Aquarius Press/Willow Books Submission Manager

OPEN READING PERIOD OPEN THRU SEPT. 1

Willow Books, the literary division of Aquarius Press, will be reading unsolicited manuscripts through September 1, 2017. This reading period is only for writers who have not previously been published by Aquarius Press/Willow Books. Our mission is to develop, publish and promote writers typically underrepresented in the market, and the reading period is open to all writers of color. Poetry manuscripts should be in the 48-96 page range, and fiction/nonfiction should be no longer than 180 pages. Scholarly titles covering literature, arts and the Humanities are also accepted, but they should be in proper format (MLA, APA, etc.).

The 2015-2016 Open Reading Period/Editor's Choice selection was Quenton Baker for This Glittering Republic. The 2016-2017 selection was Lucinda Roy for FABRIC.

This reading period is neither a contest nor is it exclusively for first books. Rather, it is a time for us to review manuscripts by writers who have not previously been published by our press. Genre/subject is open, but no “street lit” or erotica, please.

Submission Process:

If you wish to have us consider your manuscript, please upload a pdf to Submittable.com or visit this link: http://aquariuspress.submittable.com/submit

There is a reading fee of $25, payable via Submittable.

In order to be eligible for the reading period, submissions must be uploaded by September 1, 2017. Reading fees are nonrefundable and Aquarius Press/Willow Books in no way guarantees that a submitted manuscript will be accepted. The editors’ decisions are final.

WILLOW BOOKS LITERATURE AWARDS

Prose Grand Prize: $1,000, book contract, and sponsored reading

Poetry Grand Prize: $1,000, book contract, and sponsored reading

The Willow Books Literature Awards recognize literary excellence in prose and poetry by writers of color.

The 2016 Grand Prize Winners are Sahar Mustafah for Prose and Gustavo Adolfo Aybar for Poetry. No winners were selected for 2017.

The postmark deadline for entry forms is December 15, 2017. A shortlist will be announced on February 5, 2018. Four Finalists will be announced on February 15, 2018. The Grand Prize winners will be announced April 4, 2018.

THE PROCESS

A. Prose and Poetry categories will have two final judges, selected by Willow Books.

B. Aquarius Press/Willow Books will announce a Shortlist on February 5, 2018, and four Finalists on or before February 15, 2018. Between February 15, 2018 and April 4, 2018, short videos of Finalist excerpts will be broadcast by Willow Books.

C. One Grand Prize Winner in Prose will receive $1,000, a standard book publishing contract, and a sponsored reading at a location TBA. One Grand Prize Winner in Poetry will receive $1,000, a standard book publishing contract, and a sponsored reading at a location TBA.

ELIGIBLE ENTRIES

Style, subject, and length requirements:

1. Style and subject open. Manuscripts should be paginated and formatted in Adobe Garamond 11 pt. or Palatino Linotype 10 pt. Please do not include any identifying information such as name, address, or headers/footers containing entrant's name. Full-length prose manuscripts not exceeding 200 pages in length, including front and back matter (table of contents, title page, etc.), are eligible. Collections of short stories, novellas, etc. are also eligible. Full-length collections of poetry by a single author are eligible (45-90 pages in length). Entries must not be under consideration by any other press at time of submission.

2. Prose entries should be double-spaced with tabs/indents set at .3” with single spacing after punctuation. Poetry entries should be in standard format spaced as author would like poems to appear in final form, but with margins no wider than 4.5’’.

Other guidelines for submissions

1. All manuscripts should include a title page (title only) and table of contents. Author must be a U.S. citizen and self-identify as a poet/writer of color; please attach a brief bio and brief statement attesting to identification as a poet/writer of color. Entries lacking the required elements will be disqualified.

2. Anthologies containing work written by multiple authors are not eligible.

3. A planned reprint of a book published in a previous award year is not eligible.

4. In the event of a dispute as to eligibility, the Willow Books Editor and Publisher will decide whether a book is eligible, and their decisions will be binding.

5. Authors previously published by Aquarius Press/Willow Books and/or currently under contract are not eligible.

ENTRY OF BOOKS

A. Entries must be postmarked no later than December 15, 2017.

B. Please submit your manuscript and nonrefundable submission fee via Submittable. There is a $30 entry fee for prose titles, and $25 for poetry. Payment must be included with the entry by the deadline. There is no limit on the number of entries, but each entry should have its own entry fee.

C. Entries deemed ineligible by the Aquarius Press/Willow Books shall still be subject to the stated entry fees per title.

D. Submissions cannot be returned.

THE JUDGES: TBA

Each category has one final judge. The judges may change each year. Judges deliberate based on criteria determined by the Willow Books Editor and Publisher. In the event of a disagreement over the final selection, the Willow Books Publisher will make the final decision. The final judges for each category will select their finalist choices independently. Judges will determine the Grand Prize Winner in each category and notify the Willow Books Editor and Publisher. The Grand Prize winners will be announced by Aquarius Press/Willow Books.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS REGARDING THE AWARDS

An eligible manuscript that is entered shall not qualify for a Willow Books Literature Award unless its author agrees to the following:

1. Finalists agree to prepare, at their own expense, a videotaped reading of an excerpt of their entry that is YouTube-quality, i.e., no longer than 10 minutes in length. (A standard reading is all that is required, and simple webcam/smart phone-style videos are sufficient.)

2. Finalists must agree to participate in Aquarius Press/Willow Books' website-related publicity, including any scheduled online events with readers from across the country.

3. Grand Prize winners must agree to appear for the sponsored reading (reading date TBD).

4. Grand Prize winners are responsible for meeting his/her own personal tax filing requirements.

Author agrees that the decision of the Aquarius Press/Willow Books and/or the judges will be final as to all matters, including eligibility, timeliness of submissions, and compliance with these Entry Rules and the Awards. Aquarius Press/Willow Books shall have the permanent right in any and all media throughout the world to use and exploit all radio, television, merchandising, promotional, and publicity rights that the author may have in connection with participation in the Willow Books Literature Awards without further consent or payment. Author also releases any claim he/she might have by virtue of his/her respective participation in the Willow Books Literature Awards competition, for use of his/her respective photographs, names, likenesses, voice, or appearances in connection with the Willow Books Literature Awards Program.

Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by Willow Books are given annually for a poetry collection and a book of fiction or creative nonfiction. The winners also receive a sponsored reading. For complete guidelines, visit www.aquariuspress.Submittable.com/submit. There is a $30 entry fee for prose titles, and $25 for poetry. Deadline is December 15, 2016.

Sahar Mustafah of Mokena, IL won the 2016 Grand Prize for Prose for her short story collection Life, Move Leisurely. Gustavo Adolfo Aybar of Mission, KS won the 2016 Grand Prize for Poery for his poetry collection We Seek Asylum. Both will receive $1,000 each, publication by Willow Books, and a sponsored reading. The annual awards are given for a poetry collection and a book of fiction or creative nonfiction.