Submissions information

What we’re interested in

We enthusiastically welcome submissions from writers, whether they are new to the publishing world or have prior experience, and with or without an agent.

We have a keen interest in fiction and nonfiction manuscripts that tackle pressing environmental issues while offering a sense of hope. Whether you present potential solutions or explore ways to adapt, we are open to stories that broaden readers’ understanding of the world and motivate them to take action.

We publish young/easy-reader (pre-K to 2nd grade), middle-grade (3rd to 6th grade), young adult, and adult fiction and nonfiction.

For young/easy-reader manuscripts, both the text and the illustrations have to be done. If your manuscript isn’t fully illustrated, please do not submit it.

Please see our notice below regarding general submissions.

Current call for submissions

Thinning Light: Literary Reflections on Fall’s Transformation in Maine

A 12 Willows Press Charity Anthology
Launching December 2026

12 Willows Press is excited to announce Thinning Light: Literary Reflections on Fall’s Transformation in Maine, the fourth annual volume in our Literary Reflections On charity anthology series. The anthology will launch in conjunction with the Bangor Authors’ Book Fair & Literary Festival in December 2026.

This year’s collection explores fall as a season of transition and transformation—where light thins, growth slows, and the natural world shifts toward dormancy. We’re looking for work that reflects Maine in autumn: its landscapes, working lands, harvest cycles, emotional thresholds, and the subtle changes that signal what comes next.

We’re honored that Lisa Steele, author, educator, and founder of Fresh Eggs Daily, will write the introduction, helping frame the collection through her deep connection to seasonal living, land stewardship, and Maine’s agricultural rhythms.

Supporting Maine Agriculture and Land Stewardship

As with all volumes in this series, Thinning Light is a charity anthology. $1 from the sale of every copy will be donated directly to the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), supporting its work to advocate for organic agriculture, local food systems, and sustainable land use across the state.

Submission Guidelines

Call opens: February 1, 2026
Deadline: April 30, 2026

Eligibility

  • Submissions are open to anyone, but contributors must legally reside in Maine at the time of submission.

Genres Accepted

  • Fiction
  • Nonfiction / Essays
  • Poetry
  • Black-and-white visual art (photography, drawings, pen-and-ink, etc.)

Length & Limits

  • Prose: up to 2,500 words
  • Poetry: up to 3 poems per submission
  • Visual art: up to 3 pieces per submission
  • You may submit to one genre only

Previously published work is acceptable.

Editorial Standards

  • All submissions must be fully ready for publication and carefully edited.
  • Submissions requiring heavy editing will be declined.

Format Requirements

Text Submissions

  • Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
  • 12-point Times New Roman
  • Double-spaced for fiction and nonfiction
  • Poetry may be single-spaced

Artwork Submissions

  • High-resolution JPG or PNG files
  • Black-and-white only

Additional Requirements

Contributor Copies

  • Each contributor will receive one free softcover copy of the anthology.

Bangor Authors’ Contributor Awards

All submissions will automatically be considered for the 2026 Bangor Authors’ Writing and Art Awards. The anthology editors will select finalists in the following categories:

  • Fiction
  • Nonfiction
  • Poetry
  • Visual art

Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and announced at the Bangor Authors’ Book Fair & Literary Festival in December 2026.

Previously awarded works are not eligible.

General submission info

Fiction submissions

We are interested in these subgenres:

Eco-fiction
Environmental fiction
Science fiction
Climate fiction
Anthropocene fiction
Apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic fiction

 

Nonfiction submissions

We are not interested in doom and gloom or pointing fingers. We want manuscripts that tackle environmental problems head-on—like nuclear waste, recycling turbine blades, carbon sequestration, deforestation, and monocropping—by detailing their history, human and environmental impacts, and, if possible, previous attempts to correct them. As for possible solutions to these problems, the sky is the limit.

 

Guidelines

Your cover letter must include the following:

  • A brief bio and whether you are a new or previously published author
  • Manuscript title and a short overview of the manuscript
  • Marketing suggestions

Your manuscript:

  • Name/penname on the first page, content warnings, email address, and word count
  • Double spaced
  • DOC, DOCx, or RTF format

Your writing must be original and should not promote racisim, intolerance, or an us-versus-them mindset

Send to submissions@12willowspress.com

Some more things to note:

  • We do reprints
  • We aren’t a vanity or subsidy press
  • We don’t accept plagiarized work—all manuscripts are checked for this

Notice: Pause on general submissions

12 Willows Press is not accepting regular manuscript submissions to focus on our current projects and commitments. This does not apply to our current Call for Submissions.

We deeply appreciate the work of writers and researchers who explore our changing world through stories and insights on the environment, ecology, and sustainability.

Please check back for updates on when our general submission window will reopen.

Thank you for your interest and support!