The Award is open to picture book projects that present an original concept and/or narrative.
Picture books are understood to mean works with images and text or just images. Proposals that contain only text will not be accepted, but proposals without any written text (also known as silent books) will be considered valid.
Picture book submissions need not be exclusively aimed at children and/or young adults, but they must not exclude this readership. Proposals with the potential to capture a broader audience through their approach and richness will be especially valued.
Submissions will be accepted from authors and illustrators aged 18 or above, of any nationality, with or without published work. Employees of the organizing entities are not eligible to enter. Participants may submit any number of works.
Entries may be submitted by one or more authors, individually or in teams, but each text can only be entered once, meaning that a given text cannot be entered more than once, even if accompanied by different illustrations.
The dimensions, techniques and formats are at the discretion of the authors. However, the jury will give priority to projects whose future production does not require the use of more complex production techniques (such as pop ups, cut-outs or folding of any kind).
Submissions should not exceed 40 pages, including endsheets* (optional), title page, and credits page.
Works for submission must be unpublished and may not be simultaneously under consideration for any other publishing prizes that could result in the production and publication of a book. Works for submission may, however, have already been awarded prizes or received mentions in other competitions, as long as these awards do not interfere with the book’s publication.
Works must be submitted in Portuguese, English or Spanish.
* ‘Endsheets’ are understood as the opening and closing pages of a book. These pages usually contain visual elements only and do not form part of the main body of the book.
Submissions are to be made online via the form available at www.serpaaward.com.
Following submission, entrants will receive an electronic confirmation of receipt.
Technical anomalies affecting proper receipt of submissions are considered beyond the remit of the organising entities which, therefore, will not assume responsibility in such cases.
Entrants should submit only one file per project, in PDF format.
This PDF should consist of a mock-up of the project, including the front cover.
The mock-up should include the whole text in paginated form and a minimum of three fully-illustrated double-page spreads*.
The remaining pages should be presented in draft form, in black and white, or in colour.
The PDF file should be formatted in double-page spreads and should not exceed 10 MB.
* ‘Double-page spread’ is understood to mean the left + right pages of a book when it is open. The pages may function individually or as a single image spread across both pages.
Entries must be submitted by 17:00/5:00 PM (local time in Lisbon) on the 30th of September 2025. Late entries will not be considered.
The Jury’s decision will be announced on the 31st of October 2025, via the organizers’ websites and social media.
The jury will comprise one representative of Serpa City Council, one member of the Planeta Tangerina team and one personality of recognised merit in the areas of children’s illustration and/or literature, as appointed by Planeta Tangerina. The decision of the jury shall be final.
A single cash prize of €4,000 will be awarded to the winning submission. Of this total, €1,500 corresponds to an advance on copyright for the publication of the first edition of the work in Portugal by the publisher Planeta Tangerina, which will sign the necessary publication contract(s) with the winning author(s).
The award therefore includes the publication of the book in Portuguese by the same publisher, which may also negotiate its sale to other languages and countries. Any subsequent editions (in Portuguese or in other languages) will be governed by the above-mentioned contract and its terms of payment.
Special Mentions, without monetary renumeration, may also be awarded.
The jury reserves the right not to award the prize for reasons of quality.
The prize money will be paid upon delivery of the finished work for publication. The work will be subject to and governed by a publishing contract, signed between the author(s) and the publisher Planeta Tangerina. Planeta Tangerina shall have priority in the publication of any Special Mention projects for a period of one year.
The winner(s) undertake(s) to complete the work for publication by the end of March 2026, and to work closely with the publisher Planeta Tangerina, respecting the production deadlines established for the book’s timely publication.
The personal data gathered as part of this competition will be processed by the organisers, who are responsible for its proper handling. Data gathered from the Entry Form is destined for the registration of submissions and processing of the prize, including the announcement of the winning entry, and will thus be kept for the period required for the proper fulfilment of the processes described and associated legal obligations. In an effort to guarantee the secure treatment of personal data, the organisers have implemented the technical security measures considered necessary for processing activities. Data gathered as part of this process will not be transferred to third parties without entrants’ prior consent.
Participants give authorization for their submitted works to be reproduced for publicity relating to the competition.
Knowledge of and agreement to these regulations is mandatory in order to participate in this competition.
Any issue omitted from these regulations shall be decided by the jury or the Award organizing entities.
