Book publishers launch New Voices Award

Robinson, a publishing imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, is launching a new open submissions competition called the New Voices Award, which gives a rare opportunity to submit proposals for publication without having representation by a literary agency.

Andrew McAleer, Editorial Director at Robinson, said, 'I'm delighted to launch this new initiative. It's aimed at amplifying the work of underrepresented experts in the field of psychology, open to previously unpublished writers, and with a focus on hearing from diverse voices.

Proposals must be for a work of commercial non-fiction, aimed at general readers, on any topic within any branch of psychology and each will be judged on its originality, credibility, rigour, relevance, usefulness and accessibility. I hope that we will discover exciting new talents in the field of psychology and offer them a remarkable opportunity to launch their literary careers.'

The competition is open to those who identify with underrepresented groups, including people of Black, Asian, mixed heritage and multiple ethnic backgrounds, as well as those who are disabled, gender diverse, part of the LGBTQIA+ community or from cultural or religious minorities. Those submitting must also have an MSc or above in psychology or an applied subdiscipline and relevant accreditation.

The winner will be offered a contract to publish with Robinson, an advance against future royalties, and an introduction to literary agents, for mentoring and advice through the publishing process.

The competition will run annually and be hosted on alternate years by Robinson in the UK and Little, Brown Spark in the US. Little, Brown Spark have recently announced the first US winner − Dr Evelyn Carter, a social psychologist whose practical and uncomfortable look at detecting racial bias will be published in 2026. 

Dr Carter will be on the judging panel, along with three publisher staff, literary agent Amandeep Singh, and Dr Deborah Husbands, a psychologist from the University of Westminster who is also on The Psychologist and Digest Editorial Advisory Committee.

UK submissions run from 23 May 2024 to 31 July 2024, and the winner will be announced in the Autumn.

Read more about the prize and submit a proposal.