A 501(c)(3) non-profit literary press collective founded in 2000, Sundress Publications is entirely volunteer-run, publishes chapbooks and full-length works in both print and digital formats, and hosts a variety of online journals. 

A 501(c)(3) non-profit literary press collective founded in 2000, Sundress Publications is entirely volunteer-run, publishes chapbooks and full-length works in both print and digital formats, and hosts a variety of online journals. Our mission is to champion great work—especially by persons under-represented in literary publishing—and we welcome writers and artists regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, religion, class, veteran status, age, and educational background. We do not consider AI-generated or AI-assisted writing or art.

Sundress Publications works closely with its authors, artists, and contributors, providing feedback and assistance through every stage of the publication process. Our aesthetic sensibilities run the gamut from traditional to innovative; we do not align ourselves with a single school or style. We seek works in all genres by intelligent, creative, and compassionate humans that speak to other intelligent, creative, and compassionate humans. 

In 2013, Sundress founded the Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) at Firefly Farms, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nestled in an Appalachian “holler” just twenty minutes from downtown, this picturesque 45-acre farm is the perfect writers’ residency where visitors can hone their creative crafts as they escape the routine of modern life. Alongside the residency program, SAFTA runs a free monthly virtual workshops centered on writing in all genres—poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, journalism, academic writing and more—where the staff encourages artists of all skill levels and experience to work with peers and professionals to learn a host of new skills in order to enrich their work. We also host Poetry Xfit, a free virtual generative writing event, and the Sundress Reading Series, an award-winning reading series held in Knoxville.

Sundress and its subsidiaries have received grant support from the Poetry Foundation, the Academy of American Poets, the Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the Bailey Fund, and the Appalachian Community Fund.

Above all, we are dedicated to publishing creative work and promoting the arts in a way that makes our authors, artists, readers, and staff proud to be a part of Sundress.

Sundress Publications

Manuscripts must be between twelve to twenty-six (12-26) pages in length

Between March 1-15, submissions are free. After March 15, submissions cost $10.

E-Chapbook Competition

Manuscripts must be between twelve to twenty-six (12-26) pages in length

Between March 1-15, submissions are free. After March 15, submissions cost $10.

Visual poetry, poetry comics, and visual hybrid works are eligible.

(Hybrid)

Manuscripts must be between twelve to twenty-six (12-26) pages in length

Between March 1-15, submissions are free. After March 15, submissions cost $10.

Visual poetry, poetry comics, and visual hybrid works are eligible

General call

Sundress Publications is open for submissions of full-length poetry manuscripts from June 1 to August 31, 2026. Manuscripts should be 48-80 single-spaced pages excluding front matter. Previously published individual pieces are allowed but not full-length collections. AI-generated or AI-assisted work is not accepted. Manuscripts must be from authors residing in the United States. Submission fees apply after June 14, with waivers for BIPOC writers and those purchasing Sundress titles.

Authors must reside in the United States. Manuscripts translated from other languages are not accepted.

Full-Length Poetry Manuscripts

Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) is accepting applications for short-term writing residencies in all genres for the spring residency period from January 3 to May 8, 2027. Residencies provide writers time and space to finish creative work in a peaceful environment. Farmhouse residencies cost $350/week and include a private room and shared amenities. Writers Coop residencies cost $175/week and include a private dry cabin plus farmhouse amenities. The residency is located on a 45-acre working farm in Tennessee near Knoxville. There is a reparations payment model offering discounted rates for Black, Indigenous, and BIPOC writers. Black and Indigenous writers may also apply for a $350 support grant for expenses such as food, travel, and childcare. The application deadline is September 1, 2026.

Reparations payment model with discounted residency rates for Black, Indigenous, and BIPOC writers. Support grants of $350 available for Black and Indigenous writers to cover additional costs.

Spring 2027 Writing Residency at Sundress Academy for the Arts

Sundress Publications is pleased to announce that we are now open for submissions for our annual poetry broadside contest. The contest will be open for submission between September 1st to November 30th, 2026.<div><br></div><div>The winner’s poem will be letterpress-printed as an 8.5” x 11” broadside complete with custom art and made available for sale on our online store. The winner will receive $200 and 20 copies of their broadside.</div><div><br></div><div>To submit, send up to three poems, no longer than 28 lines each (line limit includes stanza breaks but not the title) through our Google Form by November 30, 2025. Be sure to include a copy of your payment receipt or purchase order number (see below for payment of fees).</div><div><br></div><div>Please make sure that no identifying information is included in the submitted poems.</div><div><br></div><div>Previously published material is welcome so long as you maintain the rights to the work. Let us know in your cover letter if any of your submitted poems have been previously published.</div><div><br></div><div>Poems translated from another language will not be accepted.</div><div><br></div><div>Simultaneous submissions are fine, but we ask that authors notify us immediately if their work has been accepted elsewhere; poems accepted for publication are still qualified provided the author retains the rights to the work at the time of printing.</div><div><br></div><div>Any questions or concerns, as well as withdrawal notifications, can be sent to sundresscontest@gmail.com.</div><div><br></div><div>Submit your poems today!</div>

Annual Poetry Broadside Contest

We are now seeking Editorial Interns for the January 1st, 2027 to July 1st, 2027 term. This is a remote, volunteer internship with a devotion of up to 10 hours per week. <div><br></div><div>Sundress Publications is an entirely volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit publishing collective founded in 2000 that hosts a variety of online journals and publishes chapbooks, full-length collections, and literary anthologies in both print and digital formats. Sundress also publishes the annual Best of the Net Anthology, celebrating the best work published online, runs Poets in Pajamas, an online reading series, and the Sundress Workshop Series, which offers free virtual writers’ workshops.</div><div><br></div><div>The editorial internship position will run from January 1st, 2027 to July 1st, 2027. The editorial intern’s responsibilities may include writing press releases, conducting interviews with Sundress authors, reviewing newly released books, composing blog posts and promotional emails, including promoting our catalogue of titles, proofreading manuscripts, assembling press kits, writing copy, collating editorial data, research, and managing spreadsheets.</div>

Editorial Intern

The Sundress Academy for the Arts at Firefly Farms, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is seeking editorial interns. The position’s responsibilities include the preparation of documents necessary to run an independent writer’s residency, as well as online participation in literary events including readings and workshops. This part-time internship would consist of approximately 5-10 hours of work per week and run from January 1st to July 1st, 2027. All applicants must be local to the greater Knoxville, TN area for the majority of the internship period. <div><br></div><div>The Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) is an entirely volunteer-run organization that hosts residencies, workshops, and retreats centered on creative writing in all genres. Located on a 45-acre farm twenty minutes from downtown Knoxville, SAFTA’s mission is to give writers of all levels a chance to workshop with nationally renowned professionals in their field as well as uninterrupted time to focus on their creative work.</div><div><br></div><div>The editorial intern’s responsibilities will include writing press releases, composing blogs, creating promotional graphics, creating social media copy and videos, proofreading, collating editorial and residency data, research, and more.  The intern will also be needed to help facilitate Zoom readings and workshops.</div>

Sundress Publications

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Editorial Intern (Sundress Academy for the Arts)