Washington Writers' Publishing House

• We seek diverse voices that represent the literary richness of the DMV.
• We do not accept any works written with the assistance of AI and will ban any writers from further publication with WWPH if this is found to be the case. Your work must be human-authored and not generated in whole or part by “AI”/LLM engines or services (i.e., ChatGPT). Use of common spell/grammar/style check applications is exempt from this prohibition.
• If you want an idea of what the Washington Writers’ Publishing House publishes: read our recent books. In fact, those award-winning writers will be reading/selecting your work in each instance below.

POETRY

We accept never-published original poetry as well as reprints from recent or upcoming published full-length poetry collections or chapbooks (please indicate publication date and press) from writers living in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

Submit 1-3 poems not to exceed 5 pages. 12-point type, single-spaced.

Please provide a cover letter addressed to the Poetry Editor with a biography of 50 words or less. FREE TO SUBMIT. Please submit here. 

PROSE

We seek never-published original fiction and literary nonfiction.

Fiction or literary nonfiction flash under 1,000 words.

Novel or essay excerpt (also 1,000 words) from a recently published work.

We lean toward the voice, the story, and the spark of language that arises from authentic voices. Stories that tell us something more about life in DC, Maryland, or Virginia are especially welcome.  Please provide a cover letter addressed to the Prose Editor with a biography of 50 words or less. FREE TO SUBMIT. Please submit here.

MORE KEY INFORMATION

Contributors will be paid $25.00 for the nonexclusive first right to publish the work. Payments will be made via check, mailed via the U.S. Postal Service.  Please note that we exclude reprints and our Tiny Poem special issues in August from payment. We nominate published work for all applicable ‘best of’ anthologies, including Pushcarts, Best Small Fictions, and Best Microfictions.

Reprints. In both poetry and prose, we will consider REPRINTS from recently published books only. Please contact us directly at wwphpress@gmail.com to discuss the possible inclusion in WWPH Writes. We aim to support/celebrate literary books from DMV writers. There is no financial payment offered for reprints, only a great deal of enthusiasm in promoting your new work.

2026 Manuscript Contests – APRIL 1 to JUNE 30th

The Washington Writers’ Publishing House will open on April 1, 2026 – June 30th for manuscript submissions. 

In 2026, we will seek poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction (memoir or essays). 

All manuscript contests are judged by previous winners who volunteer their time and skills. Read their work to find out about them and what kind of books your Washington Writers’ Publishing House seeks to bring into the world.

All manuscripts are read blind.

Prizes include $1,500, publication, author 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.

IMPORTANT: The Washington Writers’ Publishing House is a cooperative or all-volunteer small literary press. The winners become members of WWPH and should be prepared to participate actively in the work of the press, including areas such as judging, publicity, distribution, production, and fundraising, for two years following publication. The winners should be able to attend at least one in-person press meeting in the D.C. area in 2026 and in 2027. Additional meetings may be held virtually two to three times per year. Our tradition of writers working on behalf of other writers is essential to the continued vitality and success of WWPH. Contest entrants should be available and willing to make this commitment if their work is selected for publication.

Please look closely at our FAQs to decide if WWPH is the best place for your work.

The Jean Feldman Poetry Prize

Poets who are residents of DC, Maryland, and Virginia are invited to submit a manuscript of 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.

A table of contents and acknowledgments page (including publications in which poems from the manuscript have appeared previously) should be included.

Multiple submissions are permitted, provided they are submitted separately and each is accompanied by a submission fee. Once submitted, manuscripts cannot be altered. The winner will be given the opportunity to work with a WWPH writer/editor and make changes before publication. 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.

We are very grateful for Dr. Jean Feldman’s underwriting of this prize. More details about Dr. Jean Feldman and her generous support of WWPH poetry here.

Do not include your name, address, or other identifying information on the submitted document; manuscripts must be anonymous.

As of April 1, our Submittable portal will open. There will be a $28.00 submission fee (same as 2025). To enter, click here.

WWPH Fiction Prize

Literary fiction writers who are residents of DC, Maryland, and Virginia are invited to submit a novel or a collection of short stories. Previously published works are not eligible, including self-published works available as ebooks, audiobooks, or in print in any format.

