FAQ

Contest Information:

1) Could you tell me how your contest works? How do you select your judges? And how do you assure that all entries are kept anonymous?

Each year, we choose a well-known fiction writer and poet, whose work we respect and admire, to serve as judges. We like to maintain a balance of gender and aesthetics, and prefer to work with writers who have distinguished careers. We allow judges to choose their own first readers, with the idea that they will be more liable to select a manuscript if it comes from readers akin to their aesthetic. Most often, judges do not opt for this choice; Sarabande then hires three published writers in each genre for the task of screening the manuscripts. We never use interns or students. Each of the three first readers selects up to fifteen manuscripts, which we then pass on to the judges for reading and selection. If the judge prefers a smaller number of manuscripts, Sarah Gorham and Jeffrey Skinner narrow the semi-finalists down to the appropriate number.

All manuscripts are read anonymously, at every stage of the process. They are logged into our office database via an assigned number. To ensure anonymity, we ask first readers to return any manuscript they might recognize as the work of a friend or colleague so that it can be read by another first reader. We inform judges of our eligibility stipulation that states: To avoid conflict of interest, students in a degree-granting program or close friends of a judge are ineligible to enter the contest in the genre for which their friend or teacher is serving as judge.

2) I know that your guidelines list the number of pages that a manuscript should be, but how many words is that?

As long as your manuscript is the appropriate number of pages, for either the fiction or poetry requirements, is double-spaced (for fiction), and in 12-point font, it will be considered for the contest. In fiction, you can generally count on 250-300 words per manuscript page.

3) I can't get the Contest Entry Form to print...could you send me a copy?

Sure! Just mail a S.A.S.E. between November 1 and February 1 to Sarabande Books/2234 Dundee Road, Suite 200/Louisville, KY 40205.

4) I submitted a manuscript to your contest and have not heard anything back yet. When can I expect to hear something?

If you sent a S.A.S.E. with your contest entry, you will receive the results in early to mid-July.

5) Will finalists be considered for publication even if they do not win the contest?

Yes, they will. Sarabande generally publishes one or two additional manuscripts from the contest finalists. You are a finalist if you receive a letter telling you so. You will also receive a coupon for free entry to the next year's contest. Semi-finalists are also informed with a note attached to our standard letter announcing the winner. If your collection is not a finalist or semi-finalist, you are welcome to try again next year, as we use a new set of readers and a new judge. Decisions regarding additional publication of finalists are made later in the year, according to need. If we decide to publish your manuscript, you will hear from us by telephone.

6) How do I get published (in general, not just by Sarabande)?

To submit your work to Sarabande Books, please see our guidelines.

If you are interested in publishing outside of Sarabande, we suggest picking up a copy of The Writer's Market at your local bookstore or library. It is a wonderfully comprehensive resource book, published yearly, listing contact information and submission guidelines for most journals, magazines, and book publishers.

7) Could you tell me a bit about your press; what do you look for in work you are considering for publication?

Sarabande Books, Inc. was founded to help answer a need in the literary marketplace: the publication of poetry, short fiction, and literary essay, genres which increasingly have trouble finding a place in the for-profit publishing world. It is our aim to provide a new venue for works of exceptional literary quality and to promote these works with diligence and integrity.

Sarabande Books looks for poetry and fiction that offer originality of voice and subject matter, uniqueness of vision, and a language that startles because of the careful attention paid to it—language that goes beyond the merely competent or functional. We recommend that you request our catalog and familiarize yourself with our books. Our complete list shows a wide variety of style and subject matter.