THIRD COAST BOOK of the YEAR

$20,000 Grand Prize Launch Package*

Includes a featured debut at the Third Coast Author & Book Festival, national publicity, and a professional development residency.

Pathway to Publication

You wrote a book. A whole book. It's beautiful. It's propulsive. It deserves an audience.

Our boutique press is seeking ONE upmarket genre book to traditionally publish each year and launch at our Third Coast Festival in March as our Book of the Year. Every manuscript submitted will be given thorough evaluation, vetted by multiple readers and editors, and handpicked by our Selection Committee.

Our Finalists will be invited to our Masterclass Residency for the weekend of the Third Coast Festival, all expenses paid.

ONE of these Finalists will be selected as our Third Coast Book of the Year, receiving a traditional publishing contract, professional developmental edit, professional editorial edit, book cover design, and extensive marketing that will last years, altogether valued at *$20,000 or more. Want to hold your book in your hands, see it on shelves, have book clubs discuss it, win awards, get optioned for a movie or mini series? It all begins here.

Upmarket Genre & Book Club fiction

SEEKING

If you're unsure if your book fits, ask yourself, is this book a page-turner AND beautifully written? Does this book make the reader gasp at the twists AND is meaningful enough to live rent free in the reader's mind for the next ten years? If this sounds like your manuscript, we want to read it.

Still Unsure? Read More

Kirsten Miller

International Bestselling author

Selection Committee Chair

Seeking two additional selection committee members. Please reach out here if you're interested or have a recommendation.

Submission Guidelines

Seeking unpublished manuscripts for upmarket genre fiction, that perfectly blend the propulsive hook of a commercial hit and the soul of a literary masterpiece. Please ensure your submission packet meets the following criteria:

Query Letter: Title, genre, word count, if this a standalone novel or part of a series. A 1-2 sentence tagline that captures central conflict. A 2-3 paragraph summary. 2-3 comparative titles. Instead of a traditional author bio, please include an artist statement. In 200 words or less, please tell us your connection to this story. Why did you have to write it? What do you hope a book club discusses after they finish the last page? Do not include degrees, awards, or previous publications.

Synopsis: A 1-2 page, single-spaced document that summarizes the entire plot, including all spoilers and the ending.

Sample: The first three chapters or the first 50 pages of your manuscript. Use 12pt Times New Roman, double spaced, 1-inch margins, and page numbers. Please remove all identifying information (name, email, address, etc.) from the manuscript file itself.

Reading Fee: $35 (Standard entry) or $75 (includes brief editorial feedback).

Deadline: Submissions close June 15, 2026. If your work is moved to the next tier, please ensure you provide the requested pages within the week.

This is a merit-based award. Open to agented and unsolicited submissions. We do not accept books that have already been published. You are encouraged to submit elsewhere, but please let us know immediately if your manuscript is accepted by another publisher so we can remove it from consideration. In this event, you may receive a refund of your submission fee IF our team has not already begun to read your packet. All other submission fees are non-refundable. We do NOT care if you have a million followers on instagram, what your name is, if you've been previously published, how many books you've sold before. All we care about is the art. The story. What it makes us think. How it makes us feel.

Submit Here

While our submission portal is under construction, please submit your complete submission packet for consideration of the Third Coast Book of the Year title and award below.

100% of submission fees go directly towards our professional readers, editors and other admin. Requiring this fee ensures every tier 1 submission is thoroughly reviewed by professional readers.

What's included

Guaranteed professional reading of your submission packet

1 - 2 pages editorial feedback

Consideration for the BOTY title and award

Consideration as a BOTY finalist, receiving a one-on-one session with our senior editor

Consideration as a BOTY finalist, receiving a fully-paid professional residency weekend for the following year's festival

Consideration for our "wildcard" award, which is a fully-paid professional residency for a promising manuscript*

Read-Only - $35 one-time fee

Written Feedback - $75 one-time fee

BOTY (Book of the Year).
All submissions will be considered. ONE will be selected for publication.
*The "wildcard" is awarded upon our discretion and may or may not be offered in any given year. Should we choose to award it, the author will receive a fully-paid stay (travel not included) to the writing residency we believe would most benefit the manuscript and move it closer towards publication.