More specifically, we are seeking Adult Literary Fiction. We understand that ‘literary’ is a subjective word. We are open to all genres. We read widely and believe our readers do too. We can tell you what we are not looking for: Young Adult or Middle Grade Novels. Romance Novels. Fantasy/Sci-Fi novels that are more about the world-building than the characters. Please read our recent works of fiction. The people who are judging your submissions are recent winners of the WWPH Fiction Prize.

Manuscripts should be closely proofed and submitted in 12-point type, double-spaced, with a 1″ margin on the left and right side. Minimum page count of 150. Maximum page count: 250. Please note that a ‘sweet spot’ is about 60,000-70,000 words.

Please do not send us work that is either too short or too long. In particular, look at the novels of Len Kruger and Varun Gauri for recent examples of novels published by the Washington Writers’ Publishing House.  Read the short story collections by Suzanne Feldman or Adam Schwartz as examples of recent short story collections. To emphasize again: we are not the publishing venue for mainstream romance, horror, fantasy, science fiction or thriller stories. While we are open to all genres, we lean into the literary at the core of our books. We seek stories that explore the human condition and all its possibilities through a literary lens.

A one-page double-spaced synopsis must accompany your manuscript–whether it is a novel or a short story collection. Tips on how to write a novel synopsis here. A short story collection synopsis should focus on a recap of the number of stories, and most importantly, give an overview of major genres and themes in your collection.

The Washington Writers’ Publishing House follows the Chicago Manual of Style. Please find the WWPH style sheet here. Please make every effort to proofread your manuscript closely and to conform to the Chicago Manual of Style.

Do not include your name, address, or other identifying information on the submitted document; manuscripts must be anonymous. Multiple submissions are permitted, provided they are submitted separately and each is accompanied by a submission fee. Once submitted, manuscripts cannot be altered. The winner will be given the opportunity to work with a WWPH writer/editor and make changes before publication. 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.

As of April 1st, our Submittable portal will open. There will be a $28.00 submission fee (same as 2025). To enter, click here.

WWPH Nonfiction Prize

Literary nonfiction writers who are residents of DC, Maryland, and Virginia are invited to submit a memoir or essay collection. Previously published works are not eligible, including self-published works available as ebooks, audiobooks, or in print in any format.

Manuscripts should be closely proofed and submitted in 12-point type, double-spaced, with a 1″ margin on the left and right side. Minimum page count of 150. Maximum page count: 250. Please note that a ‘sweet spot’ is about 60,000-70,000 words. Please do not send us work that is either too short or too long.

We are particularly interested in literary nonfiction that intersects the personal and the political. Read the memoirs of Bernardine Watson and Megan Doney as the examples of literary fiction that the Washington Writers’ Publishing House has published to date. 

A one-page double-spaced synopsis must accompany your manuscript–whether it is a memoir or essay collection.

The Washington Writers’ Publishing House follows the Chicago Manual of Style. Please find the WWPH style sheet here. Please make every effort to proofread your manuscript closely and to conform to the Chicago Manual of Style.

Do not include your name, address, or other identifying information on the submitted document; manuscripts must be anonymous. Multiple submissions are permitted, provided they are submitted separately and each is accompanied by a submission fee. Once submitted, manuscripts cannot be altered. The winner will be given the opportunity to work with a WWPH writer/editor and make changes before publication. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but please notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere. Only writers who have not been published with WWPH are invited to submit here.

As of April 1st, our Submittable portal will open. There will be a $28.00 submission fee (same as 2025). click here.

WWPH Translation Prize

(will return in 2027)

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 50-100 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.

In response to our literary community, we have revised our submission policy to include ALL LANGUAGES.

Please note that translators must reside in DC, Maryland, or Virginia.

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. Provide a short bio for the translator(s) and original author(s) in your manuscript.

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.

Translators can submit their own original poetry in translation.

Writers who have published previous books with WWPH are permitted to submit in this category.

Please let us know if you have any questions, and email us at info@washingtonwriters.org

We encourage you to read AGUAS/WATERS by Miguel Avero translated from the original Spanish by Jona Colson. This is our first work in translation from WWPH.