Small press
Bull City Press
Poetry, Fiction, Independent
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About Bull City Press
Bull City Press is closed now and reads chapbooks in a window from May 15 to June 15 each summer. Unagented writers submit a full manuscript through the press's Submission Manager, with a pay what you want reading fee that can be $0.
Bull City Press is a small independent press in Durham, North Carolina, founded in 2006. It publishes chapbooks, plus occasional full-length books of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. The press also publishes the quarterly journal Inch. Its chapbook open reading period covers poetry and flash fiction or flash creative nonfiction, and it pays an advance against royalties plus 10 copies.
The Summer Chapbook Open Reading Period runs from May 15 to June 15, and the press is closed now. You send a full manuscript through its own Submission Manager, not by email. Poetry chapbooks run 18 to 30 pages single-spaced, and flash manuscripts run 20 to 90 pages double-spaced. The reading fee is pay what you want, including $0. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, and results typically come in October.
What Bull City Press is looking for
- Poetry chapbooks of 18 to 30 pages, single-spaced
- Flash fiction or flash creative nonfiction chapbooks of 20 to 90 pages, double-spaced
- Flash pieces that mostly do not exceed 2,000 words
- Occasional full-length books of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction
Publishes
- Fiction
- Independent
- Nonfiction
- Poetry
Specialties
- Literary fiction
How to submit to Bull City Press
From its own guidelines- Wait for the Summer Chapbook Open Reading Period, May 15 to June 15.
- Format your chapbook to the page limits for poetry or flash.
- Submit through the press's own Submission Manager, not by email.
- Pay what you want for the reading fee, including $0.
- Check that the automated confirmation email arrives.
Is Bull City Press right for your book?
A good fit if
Bull City Press suits poets and flash writers with a finished chapbook manuscript who can submit during the May 15 to June 15 window.
Look elsewhere if
Look elsewhere if your manuscript includes artwork or photographs, is a translation, was developed with AI or is a full-length work for the chapbook period. Email submissions are not accepted.
Bull City Press imprints
Which take submissions| Imprint | Direct submissions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inch (quarterly journal) | Not stated | Journal published by the press, not a book imprint |
| Tiny Cat Press | Not stated | Linked under Projects on About page; not described as an imprint |
Questions about Bull City Press
Does Bull City Press accept unsolicited manuscripts?
Bull City Press accepts unsolicited chapbook manuscripts from unagented writers, but only during its summer reading period from May 15 to June 15. It is closed now. You send a full manuscript of poetry or flash fiction or flash creative nonfiction. The press does not take translations, manuscripts with artwork or photographs and manuscripts developed with AI.
How do I submit to Bull City Press?
You submit through the press's own Submission Manager during the May 15 to June 15 window. Email submissions are not accepted. The reading fee is pay what you want, including $0, so the standard route can be free. If you pay nothing, the press asks you to give time to your literary community instead. Then check that the automated confirmation email arrives.
How long does Bull City Press take to reply?
Bull City Press takes at least 90 days before it assembles a long list, and results are typically announced in October. That means a summer submission usually waits several months for news. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, so you can send the same chapbook to other presses while you wait. Selected authors receive an advance against royalties plus 10 copies.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
- Checked on the publisher's own site
