When to nominate
We will accept nominations from September 1, 2026 through November 30, 2026. All decisions will be sent within a month after the reading period closes. We aim to publish an anthology of winners, including a list of acknowledged finalists, in Spring 2027, both digitally and in print.
Nominations for the 2027 Monarch anthology are open until November 30, 2026. Please use our Google Form to nominate works.
What to nominate
We are looking for poetry, prose, hybrid, and art created by queer, trans, and gender variant writers and artists. We seek to uplift work that pushes the boundaries of genre and craft, highlights untold and under-told perspectives, and challenges us to view the world anew.
Guidelines and Eligibility
- Nominations must come from the editor(s) of the publication. Journals and independent presses are both eligible. In an effort to platform as many different queer creatives as possible, we only accept one nominated piece per author.
- The work submitted must have been initially published between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026, either online or in print.
- We accept poetry, fiction, nonfiction, hybrid, and art. Each journal or press may submit:
- Up to five poems of no more than 10 pages in total, AND/OR
- Up to two fiction pieces of no more than 3,000 words apiece, AND/OR
- Up to two nonfiction pieces of no more than 3,000 words apiece, AND/OR
- Up to two hybrid pieces of no more than 3,000 words apiece, AND/OR
- Up to five art pieces.
- Both cover art and interior art are eligible for submission.
- We do not accept any work that has been generated, in part or in full, by artificial intelligence.
- We do not accept any work that contains any form of hate speech.
- If accepted, we ask for non-exclusive anthology rights.
IMPORTANT:
Our world is becoming increasingly hostile to queer people, who are often targeted by harassment and discrimination both on- and offline. While it is more important than ever to celebrate queer expression, we must prioritize the safety of the community this award is designed to uplift. For this reason, we require that you ask your authors if they would like to be nominated for this award before you nominate their work. Publications that only publish queer writers are exempt from this rule.
How to nominate
Please use our nomination form when nominations are open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this award open to international nominations?
Yes.
Can I nominate a teen for this award?
Due to the difficult and mature topics we anticipate being addressed in work submitted to this anthology, we are limiting eligibility to authors age 18 or older at time of the initial publication of their work. Please note that this is a change from last year.
What if I want to nominate a piece by a queer author, but it’s not about queer issues?
We seek nominations of work by queer writers and artists on any topic or issue.
What if I want to nominate a piece about queer issues, but the author is not queer?
We seek nominations of work by queer writers and artists on any topic or issue.
Can I nominate multiple pieces by the same author?
The same author may be independently nominated by multiple publications, but each publication may only nominate one piece from each of their authors.
I’m an author. Can I nominate myself?
Unfortunately, no. We encourage you to bookmark fifth wheel press’s other submission opportunities.
I’m an editor at a publication where a member of the awards committee also works. Can I nominate an author from this publication?
Yes, you may. The committee member(s) associated with your publication will recuse themselves from voting on the author you nominate. Committee members cannot be nominated for an award. Other fifth wheel press publications cannot nominate authors for an award.
Can I submit my nominations via email?
No. Please use our nomination form. If you are experiencing technical difficulties with the form, please reach out at monarch@fifthwheelpress.com for clarification.
Can I nominate a piece that was reprinted during the 2025-2026 eligibility period, even if it was originally printed earlier?
Yes, but please disclose where and when the piece was first printed.
Is there a monetary prize associated with this award?
No. However, we are seeking grant funding to pay those selected for the anthology in the future. We are also accepting donations to cover our web hosting costs via Ko-fi; any overages will be used to pay awardees.
My question isn’t answered here!
Email us at monarch@fifthwheelpress.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!