The beautiful pause prize
THE PRIZE is closed until november 15th, 2026. reopening for fiction this year!
the beautiful pause prize…
is a yearly prize of $1,000 and the print publication of a full-length manuscript awarded to a writer of exceptional talent and heart.
One runner-up will receive $500 and publication of an excerpt in one of our biannual print volumes.
Submissions open for fiction manuscripts and pitches NOVEMBER 15TH, 2026 through may 1st, 2027.
Contest Timeline
Winning and shortlisted manuscripts/pitches announced in August/September 2027
Publication and release of the winning manuscript in early 2028.
The prize will reopen for poetry on November 15, 2027.
Guidelines
18 and older to submit.
This contest is judged by Press Pause editors, and submissions are anonymized.
Please submit complete manuscripts of up to 120,000 words.
Only one attachment/manuscript per submission. A single author may submit multiple times but must pay the $25 reading fee for each submission.
Remove any identifying information from your manuscript or pitch. If your name is anywhere on your manuscript or pitch, it will not be considered.
What Makes a Beautiful Pause?
We are looking for original, honest, beautiful nonfiction from humans. We have no gates to keep. Haunt us from every corner of every place. Send us thoughtful essays, narratives, and collections (and pitches for those) that make us pause, slow down, think, laugh, cry, and feel more connected to our fellow humans. As we always say: Send us whatever is in your hearts.
publishing with us
Dear Future Beautiful Pause Winner:
We love you.
Your manuscript will be treated with respect, with you at the helm of the editing process. We will copyedit your manuscript in suggestion mode, and maybe provide a few thoughts on developmental edits that you can take or leave. You will be able to extensively proof your work before publication.
We are fans of the feel of beautiful books in our hands. We don’t print anything that isn’t beautiful.
You will receive your monetary prize immediately upon winning and 25 contributor copies when printed. You will receive royalties on all sales.
Because we do not have a social media account—(We’re Press Pause!)—we will also work with you to market your book and put a small budget behind doing so.
Questions? Email se.harsha@presspausepress.org.