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 a temporary pause on general submissions.
Current Call for Submissions
Echoes in the Fog: Reflections on the Liminal Spaces of Maine’s Coast
12 Willows Press is excited to announce Echoes in the Fog: Reflections on the Liminal Spaces of Maine’s Coast, our third annual charity anthology, launching in conjunction with the Bangor Authors’ Book Fair & Literary Festival in December 2025. This collection will explore the transformative beauty of Maine’s coastal liminal spaces—where the sea meets the shore, isolation meets connection, and the natural world may blur into the surreal. We’re honored that Robin Alden, founding executive director of the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, will introduce the anthology—bringing decades of coastal insight to frame the collection.
We invite authors and artists to submit work reflecting Maine’s coastline’s ever-shifting landscape.
Deadline: CLOSED
Submission Guidelines
- Submissions are open to anyone, but contributors must reside in Maine at the time of submission
- Genres accepted: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Black-and-White Illustrations (Photography, Drawings, Pen-and-Ink, etc.)
- Length: Up to 2,500 words for prose; up to 3 illustrations or 3 poems per submission
- Previously published material is acceptable
- All submissions must be fully ready for publication and thoroughly edited—submissions requiring heavy editing will be rejected
Format - Text submissions: Microsoft Word, 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced for short stories and essays; poetry can be single-spaced
- Artwork submissions: High-resolution JPG or PNG files, black-and-white only
- Include a brief bio and contact information in your submission email
- You can only submit to one genre
- Contributors will receive 1 free copy of the softcover
- Submissions should be sent to submissions@12willowspress.com with the subject line “Echoes in the Fog Submission.”
Bangor Authors’ Writing Awards
All submissions will automatically be considered for the 2025 Bangor Authors’ Writing Awards. The anthology editors will select 3 to 4 finalists in each category: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and announced at the Bangor Authors’ Book Fair & Literary Festival in December. Previously awarded works will not be eligible for consideration. Additionally, an award will be given for the Best Illustration, recognizing outstanding visual contributions to the anthology.
Supporting Maine’s Coastal Conservation
$1 from the sale of every copy of Echoes in the Fog will be donated to the Maine Coast Heritage Trust to help preserve Maine’s coastal ecosystems, ensuring these liminal spaces remain for future generations to explore and be inspired by.
12 Willows is committed to publishing narratives that spark change and deepen our connection to the world around us. We look forward to reading your submissions and celebrating the voices that capture the spirit of Maine’s coastal landscapes.
Notice: Temporary pause on general submissions
12 Willows Press is temporarily pausing 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!
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
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
- If you’re still working on your manuscript and think we might be interested, please send us some samples!
