The Radically Authentic Prize for Trans & Non-binary Writers is published by Wayfarer Books.

Eligibility & Guidelines

• This prize is open to those who identify within the Transgender, Non-binary, and Gender non-conforming spectrum.*
• There is a reading fee of $20 for our volunteer editorial staff.**
• This prize is open to works of poetry, creative nonfiction, memoirs, and essay collections. (No fiction, please.)
• Poetry manuscripts should be no more than 90 pages.
• Creative Nonfiction/ Memoir manuscripts should be no more than 45,000 words.
• A single author may submit multiple entries but each entry must be separate. 
• To submit, the manuscript must be previously unpublished.
• A limited number of individual poems/excerpts may have appeared in print or online, but the author must hold sole rights to the work.
• Manuscripts must be in English and follow the Chicago Manual of Style guidelines.
• This is a biennial award. Deadline is October 1, 2025. We announce the winner December 1, 2025. The winning manuscript(s) will be published in Summer 2026. 
• **Reading fee waivers are available for those with limited income. Write wolfe@homeboundpublications.com

How are we defining "Transgender, Non-binary, and Gender non-conforming?"

We currently use the definitions as set forth by the HRC but are active participants in the evolution of language and identity. If you identify beyond the binary and do not see yourself represented below, please submit your work.

Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.

Non-binary is an identity embraced by some people who do not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between or as falling completely outside of these categories. While many also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do. Non-binary can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bigender, genderqueer, or gender fluid.

Gender non-conforming is an umbrella term referring to people who do not identify in a way that conforms to the traditional expectations of their gender, or whose gender expression does not fit neatly into a category. Some gender non-conforming people identify as non-binary, genderqueer, trans masculine, trans feminine, agender, bigender or other identities that reflect their personal experience. Some, but not all, gender non-conforming people identify as transgender.

Does the manuscript have to be about trans or/non-binary issues to qualify?

While we welcome all themes—especially those that highlight the experiences of marginalized communities—the material/themes of your entry do not need to be about the transgender/non-binary experience to be eligible. 

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The namesake of the Radical Authenticity Prize is rooted in the work of our Founder, Connor Wolfe (they/them). To learn more about Connor, follow them on Instagram @the_wild_wolfe
 

We look forward to reading your work. 

— Wayfarer Books Editorial Staff

Wayfarer Magazine Reviews (Free Submission)

At Wayfarer, we believe poetry is the language of the earth—a force as untamed as rivers carving through wild places, shaping the world word by word. Through our publishing house, Wayfarer Books, and our publication, Wayfarer Magazine, we publish and celebrate poets, writers, and renegades who stand outside the mainstream—voices fierce and unyielding, voices that might withstand the scrutiny of crows and coyotes, the crepuscular and the queer-at-heart.

As a queer-and trans-owned publication, we are committed to uplifting authors whose work challenges conventions, expands perspectives, and speaks truth to power. Whether your book is a howl from the margins or a whispered incantation for the wild and wandering, we invite you to submit it for review.

Get Your Book Reviewed 

Each issue of Wayfarer Magazine features outstanding new books across poetry, nonfiction, and hybrid genres. We offer a limited number of free editorial reviews based on the quality, originality, and impact of a book.

To be considered for an editorial review, please submit your book at least four months before publication. We accept digital copies (PDFs preferred) and physical advance reading copies (ARCs). Be sure to include a detailed tip sheet with:

• Title, subtitle, and publication date
• Author name and biography
• ISBN, page count, binding, and price
• Publisher name and distribution details
• Please submit via our Submittable Platform >>

Wayfarer Magazine Reviews (Paid Submission)

At Wayfarer, we believe poetry is the language of the earth—a force as untamed as rivers carving through wild places, shaping the world word by word. Through our publishing house, Wayfarer Books, and our publication, Wayfarer Magazine, we publish and celebrate poets, writers, and renegades who stand outside the mainstream—voices fierce and unyielding, voices that might withstand the scrutiny of crows and coyotes, the crepuscular and the queer-at-heart.

As a queer-and trans-owned publication, we are committed to uplifting authors whose work challenges conventions, expands perspectives, and speaks truth to power. Whether your book is a howl from the margins or a whispered incantation for the wild and wandering, we invite you to submit it for review.

Get Your Book Reviewed 

For authors and publishers seeking a guaranteed, in-depth review, we offer a fee-based review service providing professional, objective evaluations—ideal for use in marketing, press materials, and outreach to bookstores and libraries.

Wayfarer Review Service – $225 per review

• A 400-600 word professional review assessing the book’s writing, structure, and marketability
• A “Pull Quote”—a striking excerpt for promotional use
• Delivery within 4-6 weeks

With your approval, your review will be featured on our website and shared with key publishing industry partners to amplify your book’s visibility. 

Purpose of the Paid Option: The fee for this service compensates our reviewers for the time and care they dedicate to your book. As a small team, this reader fee allows us to continue offering thoughtful, high-quality reviews that support independent authors and publishers. 

Pricing for Wayfarer Magazine's Paid Review option

• $225 for a standard review (2-4 weeks)
• $325 for an expedited review (1 week, optional upgrade) 
• *email us at editorial@homeboundpublications.com for an expedited review. 

Here’s what other review services charge:

• Kirkus Indie: $425 (standard, 7-9 weeks), $575 (expedited, 4-6 weeks)
• Foreword Review Clarion: $499 (5-6 weeks)
• Publishers Weekly BookLife: $399 (6 weeks)

Call for Submissions

Voices of Defiance: A Series of Protest Poetry

Publisher: Wayfarer Magazine (Online Edition / Substack)
Submission Deadline: Rolling Basis.
Release Date: Your poems would be published in Wayfarer Magazine on our online Substack edition. Your piece(s) would also be eligible for our annual best-of print edition (200pp, 5.5 x 8.5, full-color, pbk, ebook) we put out at the end of every year.

