The Black List and Blackstone Publishing have announced the launch of the Blackstone Publishing Novel Initiative, a new partnership to identify an unpublished fiction manuscript to enter into a $25,000 book deal. Manuscript submissions in any genre that are not under contract elsewhere, and which have not been self-published, are eligible.
The Black List, which was conceived in 2005 as an annual roundup of Hollywood's best unproduced screenplays, started soliciting novel manuscripts last fall, with an eye to optioning unpublished fiction to other organizations, including film studios. The Blackstone partnership—the Black List's first with a book publisher—specifically seeks work with "fresh perspectives" on classic themes like love, betrayal, family, and obsession, with an emphasis on high-intensity genres like thriller, mystery, romance, and horror.
“Finding an unpublished manuscript to acquire is incredibly challenging, so is writing a manuscript and finding a home for it,” said Randy Winston, the Black List's creative director of fiction. "I’m really excited to be working with Blackstone to find a project that they can champion. Equally as excited to play a role in potentially ushering a novel into the world of readers."
Brendan Deneen, editor and head of film/TV at Blackstone added that he hopes the contest can identify “new authors who have a voice and a story to tell, one that is a natural fit for both publication and film or TV adaptation.”
Submissions are open now until June 9, 2026 on the Black List's site.
