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Open to writers aged 55 and older for an original, previously unpublished novel of literary fiction (see below) written in English.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.