She Writes Press (SWP), a curated press that supports authors with an experienced editorial and production team while allowing them to retain full ownership of their project and earnings, is accepting entries for the 9th edition of the She Writes Press Toward Equality in Publishing (STEP) contest, which gives women writers of colour an opportunity to have their work published and supported.
Since 2018, the contest has helped create more opportunities for women writers of color and promote greater diversity within the publishing industry. Each year, two authors are selected to receive publishing packages with She Writes Press, along with a 500-book print run. According to SWP, each winner will receive a complete She Writes Press publishing package valued at $12,000, plus an initial print run of 500 books. The package includes custom interior and cover design, e-book conversion and distribution through more than 130 partners, traditional trade distribution through Simon & Schuster, proofreading, copyright filing, and a Library of Congress control number.
Winners will also receive book warehousing, preorder and order fulfillment services, guidance from an assigned editorial manager throughout production and after publication, complimentary Advanced Reader Copies, and an initial 500 copies delivered to the Simon & Schuster warehouse.
Entries will be judged based on the quality and merit of the submitted work. To apply, applicants can submit a query letter, full chapter summaries, and the first 50 pages of their manuscript. Nonfiction writers can submit a query letter and a full-length nonfiction book proposal. Applicants will also be asked to share information about their heritage or background as part of the submission process.
There is no entry fee, and each person can submit only one entry. The contest is open to applicants from all countries and regions. Entrants must be at least 18 years old and identify as female or a woman, including trans, nonbinary, or genderqueer writers who identify as women.
Applicants must also be women of color, including people of African, Indigenous to the Americas or Australia, Latinx, Asian or Pacific Islander, Arab, or mixed racial heritage with one or two parents from these groups. Both agented and unagented work is eligible.
She Writes Press Publisher, Brooke Warner, works with publishing professionals to review submissions. Thereafter, external judges and the internal editorial team will then select the top five finalists. The finalists are expected to be contacted by mid to late October 2026, while a panel of published authors and literary agents will select the two winners. The winners are expected to be announced by mid-November 2026, with finalists and winners contacted directly by email.
The step contest is free to enter, with submissions open until September 10, 2026.
For more information and to apply, please visit https://shewritespress.com/equality-in-publishing/.
