Quillkeepers Press

Quillkeepers Press, LLC is holding a poetry chapbook competition to be released by Spring 2026.  We will choose 1-3 winners. Those selected will receive 5 complimentary copies of the chapbook and 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, although we are not looking for a designated theme, your work should have a central theme. For example, please refrain from submitting a manuscript that combines love poetry and mental health poetry. We set a deadline of September 21, 2025, for the submission window, but we will close early if we find the ideal manuscript or extend the deadline if we do not. Our goal release dates for these collections will be March-May 2026.

 *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:
 

• Must be 18+ years to submit
• Manuscript should be 30-40 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 (please ensure that info 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 serif fonts, standard size print paper (8.5x11), and 1.5 or double spaced.

This is a critique review service for the up-and-coming author whose work needs a little finesse, who's getting their manuscript print-ready, or who wants an honest opinion of their manuscript. With this review, we will provide honest feedback on your manuscript and where your strengths and weaknesses lie in your work. With this service, you will receive suggestions on strengthening your weak points to tighten up your manuscript and prepare it for the next step of your writing career. We are a traditional publisher and self-publishing services group, and polishing manuscripts is our forte. We take great pride and care in all our projects, treating yours with the professionalism and attentiveness it deserves and providing you with quality service. With a plethora of resources at our disposal, we are willing and able to help get your manuscript where you desire it to be. 

This service is for up to the first 5k words. If you would like us to review more than that, please contact us via email at quillkeeperspress@gmail.com to discuss your needs.
***THE AVERAGE TURNAROUND IS 3-6 WEEKS FROM WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION. 

Our fees are $.009/word

For the first time ever, Quillkeepers Press (QKP) is putting together a Haiku anthology. We will strongly favor submissions that are true to form and origin, i.e. 5-7-5 syllable count and nature-themed.

FAQs - Please read through these diligently before submitting:

• We accept previously published work. Given the previous publishers allowed 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 the submission, please notify us through submittable as soon as possible by email.
• Contributor or Publisher may withdraw the offer of publication at any time before print.
• By submitting your work, you agree to and give us non-exclusive rights to publish it/them, if selected, in the anthology described above. (Although an additional agreement will be sent after acceptance)
• Edit your work before submitting it. Make sure the line breaks, stanza breaks, spelling, and grammar is EXACTLY how you want it. We will edit it. By submitting, you are giving us permission to make changes in conformity with proper grammar. Regarding poetry, we want to stay true to your formatting as best we can and will assume small variations are for artistic flare. 
• Quillkeepers Press has the right to make any revisions to the work in the interest of uniformity, style, and proper grammar. Still, QKP will solicit the Contributor’s approval for any significant changes.

Submission Guidelines:

• 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 simply love celebrating your wins in our publication!)
• Please include an author picture (if you want it in the anthology)
• Allow four to six weeks after the submission deadline date to receive a response
• Reader fees cover ad space and other overhead costs 

We are currently putting together a women's appreciation anthology. We are looking for well-penned and edited poems, short stories, memoirs, and essays telling our readers all about the extraordinary women in your lives. Pay homage to the women who raised us, who cheered us, and who encouraged us, the women who sacrificed and fought for us with every ounce of their being. Those are the women we want to hear about and honor with this anthology!

FAQs - Please read through these diligently before submitting:


 

• We accept previously published work. Given that the previous publishers allowed 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 the submission, please notify us through submittable as soon as possible by email.
• Contributor or Publisher may withdraw the offer of publication at any time before print.
• By submitting your work, you agree to and give us non-exclusive rights to publish it/them, if selected, in the anthology described above. (Although an additional agreement will be sent after acceptance)
• Edit your work before submitting it. Make sure the line breaks, stanza breaks, spelling, and grammar is EXACTLY how you want it. We will edit it. By submitting, you are giving us permission to make changes in conformity with proper grammar. Regarding poetry, we want to stay true to your formatting as best we can and will assume small variations are for artistic flare. 
• Quillkeepers Press has the right to make any revisions to the work in the interest of uniformity, style, and proper grammar. Still, QKP will solicit the Contributor’s approval for any significant changes.

Submission Guidelines:

 

• 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 simply love celebrating your wins in our publication!)
• Please include an author picture (if you want it in the anthology)
• Allow four to six weeks after the submission deadline date to receive a response
• Reader fees cover ad space and other overhead costs 

We are currently opening our submission window for our 2026-2027 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 will result in the manuscript being automatically rejected. 

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

• You must be 18+ years old to submit
• Please submit the entire manuscript. We are looking for a query letter (which should include your name, address, phone, social media, and email), a synopsis of what you are submitting, and the full manuscript. 
• We do not publish children's books
• Please include your name, address, contact information, social media, and websites in the header of your manuscript
• 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 books or (younger) YA manuscripts. 
• We DO NOT accept co-author collections.
• We only accept work in English. 
• Please indicate what type of work you are submitting in the subject line of your email. (I.E., Love poetry, mystery novels, romance novellas, etc.)
• We will contact you about developments via the email you sent your query and sample submission from or the email listed on your Submittable account. 
• 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 the offer of publication at any time before the ISBN is purchased.
• Edit your work before submitting it. We don't expect it to be perfect, but we expect it to be professional and reflect you as a creative.
• We accept .doc, .docx, and PDF. 
• Please use a 12pt, sans serif font, standard size print paper (8.5x11), and 1.5 or double-spaced.  

Some genres and themes we tend to shy away from are the younger side of YA, children's, and some romance. We also steer clear of any themes of toxic negativity, toxic positivity, abuse, racism, bigotry, xenophobia, or any other discrimination against another person's sexual orientation, class, or religion.  

We are specifically interested in poetry, thriller, suspense, horror, dark fantasy, and sci-fi for our 2026-2027 lineup.