Stillhouse Press publishes surprising, gutsy fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that can’t or doesn’t want to find a home in big publishing. We are drawn to the strange, the unconventional, the transcendent, the risky. We’re looking for work that pushes boundaries.
As a student and alumni-led teaching press, our primary aim is to provide educational opportunity through applied experience in the art of craft publishing — student staff are responsible for acquiring, producing, and marketing work from independent authors in the course of their professional education, allowing them to forge lasting professional relationships and step out with confidence into the greater literary community.
Stillhouse Press accepts new manuscript submissions between November and March of each academic year. Check our website and social media for updates on when we will open.
For all submissions to Stillhouse Press, the following guidelines apply:
- Only complete, full-length manuscripts will be considered for publication. Please refer to individual call guidelines for our ideal wordcounts in prose, poetry and hybrid work.
- Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Please notify us as soon as possible if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
Submitted manuscripts should include:
- a word count in the top right corner of the first page.
- a cover letter with a short synopsis or overview of the work. Authors are also encouraged to share information about their writing background, online presence, involvement with the writing community, and inspiration for their submission.
- an acknowledgements page at the beginning or end of the manuscript.
At this time we do not consider:
- Agented submissions.
- AI-generated prose.
- Previously published or forthcoming manuscripts.
- Work from writers currently or recently affiliated with George Mason University’s Creative Writing MFA/BFA programs.
For more information about Stillhouse Press and our submission guidelines, please visit our website: www.stillhousepress.org
Diversity & Inclusion
Stillhouse Press is committed to soliciting work from voices and perspectives often excluded from traditional publishing, including low-income writers, writers of color, gender non-conforming and LGBTQ writers, and those living with disabilities. To create an accessible platform for disadvantaged voices, we offer fee-free submissions to writers who request a fee waiver via submissions@stillhousepress.org.
Stillhouse Press is open from May 1st, 2026, to August 7th, 2026, for submissions of book length poetry manuscripts of 50-75 pages. Exceptional works with longer or shorter page counts may still be considered.
We are interested in collections that encourage surprise, are ordered in novel and interesting ways, and that push the boundaries of what poetry is expected to be. Please send us your best.
Stillhouse Press will accept manuscripts only through Submittable. Unsolicited manuscripts received through email will be rejected unread.
Please note that we do not accept submissions of AI-generated prose, previously published full-length books, or submissions from writers currently or recently affiliated with George Mason University’s English Department or Creative Writing MFA/BFA programs. Submissions that fall under these criteria will be automatically declined.
Guidelines
- We take time in considering all of our submissions. If you have not received a response within six months of submitting, your submission is still under editor review. We appreciate your patience as we carefully review each submission.
- Our ideal manuscript is between 50-75 pages for poetry collections. For manuscripts that are under this page count, please include a note in your cover letter with a brief justification. Why is the work complete at this length? Why is it incomplete, but we really should consider it anyway? If you are willing or eager to further develop the manuscript with editorial guidance, please state that in your cover letter.
- All manuscripts should include a query letter and short synopsis or overview of the work.
- Authors are also invited to share information about their writing background, online presence, involvement with the writing community, and inspiration for their submission.
- Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Please notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
- All attachments should be in either PDF or Word.doc formats.
- All work must be original. Translations will not be accepted.
- Submissions must be made through Submittable. Paper and email submissions are not accepted.
- There is a $7 fee/submission for regular submissions, to defray administration and Submittable costs. We offer fee-free submissions for authors who have a financial need. Fee waivers can be requested through the contact form on our website.
- We are unable to accept agented submissions at this time.