Finishing Line Press is an award-winning, small press publisher

Finishing Line Press is the home of the New Women's Voices Chapbook Series, the New Women's Voices Prize in Poetry, the Finishing Line Press Prize in Poetry, the Starting Gate Award, and the PADDOCK REVIEW.  We are now accepting submissions for

  • Open Chapbook Competition: ANNUAL DEADLINE: Feb. 15
  • General submissions for manuscripts. (We read general submissions year round for a small fee.)  We have no reading fee in November.
  • New Women's Voices Chapbook Competition: ANNUAL DEADLINE: Sept. 15 
  • Ritzenhein Emerging Poet Award Winner (awarded by committee)
  • One Last Word Program (awarded by committee)
  • The Donna Wolf-Palacio Poetry Prize (formerly the Starting Gate Award): NEW ANNUAL DEADLINE: June 2


FLP is a traditional publisher. FLP pays in royalty payments. There is no fee for the author.

FLP is a proud member of the Community of Literary Magazines & Presses [ c l m p ]

FINISHING LINE PRESS, Since 1998

FLP Media Group, LLC





$20.00

 A prize of $1,500 and publication for a chapbook-length poetry collection in perfect-bound print edition. Royalty contract. Ingram Group distribution. Open to ALL. International entries are welcome. Multiple submissions are accepted.  The top-ten finalists will be offered publication. All entries will be considered for publication.   Submit up to 16-34 pages of poetry, PLUS bio, acknowledgments, SASE and cover letter with a $20 entry fee per manuscript submission. 


To submit online click on button below,  or mail entry and fee to  Open Chapbook Competition  Finishing Line Press    P O Box 1626    Georgetown, KY 40324  USA     

NEW DEADLINE! Postmark Deadline: Feb. 15, 2024.

A self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with the correct postage must accompany all mailed manuscripts. A SASE is needed for any kind of response, even if the writer does not want the material returned.    A good photocopy of the manuscript or a computer printout, rather than the original, should be sent. Finishing Line Press is not responsible for lost manuscripts.     

This submissions portal is open only to our Finishing Line Press authors (those with  forthcoming or previously published titles published by FLP). If you are not a Finishing Line Press author, please do not submit using this link--please exit out of this category and submit through the relevant category.  


Finishing Line Press authors:  FLP would love to see your new manuscript! Please submit it here.  There is no reading fee for FLP authors submitting for our general consideration. If you are submitting to a contest, please exit out of this category and submit through the relevant contest.  We must charge entry fees for contests to support the prize.  However, we have no reading for general chapbook or book submissions made by FLP authors.

$3.00

 FINISHING LINE PRESS CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS: Graphic Novels

Finishing Line Press will gladly accept graphic novel manuscripts, and we do not require a reading fee/processing fee for manuscripts shipped to us via regular post.  We are specifically looking for poetry book manuscripts up to 100 pages and no less than 25 pages.   Please mail (via regular post) your manuscript to:

FLP POETRY BOOK CALL

Finishing Line Press

P O Box 1626

Georgetown, KY 40324

USA

If you prefer submitting online, there is a $3 processing fee.  (It’s cheaper to submit electronically—save the stamps, save the trees, and save the SASE.)  To submit online:

$3.00

FINISHING LINE PRESS CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS: FULL-LENGTH POETRY BOOK MANUSCRIPTS 

Finishing Line Press will gladly accept full-length poetry book manuscripts, and we do not require a reading fee/processing fee for full-length poetry manuscripts shipped to us via regular post.  We are specifically looking for poetry book manuscripts up to 100 pages and no less than 48 pages of poetry.   Please mail (via regular post) your manuscript to:

 

FLP POETRY BOOK CALL

Finishing Line Press

P O Box 1626

Georgetown, KY 40324

USA

 

If you prefer submitting online, there is a $3 processing fee.  (It’s cheaper to submit electronically—save the stamps, save the trees, and save the SASE.)  To submit online:

 


$3.00

 We are always open to publishing a good chapbook.

CHAPBOOKS: Submit up to 34 pages of poetry, PLUS bio, acknowledgments, SASE and cover letter.

POETRY BOOKS: Submit up to 48-100 pages of poetry, PLUS bio, acknowledgments, SASE and cover letter.

There is no limit for other genres.  Please send what you like but only one manuscript per submission.  Please include bio, acknowledgments, SASE and cover letter.

Yes, we do consider works of fiction, graphic novels and children's books.

To submit online click on button below:

For mailed submissions
Send to
Finishing Line Press
P O Box 1626
Georgetown, KY 40324
USA
A self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with the correct postage must accompany all mailed manuscripts. A SASE is needed for any kind of response, even if the writer does not want the material returned.
A good photocopy of the manuscript or a computer printout, rather than the original, should be sent. Finishing Line Press is not responsible for lost manuscripts.
FLP has no reading fee during the month of November.  November is our annual open reading period for all genres.





$10.00

CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS Fiction and Nonfiction 


Finishing Line Editions, an imprint of Finishing Line Press, is now accepting manuscripts of Fiction and Nonfiction. 


Finishing Line Editions has a clear commitment to consistently publish a small number of novels and nonfiction works each year of exceptional writing. Finishing Line Editions are printed, perfect-bound paper editions.


Major distribution.

Pay is a standard royalty contract. 



Manuscript Submission Guidelines



We are looking for Book Manuscripts of Fiction or Nonfiction:




Personal Narrative/Memoir 


Historical Fiction 


Realistic Fiction 


Science Fiction 


Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, or Fables 


Literary or Narrative Nonfiction 


Narrative Procedure (How-To/Craft) 


Short Story Collection





We accept material from either agent or author.

Please include a one-page synopsis in addition to the manuscript.

Please send a complete manuscript.


We accept only unpublished work.


Include pictures or illustrations only if you are the copyright owner to that work. 


Manuscripts should be typed and double-spaced. We prefer Times New Roman font, size 12. 


Please do not submit material by mail, fax, flash drive or on a computer disk.  Finishing Line Editions only accepts submissions via our online submissions manager. All submissions must be made electronically via our online submissions manager: https://finishinglinepress.submittable.com/submit


Please include your name and address, telephone number, and email address on the title page of your manuscript, and in your cover letter. 


Please list any previously published work in a short author bio.


We will consider work that has been submitted simultaneously to other publishers.  Please withdraw the work immediately upon acceptance by another publisher. 


Finishing Line Editions will respond to a submission only if we are interested in the work. Please refrain from calling, faxing, or emailing to inquire about the status of an unsolicited submission, as we will be unable to assist you. Please allow six months for a response.  We will post a response using our submission manager for rejections. We will email and call,  if we select your work for publication. 



In order to help support our staff of readers, we do require a small reading fee of $10 for submissions.  

Finishing Line Press