General Submissions
Dzanc Books is looking for literary fiction that takes chances and does so with great writing. We do not mind books that do not fill a marketing niche. We are looking for absolutely fantastic works to fill those slots. It really is all about the writing to us.If you believe you have a novel that meets what we are looking for, please feel free to submit a portion of your manuscript to us.
1) If submitting a novel (please no young adult fiction), or literary nonfiction, please submit the entire manuscript using our submission manager.
2) If submitting a story collection, please see the Short Story Collection contest guidelines below.
3) Please note that due to an increased number of incoming manuscripts, it might take up to five or six months to respond.
Thank you for your interest in publishing with Dzanc Books.
The Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Competition
Congratulations to Anne Valente, whose manuscript, By Light We Knew Our Names, has been selected as the winner of the 2011 Award, joining previous winners David Galef, Luis Jaramillo, and Jason Ockert.
Dzanc is currently holding its fifth annual contest for all authors wishing to submit a short story collection to Dzanc Books. The winning author will be published by Dzanc in late 2015, and will receive a $1000 advance.
The contest deadline is December 31, 2012. Those submitting prior to September 30 will see a $5 reduction in cost to enter as well as receive the eBook of their choice free. The winner will be announced in the first quarter of 2013. All those that submitted will be apprised of the winner by email before the announcement is made public.
Please Note: By submitting to Dzanc Books, you are also being added to our email list from which we send out information about upcoming books, events and programs. We will never give out your e-mail to anyone else. Thank you.
The Dzanc Novel Award for Mid-Career Writers
In an effort to further support writers in mid-career, Dzanc Books announces the launch of our Dzanc Novel Award designed to advance the publishing career of an established author. While at times it seems the publishing industry is only interested in the next big thing, we at Dzanc recognize the value of experienced writers who have gone through the process of creating and publishing two or more books. Mid-career writers are the backbone of our industry yet often these writers are overlooked and have a harder time finding a publisher than first time writers. In response, we at Dzanc have created this prize to honor those writers who have stayed the course and learned a thing or three over the years. Congratulations to Andy Plattner for receiving the first Award for his Offerings from a Rust Belt Jockey.
We are looking specifically for a writer with at least two full-length previously published books, either novels, short story collections, and/or non-fiction.
- Entry to our novel prize involves sending a copy of your full manuscript, a cover letter detailing your previously published full-length books, as well as a $25 entry fee.
- Entries by writers who have not yet published at least two full-length books will not be considered.
- The deadline is January 31, 2013.
- Every person that submits will receive a complimentary eBook from Dzanc (selected from one of the titles that has been a monthly selection in our eBooks Club) within 24 hours of submitting their manuscript. Those submitting prior to October 31, 2012 will save $5 by only paying a $20 entry fee.
There will be a winner selected, guaranteed, and this book will receive our standard publishing contract to be published both in print and as an eBook in November 2014, including a $1000 advance and promotional efforts such as arranging a book tour.
To submit, first pay your $25 ($20 if prior to October 31, 2012) entry fee using the paypal button below, then send your cover letter and full manuscript (in .DOC, .DOCX, or .RTF format) to novelcontest@dzancbooks.org. (Entries received without an entry fee or a cover letter containing details of your previous books cannot be considered.)
Email submissions are strongly preferred, but if you need to submit by postal mail, please send all of the above (plus a check for $25 made out to Dzanc Books) to Steven Gillis, at 5220 Dexter, Ann Arbor, MI 48103.
The Dzanc Poetry Collection Competition
Dzanc Books announces the Dzanc Poetry Competition Competition, an annual prize for a book of poetry. The judge for the inaugural contest will be C. Dale Young. The contest is open to new and published poets, and we invite submissions of poetry in all modes and aesthetics. The Dzanc Poetry Competition Competition-winning manuscript will be published in high quality trade paperback and ebook versions. The winning author will receive a $500 advance and a standard Dzanc publishing agreement including support for readings and distribution via Consortium and our network of ebook distributors. Finalist and runner-up manuscripts may also be considered for publication.
The Judge
C. Dale Young is the author of three collections of poetry: The Day Underneath the Day (Northwestern 2001), The Second Person, and Torn (Four Way Books 2007, 2011). His poems and stories have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and anthologies, including several installments of The Best American Poetry series. A recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, he practices medicine full-time, edits poetry for the New England Review, and teaches in the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers.
Specifics
- The contest deadline is January 31, 2013.
- The winner will be announced in the second quarter of 2013. All entrants will be notified of the winner by email before the announcement is made public.
- Previously published excerpts or individual pieces are acceptable as part of your entry, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished.
- Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but entries should be withdrawn immediately if accepted elsewhere.
- Once submitted, manuscripts may not be revised without a complete withdrawal and the payment of a new entry fee.
- You may enter the contest as many times as you like, but each entry will require its own separate entry fee.
- Relatives, close friends, and/or former students of C. Dale Young should not enter this contest, and will not be eligible to win in the case of their entry. If such a winner is selected, the manuscript will be disqualified at our discretion, and no refund of entry fees will be granted.
Submission Instructions
Electronic Submissions are strongly preferred.
Electronic Instructions:
- Click on the Enter Now link below—you’ll be led to Submittable.com where you will make your payment, and upload your file: the manuscript itself can not have your name or any other identifying characteristics anywhere on it—we will have access to that information via Submittable.
Postal Mail Instructions:
- Please send a cover letter, which should include your full name, address, and telephone number, and the manuscript itself which can not have your name or any other identifying characteristics anywhere on it. (plus a check for the $25 reading fee made out to Dzanc Books) to Dzanc Books, 1334 Woodbourne Street, Westland, MI 48186.
