Frequently Asked Questions

I'm pretty sure my manuscript is going to blow your mind--should I send it?

Yes.

Will my book be published if I win? What are the publication terms?

The author of the winning manuscript is offered a publication contract that includes $1,000 in prize monies and 25 complimentary author's copies.

How will my book be distributed?

The book will be distributed via Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Can I email my manuscript to you?

We cannot accept manuscripts via email, but we encourage you to use our online submission manager.

If I submit online, should I include a cover sheet with contact info on the first page of the manuscript?

We read blind, so there should be no identifying information on the manuscript itself except for its title. The online submission manager will prompt you for your contact information, and there will be a field where you can choose to include details such as those you might usually include in a cover letter.

If I submit through regular mail, what should I include on the cover sheet?

If you submit through regular post, FedEx, or UPS, please remember to include a detachable cover sheet with the title of your manuscript and all pertinent contact information, such as your name, curbside address, phone number, and email address.

What's a SASE?

A Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope. If you submit through regular mail, please write your address on a business-sized envelope and attach a stamp in the correct denomination, and we'll mail you the results.

How do I get my manuscript back if I submit through regular mail?

New American Press recycles all physical manuscripts submitted for review. Please do not include a large envelope loaded with postage. Just include a SASE.

The final judge taught a writing workshop I was in once. Can I still submit my work?

We take contest ethics seriously and intend to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Our evaluation system is designed to make it impossible for any reader to know who wrote any manuscript that he or she is evaluating, but a previous teacher or mentor may recognize the writing of a former student. We have asked our judges to alert us if such a scenario occurs, and if it does we will remove the manuscript from consideration and refund the author's entry fee. If you have had more than a passing acquaintence with the final judge or any of the New American Press staff, please contact us prior to submitting. If at any point we determine that either a manuscript cannot be read without bias or its publication may suggest unfairness in the judging process, we will remove it from consideration and refund the author's entry fee.

Can I submit a manuscript that includes previously published work?

Yes. Some or all of the manuscript may have been published previously, though not in the same form that it is being submitted to New American Press. This means that a collection may include pieces, some or all, that have appeared previously at several magazines and journals before being collected and submitted to New American Press as a single collection.

What if I previously self-published the whole manuscript?

This is a gray area, so you'll have to email us--it depends largely upon how much exposure the book has already enjoyed. The contest intends to introduce new work to readers, but if your self-published book didn't get much attention yet, you can probably still submit it for consideration. Shoot us a line.

Can I give you a Visa or Mastercard number for the entry fee?

Physical submissions require a check or money order, but the online submission manager loves credit cards.

If I write a check for the entry fee, who should I make it out to?

Please make all checks and money orders payable to "New American Press."

What's a reasonable way for me to send you the entry fee from Israel/Australia/Korea/Switzerland/etc.? I'm an expat so I don't have a local checking account and it's prohibitively expensive for me to get a money order.

The easiest way to solve this problem is to submit using the online submission manager.

Will you publish runners-up? Is there a second-place prize?

There is no prize for second place. Authors who make it to the finalist pool, though, are often solicited to submit work to MAYDAY Magazine.

What if I have other questions?

Please email further questions to Okla Elliott.