submit to stillhouse press!
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.
Stillhouse is a nationally-distributed press that offers a competitive royalty-based compensation structure: authors earn 20% of net revenue from standard online and bookstore sales, Stillhouse website sales, and direct sales. We publish a limited number of titles each year to offer more personalized support and attention to our authors. Collaboration is paramount: we partner with our authors to build awareness of their work through review and award submissions, endorsements, newsletter campaigns, and social media promotion.
submissions ARE OPEN!
Stillhouse Press is open for NONFICTION submissions
between November 1st, 2025 and March 10th, 2026.
Memoir Call
Stillhouse Press is open from November 1st, 2025 to March 10th, 2026 for submissions of full-length, complete memoirs between 50,000 and 100,000 words. Exceptional works with longer or shorter word counts may be considered.
We particularly enjoy work that pushes boundaries, that examines the world as well as the self, and that questions who we are, what we feel, and why we as human beings matter more than ever. Experiments in form, style, and/or subject matter are welcome.
Stillhouse Press will accept manuscripts only through Submittable. Unsolicited manuscripts received through email will be rejected unread. We are also open for essay collections—that call can be found separately on our Submittable page.
Essay Call
Stillhouse Press is open from November 1st 2025 to March 10th, 2026 for submissions of essay collections between 50,000 and 100,000 words. Exceptional works with longer or shorter word counts may be considered. For collections that are under this word 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.
There are no restrictions on essay forms, style, or subject matter. Send us collections of essays that consider a central topic or theme, the self, the world, or preferably more than one at the same time. We encourage writers to include previously published essays in their submission, and ask that published essays are credited according to our guidelines in the acknowledgements page.
Stillhouse Press will accept manuscripts only through Submittable. Unsolicited manuscripts received through email will be rejected unread. We are also open for memoirs—that call can be found separately on our Submittable page.
general GUIDELINES
We accept submissions only via Submittable, and cannot accept submissions via email or mail. We charge a nominal $7 fee/submission for regular submissions to cover our own Submittable and administrative expenses. Current guidelines for our open submissions period can be found on Submittable.
We seek prose manuscripts between 50,000 and 100,000 words. Works with longer or shorter word counts may be considered, but they will need to be exceptional.
For all submissions to Stillhouse Press, the following guidelines apply:
Only complete, full-length memoirs will be considered for publication. We are happy to consider exceptional essay collections that may be somewhat shorter than the required word count with justification in the author’s cover letter. Please refer to individual call guidelines for details.
Simultaneous submissions are acceptable if indicated. Please notify us immediately 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.
if possible, an acknowledgements page at the beginning or end of the manuscript.
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.
We take time in considering all submissions. Expect 6-9 months for a decision. We welcome queries about manuscripts under review after 9 months have passed via email at submissions@stillhousepress.org. Queries should include your name, the date of submission, and the manuscript title.
To stay up to date on all things Stillhouse Press, and to receive an email announcement when our next submission period opens, subscribe to our newsletter at “KEEP UP WITH STILLHOUSE PRESS" on our home page.
For questions about this and other submissions policies, please contact us at submissions@stillhousepress.org
New voices welcome
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 email at submissions@stillhousepress.org
