Enter Now
Final Deadline is 3 weeks and 2 days from now
Jan 20th
Early
Feb 20th
Regular
Mar 20th
Late
Apr 20th
Final
Launch Pad
Launch Pad Prose Competition
8th Annual
Reads in Coverfly
Active Since 2016
The Launch Pad Prose Competition has led to more than a dozen books published, projects set up at AppleTV, Showtime, and with companies that include Scott Free, Michael De Luca Productions, Platform One Media, and Laura Dern’s Jaywalker Pictures.
Accepting Short Stories and Book/Manuscripts
Enter Now
Final Deadline is 3 weeks and 2 days from now

About

The Launch Pad Prose Competition has led to more than a dozen books published, projects set up at AppleTV, Showtime, and with producers and companies that include Scott Free Productions, Michael De Luca productions, Platform One Media, and Laura Dern’s Jaywalker Pictures.


Manuscript not completed, no problem. Whether you have a ten page short story or a 1,000 page fantasy epic, we want to read it! There’s no need to have a finished manuscript. As long as you have sample pages accompanied by a thorough synopsis, you are welcome to enter! Our readers and judges will review up to 50 pages of every submission, as well as a synopsis for book submissions.


We advocate for all of our Top 100 finalists, working with them to share their work with the right industry members to advance their career. Our prestigious juries of industry members include managers, agents, producers and executives at companies across Hollywood and the publishing industry. We also offer exclusive partnerships and mentorship opportunities to provide as many avenues towards success as possible.


Enter now to join this tradition of Launch Pad success.

Prices & Deadlines

Apr 20th
Final
Standard Entry
$85.00
Entry + 1 Page of Feedback
$160.00

Benefits

JUDGES

Top projects are considered by our incredible industry jury.


AMANDA MARSHALL

Independent Producer


AUDREY KNOX

Literary Manager - Cartel


ERICK MENDOZA

Literary Manager - Grandview


JOANNA MACKENZIE

Agent - Nelson Literary Agency


KATRINA ESCUDERO

Media Rights Manager - Sugar23


MELISSA AZIZI

Producer - Sparkwood Films


MICHAEL CARR

Agent - Veritas Literary Agency


STEVEN ADAMS

Manager/Producer - Alta Global Media


STEVEN SALPETER

President of Literary/IP Development - Assemble Media


TESSA SHAFFER

Literary Manager - Corvisiero Literary Agency


TYLER VENDETTI

Manger of Development - ITV Studios America



VIP PRODUCING PARTNER ADD-ON


We are thrilled to welcome VIP Producing Partner Scott Glassgold, who will be selecting one eligible manuscript or short story to develop.


Scott Glassgold is the founder of Ground Control, a leading entertainment platform specializing in filmed media & publishing. Scott has produced such feature films as Prospect, Hurricane Season and the upcoming Sony Pictures’ HorrorScope. Currently, Ground Control is shepherding numerous high-profile projects including The Dwelling with Michael B Jordan at Amazon, We Used To Live Here at Netflix with Blake Lively and The Occupant at New Line Cinema with Zach Cregger and Roy Lee. Always maintaining an emphasis on emerging filmmakers, Ground Control oversees the Scream Gems Horror Lab for Sony Pictures.


Requires Add-On or Top 10 placement



GUARANTEED DEVELOPMENT ADD-ON


This year we are excited to be working with two Guaranteed Development Partners, Kronicle Media and Shadowboxer Films! Each partner will select one writer or writing team work with on developing their project.


Our first partner is Kronicle Media, started in 2017 by longtime friends, and now business partners Korin Williams and Monique Nash, was imagined with the desire to see more diversity in the film and television industry. They currently oversee a number of projects in various stages of development, including, a drama series inspired by the founding of the iconic Black women’s magazine, Essence; romantic comedies for Netflix and VH-1, and a series adaptation of the book, Shakespeare’s Conspirator written by the legendary Tom Fontana and newcomer Gabrielle Fulton- Ponder for Westbrook Studios. Most recently, they executive produced Crown Media’s first movie under its newly created Mahogany banner, UNTHINKABLY GOOD THINGS, shot entirely on location in Rome, Italy in partnership with ITV Studios’ Cattleya Productions. 


Our second Development Partner is Robert Ballo of Shadowboxer Films. Robert is an active, passionate and creative hands-on filmmaker, having produced over 50 feature films since 2004 all having received domestic and world-wide distribution. At USC’s School of Cinematic Arts (also his alma mater) he was a member of the professional faculty as an Associate Professor of Practice teaching for 20 years. With an eye for great images, he was a member of International Cinematographers Guild as a Director of Photography for 10 years. Currently, he is a voting member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.


