General Guidelines
Open to writers aged 55 and older for an original, previously unpublished novel of literary fiction (see below) written in English. Word count: 65,000 words minimum; 100,000 words maximum. All content must be original, no AI generated content, single author works only, no translations allowed. Previously published works are ineligible, including self-published works in any format. If short excerpts of the work have been previously published in literary magazines (print or online), that will not disqualify the manuscript.
Literary Fiction defined: Fiction that emphasizes characterization and language/style over plot and concept; writing that eschews clichés of all kinds and at all levels.
Submission Process: All manuscripts must be submitted through Submittable in PDF or word.doc format. Manuscripts sent to Serving House Books’ email or postal addresses will not be read.
All submissions must be accompanied by a <250 word synopsis. Include this at the beginning of the manuscript.
Anonymity: Manuscripts must be anonymous; there should be no appearance of your name or any other identifying features anywhere on or in the manuscript, or in the document name of your submitted work.
Formatting: Manuscripts must be formatted according to the following guidelines:
12 pt Times New Roman font
double-spaced
minimum 1-inch margins
numbered pages
No multiple submissions.
Simultaneous Submissions allowed, but please notify us of acceptance elsewhere.
Cover Letter: Please include a separate cover letter with a 3rd person BIO for the editor. Committee readers will not see this document, and again there should be no appearance of your name or any other identifying features anywhere on or in the manuscript, or in the document name of your submitted work.
The award winner will receive:
A standard publishing contract with generous royalties
Publication of the book as paperback and ebook
5 gratis copies upon publication
Gold award labels
About the press:
It's always a smart idea to get to know the press you're submitting to. Have a look at our previously published books. Read a few of them!
Serving House Books is proud to have published award-winning international writers with a catalogue of over 125 books and counting. Please read about the history of our press on our website.
We are an international press, founded in Denmark and the United States, so we naturally welcome English writing authors from around the world.
This contest submission has a fee of $25, which helps us to maintain the press and goes towards publication costs.
Call for Memoirs
– Free Open Reading October 2-December 2
Broken Tribe Press is seeking memoirs that are well crafted and inspiring. International writers of English welcome. Translations also welcome.
Complete manuscripts should be 90 pages +, excluding front and back matter.
These manuscripts should be unpublished as a collection.
Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Please withdraw your work immediately if it is accepted elsewhere, should you wish to accept the other publication.
Manuscript Guidelines:
· Please, human-produced art with a soul only. NO AI AT ALL.
· Please submit as a Word file or pdf
· A Table of Contents is optional
· Number the pages
· Include a brief cover letter with a brief bio in third person (no more than a page total)
About Broken Tribe Press:
Publishers of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry based out of Raleigh, North Carolina.
We are committed to publishing accepted titles within four to ten months of acceptance in paperback and ebook formats.
We offer a standard contract, a small number of author copies, a substantial discount on additional copies purchased by the author, and an annual royalty payment. There are NO fees to publish your book once accepted; however, we do offer an optional fee-based marketing plan.
Visit our site here to learn more: www.brokentribepress.com
The Broken Tribe Press 50 State American Series Project
(only authors from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California)
for Poetry collections, Short Story collections, Novellas, and Novels
Enter your book to win the contest for your state!
(only the above states in this 2024 entry; new states open in 2025)
– Open September 2-December 2
- $12 reading fee (put towards the small press production costs and web fees)
One book will win for each of the five states.
We accept poetry books 60 pages +, short fiction collections 90 pages+, novellas 90+ pages, and novels under 100,000 words, all excluding front and back matter.
Simultaneous submissions are okay. Please withdraw your work immediately if it is accepted elsewhere; however, there are no refunds.
We only accept unpublished works for this submission. Sections previously published as a chapbook or individual poems or stories are acceptable, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished.
Manuscript Guidelines:
Authors must currently live in the state for at least five years. Winners and/or finalists will be asked to show documentation. The book does not need to be set in the state, but it certainly is a bonus if it is!
· Do not include any identifying information on your manuscript. This is a blind reading by five readers in five different states. The work is judged solely on the work, not who you are or where you’re from.
· Please, only human-produced writing with a soul. NO AI AT ALL.
· Please submit as .docx or pdf
· Include a Table of Contents for collections
· Number the pages
· Include a brief cover letter with a brief bio in third person and brief synopsis of the work (no more than a page total) as a separate upload.
Broken Tribe Press Offers:
Our books are paperback, perfect bound, color cover, with printed spine (writer's name, title, press).
We are committed to publishing accepted titles within four to ten months of acceptance in book paperback and ebook formats.
We offer a standard contract, a small number of author copies, a substantial discount on additional copies purchased by the author, and an annual royalty payment. There are NO fees to publish your book once accepted; however, we do offer an optional fee-based marketing plan.
Visit our site here to learn more about the tribe: www.brokentribepress.com
Call for Essay Collections
– Free Open Reading Sept. 2 - Dec. 2
Serving House Books is seeking nonfiction essay collections.
International writers of English welcome. Translations also welcome.
Manuscripts should be 80 pages +, excluding front and back matter.
