Rising Writer Prize
The 2024 Rising Writer Prize is for a first full-length book of poetry. Check back in August 2023 for updates regarding the reading period and judge.
Guidelines for the Rising Writer Prize
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Must be the author’s first full-length fiction collection (previous publications of chapbooks and full-length books in other genres are fine)
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Novels, novellas, and short story collections are eligible
- The winners will receive book publication, a $1,000 honorarium, and a $500 travel/publicity grant to promote their book
- All finalists will be considered for publication
- Submissions should be approximately 50 – 80 pages
- The reading fee is $25 (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.)
- 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
If you have any questions, please check our FAQ page
Winners of the Autumn House Rising Writer Prize
Year | Author | Title | Genre | Judge |
2023 | Lynn Schmeidler | Half-Lives | Fiction | Matt Bell |
2022 | Liza Katz Duncan | Given | Poetry | Donika Kelly |
2021 | John Belk | The Gardens of Our Childhoods | Poetry | Matthew Dickman |
2021 | Diego Gerard Morrison | Myth of Pterygium | Fiction | Maryse Meijer |
2020 | Dennis James Sweeney | In the Antarctic Circle | Poetry | Yona Harvey |
2019 | Eric Tran | The Gutter Spread Guide to Prayer | Poetry | Stacey Waite |
2018 | S. Brook Corfman | Luxury, Blue Lace | Poetry | Richard Siken |
2017 | Cameron Barnett | The Drowning Boy’s Guide to Water | Poetry | Ada Limón |
We strive to run our contests ethically and subscribe to CLMP’s guidelines. We encourage you to reach out if you are uncertain about a potential conflict of interest.