Ethical commitment 

- Authors retain all rights to their work while it is under consideration and can submit elsewhere simultaneously.

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- All BOTY manuscripts are read "blind" to remove bias. 

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- 100% of your BOTY entry fee is paid directly to our team of readers, editors and admin. This ensures fair wages for the labor of reading every manuscript and submission entry. 

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- Submissions to our Traditional Imprints are always free. Authors do not pay for any part of the production or editing process. We offer traditional publishing contracts.  

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- ALL BOTY entries receive a clear response or indication if they are moving forward in the selection process by September 1 of their submission season. The top 10 will be published on our website. 

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- Your BOTY submission fee is deducted from your writing residency tuition should you choose to attend. Conversely, your BOTY submission fee is waived if you attend a residency in that calendar year. Please email us at hello@thirdcoastliterarypress.com for either of these promo codes. 

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- Zero dollars from entry fees fund our $20,000 launch package. This is funded independently, through our writing residencies and through private sponsorship. 

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- 100% of profit from our Reading Retreats goes towards supporting local festivals, non-profits, or groups designed to support the reading community and its authors. 

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- We believe financial circumstances should not be a barrier to literary merit. While our submission fees are essential to ensure our professional reading team is paid a fair wage, we also offer waivers to anyone experiencing financial hardship. No proof required - we trust our community. If the $35 entry fee prevents you from sharing your voice, please email hello@thirdcoastliterarypress.com with the subject line "WAIVER" to request an entry code.