The Declaration of Gender Independence is an anthology of poetry and essay which celebrates the full spectrum of gender identity. This book pushes back against the gender binary and lifts up joy.

Gender is at the forefront of conversation in modern America. Some people deny that gender diversity exists, and we want to confront that denial with a wealth of knowledge. For this project, we want your lived experiences as a person with a gender identity. How is your gender important to you? Were you assigned a sex at birth that doesn't fit your sense of self? Or maybe you feel comfortable in your gender assignment, and even celebrate it. Maybe the emergent language surrounding gender identity has finally explained something that you've felt your whole life. We want to know: how has all of this shaped you? Where do you find joy?

We are looking for diverse and true lived experiences. Please send personal narratives and biographies, but not persona poems or fiction. Please respect this constraint.

For this project, we are open to work by writers who are 18 years of age and older.

Submission Guidelines                 

Tulipwood Books is a developmental-editing press. We work with authors to develop work toward publication, and we're excited to get the chance to collaborate with you. 

Please consider reading a back issue to get a sense of the work we publish. Find out more at our website: tulipwood.org

Submissions

Please send only previously unpublished work: 3-5 poems (up to 10 pages) or one essay (up to 3000 words), along with a cover letter and short bio.

• .docx or .pdf format
• Please start each new poem on a new page.
• Use a 12-point font or larger, and a standard typeface like Times New Roman or Aptos.
• Please submit writing that you are willing to develop with an editor. 

Collaboration

• If your work is chosen for publication, we will notify you via Submittable and contact you via email with our edits.
• Your work will not be published until all edits are approved by both author and editor.

Policies

• For this project, we are open to work by writers who are 18 years of age and older.
• We charge a $3 reading fee, to support the operations of the press. If this fee prevents you from submitting, please contact us.
• We do not consider previously-published work.
• We accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us immediately If your work is accepted elsewhere. Once your piece is accepted, we expect that you will withdraw it from consideration elsewhere.
• There is no guarantee of publication.

Terms of Use

• Please submit only work that you are willing to develop and publish with Tulipwood Books.
• Please make sure that you've read and understand our policies below. Any work that violates these policies will be destroyed without acknowledgement or refund.
• No hate speech. This includes: racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, ableism, or any other oppressive or shameful language of any kind.
• No sexual violence. Other violence is also not recommended.
• No depictions of suicide or suicidal ideation. No exceptions.
• No AI-generated or AI-collaborated work. This should go without saying.

Tulipwood Books is a developmental-editing poetry press. We work with authors to develop a manuscript toward publication, and we're excited to get the chance to collaborate with you. Please read more about the press at our website: tulipwood.org

We read on a rolling basis. All poems are considered individually for publication in our annual journal, seedfall. All poems receive editorial feedback. If you wish to forgo feedback, please indicate this in your cover letter. 

Please send 10 pages of poetry and a 500-word description of the project, along with any questions that you might have for us. 

This is not a vanity press—we develop poetry, not product. Our focus is on collaboration with poets to co-create works of literary art. 

We do not consider previously-published manuscripts. The individual poems contained in the collection may be published elsewhere.

Project Proposal

 Submit 10 pages of poetry from a manuscript in-progress. 

• .docx or .pdf format
• Please start each new poem on a new page.
• Use a 12-point font or larger.

Provide a 500-word max. description of the project and your goals for collaboration with an editor.

Policies

• We charge a $20 reading fee, to support the operations of the press.
• All authors receive editorial feedback on their 10 pages, unless otherwise requested.
• Please indicate if you prefer general critique or line edits.
• All poems will be individually considered for development toward publication in our annual journal seedfall.
• There is no guarantee of publication.
   

Collaboration

• If your manuscript is chosen for development, we will contact you for a video call to discuss the shape of our work together and what to expect from us as a press.
• We will communicate via email and text, meet regularly on video call, and share files via Google Drive.
   

Compensation

• Full-length book authors receive ten free print copies of their book and percentage profit share.
• Contributors to seedfall are currently uncompensated, but it's our goal to change that.

Terms of Use

• Please submit only work that you are willing to develop and publish with Tulipwood Books.
• Poems may have appeared individually in journals, but as a whole this project is previously-unpublished.
• At this time, we are open only to adult (18+) persons residing in the United States.
• Please make sure that you've read and understand our policies below. Any work that violates these policies will be destroyed without acknowledgement or refund.
• No hate speech. This includes: racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, ableism, or any other oppressive or shameful language of any kind.
• No sexual violence. Other violence is also not recommended.
• No depictions of suicide or suicidal ideation. No exceptions.
• No AI-generated or AI-collaborated work. This should go without saying.