The Emergence Project

Debut Books is accepting submissions for a weekly emerging writer feature on Substack.

Who is an emerging writer?

‘Emerging Writer’ is a term that contains layered meanings around the industry. In some spaces, it has an age bias, in others, it is an ambiguous categorisation with undefined edges.

Let’s clear something up right now - if you write, you’re a writer. Being published does not define you as a writer; the act of writing does. A writer is someone who engages with the process and the craft of writing, at any age.

I feel that writers are, in a sense, continually emerging as we take the time to connect with our deeper selves and the wider world, get curious about our creative desires and craft, and explore the hidden layers of being through our writing.

For the purposes of Debut Books and this project, I have decided to define emerging writers as those of us who are pursuing publication – either traditional or self-publishing - and are currently unpublished.

The Emergence Project is for writers who are in the process of becoming visible as a writer striving for book publication.

I am looking for pieces of writing that best represent you and your writing, from short stories to poetry and personal essays, to scenes from your current WIP.

Your submission can be fiction or non-fiction.

This feature is open to all emerging writers; queer writers, writers of colour, disabled writers and First Nations writers and any other marginalised writers are especially welcomed and encouraged to submit.

To submit, please fill out the application and include a piece of writing that is no more than 2000 words.

To be eligible for this feature, you:

Must live in Australia

Have less than 5 publications to your name (non-book publications).

Don’t have a pending or unannounced publishing deal.

May have been listed or won any literary prizes that have not resulted in a book publishing deal.

One entry per person.