Unlike previous years, The Guardian and Observer books team will select nine of the entries for the longlist and, in consultation with readers, a tenth book will be selected which has not been submitted by a publisher.
The 2011 prize – sponsored by Davidstow Cornish Cheddar - is currently open for submissions from publishers. Following the closing date, the full list of submissions will also be published on the new-look guardian.co.uk/books site for the first time.
Commenting on the change Claire Armitstead, books editor, Guardian News & Media, said: "To reflect the new-look guardian.co.uk/books site, we have decided to give readers the opportunity to suggest a book for the longlist which has not been put forward by a publisher. We hope this will create an opportunity for smaller, less established publishers – perhaps working in niche genres – to be brought to our attention by Guardian readers."
The Guardian First Book Award is open to all first-time authors writing in English, or translated into English, across all genres. The winner will receive a £10,000 prize plus an advertising package in the Guardian and the Observer for an author's first book published in 2011.
Previous winners of the Guardian First Book Award include Zadie Smith and Jonathan Safran Foer. Last year's winner was Alexandra Harris, for her book 'Romantic Moderns'.
The deadline for entries is Monday 20 June.
A series of regional reading groups, run in partnership with Waterstone's bookstores, will assist the judges in drawing up the shortlist.
The judging panel will be chaired by Claire Armitstead, head of books, Guardian News and Media.
