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CutBank Chapbook Contest

A project of CutBank Literary Magazine (see other related projects).

About

What We’re Looking For: Startling, compelling, and beautiful original work. We’re looking for a fresh, powerful manuscript. Maybe it will overtake us quietly; gracefully defy genres; satisfyingly subvert our expectations; punch us in the mouth page in and page out. We’re interested in both prose and poetry – and particularly work that straddles the lines between genres. Manuscripts should be cohesive and coherent; in other words, your manuscript should resonate and make sense as a book.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions. The fee is USD $20.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
Awarded 1 x per year

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 January 2026 12:00 AM MST (in 168 days) through 31 May 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General.

Lengths:

Fiction Collection: 6,250 - 10,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Winner's Prize:

Semi-pro advance (US$200-1999) + No royalties Semi-pro advance. No royalties. Details: USD $1,000 for winner.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 January 2026 12:00 AM MST (in 168 days) through 31 May 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Nonfiction Collection: 6,250 - 10,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Winner's Prize:

Semi-pro advance (US$200-1999) + No royalties Semi-pro advance. No royalties. Details: USD $1,000 for winner.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 January 2026 12:00 AM MST (in 168 days) through 31 May 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General.

Lengths:

Poetry Chapbook: 25 - 40 pages.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Winner's Prize:

Semi-pro advance (US$200-1999) + No royalties Semi-pro advance. No royalties. Details: USD $1,000 for winner.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are allowed.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

CutBank Chapbook Contest Submission Statistics Free Preview!

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

Accuracy:
We have received 22 reports from 21 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported:
29 min | 111.8 mean avg | 112.0 median | 228 max days (80.3 std dev)
Responses
90.91 %
Acceptances:
4.55 % of submissions accepted (101.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 4.76 % of submitters accepted Rejections are often underreported, which skews the statistics in favor of acceptances. Most publishers have a lower acceptance rate than indicated here.
Rejections:
86.36 % (118.1 avg. days per rejection) | 15.8 % personal, 52.6 % form, 31.6 % unspecified | 13.6 % shortlisted
Non-Responses
9.09 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawals:
9.09 % (72.5 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
21 responses are pending (46 min | 71.5 mean avg | 67.5 median | 183 max days waiting | 83.1 std dev) from 21 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $20.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 02 Sep 2024.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 31 May 2024.

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

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Your Submissions

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All Accounts and Mixture BELIEVED DEFUNCT
Big Sky, Small Prose: A Flash Prose Exclusive CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Big Sky, Small Prose: Flash Contest  Charges fees for all submissions
CutBank Literary Magazine  Charges fees for all submissions
CutBank Online DNQ
Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction  Charges fees for all submissions
Montana Prize in Fiction  Charges fees for all submissions
Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry  Charges fees for all submissions

Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 15 Jul 2025
Last Audited: 10 Feb 2025
Date Added: 15 Jan 2012

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.