The Path to Publication Through Portage
At its core Portage is a publishing platform and literary community.
It is a space for thoughtful writing and meaningful ideas. Writers on the platform contribute essays, poetry, fiction, and other original work across a wide range of subjects.
The contributor and endorsement process is one of the ways Portage identifies writers whose work may be selected for publication. Through participation on the platform, authors have the opportunity to share their ideas, engage with readers, and become part of a growing community of writers.
Pieces that receive strong engagement and endorsements may be selected for inclusion in Portage publications.
The Endorsement Process
Portage uses a simple endorsement system to help highlight thoughtful and well-crafted writing.
After a contributor submits a piece that is approved by Portage editorial, other members of the community may endorse the work. Endorsements signal that a piece contributes meaningfully to a conversation, presents original thinking, or demonstrates strong writing.
Submissions that receive meaningful support through the endorsement process may be considered for publication in Portage books and anthologies.
Interested in becoming a Portage Contributor? New writers can request contributor access through the button below.
What We Publish
Portage publishes ideas-driven literature that engages seriously with philosophy, culture, and the life of the mind.
While Portage publishes nonfiction, short fiction, and poetry, the work we select is united by a common intellectual spirit.
We are especially drawn to writing that engages seriously with ideas. Many of the manuscripts that resonate most strongly with our editors explore themes related to philosophy, intellectual history, cultural criticism, and personal transformation. We are interested in work that reflects curiosity about the world and invites readers to think more deeply about the forces that shape human experience.
Even in our literary selections—such as poetry and short fiction—we tend to favor writing that wrestles with larger questions. Stories and poems that explore identity, meaning, ethical questions, historical influence, or the search for personal and intellectual growth are particularly compelling to us.
We value writing that is reflective, intellectually engaged, and attentive to the complexity of modern life. Whether through narrative, essay, poetry, or criticism, the work we publish often seeks to illuminate the ideas and traditions that influence contemporary culture.
How We Discover New Authors
Through this process, Portage aims to connect emerging and established writers with opportunities to share their work with a broader audience.
There are two primary ways Portage discovers new authors and creative work. First, Portage regularly curates collections of writing drawn from the work shared on the platform. These collections may take the form of themed books or anthologies that bring together voices from the community.
Authors whose work is selected for publication receive contributor copies of the published volume and recognition as contributing author
The second is through our annual writing competitions and manuscript awards. These contests allow us to identify work that aligns strongly with our editorial vision while providing opportunities for both emerging and established writers.
Each year we select manuscripts and individual works through several awards, including competitions for nonfiction manuscripts, short fiction collections, poetry, and individual short works. These contests form the foundation of our publishing program and are the main pathway through which authors are considered for publication.
Authors who submit to Portage should think of their work not simply as storytelling or expression, but as part of a broader conversation about ideas.
Manuscripts that thoughtfully explore subjects such as:
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the philosophical dimensions of everyday life
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the history of ideas and their modern implications
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cultural change and criticism
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intellectual curiosity and discovery
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personal growth and empowerment
These are especially likely to connect with our editorial vision.
See below for details about our current contests and submission periods.
The Portage Prize for Short Fiction
Each year Portage selects a group of outstanding short stories through the Portage Prize for Short Fiction, which runs from May through August.
The prize recognizes exceptional unpublished short fiction by U.S.-based authors whose work combines literary craft with intellectual curiosity. We welcome submissions from writers at all stages of their careers.
Portage is particularly interested in stories that engage thoughtfully with ideas. The strongest submissions often explore philosophical questions, cultural tensions, intellectual life, or the search for meaning in contemporary experience. While narrative craft and compelling characters remain essential, we are drawn to fiction that invites readers to reflect more deeply on the forces that shape human experience.
Each year, one story is selected as the Portage Short Fiction Prize winner. In addition, a group of finalists will be selected for publication in Pathways, our anthology highlighting new voices whose work reflects the intellectual and literary interests of the press.
