Loblolly Press: Open Submissions for Writers of Color Gold Star Program Gold Star Free Tip Jar Option

Submission Window: October 1–December 31, 2026

Who can submit: Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian, Middle Eastern and North African, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander writers — including multiracial writers who identify as people of color — with ties to the American South. Self-identification is respected; no explanation required.

Genres Accepted:

• Poetry (up to 3 poems in a single PDF)
• Short Fiction (1 story in a single PDF)
• Novels (1 chapter in a single PDF)

Reading Fee: None.
This free submission period honors our ongoing commitment to ensuring access to publishing opportunities without financial barriers.

Priority Review:
All submissions in this category receive precedence during our full reading period.

Submission Notes:

• Please submit one file.
• Cover letters are optional — include one only if you have something essential to share. The strength of the writing comes first.
• Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please notify us promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere.
• All work must be original and previously unpublished in book form.
• Every submission is read with care, but we are not able to provide feedback on individual submissions.

Timeline:

• End of January 2027 — Manuscript requests sent.
• End of February 2027 —2028 author cohort finalized

We anticipate selecting 2–3 authors for the 2028 publishing year.

AI Policy: We want to hear you. Please don’t use AI-generated or AI-written work — basic tools like spell check or grammar suggestions are totally fine.

Tip Jar: No fee is required for this submission. Optional tips go straight back into our work supporting and publishing Southern writers.

About Loblolly Press:
Loblolly Press is an independent literary publisher in Asheville, North Carolina, founded in 2023. We publish poetry and prose from writers across the American South, from debut authors to longtime writers, and we're especially committed to voices the region's literary tradition has too often left out. The press keeps a deliberately small list of three to six books a year, alongside our annual anthology, Understory.