THE STAUNCH BOOK PRIZE

My one complaint is the fee charged to submitting writers. £20

That's an interesting point. CBC literary prizes require a $25 (Can) submission fee. The Pulitzer requires a $50 entry fee. The Prairie Schooner book prize has a $25 submission fee. That's just a few. So that fee is a little more than some, a good deal less than the Pulitzer.

I understand that economics dictates the need to charge for services. I'm bemoaning the fact that it can cost a writer enormously to peddle a book. Some well know books were submitted over a dozen times before they were picked up. If said writer paid $20 dollars a pop, that's over two hundred bucks. Of course, not every concern does charge, but the trend seems to grow each year. Many beginners are hard put to afford the fees.

#mensdeathsmatter?

The entry fee is kind of necessary (albeit not even a speed bump if you really think about it).

Someone has to read the submitted books. Having to read all the books assigned to the person given the task: both good and crappy books can't be easy. That's a full time job.

It also keeps random goofs from submitting their My Little Pony erotic fan fiction to every literary prize.

You are a very bad man . . . but I will give you another chance.