Firecracker Awards

The CLMP Firecracker Awards for Independently Published Literature are given annually to celebrate books and magazines that make significant contributions to literary culture and the publishers that introduce important voices to readers.

Award Categories:

• Fiction
• Creative Nonfiction
• Poetry
• Magazines/General Excellence
• Magazines/Best Debut

Award Amounts:

• Book categories: $2,000 per winner ($1,000 for the press and $1,000 for the author or translator)
• Magazine categories: $1,000 per winner

Geographic Scope: International publishers eligible; English-language books from international publishers welcome

Additional Benefits:

• National publicity campaign spotlighting winning titles
• Promotional materials distributed to over 500 independent booksellers
• Promotion in CLMP newsletters, website, and social media
• Free one-year CLMP membership for winning publishers
• Free one-year Submittable subscription for magazine winners

Book Category Eligibility

• Must be published by independent publisher during 2025 calendar year
• Poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction for adults eligible
• English-language books from international publishers eligible
• Books in translation eligible
• Graphic novels eligible
• Self-published and hybrid-published books NOT eligible
• Children's and young adult books NOT eligible
• Anthologies NOT eligible
• Posthumous submissions NOT eligible
• Author or translator must be living at time of submission
• Entries submitted by publisher; authors may submit with publisher consent

Magazine Category Eligibility

• Must be independent and literary in nature
• General Excellence category: must have published regularly for at least past two years
• Best Debut category: must have launched in 2024 or 2025 calendar years
• Both print and digital magazines eligible
• May be based anywhere in the world
• At least 50% of content must be in English
• May be submitted in only one category

2026 Judges

Fiction: Stacie Shannon Denetsosie, Mubanga Kalimamukwento, Mikey LaFave

Creative Nonfiction: Neema Avashia, Neesha Powell-Ingabire, Riley Rennhack

Poetry: José Angel Araguz, Danny Caine, Esther Lin

Magazines: Emily Nemens, Joyce Chen, Mandana Chaffa

Submission Process

Key Dates for 2026:

• Submission period: September 15 - November 14, 2025 (CLOSED)
• Finalists announced: Spring 2026
• Winners announced: June 2026

Entry Fees:

• First submission: $65 (CLMP Members: $55)
• Each additional entry: $45 (CLMP Members: $35)
• No limit to number of unique entries

How to Submit:

1. Publishers submit entries (authors may submit own books with publisher consent)
2. If author submits, must provide publisher contact information
3. CLMP communicates only with publishers about submitted books
4. Submit through online portal (specific URL not provided in source material)

Required Materials:

• Book or magazine submission
• Entry fee payment
• Publisher contact information
• For author self-submissions: publisher contact information and consent

Eligibility Review: CLMP reserves right to determine submissions' eligibility; decision is final