JackLeg Press operates on a query-first model, a deliberate filter that asks writers to present a concise case for their work before committing a full manuscript to review. The press requests a cover letter with bio and acknowledgments alongside two short stories or chapters totaling roughly 20–25 pages. This is not a contest with a prize or a themed anthology; it is an open reading period for potential book publication, and the press states plainly that it does not publish chapbooks or novellas. The scope is limited to U.S.-based writers, and submissions are accepted one query at a time. The reading fee is $5, a modest but non-trivial threshold that signals a professional transaction rather than a free-for-all. The stated review timeline of six months or longer is an honest disclosure of capacity, not a discouragement. Writers should understand that a request for the full manuscript is the next step, not an offer of publication, and that the press is evaluating fit across an entire list rather than awarding a single slot. What the press offers is consideration for book-length publication in fiction and creative nonfiction. There is no cash prize, no residency, and no exhibition. The curatorial vision is implicit in the query-first process: JackLeg appears to prioritize narrative voice, structural control, and a coherent authorial identity as evidenced in a short sample. The cover letter and acknowledgments are not formalities; they are part of the editorial dossier a writer assembles to demonstrate seriousness and context.