our manuscript screening & judging process
Manuscripts are not read anonymously. During the screening process, every manuscript is read by a minimum of two people, at least one of whom is a board member (the other is either an outside screener or another board member). With the assistance of screeners, submissions are winnowed to a group of semi-finalists from which the editorial board chooses finalists. Our screeners with very few exceptions are published poets and/or MFA students. They are provided with lunch and paid with free copies of the winning books, resume credit, and the opportunity to have a voice in what we publish, and Alice James Books is very grateful for their assistance.
All finalist manuscripts are read over a period of weeks by the entire 8 – 10 member editorial board in preparation for the finalist meeting where winners are chosen. In instances where a member is personally acquainted with an entrant the member is required to disclose the relationship before discussion at the finalist meeting. Winners are chosen through consensus and each member has to convince seven to nine other members with very different tastes/opinions that a particular manuscript is the best one. The diversity and quality of the AJB list reflects the integrity and success of the screening and judging process. We invite you to judge for yourself: AJB Catalog
CLMP Contest Code of Ethics
CLMP's community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines—defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.
