The Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction is awarded annually to one full-length manuscript of literary fiction: short stories, flash fiction, or novellas in any combination. The prize includes $2,000, publication of the work, a standard royalty contract, and an introduction written by the guest judge.

ELIGIBILITY

This contest is open to any short fiction writer of English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Submissions may include a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a short novel. Individual pieces from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines, chapbooks of less than 48 pages, or anthologies, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished. Translations and previously published collections are not eligible. To avoid conflicts of interest, close friends of a judge or current students in a degree-granting program with a judge are not eligible.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Manuscript must be anonymous
• Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt. 
• Manuscript must be between approximately 150 and 250 pages 
• Manuscript must be paginated consecutively with a table of contents 
• Cover letter or manuscript should include acknowledgements list (a list of publications in which stories in the manuscript have appeared)
• Submission must be accompanied by a $34 submission fee

Multiple submissions are permitted if submitted separately, each with a submission fee. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but please withdraw the submission if accepted elsewhere. 

Sarabande Books considers all finalists for publication. 

The Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry is awarded annually to one full-length manuscript of poetry. The prize includes $2,000, publication of a the work, a standard royalty contract, and an introduction written by the guest judge. Kathryn A. Morton was an author and devotee of fine literature, especially poetry.  

ELIGIBILITY

This contest is open to any poet writing in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Individual poems from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines, chapbooks of less than 48 pages, or anthologies, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished. Translations and previously published collections are not eligible. To avoid conflict of interest, close friends of a judge or current students in a degree-granting program with a judge are not eligible.  

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Manuscript must be anonymous
• Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt. 
• Minimum length 48 pages
• Manuscript must be paginated consecutively with a table of contents 
• Cover letter or manuscript should include acknowledgements list (a list of publications in which poems in the manuscript have appeared)
• Submission must be accompanied by a $34 submission fee  

Multiple submissions are permitted if submitted separately, each with a submission fee. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but please withdraw the submission if accepted elsewhere. 

Sarabande Books considers all finalists for publication. 

The Sarabande Prize in the Essay is awarded annually to one full-length manuscript of literary nonfiction: an essay collection or book-length essay. The prize includes $2,000, publication of the work, a standard royalty contract, and an introduction written by the guest judge.

ELIGIBILITY

This contest is open to any nonfiction writing in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande are not eligible. Agented manuscripts are not eligible. Individual essays from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines, chapbooks of less than 48 pages, or anthologies, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished. Translations and previously published collections are not eligible. To avoid conflict of interest, close friends of a judge or current students in a degree-granting program with a judge are not eligible.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Manuscript must be anonymous
• Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt. 
• Manuscript must be between 150 and 250 pages 
• Manuscript must be paginated consecutively with a table of contents 
• Cover letter or manuscript should include acknowledgements list (a list of publications in which essays in the manuscript have appeared)
• Submission must be accompanied by a $34 submission fee

Multiple submissions are permitted if submitted separately, each with a submission fee. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but please withdraw the submission if accepted elsewhere. 

Sarabande Books considers all finalists for publication. 

Sarabande Books is seeking manuscript readers for poetry, essay, and short fiction. Each year, submissions to Sarabande’s annual prizes and open periods are read by a rotating panel of enthusiastic and highly-qualified manuscript readers in their respective genres. 

If you’re interested in joining our panel of readers, we invite you to inquire by completing the form below.

We are accepting readers on a rolling basis, so we recommend inquiring early! The inquiry form should take approximately ten minutes to complete. 

ELIGIBILITY

This opportunity is open to any reader of the English language who does not and will not have a manuscript under consideration with Sarabande Books through 2026.