Submissions closed
Instead of opening submissions year-round, Lost Island Press runs a contest where at least one writer lands a publishing deal.
Our last writing contest ended on December 31, 2025. We haven’t scheduled the next one yet, but you can prepare with the guidelines below.
A good fit
Not a good fit
Ensure you have a full draft to submit that meets our requirements.
Upload your manuscript and answer several questions through our submissions portal.
Our team will evaluate submissions and identify key prospects.
We may ask follow-up questions or request a scheduled call.
We typically select 1-2 winners. Each winner will receive a publishing deal.
Common questions
Our contests are completely free, and always will be.
If submissions are open, you’ll see a button for our submissions portal at the bottom of this page. From there, you’ll upload your manuscript and answer a variety of questions about yourself and your work. Please set aside a good chunk of time for this, because once you submit, you won’t be able to edit your submission again.
If you don’t see a submissions portal button, submissions are closed.
While we don’t host a contest every year, when we do, the submission window is always from October to December.
We reveal the upcoming submission window ahead of time, giving you months to prepare.
Submissions form goes live on October 1.
Submissions remain open.
Final deadline: December 31.
Submissions are reviewed and final decisions are sent by March 31.
Only one submission is allowed per writer. If you’re working on multiple projects, choose your best-fitting piece, and ensure that it meets the following criteria:
Common questions
Romance is welcome as part of the story, but the speculative element has to be central.
Yes, your book can be set in any time period!
No, we do not accept the first book in a series of 4+ books. This does not mean that spinoffs or prequels are off the table, but they would be part of a separate, future contract.
Yes, submitting your book as “a standalone with series potential” instead of “the first book in a duology/trilogy” will typically better your odds. There have been exceptions to this.
We don’t publish contemporary novels at this time. However, if your story contains subtle speculative fiction elements, it might fit into our “fantasy” or “reality-bent” categories, even if it leans contemporary.
That’s perfectly fine, as long as the source material is in the public domain.
We do not have notable content restrictions for adult books. Of course, we hope that sensitive topics be treated with care, regardless of age category or genre.
For YA books, we aim to publish stories that are intense and emotional for all ages—but still appropriate for a teen audience. “Appropriate” is subjective, so these are the guidelines we choose to follow at our press:
Common questions
Yes, passionate makeout scenes are okay.
Yes, implied off-page sex is okay.
Yes, exploring the fear of sex is okay.
No, “poetic” or “abstract” on-page sex scenes are not okay.
Yes, if your book features a teen protagonist but contains explicit sexual content, please submit it under our “adult” category.
Premise formulaWhen [the protagonist] [is affected by the inciting incident], they must [take action] to [achieve their goal]—but if [they fail, they will suffer the risk of failure].Example: When a telepathic teen girl reads the mind of a serial killer, she must secretly record his crimes to gather concrete evidence for the police—but if he catches her, countless more innocent lives will be lost.
Common questions
No, your book does not need to be professionally edited.
Two biggest pieces of advice from our judges:
We’ve selected first drafts as winners in the past. We’re reviewing these books knowing that they’re not fully edited, but putting a little time into polishing wouldn’t hurt, of course.
Please add a page break before each new chapter.
Start each chapter about a third of the way down the page, with the chapter number in ALL CAPS and centered.
Optionally, you can add a chapter title, such as the POV character’s name or a creative phrase. Please put this on the next line after the chapter number, centered and in ALL CAPS as well.
Examples of acceptable formats:
CHAPTER 1
FALL AFTER FALL
CHAPTER 1
VICTOR
CHAPTER 1
After your final chapter, type END, centered.
Please include a title page (the first page) with the following:
Top left corner: Your legal name, email, phone number (include country code), and mailing address (include country)
Mel Torrefranca
+1 (000) 000-0000
1846 E Innovation Park Dr STE 100
Oro Valley, AZ 85755, United States
Top right corner: Your approximate word count
about 85,000 words
Centered in the middle: Your working book title and pen name (ALL CAPS)
WORKING BOOK TITLE
MEL TORREFRANCA
If you win the Lost Island Writing Contest, you’ll receive a full publishing deal and support from our team:
Single, two-book, or three-book deal depending on your project. You’ll have time to review the contract and ask questions before signing.
We cover all production expenses—editing, cover design, formatting, and more. You never pay us. We only make money when you do.
Developmental editing, beta feedback, and copy editing to bring your book to a professional, bookstore-ready standard.
Your book will likely be published the year following your signing date. We prioritize quality over speed.
Earn 50% of net revenue on every sale, paid monthly. This is roughly 2-4× what big publishers pay.
Receive a complimentary published copy and order additional, personal copies at wholesale price.
If your lingering questions aren’t answered on this page, you’re welcome to email info@lostislandpress.com.
Not immediately. You’ll have time to review the contract and ask questions before deciding whether to accept the offer. If you choose to pursue other options, we may offer your spot to another finalist, as we promise to sign at least one winner from every submission window.
Nothing stops our authors from leaving Lost Island Press for future projects, but we look favorably upon writers who are open to working with us long-term. Trust goes both ways (that we’ll continue to publish their work, and they’ll continue to collaborate with our team).
We recommended reading our Publishing Model before submitting your work to us.