Requires Add-On or Top 10 placement



GUARANTEED SIGNING ADD-ON


This year’s Guaranteed Signing partner is management and production company Sandstone Artists, who will select one writer or writing team to sign as a client.


Sandstone Artists is an entertainment company that focuses on talent and literary management as well as film and television production. We take pride in discovering, amplifying, and celebrating the unique talents found in our diverse array of artists. Our unwavering commitment to our clients embodies more than just representation; we diligently nurture enduring relationships, staunchly protect creator rights, and continuously contribute to the forward momentum of the global entertainment landscape. Sandstone Artists’ clients’ works have been produced by globally recognized production companies, including Hulu, Twentieth Century Fox, Quiver, Paramount Pictures, MGM, Millennium, Searchlight, Warner Brothers, ION, Hallmark, and more.


Requires Add-On or Top 10 placement



MENTORSHIP PROGRAM


The best way to learn is by working with experienced professionals who have already navigated that path to success. That is exactly what the Launch Pad exclusive mentorship opportunity is set up to do. These Launch Pad mentors will each select one writer or writing team to give advice on navigating the industry and share their unique perspectives on writing and storytelling. This year's mentors are:


Sara Shepard

Sara Shepard is the author of nearly 40 books, including the #1 New York Times bestselling series, Pretty Little Liars, which aired for seven seasons on Freeform. She has also had two other book series adapted for television, writes and illustrates novels for teens, adults, and elementary age children, and writes and produces for television and podcasts as well. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family.


Dr. Ken Atchity

With more than fifty years’ experience in the publishing world, and over thirty years in entertainment, Dr. Ken Atchity (PhD Yale) has been called a “story merchant”—writer, professor, editor, producer, and literary manager. He’s launched hundreds of books and films, including New York Times bestsellers and Emmy-nominated documentaries. He’s made over 200 film or television deals--with every broadcaster and every studio in Hollywood, and plenty of independent film companies as well. His more than thirty films include The Meg (Jason Statham), The Lost Valentine (Betty White), Angels in the Snow (Kristy Swanson), The Madams Family (Ellen Burstyn), Hysteria (Maggie Gyllenhaal), and Life or Something Like It (Angelina Jolie). He’s published over twenty books of his own, including six for writers at every stage of their careers. Before he left his tenured position at Occidental College to pursue his lifelong mission to bring writers to success in the story marketplace, he was Fulbright professor to the University of Bologna, Italy, Distinguished Instructor of scripts and novels at UCLA Writers Program, and regular columnist for The Los Angeles Times Book Review. He’s a voting member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.


Emily Hardy

Emily Hardy is a producer and consultant with more than 8 years of experience working in drama development. Emily was formerly VP of Creative Affairs at Fineman Entertainment under EP Ross Fineman, supporting all development and production including series like THE LINCOLN LAWYER (Netflix), BIG SKY (ABC) GOLIATH (Amazon), with one series ordered in Australia and many more developed at HBO, CBS, ABC, TNT/tbs, AMC and internationally.Emily started as an actor (SAG-AFTRA) and creative producer; she's worn so many hats in Hollywood, she's become a Swiss Army knife for storytelling. To date her proudest achievement is to have mentored and taught story and script development, as well as staging and performance, to incarcerated youth (ages 14-17) at the Juvenile Probation Camp David Gonzales in Los Angeles (now closed) through The Unusual Suspects Theater Company.


Lyra Tan

Born and raised in Hong Kong to a Filipino mom and a Chinese-Filipino dad, Lyra Tan has been a lifelong lover of stories and fantasy. Having risen the ranks from floater to assistant to coordinator in the TV Literary department at the Gersh Agency, Lyra's dream is to have the opportunity to champion diverse writers from all walks of life and discover stories for the screen that are both diverse and universal. While diversity is incredibly important, universality is even more so (and everything needs a little sprinkle of magic).


Requires Add-On or Top 10 placement



PRIZES


2 Grand Prize Winners | (Best Book & Best Short Story)

  • Each of the competition winners will be invited to an exclusive yearly virtual event where they will get the chance to meet with and pitch industry professionals from management companies, agencies and production companies in a 1:1 setting. Past participants included MGM, Scott Free, Verve, Bellevue, Lit Entertainment, WME, and more.


    They will also receive all of the benefits listed below.


