Quillkeepers Press, LLC is holding a poetry chapbook competition to be released by Fall 2023.  We will choose 1-3 winners. Winners will receive 5 free copies of the chapbook, as well as a standard publishing contract. We do not have a specific theme in mind, we just want something that grabs us by the throat and dares to never let go. Captivate us with your words! Please keep in mind that while we are not looking for a designated theme, your work should have a central theme to it. For example, please do not send a manuscript that includes love poetry and mental health poetry. We set a deadline of June 4th for the submission window, but will close early if we find the ideal manuscript, or extend the deadline if we do not. *PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WORK IS NOT ACCEPTED FOR OUR TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITIES. WHETHER IT BE SINGULAR PIECES IN THE COLLECTION OR THE ENTIRE MANUSCRIPT. PLEASE READ OUR GUIDELINES THOROUGHLY. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL DISQUALIFY YOUR SUBMISSION.


FAQ’s - Please read through these diligently before submitting:

• Manuscript should be 30-50 pages
• Please submit the entire manuscript. 
• We DO NOT accept previously published work for our traditional publishing opportunity (this applies to the entire collection and includes singular pieces in magazines, anthologies, online, or any other means of publishing)
• We DO NOT accept co-author collections
• We only accept work in English.
• We will contact you about developments via the email you have listed on Submittable (now would be a a good time to make sure it is up to date.)
• Our traditional publishing opportunities are paid as a percentage of royalties from sales. Payable 3 months from the last day of the month in which the sale was made to allow time for returns/exchanges/refunds unless otherwise stated in the contract
• If selected, you will receive a standard industry contract
• If you need to withdraw your submission please notify us as soon as possible by email
• Contributor or Publisher may withdraw the offer of publication at any time before the ISBN number is purchased.
• Edit your work before submitting it. We don't expect it to be perfect, but we do expect it to be professional and a reflection of you as a creative.
• We accept .doc, .docx
• Please use a 12pt, sans family font, standard size print paper (8.5x11), and 1.5 or double spaced.

We are putting together a Gratitude themed anthology in honor of the holiday season. Poetry, prose, essay, memoirs, and short stories are all welcome for this opportunity. We are looking for your gratitude themed writeups. Tell us about family gathering, thoughtfulness, or anything else you are grateful for.

 
FAQ’s - Please read through these diligently before submitting:

• We accept previously published work. Given the previous publishers allows it.
• Please indicate what type of work it is on your submission.
• We will contact you about developments via the email you have listed on your submittable account
• We are not yet a paying market. Contributors will receive a PDF version of the collection unless otherwise indicated
• If you need to withdraw submission please notify us through submittable as soon as possible by email
• Contributor or Publisher may withdrawal offer of publication at anytime before print
• By submitting your work you are agreeing to and  giving us non-exclusive rights to publish it/them, if selected, in the anthology described above. (Although an additional agreement will be sent after acceptance)
• You may submit to more than one genre but please do so in separate submissions. Multiple files or subs will be automatically rejected
• Edit your work before submitting it. Make sure the line breaks, stanza breaks, spelling, grammar is EXACTLY how you want it. We will publish it as it (except glaring mistakes). We want to stay true to your formatting as best we can, and will assume small variations are for artistic flare. There will be an opportunity to make small changes for grammatical mistakes during the rough draft phase. Please hold off on those requests until then.
• Quillkeepers Press has the right to make any revisions to the work in the interest of uniformity and style, but will solicit the Contributor’s approval for any major changes.

Submission Guidelines:

• 1 story, essay, or memoir up to 4k words.
• Up to 5 poems or prose poetry in a single document. Each selection starting on a new page.. Anything over those numbers will not be read
• Please only include a short 3rd person bio starting with your name in the application part of the submission, DO NOT include them in the body of your document. Include any information you would like the readers to know about you, including any previous publications (this will not hinder nor increase your chances of acceptance. We just enjoy celebrating your wins in our publication)
• Please include an author picture (if you want it in the anthology)
• Allow four weeks after the submission deadline date to receive a response
• Reader fees cover ad space and other overhead costs 

Traditional Publishing Query Submission FAQ and Specifications:

FAQ’s - Please read through these diligently before submitting:

• We DO NOT accept previously published work for our traditional publishing opportunity.
• We DO NOT accept children's or YA book manuscripts
• We DO NOT accept co-author collections
• We only accept work in English. 

We are currently opening our submission window for our 2024 lineup. We are seeking completed manuscripts for essays, memoirs, novellas, novels, and poetry. Please read the requirements carefully and submit exactly what we are looking for. Failure to do so, the manuscript will be automatically rejected. You can send submissions to quillkeepersubs@gmail.com .

FAQ’s - Please read through these diligently before submitting:

• We DO NOT accept previously published work for our traditional publishing opportunity. (Works previously published by Quillkeepers Press through our anthology opportunities will be considered on a case-by-case basis)
• We DO NOT accept children's or YA manuscripts
• We DO NOT accept co-author collections
• We only accept work in English. 
• Please indicate what type of work you are submitting on the subject line of your email. (I.E. Love poetry, mystery novel, romance novella, etc.)
• We will contact you about developments via the email you sent your query and sample submission from
• Our traditional publishing opportunities are paid as a percentage of royalties from sales. Payable 3 months from the last day of the month from the point of sale. This policy allows time for returns/exchanges/refunds unless otherwise stated in the contract
• If selected, you will receive a standard industry contract 
• If you need to withdraw your submission, please notify us as soon as possible by email
• Contributor or Publisher may withdraw offer of publication at any time before the ISBN number is purchased.
• Please do not submit the entire manuscript. We are looking for a query letter (which should include your name, address, phone, and email), a synopsis of what you are submitting, and a sample of the work. Please indicate the size of the entire compilation in the synopsis (not the size of the sample, but the size of the work in its entirety) 
• The sample size should be at least 5 (and up to 10 poems), each new poem starting on a new page with its title at the top, and no more than 3 chapters of a novel.
• Edit your work before submitting it. We don't expect it to be perfect, but we do expect it to be professional and a reflection of you as a creative.
• We accept .doc, .docx, and PDF. 
• Please use a 12pt, sans family font, standard size print paper (8.5x11), and 1.5 or double spaced.  

Where to submit:

Please submit your work to quillkeepersubs@gmail.com