Alice James Books is a non profit literary publishing house that holds two contests a year – the Kinereth Gensler Award and the Beatrice Hawley Award. First prize in each contest carries a $2000 award and publication of the book by Alice James Books. The winner of the Kenereth Gensler Award also makes a three year commitment to be part of Alice James Books and participate in the selection, judging and publishing of other books of poetry. The winner of the Beatrice Hawley award makes no membership commitment.

Full Submission Guidelines

Holy Cow! Press is a bit on the different side. The company is committed to pubishing the best in poetry, fiction, non-fiction and children”s books from Midwestern writers. Their preference is for poems that offer a unique or different perspective on the Midwest. They prefer to be queried first, and will ask to see samples if interested. In operation since 1977, Holy Cow! Press has published many award winning books of poetry.

Full Submission Guidelines

Melville House Publishing is a new independent publishing house based in Hoboken, New Jersey, which is also known as the Left Bank of New York City, and which is where Marlon Brando said to Eve Marie Saint (in “On the Waterfront,” which was shot in Hoboken), “Come on, I”ll walk you home. There are a lot of guys around here with only one thing on their mind.” As it turns out, what”s on the mind of a lot of those men — and local women, too — is good, solid literature, especially literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry. In an amazing coincidence, this is exactly what Melville House provides.

Melville House also happens to have enjoyably written submissions guidelines. They do accept simultaneous submissions under a “very generous don”t ask don”t tell” policy, and will happily read anything as long as it”s well written.

Full Submissions Guidelines