Congratulations, recent MFA graduate!
The MFA Award is for anyone in the world who has completed an MFA in Creative Writing in the past five years (January 2021 and later). Sorry no PhD or MAs in writing. Last year's winner was Joseph Levens; his story collection will publish in 2026.
We are open to the following genres written in English: novels, novellas, story collections, and poetry collections.
Please read the guidelines below before submitting:
· We accept books 80 pages +, excluding front and back matter.
· There is a $10 submission fee for this contest
· You will be required to upload your degree or transcript excerpt (with blocked out SSN numbers & grades)
· Please include a cover letter with a BIO.
- Please include a brief synopsis of the work on the first page of the manuscript.
· Simultaneous submissions are okay. Please withdraw your work immediately if it is accepted elsewhere and you wish to pursue that publication. Refunds cannot be issues for withdrawals.
· We only accept unpublished works for this submission.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published as a chapbook or individual poems or stories are acceptable, but the manuscript as a whole should be unpublished.
· 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. This award is being judged by a diverse committee of MFA graduates, professors, writers, and editors.
· Please double-space and submit as a Word document.
· Please, human-produced work with a soul only. NO AI.
Learn more about the Broken Tribe Press mission at our website: https://www.brokentribepress.com/about
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 was published in July 2025. Ensoulment by Susan Forrest Castle was our 2025 winner, published in November 2025. Our 2026 winner Roger Hart will see his book published in summer 2026. Additionally, there have been several shortlisted authors, 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 150 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.
Call for Poetry Collections
– Free Open Reading January 4 - February 28
Serving House Books is seeking poetry 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:
· Human-produced art with a soul only. NO AI AT ALL.
- Please remove your name from the manuscript
· 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, and art. Our roster includes a diversity of authors from around the world.
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 129 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.
We are committed to publishing accepted titles within four to ten months of acceptance in paperback and ebook formats. Poetry collections will be published in 5 x 8 format and will be distributed worldwide.
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