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 Donna Wolf-Palacio Poetry Prize (formerly 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
A prize of $500 and publication by Finishing Line Press is given annually for a poetry book.
Leah Huete de Maines will judge.
Submit a manuscript of 40 to 99 pages with a $10 entry fee by June 2, 2024.
Include cover letter with bio and acknowledgments. (Please keep bio and acknowledgments in cover letter only.) Manuscript should include title page and poems (and art, if any.)
All forms of poetry are welcome including hybrid poetry. Artwork may be included (color is accepted). Please count each artwork as one page.
All entries are considered for publication.
Christen Kincaid, Editor.
Finishing Line Press is accepting submissions for our online journal THE PADDOCK REVIEW.
At this time we are upgrading our website. We are still accepting submissions but we will not be publishing anything new for a bit.
Please submit 1 - 3 quality poems.
Previously published poems are okay--please let us know where so we can give first credit to the publisher. If your poems are from your book (any publisher), please let us know and we will give a shout out for that too.
Simultaneous submissions are okay.
Please include a short bio with your submission.
Visit us at https://paddockreview.com/.
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.
Thank you for making a donation to FLP. A donation of any size will help us continue publishing some of the best writers of our generation. You can also donate to the ONE LAST WORD Program here. This program funds the publication of books by terminally ill or recently deceased poets and writers.
A special thank you to our Patrons:
Frank Blake
Barbara de la Cuesta
Kimberly Huete
Christen Morrison
Paul Stroble
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:
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:
Extensive manuscript evaluation and feedback including a live meeting on Zoom or telephone (or in person for those attending the 2024 AWC.) This is for poetry, flash fiction, or hybrid manuscripts. (Hybrid poetry or flash-fiction manuscripts can include art and/or photos.)
$500 for a partial manuscript evaluation up to 30 pages.
$1500 for a full manuscript evaluation (no page limit). If you prefer feedback on the full manuscript, please exit click on the Full Manuscript Evaluation link.
All manuscripts will be considered for publication with Finishing Line Press.
Extensive manuscript evaluation and feedback including a live meeting on Zoom or telephone (or in person for those attending the 2024 AWC.) This is for poetry, flash fiction, or hybrid manuscripts. (Hybrid poetry or flash-fiction manuscripts can include art and/or photos.)
$1500 for a full manuscript evaluation (no page limit).
All manuscripts will be considered for publication with Finishing Line Press.
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.
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.