Manuscripts

(currently closed to submissions)

Each year, usually in the winter, we hold an open reading period for chapbooks and occasionally for novellas and full-lengths. These readings include the whole team and selections are made on a majority vote.

We have decided not to hold an open reading period this year (2023). Please check this page again in 2024 for updated submission windows.

The Contract & Notes

We’re asking for rights for 3 years, in which we’ll promote and sell your book with the possibility to renew.

An initial print run of 200 copies will be printed and we reserve the right to print more. On average our chapbooks sell 150 copies and they are distributed with Small Press Distribution.

We are currently paying our authors 40% of royalties. Our take goes towards the various costs of the book project such as copyright, cover art, transaction fees, distribution fees, the various–and sometimes exorbitant–contest entry fees, services with publicity agents, etc.

Books published at Variant Lit are treated as a collaboration. We may not change anything about the book but we will ask about it; What didn’t make the manuscript? Are you second guessing anything? What are your goals for the book? What are your inspirations for cover art?

There will be no out pocket expense to the author and we’re open to contract addendums.

This is all a brief, of course, to give you an idea of what you can expect. If you have further questions or concerns about any of this feel free to shoot an email to our Editor-in-Chief, Tyler, at tyler@variantlit.com

The Guidelines

For poetry submissions please format as you see fit.

For chapbooks we are usually looking for something under 48pages and full-lengths under 120pages.

We do not care if pieces have been published before or if everything in your manuscript has been previously published. We have published both.

We like a table of contents and page numbers.