How to Submit Your Manuscript
A prize of $1250 and limited edition chapbook publication by Kore Press. $20 reading fee. 2017 contest dates TBD. This competition is open to any woman (or transgendered) individual writing in English, regardless of nationality. Submitters cannot be friends of the judge or recent students, as it would be a conflict of interest. Batches of manuscripts are delivered to 5-6 preliminary readers of diverse backgrounds and literary perspectives. Stories selected by these preliminary readers are ranked and then reviewed and ranked again by a second reader. The 10-20 semifinalists are then forwarded to the judge, who chooses 2-3 finalists and a winner.
Comment box should include:
- Daytime and evening telephone numbers
- Where you heard about the contest
Manuscripts must be:
- Submitted as RTF, DOC or PDF. NO DOCX FILES
- Anonymous (do not include your name anywhere on the manuscript)
- A minimum of 4,000 words and a maximum of 12,000 words
- Double-spaced and paginated
- Original fiction written by the applicant (translations are not eligible)
- Unpublished at the time of submission (if the story is accepted elsewhere during our deliberation process, please notify us immediately)
- Acknowledgments unnecessary.
More guidelines are provided on submissions page when contest is open. All entrants will be notified of results via email. For more information email jussara@korepress.org or call 520-327-2127.
Ethics Statement
We endorse and agree to comply with the following statement released by the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses:
CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to:
1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors;
2) provide clear and specific contest guidelines — defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and
3) make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public.
This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.
Past Winners and Judges
2016
Short Fiction Winner: “Café Colima” by Leticia Del Toro
Judge: Edwidge Danticat
2015
Short Fiction Winner: “Hostages” by Tayler Heuston
Judge: Roxane Gay
2013
Short Fiction Winner: “To Boil Water” by Myha T. Do
Judge: Kate Bernheimer