Application Deadline: 15/02/2026
LOCATION: Spain
The publishing house Apila Ediciones, in collaboration with the School of Design of Aragón and with the support of the Zaragoza City Council, announces the Apila’s First Impression Award 2026, the fourteenth edition of an International Illustrated Children’s Book competition aimed at strengthening graphic and literary creation by supporting illustrators who have not yet published any books.
ELIGIBILITY:
All illustrators who wish to participate, of any nationality, over 18 years old, may enter this award without any limitation on the number of projects. A necessary condition for participation is not having any published children’s books with an ISBN until June 30, 2025. However, those who have one or more self-published books with an ISBN may participate, provided that these books were not published through a publishing house or editorial services company. In cases where the project is a collaboration (text by one person and illustrations by another), the condition of not having any published books applies exclusively to the illustrator. Additionally, the rights to the submitted works must be free of commitments to third parties.
The works submitted, written in Spanish or English, may be original or adaptations of stories free of copyright.
The award will be granted to one project only.
The projects may have any format but may not exceed 40 pages (20 double pages), including legal pages (credits page and title page) and flyleaves. The cover: the front cover, spine and back cover are not included in the 40 pages of the book.
BENEFIT:
The award will consist of the signing of a professional contract with Apila Ediciones for the publication of the selected work, which will include the payment to the author(s) of €4,000, equivalent to 10% of the value of the first print run of the book, as well as the dissemination and international distribution of the book.
In the event that the rights of the project are shared between the writer and illustrator, the percentage of 10% will be divided between them according to the prior agreement reached by both.
The winning author or authors shall, in said contract, transfer the rights of the book to Apila for publication and for the international management of those rights for a period of twelve years.
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