Introducing :The Itch Press
Chapbook & Collection Submissions
Open Now – December 31, 2026
Apparently, publishing a literary magazine wasn't enough for us.
The Itch is growing.
We're opening submissions for The Itch Press, a new small-press imprint dedicated to publishing the kind of writing that won't leave you alone.
We're looking for chapbook-length collections of flash fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry.
We like strange. We like uncomfortable. We like funny in ways that probably shouldn't be funny. We like writing that makes us put the manuscript down for a minute and think about what we've just read.
But more than anything, we want collections that feel like they belong together.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
We're particularly interested in collections with a narrative arc.
That doesn't mean every piece needs to tell the same story or feature the same characters. It means we're looking for manuscripts that move somewhere. Collections with a sense of progression, connection, or transformation.
We want to finish the last piece and understand why it had to come after the first.
We're accepting:
Flash fiction collections
Creative nonfiction collections
Poetry chapbooks
Hybrid collections incorporating these genres
We welcome experimental work, unconventional structures, Southern voices, and perspectives we haven't encountered before.
We aren't looking for a particular theme. Surprise us.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Reading fee: $16 per manuscript
Submission deadline: December 31, 2026
Reading period: Open now. We'll begin reviewing manuscripts immediately.
Number of acceptances: No predetermined limit. We'll select manuscripts based on their individual merit and fit with The Itch Press.
Please submit a complete, polished manuscript as a single document.
Include a brief cover letter introducing yourself and your collection.
Previously published individual pieces are welcome, provided you retain the necessary rights to include them in a new collection.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please notify us promptly if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
The $16 reading fee supports the editorial review process and the development of The Itch Press. Payment does not guarantee publication.
WHAT SELECTED AUTHORS RECEIVE
We're building a small press with a simple goal: publish good books and give their writers a fair share of what those books earn.
Selected manuscripts will receive:
Professional publication
Paperback edition
Kindle ebook edition
Consideration for Kindle Unlimited distribution through KDP Select, subject to eligibility and publishing rights
Cover design, interior formatting, and production handled by The Itch Press
Editorial collaboration and proofreading
Promotion through The Itch's website and social media channels
Author compensation
40% of the royalties and sales proceeds actually paid to The Itch Press by Amazon
This includes eligible paperback sales, Kindle ebook sales, and Kindle Unlimited page-read revenue.
No additional deductions for editing, cover design, formatting, or marketing from the author's 40% share.
Two complimentary paperback copies of the finished book.
The Itch Press retains the remaining 60% to cover production, distribution, promotion, and operating expenses.
There is no cash advance or guaranteed payment. Author earnings depend on actual book sales and eligible subscription reads.
Selected authors will receive a written publishing agreement detailing royalty accounting, payment schedules, publication rights, and other terms before committing to publication.
Authors retain copyright to their work. The publishing agreement will specify the rights licensed to The Itch Press.
A NOTE ABOUT KINDLE UNLIMITED
We hope to make eligible titles available through Kindle Unlimited.
Participation in Amazon's KDP Select program requires digital exclusivity during enrollment periods. Authors selected for publication will be able to review these requirements before signing a publishing agreement.
ONE LAST THING
We're not interested in publishing books just to say we've published books.
We're interested in manuscripts that itch.
The ones that linger. The ones that make us uncomfortable. The ones that make us laugh when we shouldn't. The ones that feel like somebody had to write them.
If you've got a collection that's been sitting in a folder waiting for somewhere to belong, we'd love to read it.
Send us something that won't leave us alone.
— Paige Stephens
Founder & Editor, The Itch Lit / The Itch Press