The Unleash Work-in-Progress Award is a targeted intervention in the life of a book-length project, offering writers a $500 grant to offset completion costs alongside a coaching call and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit. The award is administered by Unleash Press, whose Board of Directors selects the winner and provides individual support and mentorship. It is designed for writers of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry who are either just starting or have been toiling away and need a boost to keep going. The submission packet consists of up to the first 25 pages of the work in progress, submitted as a .doc or .docx file, and answers to two questions in the same document: who you are as a creative person and what your creative vision is, and who your intended audience is and why. No CV or resume is requested. Entries are judged on originality, emotional resonance, and other criteria as stated in the guidelines. The entry fee is $35.00 USD, and the deadline is March 16, 2027. This is not a contest for finished manuscripts or for writers seeking a traditional publishing contract. It is a grant for the unfinished, for the project that requires a final push. The curatorial vision favors work that demonstrates a clear creative identity and a considered sense of audience, rather than a polished list of prior publications. The winner receives financial support, mentorship, and a public platform through Unleash Lit, but the award is ultimately about enabling the writer to complete the work.