FAQs

So… What’s the skinny on this whole Publisher Challenge thing?

The Survivor Stories Publisher Challenge is out to find high-stakes survivor stories for Ulysses Press, a traditional book publisher out of Brooklyn, New York. Your story can span any sub-genre from contemporary to fantasy and everything in between. What matters most is that you can demonstrate the following in your first five chapters:

• An intriguing survival plot / story problem that keeps a reader hooked
• Strong narrative voice
• Unforgettable main character(s)

When / where does the challenge happen? 

Start polishing up those pages! We will officially launch the challenge in Mid-March, 2025 and will select finalists by the end of summer. The challenge will be held through Ready Chapter 1’s Peer Critique Forum, a feedback exchange for writers.

What is Ready Chapter 1 and what are you guys REALLY up to?

Like you, we’re a bunch of writers. We’ve got some out-of-the-box ideas to leverage tech-enabled tools (like the feedback forum where this challenge takes place) to discover new talent. And guess what? Publishers are taking notice. As we become more and more comfortable giving each other measurable, constructive feedback, we’ll become a go-to writing community that publishers trust to deliver market-ready stories. Everyone wins.

How will the winner be picked?

The editorial team at Ulysses Press will review all finalists with the intention of finding at least one story to publish.

Who picks the finalists?

We do! You and us. In the RC1 ecosystem, writers swap constructive feedback to help each other level up. To ensure everyone gets their stories reviewed, writers are required to give feedback before they receive it. That feedback, aggregated and analyzed, plays into our finalist selection process. But it’s not just the Story Scores. We’re also looking at how you act as a professional within our community. (This means that anyone who ‘Christmas trees,’ doesn’t actually read, tries to sink a fellow writer’s score, or otherwise attempts to game the system will be disqualified and likely disinvited from the platform.)
To recap:In order to become a finalist, write an amazing story. Then, be an amazing critique partner to others.

How do I participate?

To be considered for this challenge, all you have to do is create an account, fill out an entry form with the details / pitch for your story, and get your first five chapters posted along with your required critiques before the challenge ends.

What if I got bad scores and I want to post a revised chapter?

You absolutely can! (And it’s kind of the point of Ready Chapter 1.) You’ll need to create a new version of your chapter and not just edit the old one. We’ll take the highest scoring version of each chapter you post.

Will this be a six-figure deal with a Big 5 publisher and a billboard in Times Square?

Nope. If an offer is made, however, it will be a traditional publishing deal with an advance and royalties from a reputable and legitimate publishing house. We can’t promise it will be the biggest book deal of your career, but our entire community will treat you like a big deal.

But what if I don’t write survivor stories?

All you need is an idea and five chapters. Even if you don’t typically write survivor stories, why not give it a shot?

What if I’m already traditionally published?

This challenge is designed to discover one or more authors who have not yet ‘made it.’ If you’re Stephen King, you don’t need this. But if you haven’t reached that level of success and want to participate, you’re welcome.

What if I have been traditionally published in a different genre?

This challenge is open to you.

What if I have self-published books or worked with a hybrid publisher?

This challenge is open to you.

What if I have an agent?

This challenge is open to you, but you’ll want to mention it to your agent. If the community selects your story as a finalist, we will need to speak with your agent before forwarding your manuscript to Ulysses Press. 

Any special rules for the feedback we give to other writers?

Our goal is that all feedback is helpful and actionable for the person receiving it. Qualifying reviews include something positive to encourage the writer as well as something they can work on. Please take two minutes to write something specific to each entry you review. Participants can be disqualified if their reviews don’t meet community standards.