Leafwood Publishers Book Proposal Contest

Beginning in March and ending in April, participants will engage in a 6-week online and interactive training on how to write a nonfiction book proposal. At the conclusion of this training, proposals will be evaluated and the winner will receive a publishing contract and monetary advance from Leafwood Publishers. Please see a detailed timeline below. 

Contest Details

  Who Is Eligible to Apply

• This contest is open to Entrusted Women University Members (with accounts in good standing for the duration of the contest) 
• This contest is open to women who are not members of Entrusted Women University who purchase access to the contest. 

Contest Timeline

• March 24, 2025 - April 28, 2025 - Online Training Sessions

•  October 17, 2025 - Deadline to Submit Completed Book Proposal

•  February 2026 - Leafwood will extend a contract offer to the approved winner on or before February 2026.

•  June 1, 2026 - The winning author’s final manuscript submission is due. (The anticipated publication date is May 2027.)

Contest Guidelines

• Contestants agree to follow the Entrusted Women’s book proposal contest submission guidelines.
• All submissions to the contest will be done without an agent.
• All work submitted to the contest will be original, unpublished content.
• The word count should be 45,000 to 55,000 words.
• Leafwood does not accept manuscript submissions for poetry, children’s books, or fiction.
• Submissions should include the introductory chapter and two or three additional chapters.
• Additionally, memoirs and devotionals are highly competitive marketplaces. Leafwood rarely publishes in these
  genres. 

Online Training Schedule

• Week 1:  Query Letter, Target Audience, Project Title and Subtitle
• Week 2:  Book Concept & Details
• Week 3:  Market Analysis, & Comparable Titles 
• Week 4:  Current Platform & Marketing Plan, Potential Endorsers
• Week 5:  Sample Chapters
• Week 6: Acquisition Editor Interview

For Non-Members of Entrusted Women University