Betty 2026
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Submission guidelines for Betty
Betty is a traditional, distributed independent imprint of WTAW Press. Our mission is to elevate and publish historically underrepresented voices. We welcome submissions from all self-identified women, including trans women, nonbinary and intersex authors, and authors whose gender identity is fluid or nonconforming. We value excellent writing, seeking authors with a diverse range of backgrounds and lived experiences, and acquire literary titles through our anonymous open submission process.
Betty authors are organized into cohorts. Authors connect with one another during the publishing cycle, share advice and encouragement, and support one another’s events and readership. This collaborative spirit helps build momentum for each title and for Betty overall. By submitting a manuscript, an author is expressing their interest in participating in the cohort for a three to four-year term that includes the pre-publication and one-year post-publication of their book.
Before entering a manuscript for consideration, please familiarize yourself with Betty and our books.
Submissions are accepted only via our submission manager during the submission period, June 1–August 31, 2026, accompanied by a nonrefundable submission fee of $30.
● Manuscripts should be full-length books of prose (novels, memoirs, narrative nonfiction, collections of stories or essays, hybrid prose) in English.
● All material must be the author’s own, original composition and free from copyright restrictions. We do not accept submissions generated by AI tools or language models.
● Identifying information for the author must not be included anywhere on the manuscript, including on the name of the file or on the title field in the submission form. Manuscripts containing identifying information in any way will be automatically disqualified and the entry fee forfeited.
● A manuscript in its entirety must be previously unpublished. It may contain some previously published portions, but it should contain a majority of new work.
● Any previous published material contained in the manuscript must be credited in the cover letter (see more about the letter below).
● Acknowledgements of any previously published material may not be included in the manuscript file. Manuscripts containing acknowledgments will be automatically disqualified.
● Ensure manuscript pages are numbered.
● Include a title page with a total word count.
● Include a table of contents, as appropriate.
● Use a standard, easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman in twelve-point size. Manuscripts must be double-spaced with at least 1 inch margins.
● Authors may submit more than one manuscript as long as no material is duplicated between submissions. Each submission requires a separate entry fee.
● Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but the writer must agree to notify Betty immediately if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere for publication and to withdraw it from our submission manager.
● Submissions cannot be edited once they are submitted. Manuscripts selected for publication will go through an editing process with the editors.
● Cover letters must be entered into the appropriate field on the submission manager. They may not be included in the submission file itself. Submission files that contain a cover letter will be automatically disqualified.
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Cover letters must include the following information:
● Author contact information (address, phone, email)
● The work’s title, genre, and word count
● List of credits for any previously published portions
● A brief synopsis of the work (short paragraph)
● A brief author biography with publishing history, if applicable, and that includes an author website address and social media handles
● Indication if the manuscript is submitted simultaneously and pledge to withdraw it if accepted elsewhere
● Where you heard about the open call for Betty submissions
Any submission that doesn’t follow the guidelines will be disqualified and the submission fee forfeited.
Thank you for sending us your manuscript. We look forward to reading it.