2026 Clay Reynolds Novella Prize: Guidelines

The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize
Prize: $1,000
Final Judge: 

Recent judges include Fatimah Asghar, Steven Dunn, Michael Martone, Renee Gladman, Leslie Jill Patterson, and Hannah Pittard.

General Guidelines

• Submissions are open January 1 – March 31.
• Submissions are anonymous.
• A fee of $20 must be paid at the time of submission.
• Open to anyone writing in English. Translations are not eligible.
• Excerpts may have been published individually in magazines or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished.
• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Please notify TRP immediately by withdrawing the manuscript via Submittable if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
• Submissions are accepted through Submittable only.
• Winner will receive a $1,000 advance, publication with TRP: The University Press of SHSU, and 10 copies of the published book.
• The winner will be announced via Submittable and on the TRP website in the fall.

Manuscript Guidelines

• Novella manuscripts should have a total word count of between 15,000 and 40,000 words.
• Please include a table of contents (if applicable), title page, and page numbers.
• Please double-space and use a 12pt. font.
• Do not include an acknowledgments page.
• Submissions are judged on an anonymous basis. Please remove any personally information from the manuscript. (Name, contact information, etc.)
• Submit as a .pdf, .docx, or .doc file format.
• No revisions will be accepted once the manuscript is uploaded.

Eligibility

• Open to anyone writing in English.
• Submitters must be 18+ years of age.
• Translations are not eligible.
• Manuscripts may make use of other languages, as long as English remains the primary language throughout the work.
• Previously published manuscripts—including self-published or out-of-print works—are not eligible.
• Individual pieces may have appeared in magazines or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished.

Conflict of Interest Restrictions

• Current and former TRP authors are not eligible.
• Family of the final judge or TRP staff are not eligible.
• Current or former students* of the final judge or TRP staff are not eligible.
• Current and former students and faculty of Sam Houston State University are not eligible.

*Writers who studied with the final judge or TRP staff for a semester-length period are not eligible. Writers who studied with the final judge or TRP staff for two-week residencies, single workshops, or other instances less than a semester in length are eligible, provided the work submitted is previously unseen by TRP staff or the final judge.