Genre
Currently, we're only offering critiques of short fiction.
Rates
0-2,000 Words: $60
2,000-4,000 Words: $120
4,000-6,000 Words: $180
6,000-8,000 Words: $240


If you have a longer work or a book-length collection of short stories, please reach out via our contact page.
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Timeframe

We'll have the critique in your inbox in less than three weeks from the date of submission (6,000-8,000 word submissions may take up to four weeks); more often than not, the turnaround is faster.

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Description

From the line edit, you can expect extensive marginalia that details first impressions and line edits alongside a few paragraphs detailing the larger weaknesses of the work from our managing fiction editor of 10+ years, James McNulty. I’ll give you extensive feedback on one draft of the work, including both a micro and macro assessment of the story. The individual line edits may include grammar and phrasing issues, but they are not the primary focus. The number of line edits may at times seem overwhelming because I don't believe in capping my critique; I'll spend as much time as necessary discussing the work's weaknesses and every submitter is welcome to ask for additional clarification on my critique if ever unclear. Often, I'll also include recommended reading (usually craft essay/book recommendations that pertain to your weaknesses). Please submit only one story per submission.

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Every fiction writer who Driftwood Press publishes goes through an extensive line edit; from this service, you can expect the same attention given to your work as we'd give to our contributors. However, please note that going through this process does not place you in consideration for publication, nor will making our recommended fixes ensure you a spot in the issue if you decide to submit the work to us separately. All that this service offers is a detailed, comprehensive critique by Driftwood Press’ managing fiction editor; it is entirely separate from the submission process.

Timeline

• Submissions will be open from March 1st 2025 to July 15th 2025.
• Stories are considered by Driftwood editing staff (no outside readers); guest judge reads finalists.
• Throughout the process, readers will be notified if their story is passed on or reaches the finalist pool. This often results in a quicker response than other contests, where writers often have to wait until everything has been decided.
• The winner will be announced in November 2025.
• The winning short story will be published in the 2027 anthology.

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Guidelines

• Fiction only.
• 1,000-6,000 word limit.
• A standard, 12-point font is preferred. 
• The work must not have been previously published.
• Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but
  please withdraw the work if the story has been
  accepted elsewhere.
• Submit works written in English only, no translations.
• Please submit your manuscript in a .doc, .docx, or PDF format.
• We read submissions blind, so please do not include your name, email, or any identifying characteristics on the manuscript itself.
• Submission fee is $30.00 USD. Each submitter will receive a free copy of a Driftwood Press fiction title of their choosing in the mail. 

Awards

• The winner will receive $500 dollars and five copies of the anthology in which the story appears. The winner will also have the opportunity to be interviewed about their work; the interview will be published alongside the story.
• If a runner-up is chosen, their work will be offered publication, an accompanying interview, $200, and five copies of the issue in which their work appears.
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Guest Judge
Kelly Link is the author of The Book of Love, a national bestseller that was longlisted for The Center for Fiction Fiction First Novel Prize; White Cat, Black Dog, a finalist for The Kirkus Prize; Get in Trouble, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction; Magic for Beginners; Stranger Things Happen; and Pretty Monsters.Her short stories have been published in The Best American Short Stories and Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards.She is a MacArthur “Genius” fellow and has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. She is the co-founder ofSmall Beer Pressand co-edits the occasional zine Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet. She is also the co-owner of Book Moon, an independent bookstore in Easthampton, Massachusetts.

Driftwood Press is excited to announce that we are accepting novella-length book submissions for our Editors’ Pick Novella Prize. Novellas will be chosen by our Managing Novella Editor. See below for guidelines, timeline, and award information. We cannot wait to read your phenomenal novellas!

What We're Looking For...

• Read past issues of our magazine and anthologies for a sense of what we publish. The same editors who chose the short fiction will choose our next novella.
• We want novellas that exude a love of language. We want well-crafted sentences and honed rhythms. And yet, we are not interested in novellas that are merely “stylistic.” We want narrative momentum, dimensional characters, and a plot that delivers the sense of arrival.
• We stray away from young-adult, fantasy, romance, and mainstream mystery. 