The Portage Short Fiction Prize winner receives:
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A $500 cash prize
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Publication in the Portage Annual
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Five contributor copies
The Portage Prize for Short Fiction
Each year Portage selects a group of outstanding short stories through the Portage Prize for Short Fiction, which runs from May through August.
The prize recognizes exceptional unpublished short fiction by U.S.-based authors whose work combines literary craft with intellectual curiosity. We welcome submissions from writers at all stages of their careers.
Portage is particularly interested in stories that engage thoughtfully with ideas. The strongest submissions often explore philosophical questions, cultural tensions, intellectual life, or the search for meaning in contemporary experience. While narrative craft and compelling characters remain essential, we are drawn to fiction that invites readers to reflect more deeply on the forces that shape human experience.
Each year, one story is selected as the Portage Short Fiction Prize winner. In addition, a group of finalists will be selected for publication in Pathways, our anthology highlighting new voices whose work reflects the intellectual and literary interests of the press.
The Portage Short Fiction Prize winner receives:
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A $500 cash prize
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Publication in the Portage Annual
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Five contributor copies
The Portage Prize for Non-Fiction
The Portage Award for Non-Fiction is an annual manuscript competition open from September through December. The award recognizes an outstanding, unpublished nonfiction manuscript by a U.S.-based author, regardless of publishing history.
Portage publishes ideas-driven literature. We are particularly interested in nonfiction that engages seriously with philosophy, intellectual history, cultural criticism, and the ideas that shape contemporary life. The strongest manuscripts combine intellectual curiosity with clear, engaging prose and invite readers to think more deeply about the world around them.
Each year, the winning manuscript is selected by the Portage nonfiction editor and published as an official Portage Nonfiction Selection.
In addition, selected excerpts from finalist manuscripts may be published in the Portage Annual, our anthology of essays and reflections that highlight emerging voices exploring ideas, culture, and intellectual life.
The winning author receives:
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A $500 advance
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Publication by Portage
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Twenty-five author copies
The Portage Prize for Emerging Writers
From January through April, Portage runs the Portage Prize for Writers, an annual competition in poetry and short fiction designed to highlight promising new voices.
This prize reflects Portage’s commitment to discovering writers whose work combines literary craft with intellectual curiosity and a thoughtful engagement with ideas. We are particularly interested in poetry and short fiction that explores questions of identity, culture, philosophy, and personal transformation.
Each year, one writer in poetry and one writer in short fiction will be selected as Emerging Writers Prize winners.
In addition, a group of finalists will be selected for publication in the Portage Crossings, our anthology highlighting new voices whose work reflects the intellectual and literary interests of the press.
Each category winner receives:
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A $500 cash prize
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Publication in the Portage Annual
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Five contributor copies
Finalists will also be published in the anthology and will receive two contributor copies.
Finding Authors Beyond Contests
While our contests are an important way for writers to connect with Portage, we also discover authors through their work in literary journals and magazines.
Writers who publish widely in respected journals—particularly those whose work resonates with our editorial interests—often come to our attention through their published work. We are always interested in voices that demonstrate originality, literary skill, and a serious engagement with ideas.
Although we do not publish works that are overtly political or religious in purpose, we welcome manuscripts that thoughtfully engage with cultural, philosophical, or moral questions.
Journals and Magazines
For many writers, the best introduction to a publisher is a strong record of publication in literary journals and magazines. Publishing in journals helps writers develop their craft, build readership, and form connections within the literary community.
It also allows editors to become familiar with an author’s work over time.
We encourage writers to submit their work to journals and magazines.
Resources such as NewPages and Duotrope are excellent tools for finding journals that are a good fit for your work.
Supporting literary journals—by reading them, submitting to them, and subscribing when possible—helps sustain the vibrant literary ecosystem in which new writers and new ideas emerge.
Where Books Become Bridges
