Miami University Press Novella Contest

About the novella and our contest

photo of a trophy The novella form has had a long and distinguished place in American literature, and has triumphed in the hands of Herman Melville, Henry James, Katherine Anne Porter, Stanley Elkin, Cynthia Ozick, Jane Smiley, Toni Morrison, Philip Roth, Saul Bellow, William Gass, John Gardner, Andrea Barrett and Tobias Wolff, to name just a few.

As commercial publishers are driven more and more by marketplace concerns, novellas, by nature of their length, often fall between the cracks of short story collections and novels and wind up being published—if at all—not as individual volumes but as part of a collection of stories. Because the form is such a pleasure for readers and writers alike—short enough to be read at a single sustained sitting, but long enough to allow the writer greater freedom in character and plot development than does the short story—we are happy to present a rare venue for publishing individual novellas as stand-alone volumes.

Manuscripts submitted for the award will be read and evaluated by our creative writing faculty, all of whom are active publishing writers. The manuscripts will be read “blind;” in other words, all identifiers will be stripped from the pages before the manuscripts are read, and the author’s history of previous publication will not be available to readers. Each year a different member of our faculty will serve as the final judge and will decide from among the list of finalists submitted by the other readers.

Students, former students, faculty, former faculty, or anyone connected to Miami University will not be considered for the award. Though we believe strongly in the talent of those we have worked with and taught, we will do everything we can to assure that this prize is administered impartially, fairly, and without regard to association.

Miami University Press is a non-profit organization. Though we are requiring a reading fee (currently $25), we wish to make it clear that this money will be used to pay for the administrative costs of the contest, to help with the costs of publishing a book of high quality, and to allow each entrant to receive a copy of the winning volume. We want that book to be a pleasure to hold in the hands and to read. The winning volume will be distributed nationwide.

Submission rules and guidelines

Entries must be accompanied by:
(1) a completed Entry Form
(2) a title page with only the entry title and word count (do not include your name on the title page), and
(3) the required reading fee of $25 U.S. Dollars (check or money order made payable to Miami University Press). We are unable to accept credit cards or cash.

Winning entry receives book publication and a $750 advance against royalties.
Entries must be postmarked by October 15, 2012.
If you are entering more than one manuscript, you may mail all entries in the same package and include one check or money order for the total reading fee ($25 per manuscript); however, each manuscript must be accompanied by a separate entry form and title page.
The reading fee is non-refundable.
Our contest is open to residents of any country, but please note that the reading fee must be paid in U.S. dollars.
Manuscripts must be 18,000–40,000 words—exceptions cannot be made. Include the exact word count (counting every word, except the title and contact information) on the cover page.
Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced, in a legible font on white 8½" x 11" or A4 paper. Loose pages, held together with a binder clip or rubber band, are acceptable.
Previously published works are not eligible.
Simultaneous submissions are welcomed; please notify us if your submission is accepted for publication elsewhere; your entry will be pulled from our pool. We regret that we cannot refund the entry fee.
We cannot return submitted manuscripts.
To receive notification of receipt of your manuscript, send a self-addressed stamped postcard along with your entry.
All entrants receive a copy of the winning book.
Results will be announced on our website by late February 2013.

Mail to:
MU Press Novella Prize
English Department
356 Bachelor Hall
Miami University,
Oxford, OH 45056

2011 winner

Men Beware Women by Gwen Thompson
Final judge and editor: Margaret Luongo

More information about this title will be posted soon.

Runners up

The New Century by Monica Hileman
Continuity by David Crouse
No Creature Loves an Empty Space by Sudip Bose
Unspeakable by Erika Rummel
My Bo and Me by Roberta Anthes

2010 winner

Mitko by Garth Greenwell
Final judge and editor: David Schloss

Read more about this title…

2009 winners

The 2009 contest resulted in a tie—so we broke with tradition and awarded two authors the prize.

The Old Whitaker Place by David Chambers
Read more about this title…
Under the Small Lights by John Cotter
Read more about this title…

Final judge and editor: David Schloss

2008 winner

The Guide to the Flying Island by Lee Upton
Final judge and editor: Joseph Bates