How to submit book manuscripts to WTAW Press

SUBMISSIONS

WTAW Press publishes full-length books of prose (novels, memoirs, creative nonfiction, collections of stories

and essays, hybrids etc.) We do not publish translations, how-to or self-help books, reference texts, YA, children's literature, or poetry. Previously published or self-published books are not eligible.

We accept submissions only during open reading periods, and only through our submission manager. To stay current with our open reading periods and other news, sign up for our newsletter.

This year of 2022 the open reading period has been split into two time periods to ease the burden on our preliminary readers and reviewers. Manuscripts submitted during the June—July 27 time period are under consideration as we work through finalizing the editorial process. We respond to each manuscript we receive through our submission manager. Make sure to watch for messages sent from Submittable to the email address you furnished with your submission.

The Fall 2022 open reading period is October 3—November 14.

In addition to our call for full-length books, this fall we are excited to announce our first Alcove Chapbook Series Open. Read more and consider sending in your manuscript.

General Guidelines

We do not publish translations, how-to or self-help books, reference texts, YA, children's literature, or poetry. Previously published or self-published books are not eligible.

We accept work only through our submission manager during open reading periods.

We welcome submissions from writers of all backgrounds and especially encourage submissions by women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ or nonbinary gender people, persons with disabilities, and all traditionally underrepresented groups. We are particularly interested in centering the voices and experiences of BIPOC authors. We welcome submissions from new, emerging, and established voices.

There is a $28 fee for full-length book submissions and a $15 fee for chapbook submissions. WTAW Press is a

501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Fees directly subsidize our commitment to supporting and championing authors, producing quality literary works, and doing all we can to bring our books to the attention of the readers. Read

more about our publishing program here. Read what authors say about their experiences with WTAW here.

We are pleased to waive the submission fee for BIPOC authors for this reading period.

WTAW Press conducts reviews during which authors and readers/reviewers are kept anonymous. Multiple reviewers—anonymous to one other and unable to read any other reviews—review each manuscript. Read more about our process below.*

Identifying information for the author must not be included anywhere on the manuscript itself, including in the name of the file or in the title field in the submission manager. Manuscripts containing identifying information

in any way will be automatically disqualified and any submission fee forfeited.

A manuscript in its entirety must be previously unpublished, though it may contain previously published portions. It should contain a majority of new work. Please acknowledge any portions of the manuscript that have been published previously in your cover letter and not within the manuscript itself. Manuscripts that contain acknowledgements will be disqualified and any fee forfeited.

All material in manuscripts must be of the author’s own composition and free from copyright restrictions.

Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but authors must notify us immediately if their work is accepted elsewhere and withdraw it in our submission manager.

Multiple submissions are welcome with each accompanied by a separate reading fee.

Submissions cannot be edited once they are submitted. Manuscripts selected for publication will go through an editing process with the editors.

Manuscripts should be submitted as a .doc or. docx file in a 12-point standard font such as Times New Roman, double-spaced, with at least 1 inch margins, and paginated. Please include a title page with a total word count

and a table of contents, as applicable.

While we are not strictly bound to conventions, we strongly prefer manuscripts with a word count in the 80,000 to 100,000 range.

Include a cover letter in the appropriate field in the submission manager. Don't include your cover letter within the manuscript file itself. Any manuscript that includes a cover letter will be disqualified and the fee forfeited.

Please provide the following information in your cover letter

Your contact information (address, phone, email)
The manuscript’s title, genre, and word count
List of credits for any previously published portions
A brief synopsis of the work
A brief biography with publishing history, if applicable; include your website address and social media handles
Indication if the manuscript is submitted simultaneously and pledge to withdraw it if accepted elsewhere
Where you heard about the call for submissions
A brief comment on how you see your book in terms of expanding our catalog

Any submission that doesn't follow the guidelines will be disqualified and the submission fee forfeited. Make sure to review the specific guidelines found on our submission manager.

Please note: we do not offer editorial comments on submissions. WTAW Press develops an editorial relationship with an author once they have signed a contract. Every book accepted for publication receives careful, thorough, and sensitive editing, and necessitates the author's collaboration and commitment to the process.

WTAW responds to every submission it receives through the submission manager at the email address furnished with the submission. It can take time, so please be patient.

* More about our reading and reviewing process

WTAW Press relies on a corps of dedicated preliminary readers. These first readers are published writers, experienced editors, and/or writers who have earned a graduate degree in creative writing or literature. Every manuscript is read by at least three readers. We rotate readers each open reading period so that those writers who wish to re-submit a manuscript can be assured it will receive fresh “reads.” Our director selects manuscripts for publication. We are always on the lookout for new readers and especially encourage BIPOC and those underrepresented in publishing to join us. Learn more here.

WTAW Press is committed to publishing the best work we can find, and we look forward to reading your manuscripts.

Thank you for considering WTAW Press.