It was a hell of a summer, but we finally crowned our winners for the Mid-June Chapbook Award. We received many wonderful manuscripts and enjoyed reading through everyone’s work. Keep it coming!

The crown for 2026 goes to Joshua Hutchins and his book Intentionally Horoscopic: A Half-Century of Laconic Poems. I look forward to seeing his work in people’s hands. We will keep you all posted on our publishing schedule.

The runner-up award goes to the intriguing work of Giulio R.M. Maffi, Hubel’s Cat.

There were two runners-up, but one has asked to remain anonymous. To both runners-up, I hope we get to read more of your works in the near future… whoever you may be.

I look forward to seeing what new experiments our readers weave out of your hearts and minds in the next year… something to astonish us for the 2027 Mid-June Poetry Chapbook Award!

As you probably noticed, our site has been down, which pushed back the date of announcing the winning manuscripts for our chapbook award. Now we’re back. More info tomorrow.

Folks! We have received so many wonderful manuscripts for our Mid-June Award that we need a bit more time to select the winners. Check back with us soon… June 27th! And thank you to all who entered their poetry. What a joy to see your works.

Dead Man Publishing is looking for astonishing works of innovative writing.  We want to give poets, especially emerging and unknown writers, a place where their unique voices and challenging experiments are valued.  We want to hear you! Mid-June Chaps is our way of reaching out to you to give your book a place in the world.  The contest extends the work of the Mid-June journal we once published, giving writers a place to showcase their experiments and shining a light on their art.

We want small STRANGE Books.  Astonish us. 

The Mid-June Poetry Chapbook Award will be given annually for a previously unpublished original collection of poetry.  Manuscript submissions are accepted January 1 to May 15, and the winner will be announced in June.  Along with the winning manuscript, we will announce two runners-up.  The winner and runners-up will receive a cash prize as well as publication of their manuscripts and 35 copies of their book. Learn more at Mid-June Chaps.

Dead Man Publishing would love your feedback. What you think of our work matters to us! Post a review to our Google profile. https://g.page/r/CbkuYyMWaJ2LEBI/review

When I returned home from the Iraq War in 2009, I wanted to put the money I saved while deployed into a life-giving, creative project. So, I founded Dead Man Publishing, a work of heart and passion. For the last sixteen years, I have been investing the little capital I have in publishing strange, beautiful, intriguing little books by authors who have captured my mind and imagination.

Now, I want to take this project a step further. Your investment in me will help build a brick-and-mortar bookstore centered on the authors we are discovering. And that bookstore is more than just a shop. It will be a reading room where guests are invited to sit for the afternoon, enjoy a coffee, a book, a conversation. It will be a place of creative, caring, and contemplative community, celebrating little books, small but real dreams, and the real acts of generosity that you make possible.

Interested and intrigued? Help us build with a contribution to the project at GoFundMe.