Washington Writers' Publishing House
Washington Writers' Publishing House publishes poetry and prose (fiction or CNF) in a biweekly journal, WWPH Writes. The journal is featured on our website on the second and fourth Friday of every month. We are happy to consider never-published original prose (fiction or CNF) and poetry as well as reprints from recent or upcoming collections from writers living in Washington, D.C. Maryland and Virginia. We do not charge for submissions, but there is an optional tip jar to help us maintain the site.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Please read all of the following guidelines carefully.
Eligibility: You must be a resident of the District of Columbia, Maryland or Virginia.
Prose - either short fiction or creative nonfiction, or a novel excerpt: Send one story or novel excerpt up to 1,000 words. Double-spaced, standard 12-point font. Please identify on your manuscript fiction or CNF. Word doc is preferred.
Poetry: Send a single file containing 1-3 poems (max. 5 pages). Standard 12-point font.
PLEASE NOTE: You may re-publish your work that appears on the site after 60 days, and we ask that you credit us in future publications.
Be sure to withdraw your submission immediately upon acceptance elsewhere.
INQUIRIES: Email our editors at: wwphpress@gmail.com
The Washington Writers’ Publishing House, is a non-profit, cooperative literary organization that has published over 100 volumes of poetry since 1975 as well as fiction and nonfiction. The press sponsors three annual competitions for writers living in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, and the winners of each category (one each in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction) comprise our annual slate. In 2021, WWPH launched an online literary journal, WWPH WRITES to expand our mission to further the creative work of writers in our region. In 2024, WWPH launched our biennial works in translation series. More about the Washington Writers' Publishing House at www.washingtonwriters.org
Washington Writers Publishing House publishes new poetry biweekly on our website and newsletter.
We are happy to consider never-published original poetry from writers living in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Submit 1-3 poems in ONE Word document not to exceed 5 pages. 12-point type, single-spaced.
Please provide a cover letter addressed to the appropriate editor with a biography of 30 words or less.
Please limit your submission to once per year except for special calls or contests.
Payment
We are committed to paying authors. We are paying $25 for each piece. We only will send payments via snail mail check payment (this payment excludes reprints).
About half of our writers opt to waive payment as a way to support WWPH. Like many small literary journals, WWPH Writes is a labor of love. All support goes directly into increasing visibility for the writers we publish and their work. If you are interested in either option, please let us know.
Washington Writers Publishing House will be publishing new prose biweekly on WWPH Writes, our lit magazine available online and sent via email to over 1,500 subscribers.
We are happy to consider never-published original short fiction or CNF as well as reprints from recent or upcoming collections from writers living in Washington, D.C. Maryland and Virginia. 1000 words or less; 12-point type, double-spaced. Please indicate on your manuscript if it is fiction or CNF.
Please note that the 1000-word limit is ONLY for WWPH Writes.
Contributors of original work will be paid $25.00 (this payment excludes reprints- we hope our support and promotion of previously published work shows our support).
Please limit your submission to once per year except for special calls or contests.
The Washington Writers' Publishing House Poetry in Translation Prize
Translators who are residents of DC, Maryland, and Virginia are invited to submit a translated poetry collection for publication in January 2027. The manuscript should be between 70-100 pages in length, single or 1 1/2 spaced. Previously published collections are not eligible, including self-published collections available as ebooks or in print. Please include both the original poem and the translation.
We are committed to translations from languages widely spoken in the DMV. For this year’s prize, we will accept work translated from poets in these languages: Spanish, Amharic, West African French, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Vietnamese, Korean, Haitian Creole, Tagalog, and Arabic.
Following these guidelines, translators may submit a poetry manuscript in English along with the matching selection in the original language. Include an acknowledgments page listing the poems that have been published elsewhere.
Please accompany your submission with a cover letter that includes a translator biography, author biography, a brief statement that explains the value and timeliness of the translation, and a statement that explains why you think the book fits with the WWPH mission.
Translators must hold the necessary rights and permissions for the original work unless it is in the public domain. Please provide copyright information (the name of the copyright holder and the year of original publication) for the original work. Or, provide a document indicating that you have the rights to translate and publish the work. If the author is still alive, the document must be signed by both parties.
