and evaluates the spirit of "unblinking honesty, determination, and insight into modern culture" embodied in Jones's works. As of 2025, the main prize is $12,000, with two additional $1,000 runner-up awards. The number of applications varies by year: 667 in 2011 and over 700 in 2021. There have been cases such as the 2004 award being revoked later. Winners are typically announced at the annual symposium and publicized on the official website and by the co-hosting university.

Prize

Main Prize: Main award (Fellowship)
Cash Prize: 12,000 USD

Two runner-up awards (each $1,000)
Attention from agents and publishers due to winning, presentation opportunities at the symposium

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Application / Preliminary screening	Preliminary screening is primarily conducted by the committee of the James Jones Literary Society and affiliates of Wilkes University. Guest judges may participate depending on the year.	Very low pass rate relative to the number of applications (e.g., less than a few percent)	Preliminary screening passers are notified internally. Final decisions are announced at the annual symposium. Announcements available on the official website.
Final selection	Final selection is conducted by the selection committee and invited judges to determine 1 main prize winner and a few runner-ups. The panel varies each year.	Extremely low (single-digit percentages), as ultimately 1 main prize and 2 runner-ups are selected	Winners are announced at the annual symposium and publicized on the official website and by co-hosting organizations.
Post-award handling (publication / introduction)	Not applicable. Post-award publication and agent introductions are often negotiated individually with winners.	—	Publication and commercial developments depend on individual negotiations and are not announced collectively as official procedures.

Application / Preliminary screening

Judges Preliminary screening is primarily conducted by the committee of the James Jones Literary Society and affiliates of Wilkes University. Guest judges may participate depending on the year.

Pass Rate Very low pass rate relative to the number of applications (e.g., less than a few percent)

Announcement Preliminary screening passers are notified internally. Final decisions are announced at the annual symposium. Announcements available on the official website.

Final selection

Judges Final selection is conducted by the selection committee and invited judges to determine 1 main prize winner and a few runner-ups. The panel varies each year.

Pass Rate Extremely low (single-digit percentages), as ultimately 1 main prize and 2 runner-ups are selected

Announcement Winners are announced at the annual symposium and publicized on the official website and by co-hosting organizations.

Post-award handling (publication / introduction)

Judges Not applicable. Post-award publication and agent introductions are often negotiated individually with winners.

Announcement Publication and commercial developments depend on individual negotiations and are not announced collectively as official procedures.

Criteria

Must be an unpublished first full-length novel (debut novel)
Must embody the spirit of James Jones (honesty, determination, insight into modern culture)
Originality of style, story structure, character portrayal, and overall completeness as a work
Meets the application requirements (primarily targeting U.S. writers)

Application Tips

Dos

Strictly adhere to application guidelines and format (page count, submission format)
Confirm that it is an unpublished first full-length novel
Revise and edit with emphasis on strong expression (voice) that draws readers from the opening
Prepare synopsis and required documents clearly
Confirm eligibility (targeting U.S. writers) in advance

Don''ts

Do not submit works already published as books
Do not submit in formats violating rules or past the deadline
Do not submit the same work multiple times
Do not send overly self-promotional supplementary materials with the application (avoid unauthorized attachments)

From Judges

Keep in mind "the spirit of unblinking honesty, determination, and insight into modern culture" and demonstrate an honest perspective and solid voice.
Narrative voice and sincerity are key. Show originality beyond mere formal completeness.
Submitting according to the regulations is a basic condition for judging.