The QLAs will only be accepting digital copies of books for 2026 nominations. All nominations are to be submitted as PDF files (max 16MB) by 5.00pm on 30 April 2026.

Nominations close 5:00pm AEST on 30 April 2026. Late entries will not be accepted.

Each of the Published Book Award categories requires an application fee of $55 ($45 concession) to be paid. This fee covers a range of costs involved in processing your application(s).

There is no fee for the Development Award categories.

Entries deemed ineligible or withdrawn from nomination by the nominator will not be refunded.

It is always best to enter a full-length manuscript. However, partial manuscripts are still open for consideration.

Typically, a full-length manuscript will be between 40,000 to 100,000 words, except for poetry collections and children’s books, which can be of any length.

If you have submitted a manuscript in the past, you can resubmit.

The following types of manuscript will not be accepted: straight exegeses, academic monographs or play scripts.

Yes, as long as all other eligibility criteria are met.

The QLAs define an emerging writer as a writer who has not had a significant work (book, script/play, collection of poetry or short stories) commercially published by a trade or conventional publisher.

Emerging writers must not previously had published or self-published more than one full-length work with an ISBN.

The manuscript development awards are designed to support emerging writers to complete and publish their first significant book.

Emerging writers must not already be under contract with a trade or conventional publisher.

QLAs staff and judges may request additional information to make final decisions on eligibility.

For the purposes of the Young Publisher and Writer Award and the Regional Publisher and Writer Award, an emerging writer can have one full-length published book (including electronic or online publications with an ISBN).

Yes, you are still considered emerging so long as you have not published or self-published more than one full-length work with an ISBN.

Yes, you can apply to multiple development awards so long as you meet the eligibility requirements for each award.

No. Judges do not provide feedback on nominations.

Yes, the same book can be nominated in multiple categories so long as eligibility requirements are met in each category. You will need to pay an entry fee for each category. Please complete a separate nomination form for each category.

Please contact us at the email below for a publisher-specific nomination form; once this form has been submitted, we will contact you to arrange payment. If you require further information or wish to arrange alternative payment, please reach out to us using the email below.

If you are submitting your own work, you are the nominator. Alternatively, you can have your work submitted by a publisher, agent or interested third party. Nominators must have permission from the author before submitting their book.

All correspondence regarding the nomination will be conducted with the nominator.

The short story and poetry collection awards are for collections that primarily or wholly comprise new work. A short story or poetry collection may contain some previously published work. Please contact us at the email below if you are unsure whether your work is eligible.

No. All authors and illustrators of a submitted work must be Australian citizens or permanent residents.

Please see the 2026 Terms and Conditions for further eligibility details.

Shortlisted entrants will be notified in late July 2026.

Winners will be announced at the Queensland Literary Awards ceremony, held at the Brisbane Writers Festival on 8 October 2026.