These manuscripts should be unpublished as a collection.
Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Please withdraw your work immediately if it is accepted elsewhere, should you wish to accept the other publication.
Manuscript Guidelines:
· Please, human-produced art with a soul only. NO AI AT ALL.
· Please submit as a Word or pdf file
· Include a Table of Contents
· Number the pages
· Include an acknowledgements page
· In a separate upload, please include a brief cover letter with a brief bio in third person (no more than a page total)
About Serving House Books:
Publishers of international prose, poetry, art, and literary hybrids. Our roster includes a diversity of authors from around the world.
We are committed to publishing accepted titles within four to ten months of acceptance in paperback and ebook formats.
We offer a standard contract, a small number of author copies, a substantial discount on additional copies purchased by the author, and an annual royalty payment. There are NO fees to publish your book once accepted; however, we do offer an optional fee-based marketing plan.
Visit our site here to learn more: www.servinghousebooks.com
Enter the Serving House Books
International Series Contest
2024: T-Z countries (see list below)
Objective
Our goal is to publish as many books from as many authors from different countries as possible. This is your chance to represent your birth nation.
General Guidelines
Open to writers who are native to the listed countries (T-Z). You may be a citizen of a different country now, but your birth country must be one of the listed. Please upload proof of birth/citizenship. Winners (and finalists) may be asked to provide further proof of birth/citizenship.
Any genre from the following: short story collection, novella, novel, or poetry collection
Works must be written with soul by a soul. That means absolutely no AI generated content at all.
Word count: 100,000 words maximum
The work does not need to be about your homeland, but it's a real bonus if it is!
Translations allowed only for works older than 100 years.
Previously published works seeking North American or global second editions are also eligible.
Short excerpts of the work previously published in literary magazines (print or online), will not disqualify the manuscript.
Submission Process: All manuscripts must be submitted through Submittable in PDF or word.doc format. Manuscripts sent to Serving House Books’ email or postal addresses will not be read.
All novel and novella submissions must be accompanied by a <250 word synopsis included at the beginning of the manuscript.
Anonymity: Manuscripts must be anonymous; there should be no appearance of your name or any other identifying features anywhere on or in the manuscript, or in the document name of your submitted work.
No multiple submissions.
Simultaneous Submissions allowed, but please notify us of acceptance elsewhere. No refund can be provided for withdrawals.
Cover Letter: Please include a separate cover letter with a 3rd person BIO for the editor. Committee readers will not see this document, and again there should be no appearance of your name or any other identifying features anywhere on or in the manuscript, or in the document name of your submitted work.
The award winner will receive:
A standard publishing contract with generous royalties and placement in the SHB International Series
About the press:
It's always a smart idea to get to know the press you're submitting to. Have a look at our previously published books. Read a few of them!
Serving House Books is proud to have published award-winning international writers with a catalogue of over 125 books and counting. Please read about the history of our press on our website.
We are an international press, founded in Denmark and the United States, so we naturally welcome English writing authors from around the world.
This contest submission has a fee of $7, which helps us to maintain the press and goes towards publication costs.
Countries T-Z
Taiwan Uganda Vanuatu Yemen Zambia
Tajikistan Ukraine Venezuela Zimbabwe
Tanzania UAE Vietnam
Thailand United Kingdom
Togo Uruguay
Tonga Uzbekistan
Trinidad/Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Please note, due to shipping restrictions, we are unable to ship to and sell in some of the above countries. Winners will be offered a publishing contract with global distribution limited by what countries the distributor works in.
While it would be a feat to publish a book representing all of the listed countries, it may not be possible based on the number/quality of submissions.
Call for Poetry collections, Short Story collections, Novellas, and Novels
– Open General Free Reading July 1-November 1
Click on our profile if you wish to enter the fee-based contests.
We're seeking edgy and adventurous manuscripts.
We accept poetry books 60 pages +, short fiction collections 90 pages+, novellas 90+ pages, and novels under 100,000 words, all excluding front and back matter.
Simultaneous submissions are okay. Please withdraw your work immediately if it is accepted elsewhere.
We only accept unpublished works for this submission. Sections previously published as a chapbook or individual poems or stories are acceptable, but the manuscript as a whole should be unpublished.
Manuscript Guidelines:
· Do not include any identifying information on your manuscript. This is a blind reading. The work is judged solely on the work, not who you are or where you’re from.
· Please, only human-produced art with a soul. NO AI AT ALL.
· Please submit as .docx.
· Include a Table of Contents
· Number the pages
· Include an acknowledgements page
· Include a brief cover letter with a brief bio in third person and brief synopsis of the work (no more than a page total) as a separate upload.
Broken Tribe Press Offers:
Our books are paperback, perfect bound, color cover, with printed spine (writer's name, title, press).
We are committed to publishing accepted titles within four to ten months of acceptance in book paperback and ebook formats.
We offer a standard contract, a small number of author copies, a substantial discount on additional copies purchased by the author, and an annual royalty payment. There are NO fees to publish your book once accepted; however, we do offer an optional fee-based marketing plan.
Visit our site here to learn more about the tribe: www.brokentribepress.com