Sundress Publications is open for submissions of full-length prose manuscripts in all genres. All authors are welcome to submit manuscripts during our reading period, which runs from December 1, 2022 – February 28, 2023. Sundress is particularly interested in prose collections that value genre hybridization, the lyric, flash, strange or fractured narratives, new fiction, experimental work, or work with strong attention to lyricism and language. These collections may be short stories, novellas, essays, memoir, or a mixture thereof.
We are looking for manuscripts of 125-165 double-spaced pages of prose; front matter is not included toward the page count. Individual stories may have been previously published in anthologies, chapbooks, print journals, online journals, etc., but cannot have appeared in any full-length collection, including self-published collections. Manuscripts translated from another language will not be accepted. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but we ask that authors notify us immediately if their work has been accepted elsewhere.
The reading fee is $15 per manuscript, though the fee will be waived for BIPOC writers and entrants who purchase or pre-order any Sundress title. Authors may submit as many manuscripts as they would like, provided that each is accompanied by a separate reading fee or purchase/pre-order. Entrants can place book orders or pay submission fees in our store. Reading fees go directly towards supporting the winning title as well as paying the editorial team working on the book.
All manuscripts will be read by members of our editorial board, and we will choose one manuscript for publication by Summer of 2023. We strive to further our commitment to inclusion and seek to encounter as many unique and important voices as possible. We are actively seeking collections from BIPOC writers, trans and nonbinary writers, disabled writers, and others whose voices are under-represented in literary publishing. Selected manuscripts will be offered a standard publication contract, which includes 25 copies of the published book as well as any additional copies at cost.
To submit, forward the qualifying Sundress store receipt for submission fee or book purchase to sundresspublications@gmail.com and attach a 20-35 page sample of the manuscript (DOC, DOCX, or PDF) noting the author’s first and last name in the subject line. The sample should include the author’s name and an acknowledgements page. The sample may include one story or a number of shorter stories. After our initial selection process, semi-finalists will be asked to send the full collection.
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Your call for submissions sounds like someone riffle shuffled an ooen call for manuscripts into a contest announcement. Which is it?
If it’s a contest, I can understand the reading fee. If it isn’t a contest, why do you have a reading fee?