The 2021 Launch Pad Prose Competition brought us an amazing and wide-ranging selection of innovative and beautiful writing that we cannot wait to see adapted to the screen! It was incredibly exciting for us to finally get a chance to read so many excellent short stories from our Launch Pad writers.
We want to thank our industry judges and partners for their hard work in making these selections, and we also want to thank all of our entrants for sharing their fantastic writing with us.
We are proud to announce our Top Short Story and Top Book Winners, alongside our three Launch Pad Mentorship Selections and Guaranteed Publishing Selection.
The Guaranteed Signing Selection will be announced shortly, following consultations with the short list of remaining contenders.
Congratulations to our winners and to all of our finalists. If you’re looking to view all Top 100 finalists from this year’s competition, you can find the complete list on Coverfly here. Want to receive a notification when the next season opens? Sign up for reminders via Coverfly here.
Top Book Winner
KILL FOR LOVE by Laura Picklesimer
AMERICAN PSYCHO meets LEGALLY BLONDE
A rich and shallow sorority girl goes on a homicidal spree when she realizes that what she needs to bring a spark into her life is committing murder.
Dark Comedy Thriller
Book Winner
Top Short Story Winner
A RETIREMENT by Harris Kauffman
45 YEARS meets NEVER LET ME GO
An elderly couple in a world where death can be postponed indefinitely by medical intervention makes the decision to finally die together.
Drama Sci-Fi
Short Story Winner
Inkshares Guaranteed Publishing Selection
WHITE DEVIL by William Gish
LOVECRAFT COUNTRY meets CASTLE ROCK
A small town Vermont police captain struggles with a series of sinister crimes that appear related to an alleged curse on the town.
Horror Thriller
Inkshares Guaranteed Publishing Selection
Mentorship Program Selections
Mentorship Selection – Aitch Alberto
LA MOCHILA EXPRESS by Sarah Marsh
MAD MAX meets SONS OF ANARCHY
In post-apocalyptic Southern California, the members of an all-woman motorcycle club serve as messengers and mail carriers between distant survivor settlements, but their way of life is threatened by dangerous roaming marauders.
Drama Thriller Book
Top 50 Mentorship Selection – Aitch Alberto
Mentorship Selection – Ben Blacker
ELEANOR AND ABIGAIL by Khalehla Rixon
AMELIE meets ST. VINCENT
A woman recovering from the car crash that killed her wife, as well as the subsequent brain injury that removed nearly all memories of her, starts a campaign to find the owner of a missing teddy bear that her dog brings home.
Drama Short Story
Top 50 Mentorship Selection – Ben Blacker
Mentorship Selection – Nicolina Torres
TO THE NINES by Elena Perez
BLACK MIRROR meets NEVER LET ME GO
In a near-future world where everyone’s life is sponsored by a single corporate lifestyle brand, a young mother will go to great lengths to ensure her child is accepted by the best one.
Drama Sci-Fi Short Story
Top 10 Mentorship Selection – Elena Perez
