Guidelines: The Allison Joseph Chapbook Series

(currently CLOSED)

Publisher’s note: Because we received no manuscripts through May 30 of this year, we have shifted the reading period to November. We hope that this will provide sufficient time to better spread the word and generate interest in this series. The first two selected chapbooks are scheduled for publication this September. We are very open to dialogue about this series and are actively looking for ways to better promote it. If you are interested in being a series reader or have any comments or suggestions, please write to us at sevenkitchenspress at gmail dot com.

Submissions for the Allison Joseph Chapbook Series will be considered annually in November. Thank you for your interest in Seven Kitchens Press and this series. Full guidelines are posted below. 

Guidelines:

Seven Kitchens Press is proud to sponsor the annual Allison Joseph Chapbook Series for original, unpublished poetry manuscripts in English by BIPOC women writers. We are proud to offer this series in honor of Allison Joseph as part of our long-term commitment to publish women and other traditionally underrepresented voices, with the goal of making them a significant majority of our catalog.

  • Two manuscripts, one by a writer with, and one by a writer without, previous book or chapbook publication, will be selected for publication in the Allison Joseph Chapbook Series, each in a limited edition of 100 copies.
  • Each chapbook will be printed in a limited edition of 100 copies, with the option of successive printings. The chapbooks will be designed, printed, and hand-assembled by Seven Kitchens Press. The authors will receive 25% of the print run. Additionally, the publisher will distribute ten review copies to reviewers, libraries, and organizations at the author’s recommendation.
  • The reading period will extend from November 1 – November 30, with the selected title(s) scheduled for publication in March. 
  • There are no restrictions on content or form. 
  • There is no reading fee, though we encourage readers to purchase copies of our chapbooks and we gratefully accept donations large or small. Seven Kitchens survives solely on your donations and on the sale of our chapbooks.
  • Manuscripts will be read by Ron Mohring and selected readers. Finalists will be passed along to our series editor, Crystal Boson.
    • The editors may, at their discretion, choose not to award publication in either category. It is also possible that more than one manuscript in either category may be offered publication. Please send your very best work.
    • Submit a paginated manuscript of 16-20 pages of poems with no more than one poem per page. Include a title page and a table of contents, but no identifying information in the manuscript. Do not include images of any kind. Please don’t use fancy fonts. Title this document according to the following format: Joseph_Your Title.
    • In a separate file, please provide the manuscript title, author name, address, email and phone number. This file should include acknowledgments if anything in the manuscript has been previously published. Please also provide a brief biographical note, and title the document according to the following format: Joseph_Your Last Name.
    • In your brief (one paragraph) biographical note, include a statement of any previous or pending book or chapbook publication. (We need this information in order to read your manuscript in its proper category; we are very open to work by new writers and this series is designed to showcase both emerging and established poets.) 
    • Please follow all guidelines. Manuscripts received without necessary information will indicate to us that you have not spent adequate attention to presenting your work. It’s always a good idea to check any publisher’s website for complete guidelines rather than rely on second-hand sources.
    • The collection may contain a series of poems or one single chapbook-length poem.
    • Collaborative works are welcome. Should a winning manuscript be collaboratively written, author copies will be distributed equally (for example, two authors writing collaboratively would receive 15 copies apiece, or 30% of the print run).
    • Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us promptly if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere by sending an e-mail to sevenkitchenspress at gmail dot com.
    • Submissions must be emailed or posted between November 1 – November 30.
    • Please do not double-dip: If your manuscript is currently under consideration for another of our series, please do not send the same work for this series.
    • Multiple submissions are welcome (please send as separate entries) as long as they are not already under consideration for another of our series.
  • We hope to announce the winning manuscript(s) on or before January 31; manuscripts will be scheduled for spring publication. 
  • Authors will receive updates throughout the process: once finalists have been selected, they will be notified by email, and all other entrants will be individually notified via email. 
  • Manuscripts will not be returned. E-mailed submission is preferred, but you may send via regular mail.
  • If sending by mail, please use a binder clip and mail flat in an 8.5 x 11 envelope. Please do not use expedited delivery services; your postmark date is sufficient to ensure your entry qualification, and we will allow 7-10 days for receipt of all entries mailed after November 30. Use First-Class Mail and consider spending the money you’ve saved on a chapbook from a small, independent press! Mail your manuscript to: Ron Mohring, Publisher; Seven Kitchens Press; 2547 Losantiville Ave; Cincinnati OH 45237.
  • If sending by e-mail, please send your manuscript in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx file); include the words “Allison Joseph Chapbook” in the subject line of your e-mail, and please title your document Joseph_Your Title. Send to sevenkitchenspress at gmail dot com.
  • Manuscript titles will be posted, alphabetically by title, on the Seven Kitchens Press site (remember to refresh this page to see the most current information).
  • There is no reading fee; however, we will gratefully accept any donation that you wish to make in support of this series. Checks may be made out to Ron Mohring; Paypal donations may be sent to sevenkitchenspress at gmail dot com. Please feel free to reach out directly via the email address above if you would like to discuss other options.
  • We do ask that you familiarize yourself with at least some of the work published by Seven Kitchens Press (a sample poem from each chapbook is published on the authors’ pages at sevenkitchenspress.com). 
  • Please consider purchasing titles in this series. For a modest donation of $10 with your manuscript entry, we are happy to send you the title of your choice.  
  • Please direct any inquiries to publisher Ron Mohring via the above email address. Though we welcome and appreciate social media connections, we might not see questions posted there.
  • Please notify us of any changes in your contact information, especially your e-mail address.

About the Series:

This chapbook series honors Allison Joseph, whose dedication as a writer, teacher, editor, and mentor has established her as an exemplary model of literary citizenship. We are thrilled to launch a series in her name.

Allison Joseph is the author of numerous poetry collections, including What Keeps Us Here, SoulTrain, In Every Seam, Worldly Pleasures, Imitation of Life, My Father’s Kites, and Confessions of a Barefaced Woman. Allison lives in Carbondale, Illinois, where she directs the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Southern Illinois University.

About the Series Editor:

Crystal Boson is the author of two chapbooks from Seven Kitchens Press: The Icarus Series (2009) and The Queer Texas Prayerbook (2012). Her latest collection, bitter map, was published by honeysuckle press. She is a Cave Canem Fellow and former academic. Find her web site here.