Top 10

Everything the Top 50 receive, plus…

      • - Your work will be read, reviewed and voted on by our esteemed Judges.
      • - One free entry to any future Launch Pad Competition of your choosing.


Top 50

Everything the Top 100 receive, plus…

  • - One year free membership to the Tracking Board.


Top 100

  • - Your project and writer profile will be shared and marketed to our extensive industry networks.


  • For all add-on prizes, regardless of whether the project entered makes any finalist round, your project will still be in contention for that prize until the competition ends.

7th Annual Winners on Coverfly

See Other Placements

Announcements

Jul 26th
Top 100s
Aug 16th
Top 50s
Sep 13th
Top 10s
Oct 4th
Winners

Rules

At the program's request, Coverfly will automatically remove your title page for you if you include one when submitting to this program.

  1. All entries MUST BE submitted in English as a PDF document with standard margin sizing.
  2. Initial reading will be limited to the fifty (twenty five if single spaced) page sample of each submission and a synopsis of up to 1,000 words. Submissions must be consecutive pages of your project.
  3. Full book manuscript submissions are not required, but are welcomed and may be considered in later rounds.
  4. Short stories should be submitted individually and not as part of a collection. If a collection is submitted, only the first story will be considered.
  5. Submissions with multiple writers are allowed. However, all entry fees must be paid under one account and all prizes will be shared among writing partners.
  6. All submissions must be the sole property of the writer(s). Any submissions of existing literary figures and or stories not in the public domain, as well as any intellectual property that the writer does not own, will be disqualified.
  7. All entries will be read blind, with no identifying information shared with readers. The writer name(s) and any other contact information should only appear on the title page and nowhere else in the submission.
  8. Work with a prior option is allowed, but at the time of submission and for the duration of the contest, the work must remain exclusively the writer’s property.
  9. Work that has been previously published is eligible so long as the writer retains further publication and adaptation rights.
  10. The only projects not allowed to be entered are those which have already sold, have previously earned our “LP Recommends” honors, or received a top 50 placement in a previous Launch Pad competition.
  11. Launch Pad uses Coverfly to manage our submissions and reads. Updated drafts accepted through the Coverfly website only.
  12. Launch Pad and all judges/readers will utilize whatever criteria they deem appropriate in deciding a winner.
  13. All submissions will remain the property of the writer(s) throughout the contest (at no point will anyone from the judging panel or Launch Pad ever attach themselves to your work without your consent).
  14. Entrants may be contacted as a result of the contest by Launch Pad, the judging panel or other industry professionals in regards to representation, production, sale and/or option of the entered work.
  15. Entrants are under no obligation to sell their work or otherwise attach themselves to representation in any form – this includes the guaranteed option and guaranteed signing add-ons.
  16. General prose entries will not receive feedback, however, you can opt to upgrade and receive feedback on your submission. Reminder: feedback will only be provided on the first 50 pages and synopsis of your project.
  17. The contest is open to entrants 18 or older. It is an international contest and open to entrants worldwide.
  18. Launch Pad reserves the right, at our sole discretion, to change or modify these terms at any time without notice.
  19. By entering this competition, you agree to receive periodic emails from Launch Pad and The Tracking Board. You may unsubscribe to these at any time.
  20. All entrants understand and agree to allow Launch Pad to post details on their project (title, writer name(s), logline, genre and competition details) as well as the writer (biography, picture) to their site, or sister site, to help promote the entrants’ work.
  21. By entering the competition, entrants are acknowledging their eligibility for the competition. The vast majority of entrants enter in good faith, and validating everyone at the entry stage would be inefficient and take away from efforts reading and finding the best projects. Therefore, we check eligibility at the Top 100 Finalist stage, which allows us to confirm eligibility prior to winner selection. If an issue comes to our attention earlier, we will address eligibility issues in earlier rounds on a case-by-case basis.
  22. All purchases and submissions are final. No refunds will be issued.
  23. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
  24. Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to Launch Pad and its agents’ and contest sponsor’s use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. All uses of an entrants’ information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
  25. You agree to release and hold harmless Launch Pad, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, prize contributors, judges, readers, sponsors and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting the competition, and every one of their respective members, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) past and present from and against any and all claims, expenses and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participant’s entry, participation in the competition and/or acceptance or use or misuse of prize; provided however, that such release will not apply to any commercial exploitation of the script by a Released Party in violation of your rights under applicable copyright law; and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless Launch Pad and its sponsors, agents and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys fees) relating to an entrant’s participation in the competition and/or entrant’s use or misuse of Prize.
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8th Annual