Serving House Books is seeking brave, well-crafted, literary novels for the annual Thomas E. Kennedy Novel Award. We want books that are overlooked and under-appreciated by traditional commercial publishing companies. We are interested in work that explores the depths of the human experience and shows commitment to the art of fiction.

Serving House Books is proud to have published award-winning international writers with a catalogue of over 130 books and counting. The Thomas E. Kennedy Novel Award is a tribute to our late cofounder who established the press with chief editor emeritus Walter Cummins. Please read about Kennedy and our press at our website for a better understanding of what we’re all about. Our 2024 winner was Richard Fellinger and his novel An American Girl will be published in June 2025. Additionally, there were four shortlisted authors in 2024, who were also offered publishing contracts. 

We are an international press, founded in Denmark and the United States, so we naturally welcome English writing authors from around the world.

We do not have a strict word count. However, as a small, fully independent press staffed by volunteers, books over 90,000 words are less likely to be feasible for us at this time. 

This contest submission has a fee of $25, which helps us to maintain the press and goes towards publication.  

We accept simultaneous submissions, but please mention this in the initial cover letter. Please withdraw your work immediately if it is accepted elsewhere and you wish to accept that publication. There is no refund for withdrawals.

 When submitting, please include:

• A traditional query letter, including a general introduction to your book, 2-4 comparable titles, a brief third-person bio of approximately 150 words.
• This cover letter should be submitted in one document separate from the manuscript submission.  

 Manuscript Guidelines

· We only accept unpublished works for this submission. 

· Please, only submit human-produced work with a soul. NO AI AT ALL. 

· Do not include any identifying information in 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 place a synopsis of 1-2 pages at the beginning of the document before your novel, outlining the characters, situation, narrative arc, progression, themes, conflicts, resolutions, and overall conclusion (complete with spoilers). Note that there may be some overlap​ between this synopsis (a more detailed document) and your introductory query letter.​​ Again, keep identifying information about yourself out of this document.

· Please use standard professional formatting. We’re confident you know what that looks like. 

· Please submit as a Word document. 

The award winner will receive:

A standard publishing contract with generous royalties 

Publication of the book as hardcover, paperback, and ebook

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 130 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.