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Gold Line Press Chapbook Competition

A project of Gold Line Press (see other related projects).

About

Gold Line Press publishes the winner of the Gold Line Press Chapbook Competition. The series is run by students and alumni of the University of Southern California’s program in Literature & Creative Writing. Created by a group of graduate students in 2010, Gold Line Press aims to promote the work of emerging poets and fiction writers, as well as to promote / elevate the chapbook form. The Gold Line Press editorial board does not adhere to any specific aesthetic approach. We seek out voices that deserve to be heard by a larger audience, whether those voices speak in formal or experimental verse. Our chapbooks are created with the intention of producing an elegant, perfect-bound book. Overall, our goal is to showcase exceptional emerging writers and reward them not only with publication, but also with broad distribution of their work to reviewers and bloggers. While most chapbooks have received only limited exposure in the past, our aim is to make the chapbook a more relevant medium and a truly useful tool for new writers who want to bring their work to a broader audience.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions, except for writers of color, indigenous writers, and writers facing financial hardship.
The fee is USD $15 (average for contests).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2010

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
Awarded 1 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
Gold Line Press Chapbook Competition's overall average response time is slower than most contests.
More Challenging
Gold Line Press Chapbook Competition's overall acceptance rate is lower than most contests.
More Responsive
Gold Line Press Chapbook Competition's overall rate of non-response is lower than most contests.

Collapse section Fiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 30 September 2026* (approx. 19 days from now).

1

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Novelette: 7,500 - 15,000 words.
Fiction Collection: 7,500 - 15,000 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 Provides free copy/copies Semi-pro advance. No royalties. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $750 prize.

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 Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 30 September 2026* (approx. 19 days from now).

1

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Nonfiction Collection: 7,500 - 15,000 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 Provides free copy/copies Semi-pro advance. No royalties. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $750 prize.

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 Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 30 September 2026* (approx. 19 days from now).

2

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poetry Chapbook: 20 - 30 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 Provides free copy/copies Semi-pro advance. No royalties. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $750 prize.

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.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Gold Line Press Chapbook Competition Submission Statistics

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.

Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 20 reports from 20 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
66 min | 126.2 mean avg | 125.0 median | 170 max days (183.4 std dev)
Responses
95.00 %
Acceptances:
0.00 % No publication has a 0% acceptance rate. This data is based on submission reports sent to Duotrope, and we have not received reports of any acceptances yet.
Rejections:
95.00 % (125.9 avg. days per rejection) | 21.1 % personal, 63.2 % form, 15.8 % unspecified | 5.0 % shortlisted
Non-Responses
0.00 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawals
5.00 % (66.0 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
11 responses are pending (1 min | 15.9 mean avg | 17.0 median | 381 max days waiting | 105.7 std dev) from 11 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $15.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 19 Feb 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 11 Oct 2025.
Date compiled: 11 Sep 2026 22:58 UTC (44 minutes ago).

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Ricochet Editions  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: 23 Aug 2026

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

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