Submission Guidelines
We’re committed to publishing a diverse selection of work in contemporary poetry, fiction, nonfiction and the visual arts.
In an effort to further establish our foundation as a publisher, submissions for the Summer 2026 reading period must meet the following criteria:
- Solo authored chapbooks only—no group works
- Authors must be based in the United States
- As we build a base in New York City, we have a strong preference for New York City-based talent. However, this is neither a requirement, nor a barrier in our overall search. We welcome submissions from anywhere in the country.
- Manuscripts must be complete at the time of submission
We welcome chapbook submissions in the following categories:
- Poetry (20-32 pages)
- Short fiction/nonfiction, novellas (20-90 pages, 5,000-20,000 words)
- Photo and art chapbooks (visual storytelling, comics, graphic novellas, documentary photography, art) (20-40 pages)
What we’re interested in
Here is the ever-growing list of what we want to publish! The ideas listed below are not requirements for your manuscript, so don’t feel the need to make any unnecessary changes before sending it over to us. They are suggestions based on what we want to accomplish as a publisher.
Qualities
- Strong narrative and distinctive voice
- Queer, trans and women-centered perspectives
- Character-driven storytelling
- Work that leans towards the weird
- Interplay between personal and collective memory (e.g. archival, oral or family history)
- Perspectives from and narratives set in regions underrepresented in publishing (e.g. South/Southwest U.S., Hawai’i, Alaska, rural Midwest, the border/borderlands, South/Southeast Asia, Africa, etc.)
- Emotionally resonant and grounded in lived experience
Themes & Styles
- Evocative and subversive portrayals of intimacy (platonic or romantic)
- Girlhood, womanhood and trans stories told in fresh, boundary-pushing ways
- Found family narratives and complex family sagas
- Reimagined folklore, mythology and fairy tales
- Speculative fiction and literary sci-fi/fantasy
- Environmental storytelling
- Gothic and experimental literature
- Lyric and narrative poetry
- Archival-based projects
- Photo stories about Gen Z, personal narratives or otherwise
- Aesthetic remixing, connecting the past to the present through visual language
How to submit
Submit your manuscript as a PDF or DOCX file to info@sunstrokepress.com for evaluation.
A $15 non-refundable reading fee is required to submit. This fee supports our editorial process and allows us to dedicate time to reviewing your work carefully. When sending your manuscript, please attach proof of payment. You can pay your fee via PayPal.
In your manuscript, please include:
- Notes and Acknowledgements (optional)
- Table of Contents (optional)
- Cover letter: Briefly introduce yourself, your work and why you believe it fits Sunstroke Press. This will not be in the manuscript but in the body of the email itself.
Literary submissions should be formatted in a readable 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins. The page counts listed are guidelines rather than strict requirements. Projects that fall slightly below or above these ranges will still be considered.
The use of AI in officially published text is prohibited and all submissions will be reviewed accordingly.