The Black List Expands Into Fiction and Unpublished Manuscripts

The Black List Expands Into Fiction and Unpublished Manuscripts

As a seasoned gamer with years of experience navigating the intricate worlds of both video games and literature, I can’t help but be thrilled about The Black List‘s foray into fiction. Just like leveling up my character in a game, I appreciate the opportunity to see writers rise through the ranks, from early career to established, thanks to initiatives like this one.


The organization known as The Black List, famous for its yearly list of top Hollywood screenplays yet to be produced, is broadening its horizons into the realm of fiction. They’ve unveiled a series of projects aimed at supporting unpublished novels. In their recent statement, The Black List expressed that this expansion aims to connect up-and-coming writers with the well-established publishing industry more effectively

The founder and CEO of Black List, Franklin Leonard, spoke about the latest developments, stating, “Moving into fiction is a logical step forward. Currently, there are incredibly talented writers worldwide who lack access to reliable, trustworthy feedback, and whose work remains undiscovered due to factors completely unrelated to its quality. This represents a significant market failure, and it ends now.”

Just like The Black List provides expert feedback on unpublished screenplays, writers now have an opportunity to receive paid critiques on their novels from the company’s readers. Additionally, they can establish a complimentary profile displaying their finished works

Randy Winston is leading The Black List’s move into publishing fiction. Having joined The Black List in February, Winston will be driving the new fiction initiatives. Previously, he was the head of writing programs at The Center for Fiction and the fiction editor at ‘Slice’, a literary magazine known for supporting budding writers

“Leonard mentioned that Randy’s resume and esteem within the literary field are self-explanatory regarding his hire. However, the tasks he has accomplished since joining our team in February are so impressive that they should fill everyone with great anticipation for what lies ahead,” is a natural and easy to read paraphrase of the original sentence

The company has unveiled various fresh endeavors in fiction writing, one of which is the Black List Unpublished Novel Award. This prize will be bestowed in seven distinct categories, such as children’s literature, horror stories, and literary works. The winning author will receive a $10,000 grant. At present, entries are being accepted, and the judges for the 2025 awards are LeVar Burton, Roxane Gay, and Mike Flanagan

As a gamer, I’m thrilled to share that The Black List has teamed up with the talented Simon Kinberg of Genre Films! This collaboration means that Kinberg will be on the lookout for an unpublished manuscript, offering it an 18-month option for $25,000. The focus is particularly on genre stories, such as sci-fi and espionage tales – perfect for us gamers who love to dive into those worlds!

In the end, The Black List is going to provide a complimentary online learning sequence titled “Read the Acknowledgments.” This educational series will consist of pre-recorded podcasts led by Winston, featuring publishing industry professionals who will discuss their experiences and clarify the often confusing publishing process. Some of the guests will be editors, agents, librarians, bookstore owners, critics, and administrators from non-profit literary residencies, among others

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2024-09-04 18:02