Submissions are now OPEN for the 2027 Michigan Writers Cooperative Press Chapbook Contest!

Each year, the Michigan Writers Cooperative Press (MWCP) publishes winners of its chapbook contest. The purpose of the press is to help emerging writers publish a book in a literary genre. Poetry, short-story collections, and works of creative nonfiction will be considered. Selections are solely based on literary merit, and Michigan Writers, Inc. may choose not to publish contest chapbooks if there are no manuscripts judged suitable. Readers specializing in each genre carefully consider each eligible submission, and forward up to three manuscripts to the judges for consideration. The 2027 chapbook contest judges are Keith Taylor, poetry; Heather Shumaker, creative nonfiction; and Christine Maul Rice, fiction.

Eligibility

To enter the MWCP chapbook contest, you must be a current member of Michigan Writers, Inc. who has not been the sole or a primary author of a full-length literary book published by any type of press, including MWCP. Authors of chapbooks published through presses other than Michigan Writers Cooperative Press are eligible to enter. This means, for example, if you have authored a culinary textbook and want to publish in a literary genre, you may submit a manuscript to MWCP. However, if you have a previously published full-length book in a literary genre (e.g., a book of poetry with a commercial press), you are not eligible to enter the contest.

Eligible

• You were one of a several contributors to an edited collection.
• You have a chapbook published through a press other than MWCP.
• You were the editor of an essay, story, or poetry collection published by a      juried press.
• You have had one or more poems published in a regional or national literary      journal.
• You have had one or more short stories published in a regional or national      literary journal.
• You have a textbook published.
• You have never had anything published.
• You have self-published a book in a literary genre.

Not Eligible

• You were one of two coauthors of an essay collection published by a juried press.
• You have a full-length book of poems, short stories, or essays published by a juried, cooperative, commercial, or university press.
• You had a novel or memoir published by a press.
• Your submission was posted to a blog, Facebook page, or other social media.
• You are a board member, or the spouse or child of a MWCP or Michigan Writers, Inc. board member.
• You have served on the Michigan Writers, Inc. board of directors within twelve months of the contest submission period closing.

Manuscripts will be accepted between September 1 – December 1, 2026.

All submissions must conform to the length available in a 40-page, 5.5 x 8.5-inch publication—roughly 10,000 words for prose or 16 – 30 pages of poetry. Manuscripts longer than specified, or short of substance, will not be considered. Participants may submit only one manuscript per contest cycle. All work should be in a final draft form, thoughtfully revised, and carefully proofread.

Please attend to the following guidelines:

• All entries must be submitted on Submittable; we will not accept emailed or hard copies of your work. Creating a Submittable account is free, and allows you to keep track of your submissions.
• Fiction and creative nonfiction submissions must be double-spaced, using Times New Roman in a 12-pt font.
• Please omit any references to your name/identity in the manuscript itself; all submissions are read “blind.” 
• Note: Any content generated by AI will disqualify the contestant.      

Poetry Manuscript Formatting Guidelines

• Manuscript      page length: between 16 – 30 pages. Please include the following, which does not count toward the page limit:
• Title page (manuscript title only; do not include your name or other identifying information.)
• Acknowledgements page (credits only; poems included in your manuscript may be previously published, but please list the original publisher.)
• A complete table of contents
• Only one poem per page.
• Margins should be a minimum of one inch.
• Use Time New Roman 12-point font.
• Submit files in PDF format to preserve your formatting.

Fiction and Creative Nonfiction Guidelines

• Manuscript  length: 10,000 words. Please include the following, which does not count  toward the page or word limit:
• Title page (manuscript title only; do not include your name or other identifying information).
• Acknowledgements page (credits only; stories or essays included in your manuscript may be previously published, but please list the original publisher).
• · A complete table of contents.
• Margins should be a minimum of one inch.
• Use double-spaced Time New Roman 12-point font.
• Submit files in PDF format to preserve your formatting.

Publication decisions will be made by spring of 2027. Authors selected for publication are expected to participate in editorial revisions; provide a final digital copy of the manuscript; sign a contract with Michigan Writers, Inc.; work with the MichWriters designer on the book cover; and attend the late May or early June book launch in Northern Michigan. If any portion of a submitted work has been published, authors must affirm that they hold clear copyrights to the material. Questions may be addressed to chapbooks@michwriters.org, and for more information please visit our website, MichWriters.org