2025 Autumn House Press Rising Writer Prize in Fiction

The 2025 Rising Writer Prize is for a first full-length book of fiction. The Autumn House staff, board, and select outsider readers will serve as the preliminary readers, and the final judge is K-Ming Chang. The winner receives publication of their full-length manuscript and $2,000. The submission period opens on August 15, 2024, and closes on November 15, 2024 (Eastern Time). We will announce the contest’s finalists and the winner by March 15, 2025. 

Guidelines for the Rising Writer Prize

• Must be the author’s first full-length fiction book (previous publications of chapbooks and full-length books in other genres are fine)
• The winners will receive book publication, a $1,000 honorarium, and a $1,000 travel/publicity grant to promote their book
• All finalists will be considered for publication
• Submissions should be approximately 100 – 200 pages
• The reading fee is $30 (We will waive the submission fee for those undergoing financial hardship or living with limited means. Before you reach out to request a waived fee, please read our full statement and instructions here. If the guidelines are not followed, we will not be able to offer a waived fee.)
• All fiction sub-genres (short stories, short-shorts, novellas, or novels) or any combination of sub-genres are eligible
• The book should be previously unpublished
• We only accept original manuscripts; AI-generated or AI-supported works are not accepted
• Do not include your name anywhere on the actual manuscript; if your name appears within the body of the text, please omit it or black it out
• You may include a brief bio in the “cover letter” section of Submittable
• Do not include an acknowledgments page in the manuscript
• Feel free to include a table of contents
• Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please let us know immediately if your book was accepted elsewhere
• Friends, family members, and former students of judges or Autumn House editors may not submit to the contest. Students do not include interactions at short-term residencies or fellowships
• Former employees of Autumn House, including interns, may not submit to the contest