Note: Names should be removed from the manuscript to allow anonymous judging.

As a young adult fiction podcast, we’re looking for stories that evoke a sense of wonder and have something unreal about them. We aim for a 12-17 age range: that means sophisticated, non-condescending stories with wide appeal, and without explicit sex, violence or pervasive obscene language. Think Harry Potter or The Hunger Games.

Stories are presented in audio format, which means our audience rarely skim past boring bits. We’re looking for fiction with strong pacing, well-defined characters, engaging dialogue, and clear action. We like a proper narrative structure and a unique prose style not laden with clichés and over-worn idioms. We like fiction that makes us think, but the main element should be thrilling entertainment and adventure.

We prefer high fantasy — elves, dragons, secondary worlds, and magic — to the more cerebral forms of fantasy you find in adult markets.

We like all forms of science fiction: far-future, near future, space opera, “hard” sci-fi — but it must be accessible to our target audience. This means a minimum of technical jargon.

We’re happy to read comedy, steampunk, horror, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, superheroes and many other genres. All that matters is adherence to our core concept and that critical spark of wonder.