An independent, literary press devoted to discovering and publishing works of poetry, literary fiction, and creative nonfiction by emerging and established writers

Tupelo Press, Inc., which released its first five books in fall 2001, is an independent, literary press devoted to discovering and publishing works of poetry, literary fiction, and creative nonfiction by emerging and established writers. Tupelo Press is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit company.

Readers and writers alike have already come to recognize both the aesthetic appeal and unique literary merit of Tupelo publications. 

No other press in America approaches the production standards of Tupelo Press. Tupelo has quickly established itself as the new standard among independent literary presses.

Tupelo Press

Submit a previously unpublished, chapbook-length poetry manuscript with a table of contents. There is no mandatory page count. Chapbook manuscripts should number between 20 and 36 pages, but no manuscript will be rejected simply because it’s a little bit shorter or longer.

Snowbound Chapbook Award

We suggest in the area of 48 to 88 pages of poems, but all manuscripts will be read and considered with full respect.

Dorset Prize

General call

Submit a previously unpublished, full-length poetry manuscript with a table of contents. There is no mandatory page count. We suggest in the area of 48 to 88 pages of poems, but all manuscripts will be read and considered with full respect, regardless of length, and no manuscript will be rejected simply because it’s shorter or longer.

If you are submitting a manuscript online, within the document include a single cover page with the title of the manuscript only, so that your manuscript document remains anonymous. Submittable provides fields to fill in your contact information: name, address, telephone number, and email address.

Individual poems in a contest manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, journals, or anthologies, or chapbooks, but the work as a whole must be unpublished. If applicable, include with your manuscript an acknowledgments page for prior publications.

Simultaneous submissions to other publishers or contests are permitted, as long as you notify.

Berkshire Prize for a First or Second Book of Poetry

The Helena Whitehill Book Award includes a cash award of $1,000 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press, a book launch, national and international distribution by the University of Chicago Press, a one-week residence at Gentle House on the Olympic Peninsula.

Helena Whitehill Book Award

Tupelo Press is now reading submissions of literary nonfiction year-round.  Please submit only completed manuscripts for our consideration.  <div><br></div><div>Please keep in mind that this is not a contest. Manuscripts are not read anonymously. We hope to find manuscripts we love and want to publish, but understand, please, that Tupelo Press is under no obligation to publish any of the prose manuscripts submitted to us. Please also bear in mind that Tupelo Press accepts very few works of prose — no more than one or two per year. All manuscripts will be read and all decisions made by the editors of Tupelo Press only.</div><div><br></div><div>There is a reading fee of $45 for each prose manuscript submitted. Why a reading fee? We are an independent, nonprofit literary press. Reading fees help defray, but do not by any means cover, the significant time involved in reading works of prose, and the cost of publishing the books we commit to. Before submitting, be deeply thoughtful about whether your manuscript is fully ready for publication. Please don’t send works of prose previously submitted to us, unless specifically asked to do so.</div>

Throughout the months of July &amp; August, Tupelo Press will hold open submissions for book-length poetry collections (48-90 pages) and chapbook-length poetry collections (28-47 pages). Selected manuscripts will receive publication by Tupelo Press, a $1,000 advance, a book launch, and national distribution with energetic publicity and promotion. Please read the complete guidelines before submitting your manuscript. 

Tupelo Press

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Featured Call

Helena Whitehill Book Award