OVERVIEW:

Three times per year, Tin House offers a two-day submission period for writers to submit their work. Eligible writers must not currently have an agent, and must not have previously published a book (chapbooks okay). Per our schedule below, we accept works of fiction, literary nonfiction, and poetry, both originally in English and in translation (please only submit translation projects which the translator has already been granted formal permission to translate), and ask that you do not send us a project unless you have a completed draft.

In particular, we are looking to engage with work by writers from historically underrepresented communities, including—but not limited to—those who are Black, Indigenous, POC, disabled, neurodivergent, trans and LGBTQIA+, debuting after 40, and without an MFA.

SUBMIT:

From September 3rd at 12:01 a.m. PT to September 4th at 11:59 p.m. PT, our Submittable link will be live for debut nonfiction nature writing submissions (including memoirs, essay collections, and graphic nonfiction). You can click below to submit then!

submit

SCHEDULE

First weekend in September (9/3–9/4, 2022): Nonfiction Nature Writing (including Memoirs, Essay collections, and Graphic nonfiction)

First weekend in January (1/7–1/8, 2023): Debut novels (including Graphic novels)

First weekend in May (5/6–5/7, 2023): Poetry collections + Short Story collections that focus on Food and/or Place

 

 

GUIDELINES

For September’s submission period, we will be accepting debut nonfiction nature writing: a focus on the natural world and our place in it, broadly defined. We would love to read about your interactions with—and reflections on—plants, animals, landscapes, and more, and would particularly love to hear from communities that have been historically underrepresented in the nature writing space. Memoirs, essay collections, and graphic nonfiction are welcome.

Submissions can be originally in English and in translation (please only submit translation projects which the translator has already been granted formal permission to translate). As mentioned above, we ask that you do not send us a project unless you have a completed draft of the full manuscript available upon request.

Note that writers may submit only once during each submissions period, and that a schedule for other submissions periods is available above. Eligible writers must not currently have an agent, and must not have previously published a book (chapbooks okay).

Please upload the first chapter in a PDF or Word document. If you are including graphic work, please upload as a PDF in 150 dpi. We kindly request that you do not send any additional material beyond a first chapter, and we will contact you if we are interested in seeing more. You will also be asked to provide a short bio and a one-paragraph project overview that describes your manuscript in the submission form.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Am I eligible to submit work in the upcoming submission period if I’ve previously published a book in a different genre? Am I eligible if I previously published with a smaller press?

A: No—we are looking to publish a writer’s true debut, so for these submission periods, you can’t have previously published a book in any genre or with another press (previously published chapbooks are okay though).

Q: Can I submit if my only published work was self-published?

A: Yes—if you have a self-published book but no other published books, then you can submit your work.

Q: Can I submit if my only published work is technical/academic?

A: Yes—you can submit your work if your other publications are technical or scholarly.

Q: Does my hybrid work fit into the genre requirements?

A: We’re broadly defining the categories for each submission period, so if you see your project fitting best in a given category, we’re excited to read it!

Q: My manuscript isn’t divided into chapters. How many pages can I submit?

A: If you don’t have a first chapter, please submit no more than the first 25 double spaced pages. Thanks!

Q: Are multiple submissions allowed? 

A: No—we’re asking writers to submit only one manuscript per submission period. Thank you!

Q: Do I have to pay a submission fee?

A: No—it is free to submit!

Q: When should I expect to hear back about my submission?

A: The editorial team tries to be as quick as possible, but asks that submitters wait six months before checking in about their submission status. Thank you!

Q: Are international applications eligible?

A: Yes! We’d love to consider international submissions if the project meets the other criteria.