Timeline​

• Novella submissions are currently open. If our editors need to catch up, we will temporarily close them. 
• Novella submissions typically take four to nine months. Our target is six.
• Our editors love to collaborate with authors. When we accept your novel, we offer an in-depth critique, working alongside you to improve all aspects of your novella.

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Guidelines​​​

• Fiction only.
• Recommended length is 15,000-30,000 words. While this is our sweet spot, we will consider works slightly outside of these parameters. Distinguish, though, between the novella and the novel. 50,000 words, for instance, feels more like a novel.
• Preferred formatting: standard, 12-point font and single-spacing. Manuscript should appear in a .doc, .docx, or PDF format.
• Excerpts of the novella may have been published individually, but 50% of the novella may not have appeared in a single prior publication.
• Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Please withdraw your submission immediately if the work has been accepted elsewhere.
• Submit works written in English only. At this time, we do not accept translations.
• We read submissions blind, so please remove any identifying information from your manuscript.

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Awards​

• Winners will receive a cash reward and 10 copies of their printed novella. Payment is contingent on word count (see below).          
  • 15,000 - 17,500 Words: Awarded $300​
  • 17,500 - 22,500 Words: Awarded $400
  • 22,500 - 30,000 Words: Awarded $500

    
   

• A print run of the novella will be sold on our website and through affiliate bookstores. Additionally, your work will be nationally and internationally distributed by Ingram & Asterism.
• The winner will partake in a multi-round interview about their work; this interview will be published in the pages following the novella.
• All of our novellas receive a moderate publicity push by our in-house team. We’ll try our best to get you a few reviews, podcast appearances, in-person readings, or features around the web.
• After the first 100 copies are sold, the writer receives 20% royalties. Copies bought by or awarded to the writer do not count toward the number of copies sold.
• Depending upon scheduling and availability, authors may also have the opportunity to take part in an author signing & reading at future AWP conventions.

Timeline

• Submissions are open from March 1st 2025 until July 15th 2025.
• Finalists and winner will be announced by Driftwood editors in November 2025.
• The winning chapbook(s) will be published in 2026.

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Guidelines

• Original poetry only. Prose poetry, experimental poetry, and poetry with a visual component (color images accepted) are all welcome. We do not accept written or visual works that are AI generated or plagiarized. 
• 15-40 pages of poetry (this does not include title, section break, or acknowledgement pages). We won't turn you away if you are a few pages over or under, but please stay close to that limit.
• A standard, 12-point font is preferred. 
• Poems may have been published individually, but not as a part or whole of a collection. Please include an acknowledgements page listing all previously published poems.
• Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know immediately if the collection has been accepted elsewhere.
• Submit works written in English only, no translations.
• Please submit your manuscript in a .doc, .docx, or PDF format.
• We read submissions blind, so please do not include your name, email, or any identifying characteristics on the manuscript itself.
• Submission fee is $25.00 USD. Each submitter will receive a free copy of a Driftwood Press poetry chapbook of their choosing in the mail. 

Awards

• The winner will receive $750 dollars and 20 copies of their chapbook.
• A print run of the winning chapbook will be sold on our website, through affiliate bookstores, and will be nationally and internationally distributed by Ingram & Asterism. 
• The winner will also have the opportunity to be interviewed about their work; the interview will be published in the chapbook following the poems.
• The managing poetry editor may offer a runner-up full publication. If a runner-up is chosen, they will be awarded $350, 20 contributor copies, and the same level of marketing and distribution. 

