Are you the next J.K. Rowling?

We’d all love a million dollar book deal, but getting your work in front of a publisher is hard enough as it is! Well, Momentum (Pan Macmillan’s digital arm) and Tablo (a publishing startup we’ve discussed before) have joined forces to give hope to emerging writers around Australia.

From the press release:

Publishing platform Tablo has partnered with Momentum, the digital arm of major Australian publishing house Pan Macmillan, to uncover the next generation of bestselling authors.

In what could be the start of an entirely new publishing model, Tablo will make a first ever attempt to spot future bestselling authors while they’re still writing their books.

Tablo, an online platform where authors can publish their books progressively, will be handing the five most promising books on its platform to Momentum for review at the end of November.

Often likened to ‘YouTube for authors’, Tablo allows authors to publish their books and connect with readers. Readers can discover emerging books and authors can build up a loyal fanbase, allowing potential bestsellers to be spotted before the author has even published their final work.

Ash Davies, Tablo’s 21 year old founder/CEO and an author himself, says Tablo will be looking closely at the number of readers, followers and the overall engagement books receive during November, in order to feed the five most promising books to Momentum.

The publishing competition is set to align perfectly with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), the annual November event that calls on professional and amateur writers around the world to smash out a 50,000 word novel during the month of November.

“This is a huge opportunity for emerging authors. Every author has a level playing field and the passion of readers will decide which books have the chance to be published,” said Davies.

“It’s the closest we’ve come to a democratised publishing model. Online platforms like Tablo make it incredibly easy for writers to publish their work and for readers to discover their next favourite book. Incredible musicians have been uncovered on platforms like YouTube and, this month, we’ll be uncovering the next generation of talented writers on Tablo.”

Joel Naoum, Momentum’s publisher, says the partnership with the Aussie startup was an exciting next step for them, as they look for new ways to discover talented authors in the digital age.

“Tablo’s innovative model is a fantastic way for authors to get feedback and build an audience before a manuscript is completed. We’re excited about kicking off this new relationship and even more excited about finding the next bestseller author.”

Authors can write in any genre of fiction, on any theme, in any language, from any country around the world.

Tablo and Momentum’s quest for the next bestseller kicks off in Australia (and around the world) on November 1.

Up for the challenge? Get writing now!