Frequently Asked Questions

I'm pretty sure my manuscript is going to blow your mind--should I send it?

Yes.

What comes with the Prize? Will my book be published if I win?

Authors of the winning manuscripts for the New American Fiction Prize and the New American Poetry Prize will receive publication contracts that include a cash advance ($1000 for poetry and $1200 for fiction), royalties of ten percent, and 25 author's copies. We also work hard to promote our books and get them reviewed.

How will my book be sold and distributed?

The book will be distributed via Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powells, and other outlets where books are sold. We distribute worldwide.

Do you accept submissions of experimental work? What about hybrid forms?

Experimental and hybrid forms are welcome along with traditional forms and genres.

Can I email my manuscript to you? Or where should I send a hard copy?

We do not accept manuscripts via email or traditional post. All manuscripts should be submitted using our Submittable—it does a really good job of keeping things organized, it conserves paper, and it saves you a lot of trips to the post office and printing ink cartridges.

When I submit online, should I include a cover sheet with contact info on the first page of the manuscript?

We read blind, so there should be no identifying information on the manuscript except for its title. The online submission manager will prompt you for your contact information, and there will be a field where you can include details such as those you would usually include in a cover letter. This identifying information will remain hidden until we need to contact finalists to be sure their manuscripts are still available for consideration.

If I submit through regular mail, what should I include on the cover sheet?

We do not accept submissions via traditional post. Please use Submittable.

The final judge taught a writing workshop I was in once. Can I still submit my work?

We take contest ethics seriously and intend to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Our evaluation system is designed to make it impossible for any reader to know who wrote any manuscript that he or she is evaluating, but a previous teacher or mentor may recognize the writing of a former student. We have asked our judges to alert us if such a scenario occurs, and if it does we will remove the manuscript from consideration and refund the author's entry fee. If you have had more than a passing acquaintance with the final judge or any of the New American Press staff, please contact us prior to submitting. If at any point we determine that a manuscript cannot be read without potential bias or its publication may suggest unfairness in the judging process, we will remove it from consideration and refund the author's entry fee.

Can I submit a manuscript that includes previously published work?

Yes. Some or all of the manuscript may have been published previously, though not in the same form that it is being submitted to New American Press. This means that a collection may include pieces, some or all, that have appeared previously at several magazines and journals before being collected and submitted to New American Press as a single collection. In the case of fiction, a manuscript may even include a long story that was published as a standalone novella before being collected with other stories and submitted to New American Press.

What if I previously self-published the whole manuscript?

The contest intends to introduce new work to readers, but if your self-published book didn't get much attention, you are welcome to submit it for consideration.

May I submit multiple manuscripts for consideration?

Yes. Please submit each manuscript separately.

I'm Canadian. Do you accept submissions from Canada?

Yes. We accept submissions from all countries. The manuscript just has to be written in English.

I'm Estonian. Do you accept submissions from Estonia?

Yes. We accept submissions from all countries. The manuscript just has to be written in English.

Can I give you a Visa or Mastercard number for the entry fee?

Submittable loves credit cards.

Will you publish runners-up? Is there a second-place prize?

There is no prize for second place, but authors who make it to the finalist pool are often solicited to submit work to MAYDAY Magazine. If your manuscript becomes a finalist or semifinalist, we've spent a lot of time thinking and talking about your work and we're pretty big fans of what you do.

What if I have other questions?

Please email further questions to the editors.