Back to Book Contests/Open Reading Periods for Full-Length Manuscripts Opportunities

Stillhouse Press: Speculative Fiction – Novel (No Short Stories)

Stillhouse looks for works driven by voice and built on a strong compositional foundation. We are not necessarily looking for work that fits strict traditional modes, and we especially enjoy familiar subjects presented through unfamiliar perspectives or those which defy easy categorization or definition. At this time, we are only considering novel submissions. No short story collections, flash collections, or nonfiction should be submitted through this portal. No conventional genre fiction, please.

Our team is looking for Speculative Fiction rooted in Literary Fiction themes and ideas. Our goal is to publish novels that combine real-world elements with speculative themes along the lines of Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven, Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library, and Margret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. We do not seek contest entries that adhere to standard conventions of fantasy or science fiction (or to the conventions of standard “workshop fiction” or other well-established non-speculative genres, for that matter). 


** Please note: Manuscript submissions that do not meet current submission guidelines will be automatically declined.**


Stillhouse Press is an independent book publisher based in Northern Virginia. We publish fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from writers both emerging and established, and are especially drawn to titles that transcend genre, take risks in form and content, and push the boundaries of the narrative and the lyric.

Our primary aim is to provide educational opportunity through applied experience in the art of craft publishing — the act of soliciting, acquiring, producing, and marketing work from independent authors — in an effort to forge lasting relationships and foster the growth of the greater literary community.