Pushcart Prize and Small Press Anthologies: How They Work
The Pushcart Prize is an annual American anthology of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction drawn from small literary magazines and presses. Editors of little magazines submit a limited number of works; guest editors choose from those nominations. Small press anthologies play a related but separate role, often compensating writers and publicizing presses that rarely receive trade coverage.
Bill Henderson founded the Pushcart Prize in 1976, and it has appeared every year since as an anthology of work from little magazines and small presses. Since its first volume, it has become closely associated with the small press movement and with the university-funded literary journals that emerged in the same period. Each volume gathers poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that first appeared in independent journals.
The prize sits inside a network that includes the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses and the directory databases kept by Poets & Writers. Small press anthologies play a related role by giving those journals a wider audience and, in many cases, paying contributors. Independent literary publishing is covered in more depth by the Lit Mag Notes editorial desk.
What Is the Pushcart Prize?
The Pushcart Prize was founded in 1976 by Bill Henderson and is published under Pushcart Press. Its official site describes the annual volume as drawing from little magazines and small presses, not from large commercial magazines. Each year the anthology includes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
Because the prize publishes multiple works rather than a single winner, it functions as a yearly snapshot of what small journals published. The nominations come from journals with small print runs, so inclusion has become a signal that independent editors and guest judges saw the work as distinctive. The prize's influence comes from that editorial gatekeeping rather than from a large cash award or a single judging body.
Who Can Nominate Work for the Prize?
Pushcart Prize nominations come from editors, not from writers. Only editors of little magazines and small presses may nominate work for the annual anthology, and self-submissions are not accepted. A nomination is therefore not a direct path for an author; it is an outcome of having already appeared in a venue whose editor considers the work among the strongest of the year.
Each editor may submit a limited number of works per year. That limit means the pool is shaped by masthead decisions before any guest editor reads it. The structure extends the editorial judgment of small journals rather than accepting open entries. The official site lists the current nomination rules, including how many works an editor may submit and the dates for each cycle.
How Winners Are Chosen and Compensated
Guest editors choose the final selections from the nominations. Selected writers receive a copy of the anthology and an honorarium. The prize does not use an open submission pool or a single permanent jury. Little magazine editors nominate, and guest editors decide which works appear in the annual volume.
The official site notes that the honorarium amount varies from year to year. Winners also get a copy of the anthology, and their names and the nominating magazine appear in the volume. That combination of payment and inclusion is the practical reward, along with the visibility that comes from being published beside other selected work. The final volume reflects both the magazine editor's nomination and the guest editor's selection, so it carries two layers of editorial judgment.
What Small Press Anthologies Do
Small press anthologies give independent magazines and presses a broader shelf, a payment channel, and a public record. The Community of Literary Magazines and Presses describes its mission as helping independent literary publishers thrive to ensure a vibrant, diverse literary landscape. CLMP also runs the Firecracker Awards, which give $1,000 prizes in categories that include Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Magazines/General Excellence, and Magazines/Best Debut.
The deadline for the 2027 Firecracker Awards was announced as November 18. Recent CLMP news includes a member spotlight on Graywolf Press, with executive director and publisher Carmen Giménez, and a November 2026 list of books launching from member presses. Small press anthologies are not all annual or juried; some are one-off themed collections, and some are member-driven lists. What they share is that they gather work from publishers that rarely get trade review coverage.
Pushcart Prize vs. Other Small Press Anthologies
The main differences come down to who puts work forward and how contributors are paid.
| Feature | Pushcart Prize | Best American series | Small press anthologies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who puts work forward | Editors of little magazines and small presses nominate. | Series editors read widely in periodicals. | Individual editors or presses set their own calls. |
| Self-submission | Not accepted. | Writers appear in eligible periodicals rather than submitting directly. | Depends on the anthology; some invite open submissions, some select from published work. |
| Selection | Guest editors choose from editor nominations. | Series editors choose from their reading. | Editors or judges for each anthology choose from submissions or nominations. |
| Compensation | Copy of the anthology plus an honorarium that varies by year. | Payment terms vary by volume and publisher. | Many pay contributors; terms vary, so check each call. |
The Pushcart column reflects the official nomination rules; the Best American column reflects its series-editor model; small press anthologies vary widely, so no single rule applies.
Common Criticisms of the Pushcart Prize
Public discussion of the Pushcart Prize tends to return to process rather than to the quality of the work selected. One recurring question is whether editor nominations narrow the pool before a guest editor reads it. Another is whether the honorarium, described by the official site as varying by year, is proportionate to the visibility of an annual anthology. A third is whether inclusion in the anthology is treated as a ranking of literary merit instead of as a record of one editorial path.
The field these questions address is large. Poets & Writers keeps directory databases listing more than 800 literary magazines and 270 small presses, which shows the scale of independent publishing the prize draws from. These questions do not settle whether the prize is valuable; they show why its mechanics are discussed as much as its contents.
How to Use These Anthologies When Submitting
Start with the official winner list on the prize site, then check the CLMP member directory for active magazines and presses. The official winner list is useful because it names both the writer and the magazine, which lets a submitter see where selected work originally appeared.
Poets & Writers also lists more than 800 literary magazines, 270 small presses, and 560 grants and awards in its directories. Those databases make them useful starting points when researching where to send work. Use those lists as a map, not as a ranking: a magazine's inclusion in an anthology tells you that editors and judges selected something from it, but it does not tell you how that magazine reads submissions or treats writers. Read recent issues, check the masthead, and follow each magazine's own guidelines before sending work.
FAQ
Is the Pushcart Prize only for small presses?
The prize draws from little magazines and small presses; large commercial magazines generally are not eligible.
Can self-published authors submit to the Pushcart Prize?
No. The nomination must come from an editor or press, not from the author.
What does a Pushcart Prize winner receive?
A copy of the annual anthology and an honorarium, plus recognition in the volume.
How is the Pushcart Prize different from Best American?
Pushcart is built from nominations by small-magazine editors; Best American is assembled by series editors reading periodicals.
Do small press anthologies pay contributors?
Many do, but terms vary from anthology to anthology; writers should check each anthology's guidelines.
Sources
- Pushcart Prize official site
- Community of Literary Magazines and Presses
- Poets & Writers
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