In a world where basic rights are under relentless attack, we are calling for poetry that roars back, that refuses silence. Wayfarer Books is seeking fierce, unapologetic voices for Voices of Defiance: A Series of Protest Poetry, an upcoming online feature of Wayfarer Magazine publishing poetry that will stand as a testament to resistance in the face of fascism, bigotry, and oppression.

This anthology seeks to capture the breadth of what we are fighting against today: fascism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, war, genocide, and the systematic suppression of women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights. Our voices, collectively, can illuminate the dark, unveil the truth, and demand accountability from systems of power.

We invite submissions from poets who:

• Speak out against oppression in any form
• Challenge systems that marginalize, silence, or suppress
• Defend and celebrate humanity in all its diversity
• Seek change through the power of their words
• Refuse to allow the erasure of politically-targeted populations

Submission Guidelines:

• Format: Original, unpublished poetry
• Length: Up to 5 poems per submission.
• File Type: Please submit your poems in a single document (.docx or Pages) No PDFs. 
• Where to Submit: Our Submittable Platform
• Deadline: Accepting Submissions on a Rolling Basis. 

We welcome poets from all backgrounds, particularly voices from underrepresented communities, to share their words, their anger, their hope, and their vision for a just world.

Let’s use poetry to spark dialogue, inspire courage, and unite a chorus against hate. Together, we will craft a series that embodies resilience and defiance, a voice of many that refuses to be silenced.

Join us in this powerful stand. Send us your words.

Poets should send 4-6 original poems. 

 Guideline Details:

• Nonfiction Pieces & Essays should be between 1200–2500 words.
• Profiles should be no more than 4,000 words and be accompanied by 4-6 photos relating to the subject of the profile. 
• Pieces should be single-spaced and paginated and follow the Chicago Manual of Style. 
• All work must be previously unpublished—this includes personal blogs, websites, and social media. 
• We do allow simultaneous submissions; please withdraw your review from Submittable if it is accepted elsewhere. Please wait at least 12 months from date of submission before querying about the submission status.

At Wayfarer Books we believe poetry is the language of the earth. We believe words, shaped like rivers through wild places, can change the shape of the world. We publish poets and writers and renegades who stand outside of mainstream culture—poets, essayists, and storytellers whose work might withstand the scrutiny of crows and coyotes, those who are cryptic and floral, the crepuscular, and the queer-at-heart. We are more than just a publisher but a community of writers. Our mission is to produce books that can serve as a compass and map to all wayfarers through wild terrain.

• Submissions are open to works of poetry, creative nonfiction, memoirs, and essay collections. (No fiction, please.)
• Poetry manuscripts should be no more than 90 pages.
• Prose manuscripts should be no more than 50,000 words.
• To submit, the manuscript must be previously unpublished.
• A limited number of individual poems/excerpts may have appeared in print or online, but the author must hold sole rights to the work.
• Manuscripts must be in English and follow the Chicago Manual of Style guidelines.
• Please see our website for current deadlines and reading periods. 

Welcome.

As a Queer/Trans-owned business, it is impossible for us to remain detached from the political climate and the mounting challenges marginalized communities face. During these perilous times, I feel compelled to make our stance clear: Wayfarer Books and its imprints are firmly rooted in our vision of a compassionate, inclusive, and educated society, which we strive to promote through our publications. We are committed to progressive values, including support for LGBTQIA+ rights, trans rights, decolonization, women's rights, reproductive rights, non-violence, climate change science, freedom of speech, and the affirmation that Black Lives Matter.

This is an open call for submissions to those writers who are a part of a marginalized communities  (i.e.: BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities, writers living with a disability, writers living with refugee or illegal status. . . to name a few).

Entry Guidelines for Poetry Submissions

• To enter, the poetry collection must be previously unpublished.
• A limited number of individual poems may have appeared in print or online but the poet must hold sole rights to the work.
• Manuscripts must be in English.
• The manuscript must be no less than 48 and no more than 85 pages in length (without front of back matter).
• Simultaneous submissions welcome.
• No reading fee
• Average turnaround time for manuscripts is 6-8 Months (Maybe Less).

Entry Guidelines for Creative Nonfiction Submissions

• You may submit the following styles: Creative Non-Fiction, Travel Writing, and Essay Collections.
• Authors representative of the work we seek would be: Barry Lopez, Joanna Macy, Gary Snyder, David Abram, Mary Oliver, Rainer Maria Rilke, Annie Dillard, David Whyte, Cheryl Strayed, Jack Kerouac, Walt Whitman, and Henry David Thoreau.
• Formatting and Misc: Manuscripts should be double-spaced and written in English following the Chicago Manual of Style.
• Length: We accept works that are at least 20,000 words and are no more than 60,000 words. *If you book is over 60,000 words, we (sadly) won't be the publisher for you. Why is this?  Given the rising costs of paper in light of the global paper storage, we do not have the margin to take on works over this length and make a profit.
• In your proposal, please Include: Biographical Statement; Full Manuscript *All manuscripts must follow the Chicago Manuel of Style; a marketing analysis including sales points, similar titles, and the authors' plans for self-promotion.

Please see our website for the latest guidelines.

*Hybrid track submissions will receive a reply within 4-6 weeks. 

Visit our site.

Manuscripts submitted through our Hybrid Track will receive a response within 4-6 weeks.

Visit our site for the latest submission guidelines.