Hub City Writers Project is a literary nonprofit organization located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Comprised of an acclaimed literary book publisher, an independent bookshop, and a literary programmer focused on education and outreach, our mission is cultivating readers and nurturing writers in both the Spartanburg community and throughout the South to foster an inclusive literary arts culture. Open positions will be reflected below.

Hub City Press publishes books of literary fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, regional nonfiction, nature, and art. We are seeking new and extraordinary voices from the American South who have written well-crafted, high-quality works. We are particularly interested in books with a strong sense of place. We believe strongly that the publishing industry needs to promote a more diverse range of experiences, and so have committed ourselves to spotlighting lesser-heard Southern voices including: people of color, members of LGBTQ and gender diverse communities, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, as well as ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. Hub City is a small press, publishing eight to ten titles per year. In general, our publication schedule operates at least 12-18 months in advance of release.

Hub City publishes writers living in or from the South. What's the South? A complicated issue, to say the least, but the short answer for our purposes: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. (Are you from a border state like Missouri, Oklahoma, or Ohio? If you feel like your book is a good fit for us, make a case in your query.)

We do not publish romance, science fiction, true crime, mystery, cookbooks, how-to books, horror/paranormal or specific-religion inspirational books. We do not publish books for young people (YA, middle grade or childrens). Please do not send us a query if your book has already been self-published, even only as an e-book. We are looking only for full length works, rather than single stories, essays, or poems. We will automatically reject works with evidence of AI authorship.

About our Open Submission Periods:

Our open periods for unagented query submissions are March/April and September/October. You may only submit queries during these months. (Agents: it's best to contact Meg Reid directly to pitch us a book.)

What to send us:

  • A brief, informative query letter about your manuscript (include the title, genre, length, description of the work, author background and publication history)
  • Any credentials that particularly qualify you to write your book. If you have access to special markets or promotional opportunities for your book, we’d like to know about them as well.
  • Your full manuscript (.doc and .docx preferred) Please note incomplete manuscripts will be automatically rejected.

We can no longer accept queries for poetry collections or short story collections during our open submission period. Please wait to submit in these genres through our New Southern Voices Poetry Prize (open every other spring) and C. Michael Curtis Short Story Book Prize (open every other fall). We do occasionally open for poetry queries, so keep an eye out on our social media for dates. If you are a South Carolina fiction writer, we hope you’ll consider submitting your novel to the South Carolina Novel Prize (open every other spring via the South Carolina Arts Commission). 

Due to the size of our staff and the volume of queries we receive, we are unable to respond to every query. We will be in touch with you if we have interest in your work. If you have not heard back within six months of your query or manuscript submission, assume your manuscript was not a good fit for us. Please feel free to withdraw and resubmit to another open submission period after 12 months if you have made revisions to your project and have not heard back from us. 

The South Carolina Novel Series publishes a novel by a South Carolina writer biennially. Writers selected for publication in this series are awarded $1,500 and book publication, including marketing and tour support from Hub City Press and the series partners, as well as placement in all South Carolina state libraries and readings/events with presenting sponsors.
The series is open to writers of all levels who have lived in South Carolina for at least one year prior to submission of their manuscript. Co-sponsors include the South Carolina Arts Commission, the South Carolina State Library and South Carolina Humanities. Submissions for the series will open on January 1 and will close April 15 and will require no submission fee.
Selection Process
Manuscripts will be taken through online submission during the open reading period only.  Final selection will be made by Hub City Press editors.
Eligibility

  • The series is open to writers of all levels who have lived in South Carolina for at least one year prior to submission of their manuscript. (Residency will be verified before the winner is announced.)
  • Submitters must not be affiliated with Hub City Press or Hub City Writers Project as a staff member or volunteer.

Submission Guidelines

  • Hub City Press will accept typed submissions of full manuscripts between November 1 and 11:59 PM February 15. The winner is announced in the summer.
  • There are no content requirements for the novel series, but manuscripts should fit our mission. We are looking for literary work about the South. This excludes books for young people (YA, middle grade, or children's), romance, science fiction, mystery, how-to books, horror/paranormal or specific-religion inspirational books. Please do not send us a query if your book has already been self-published, even only as an eBook.
  • Only manuscripts between 150 and 350 (single-sided) pages are eligible (or no more than 90,000 words) Submission must be an original work of which the applicant is the sole author.
  • We ask that writers submit only one (1) book during the submission period. Second submissions of additional books will not be read.
  • Simultaneous submissions of the same manuscript to other publishers or contests are acceptable but please notify us through withdrawal of your submission if your manuscript has been accepted elsewhere.
  • While translations and manuscripts in languages other than English are not eligible, manuscripts that occasionally use words from other languages are acceptable and welcome.
  • No revisions of submitted manuscripts will be allowed during the contest.
  • Manuscripts will only be taken during the open reading period and must be submitted through the online submission portal. Paper submissions will be destroyed.

FAQ
I have never published a novel before. Am I eligible?
Yes! The South Carolina Novel Series is looking for emerging writers in the region.
I have published more than one novel/book before. Am I eligible?
Yes! The series is open to writers of all levels who have lived in South Carolina for at least one year prior to submission of their manuscript.
I was born in / grew up in / attended school in South Carolina, but have since moved away. Am I eligible?
Unfortunately, no. The contest is open only to writers currently living in South Carolina. If you don't currently live in South Carolina, you are ineligible for the prize. You must currently live in South Carolina for a year to the date of your submission.
I have lived at two different addresses in South Carolina in the last 12 months. Am I eligible?
Yes! As long as you've stayed in the state, you are eligible.
I am an agent representing a South Carolina writer. Can I submit my author to the series?
Yes, but please note that the contract for publication will be written between Hub City and the author.
Questions?
If your question is not answered above, email kate@hubcity.org.

$25.00

The C. Michael Curtis Short Story Book Prize includes $5,000 and book publication. The prize is open to emerging writers in thirteen Southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia or West Virginia) and must have no more than one previously published book.

The prize is named in honor of C. Michael Curtis, who has served as an editor of The Atlantic since 1963 and as fiction editor since 1982. Curtis has discovered or edited some of the finest short story writers of the modern era, including Tobias Wolff, Joyce Carol Oates, John Updike, and Anne Beattie. He has edited several acclaimed anthologies, including Contemporary New England Stories, God: Stories, and Faith: Stories. Curtis moved to Spartanburg, S.C. in 2006 and has taught as a professor at both Wofford and Converse Colleges, in addition to serving on the editorial board of Hub City Press.

This prize is made possible by a generous contribution from Michel and Eliot Stone of Spartanburg.

Manuscripts will be taken through online submission only. All manuscripts will be read anonymously by paid screeners. This contest is guided by the CLMP Code of Ethics.

Please read the full guidelines before submitting.



Hub City Press & Writers Project