Dzanc Books

The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction  recognizes daring, original, and innovative novels. A $5,000 advance and publication by Dzanc Books will be awarded to the winner. Finalists will be compiled in-house and passed along for evaluation to this year’s judges: Anne Valente (Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down and By Light We Knew Our Names), David Tromblay (As You Were), and Nina Shope, author of Asylum, which was chosen as the winner of last year’s Prize for Fiction.

The contest is open to new, upcoming, and established writers alike. Agented submissions are also eligible, and we ask that you include all agency contact information with the application. All submitted works must be previously unpublished novel-length manuscripts and should include a brief synopsis, author bio, and contact information. The full work should be formatted as a Word .doc or .docx file.

We will accept submissions from March 1 through midnight on September 30. There is a $25 submission fee. (Note: we will not accept physical entries.) The winning submission and a  short list of finalists will be announced on the Dzanc web page in November.

Dzanc Books is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All contest fees will go toward funding the prize as well as supporting Dzanc’s commitment to producing quality literary works, providing creative writing instruction in public schools through the Dzanc Writers-in-Residence program, and offering low-cost workshops for aspiring authors. Active and former Dzanc authors and employees are not eligible for the prize.  

The Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Prize celebrates imaginative and inventive writing in book-length collections. Past winners include Nino Cipri, (Homesick), Anne Valente (By Light We Knew Our Names), Chaya Bhuvaneswar (White Dancing Elephants), Jen Grow (My Life as a Mermaid), Julie Stewart (Water and Blood, coming 2022), and Ethel Rohan (In the Event of Contact). The winning submission will be awarded a $2,500 advance and publication in by Dzanc Books.

The contest is open to new, upcoming, and established writers alike.  Agented submissions are also eligible, and we ask that you include all agency contact information with the application. All submitted works must be  previously unpublished collections and should include a brief  synopsis, author bio, and contact information. (Individual stories are allowed to have been previously published.)

 We will accept submissions from March 1 through midnight on September 30, 2021. There is a $25 submission fee. (Note: we will not accept physical entries.) The winning submission and a  short list of finalists will be announced on the Dzanc web page in November.  

 Dzanc Books is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All contest fees will go toward funding the prize as well as supporting Dzanc’s commitment to producing quality literary works, providing creative writing instruction in public schools through the Dzanc Writers-in-Residence program, and offering low-cost workshops for aspiring authors.  Active and former Dzanc authors and employees are not eligible for the prize.   

The Dzanc Books Nonfiction Prize is awarded annually for the most innovative and inspiring book-length work of nonfiction--including but not limited to memoir, essays, polemical writing, historical writing, and biography. The contest will be open for submissions from March 1st through September 30, 2021, via our Submittable page. The winning submission will receive a $1,500 advance and publication. There is a $25 submission fee. (Note: we will not accept physical entries.) The winner and a short list of finalists will be announced by the end of the year.  

Dzanc Books is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All contest fees will go toward funding the prize as well supporting Dzanc’s commitment to producing quality literary works, providing creative writing instruction in public schools through the Dzanc Writers-in-Residence program, and offering low-cost workshops for aspiring authors.  Active and former Dzanc authors and employees are not eligible for the prize.   

Please note: Submissions through this form will NOT be considered for publication. This is a mentoring service only.

Thinking about submitting to a lit mag, contest, or agent, but not sure your piece will make it through the first round? Send us the first page of your piece, and get flash feedback on your opening, stakes, initial hook, style, and more.

Feedback takes the form of a long paragraph. This will include overarching critique and specific notes on diction, style, or structure where appropriate. First-page critiques delivered within four days of submission. Critique is performed by Dzanc staff editors. Include a short cover letter explaining your goals for the piece and any specific questions you're hoping to answer.

For an additional $10, you can get a second set of comments on your first page after revision.

We'll take 20 first pages at a time. Once 20 submissions have been received, the form will close until we've gotten some breathing room.