Meadowlark Press has been publishing fiction, memoir, and poetry since 2014. We are the home of The Birdy Poetry Prize, an annual poetry manuscript contest featuring a cash prize and publication of the winning entry. We are also home to the creative nonfiction journal of Kansas, 105: Meadowlark Reader, with Quincy Press.
- February 1 - March 15: Open reading period in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
- May 1 - June 30 and November 1 - December 31 - Annually: Creative nonfiction essays accepted for 105: Meadowlark Reader. Check the website for theme and eligibility.
- September 1 - December 1 - Annually: Birdy Poetry Prize Submissions Accepted
View our submission guidelines here.
Visit our website: meadowlarkbookstore.com
What are we looking for?
Fiction:
We are open to full-length novels or collections of short stories. While we will consider manuscripts of any length, a minimum of 50,000 words is recommended for fiction submissions.
Any genre will be considered, but we are especially interested in stories that take place in the Midwest and/or follow themes or characters that have a strong Midwest connection.
Nonfiction:
We are most interested in publishing full-length memoirs, true stories of growing up, lives lived, in the Midwest. While we will consider manuscripts of any length, a minimum of 50,000 words is recommended for memoir submissions.
We are looking for memoir writers who draw us in with story, who can make us feel the experience of living in a particular time or place.
Other types of nonfiction with a strong Midwestern appeal will also be considered. If you have a complete manuscript that you feel is a fit for Meadowlark, send it along!
Poetry:
Full-length poetry manuscripts (55 page minimum) will be considered. Poems may be previously published in journals and/or anthologies, but not in full-length, single-author volumes. For our Open Reading poetry collections, we welcome manuscripts with a mix of poetry and prose.
Manuscript Preparation
Please submit your manuscript with 1-inch margins, double-spaced lines, and in a standard font such as Times New Roman, 12-point. Insert page breaks (control+enter) at the end of chapters or sections. Use your word processor’s page numbering feature to include page numbers in the footer of your manuscript. Do not enter page numbers manually.
Prior to the start of your story or poetry collection, include the following:
- Author Name (as it will appear on your book, should we publish it)
- Author contact, including mailing address, email address, phone number.
- Author website
- Author bio (book worthy – no more than 300 words)
- List of books published, including dates and publisher (if any) or significant publications in journals, magazines, online, etc.
- In no more than one page, tell us why you think your story is a good fit for Meadowlark
- Include an overview of your marketing plan.