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Guest Judge

​Matthew Olzmann is the author of three poetry publications. In 2012, Olzmann edited Another & Another: An Anthology from the Grind Daily Writing Series along with Ross White.[3] His debut collection, Mezzanines, was published by Alice James Books in 2013, which won the Kundiman Prize. In November 2016, Olzmann published his second collection, Contradictions in the Design, also from Alice James Books. In January 2022, his third book of poems, Constellation Route, was published by Alice James Books.

Driftwood Press is excited to announce that we are accepting full-length book submissions for our Editors’ Pick Poetry Prize. One or more full-length poetry collections will be chosen by our Managing Poetry Editor. See below for guidelines, timeline, and award information. We cannot wait to read your phenomenal poems!

We’re Looking For…

• Fresh voices full of artistic merit. We want books that push against tradition, that wow and dazzle with their attention to craft. Experimental poetry, hybrid work, poetry with a visual element, prose poetry, and any avant-garde poetry are welcomed! We love work that thoughtfully pushes poetry into new realms and realities.
• We welcome all poets but would love to see works from marginalized voices. That said, submissions are read anonymously.
• Cohesive collections: We want to see that a writer has thought about overall theme and poem placement. The collection should be as powerful whole as the poems are individually.
• We encourage you to read our anthologies and previously published collections to learn more about what we love! We are always fans of work centered in place, language, and ekphrasis.
• We stray away from strict rhyme and cliché that shows no awareness of either.

Timeline

• Submissions are open year-round, but may close temporarily if our editors need to catch up or if our book catalogue fills.
• Submissions will be accepted and rejected on a rolling basis. We aim for a three to six months response time.

Guidelines

• Poetry only. Though we do consider hybrid works, the bulk of the manuscript should be poetry.
• 45 – 100 pages of poetry. If you are a few pages under or over, no problem.
• Submissions should be primarily in English, but collections with a moderate bilingual component will of course be considered.
• A standard, 12-point font is preferred.
• Please submit your manuscript in a .doc, .docx, or PDF format.
• We read submissions blindly, so please do not include your name, email, or any identifying information within the manuscript itself.
• Please include a Table of Contents page.
• Individual poems from your manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, journals, anthologies, or chapbooks, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished.
• You must include an Acknowledgements page, citing prior individual poem & chapbook publications of poems within this collection.

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Awards

• 1 – 3 collections will be chosen for publication per year.
• Poets will work closely with the managing poetry editor to polish their collection and complete a multi-round craft-centric interview, to be included in the final publication.
• Each accepted collection will receive: $500 USD, 20 copies of their collection, and a 20% royalties package.
• Winning collections will be sold online, in bookstores, at events, and distributed through Ingram & Asterism.
• Winning collections receive a moderate publicity push by our in-house team. We’ll try our best to get you a few reviews, podcast appearances, in-person readings, or features around the web. Depending upon scheduling and availability, winners may also have the opportunity to take part in an author signing & reading at a future AWP convention.

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This is the Premium Poetry submission category, where you can receive an extremely quick, roughly one-week response if you purchase our upcoming or back issues. At Driftwood Press, we understand that an artist's time is precious, and we are happy to provide this service for our submitters. You can submit up to five poems. Please, and we can't stress this enough, make for sure you include all poems in a single submission. In addition, the fee does not guarantee that your piece will be accepted! We judge each poem fairly and with the same reverence we would want our own work to be judged with. Finally, we thank you for choosing this option of submission. We are truly excited to find the greatest poetry in the most effective, timely way possible.
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Whether you are seasoned or a beginner brimming with poetic inspiration, we call upon your abilities. At Driftwood, we are devoted to finding poetry of the highest caliber; we seek poetry of literary importance. Some of our favorite poets are T.S. Eliot, Carolyn Hembree, Adrienne Rich, and Allen Ginsberg. Overly romanticized, antiquated, or colloquial poetry is not our focus. Experimental forms and content that reveals your unique style are welcomed.
Poets can submit up to five poems, each being no longer than 60 lines. When submitting, please send all poems in a single document.  We read all submissions blind, so please remove any identifying information from your manuscript.