Living original authors/translators strongly preferred. Please read our first work in translation, Aguas/Waters by Miguel Avero, translated by Jona Colson, before submitting. One submission per category.
Manuscripts are judged by previous winners who volunteer their time and skills. All manuscripts are read blind. Winner and finalists will be announced by November 15th. We aim to publish the manuscripts in this cycle in January 2027.
$1,500 award, publication, 25 author copies, editorial guidance, and launch support
Writers who have published previous books with WWPH are permitted to submit in this category.
More questions? Please review the FAQs on our website. Or email us at wwphpress@gmail.com
The Jean Feldman Poetry Prize
Open to all residents of Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. The contest is open to new, upcoming, and established writers. Previously published collections are not eligible, including self-published collections available as ebooks or in print.
All manuscript contests are judged by previous winners who volunteer their time and skills. All manuscripts are read blind. Winner and finalists will be announced by November 15. We aim to publish books from this manuscript cycle in January 2027.
$1,500 award, publication, 25 author copies, editorial guidance, and launch support
50-80 pages in length, single or 1 1/2 spaced. Read Chanlee Luu's The Machine Autocorrects Code to I, K. Avvirin Berlin’s Leda’s Daughters, Tonee Mae Moll’s You Cannot Save Here, or Steven Levya’s The Understudy’s Handbook for examples of our recent award-winning WWPH poetry collections.
Do not include your name, address, or other identifying information on the submitted document; manuscripts must be anonymous.
A table of contents and acknowledgments page (including publications in which poems from the manuscript have appeared previously) should be included.
Proof work carefully. More details on the WWPH Style sheet, which can be found here. Although winners can expect to collaborate with a WWPH writer/editor prior to publication, we are seeking completed, polished manuscripts.
One submission per category. Once submitted, manuscripts cannot be altered.
Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but please notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere. Only poets who have not published books with us are invited to enter this category.
All entries are via Submittable. Entry fee is $28.00 via submittable.
More questions. Please check out the FAQs on our website. Or email us at wwphpress@gmail.com
The Washington Writers' Publishing House Fiction Prize 2025
Open to all residents of Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. The contest is open to new, upcoming, and established writers. Previously published manuscripts not eligible, including self-published collections available as ebooks or in print.
All manuscript contests are judged by previous winners who volunteer their time and skills, WWPH is a non-profit cooperative press reflecting the culture and diversity of DC, Maryland, and Virginia. All manuscripts are read blind.
Prizes include $1,500, publication, 25 copies, editorial guidance, and launch support. Typically, launch support includes readings held at Politics & Prose in its main store in D.C. and at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda. Winner and finalists will be announced by November 15th. We aim to publish our books from this manuscript contest cycle in January of 2027.
Submit a novel or a collection of short stories and/or novellas. Read Varun Gauri's For The Blessings of Jupiter and Venus, Len Kruger’s Bad Questions: A Novel, Suzanne Feldman’s The Witch Bottle & Other Stories, or Adam Schwartz’s The Rest of the World for examples of our recent award-winning WWPH fiction.
Manuscripts must be a minimum of 150 pages to a maximum of 250 pages. 12-point type, double-spaced. Times New Roman font. The approximate word count is about 60,000-70,000 words.
A one-page synopsis must be included with your work. For more details on how to write a synopsis, see here.
Proof work carefully. More details on the WWPH Style sheet, which can be found here. Although winners can expect to collaborate with a WWPH writer/editor prior to publication, we are seeking completed, polished manuscripts.
Do not include your name, address, or other identifying information on the submitted documents; manuscripts and synopsis must be anonymous. Multiple submissions are permitted if submitted separately, each with a submission fee. Once submitted, manuscripts cannot be altered.
Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but please notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere. Only writers who have not published books with us are invited to enter this category. One submission per category.
All entries are via Submittable. Entry fee is $28.00 via submittable.
Question? Look at the FAQs on our website. Or please email us at wwphpress@gmail.com.