Books Submission FAQ, Guidelines and Requirements

ENTRIES FOR THE AWARD

The basics

1) What books are eligible for consideration? Books first published in the United States during 2026. All entries must be made available for purchase by the general public in either hardcover or bound paperback book form by a United States-based press. Authors of works that meet these criteria are eligible to enter their work if they are U.S. citizens; permanent residents of the United States; or if the United States has been their longtime primary home.

2) Must the publisher make the entry? The publisher does not need to make the entry. Anyone (including the author) may submit an eligible book.

3) Is there an individual or organizational submission limit? There is no limit. You are free to make as many submissions of eligible material as you wish.

4) May I send a check and a copy of the old paper entry form in lieu of completing the online entry form? We are unable to accept paper checks. We ask that you use the online entry form.

5) Do you accept books that are self-published in the United States via such services as Kindle Direct Publishing? Yes, as long as they meet the aforementioned criteria (see No. 1). 

6) My submission is only available as an ebook. Is it still eligible? No. Eligibility is contingent on its availability as a bound book (see No. 1).

Science fiction? A translation?

7) Are "genre" (science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror/weird, Western, etc.) titles eligible in the Fiction category? Works outside the purview of literary fiction are eligible for the Pulitzer Prize as long as they meet the aforementioned criteria (U.S. citizenship or residency; all entries must be made available for purchase by the general public in either hardcover or bound paperback book form by a United States-based publisher in 2026).

8) Are graphic/comic-based works eligible? Yes, as long as they meet the aforementioned criteria (see questions Nos. 1 and 7). Graphic adaptations of preexisting literary and cultural works are ineligible. We have accepted graphic books in several categories, including Fiction and General Nonfiction.

9) Are translations eligible? Translations are ineligible.

For the purposes of the competition, "translations" are any text initially written in a language other than Modern English. In particular, please note that new translations of the world's foundational literary and scriptural texts (including translations from earlier forms of English) are not eligible.

10) Are edited anthologies eligible? "Edited anthologies," which include compilations of work by various authors and/or any work derived from the curatorial input of a credited editor (as exemplified by a collection of selected letters), are not eligible. However, collections with no editorial attribution that present a writer's selected or collected oeuvre in book form for the first time (such as "The Stories of John Cheever," which received the 1979 Fiction Prize) are eligible. Please contact us at [email protected] if you require further clarification.

11) My book was published by a foreign university press with an editorial presence in the United States. Is it eligible? We accept books by publishers that maintain an editorial presence in the United States (including but not limited to Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and Bloomsbury). Foreign university presses distributed by these entities (such as Edinburgh University Press) are ineligible. Please contact us at [email protected] if the circumstances are nebulous and you require a more detailed evaluation.

12) My book was published by a foreign press. Is it eligible? No, it is not eligible. The book must have been published by a United States-based press (see No. 11 if necessary). Please contact us at [email protected] if you require a more detailed evaluation.

13) Is it possible to enter a revised edition of a previously published work even if it wasn't previously entered and/or immediately recalled following initial publication? Previously published works (including revised editions) are ineligible. The competition is limited to books first published in 2026.

Deadlines

15) What if a book will not be published until after the entry deadline? Please submit a PDF of your book in galley, page-proof or manuscript form by the final deadline if your book is scheduled to be published in the final quarter of the year and the published iteration is unavailable.

To reiterate: Books published after the final 2027 competition deadline of October 15, 2026 will not be eligible in the 2028 competition (which will be limited to work published between January 1, 2027-December 31, 2027). The most complete extant iteration of a book must be submitted by October 15, 2026 to ensure eligibility if it is slated for publication in late October, November or December 2026.

16) What if a book was published in the final quarter of 2025? Per question #15, titles published after the 2026 competition deadline (October 2025) but prior to the 2027 competition window (January 1, 2026-December 31, 2026) are no longer eligible.

17) What are the entry procedures? 

After accessing and/or the approval of your account (if applicable) at bdmentrysite.pulitzer.org (a process that will commence in June 2026), click on the Submit an Entry button on the top scroll bar (please note that this may not render properly on mobile devices; we strongly recommend using a desktop or laptop for the application) to complete the entry form (including submission of the book as a PDF no larger than 300 MB) and pay non-refundable $75 entry fee by credit card no later than 5:30 p.m. EDT on October 15, 2026.  

BOOK CATEGORIES

Fiction: For distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

History: For a distinguished and appropriately documented book on the history of the United States, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

Biography: For a distinguished and appropriately documented biography by an American author, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

Memoir or Autobiography: For a distinguished and factual memoir or autobiography by an American author, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

Poetry: For a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author, Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

General Nonfiction: For a distinguished and appropriately documented book of nonfiction by an American author that is not eligible for consideration in any other category, Fifteen thousand dollars, ($15,000).

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE AWARD

Columbia University awards Pulitzer Prizes in Books annually on the recommendation of the Pulitzer Prize Board, which acts on the nominations of distinguished committees of Pulitzer Jurors. The awards are announced during the spring.