For our Fall 2022 open reading period, we invite poetry manuscript samples along with query letters. Please read through all guidelines below.

Manuscript Sample:

Poets and translators are invited to submit a 15-20 page manuscript sample accompanied by a query letter.

Please familiarize yourself with our catalog before submitting a manuscript sample.

Select a sample that illustrates the strengths and key themes of your book. You may opt to share consecutive pages or pull poems from throughout the book.

We are open to poets and translators at every stage of their career.

We welcome submissions from poets outside the United States.

Simultaneous submissions are permitted. If your manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere, please officially withdraw it using the Submittable system.

Please submit no more than two manuscript samples per reading period.

Submissions are invited through Submittable. If you need accommodations to make the submission process accessible to you, please contact wupeditorial@gmail.com  with your request. Please write “Accessibility request” in the subject line.

Query letter:

Please submit a query letter (500 words or fewer) along with your sample.

Use the cover letter to concisely describe your book to our editorial team beyond what we see in the sample. For example, is your book organized in sections? Does it have a narrative arc? Does it rely on a set of formal or stylistic elements?

Include a brief author bio. If you are a translator, include both an author and translator bio.

Translations:

We select books in this category based on the excellence of the English translation and our interest in the original text. If possible, your submission should be bilingual; we want to see the original text as well as the English translation. If this is not possible due to technical or other concerns, indicate this in your query letter.

A bilingual manuscript sample may include up to 20 pages in English, and those same 20 pages in the original language, for 40 pages total.

Indicate in your cover letter that you have identified the rights holder, unless the book is in the public domain. Ideally, a conversation regarding the rights to the book will have been engaged with the rights holder prior to your submission.

Next steps:

Your manuscript sample will be read and collectively evaluated by the press editorial team.

After reading these sample submissions, the editorial team will request full manuscripts from up to 15 poets or translators.

We will send a status update to each submitting poet or translator within six months of submission.

Please do not send your full manuscript unless you have specifically been invited to do so.

We take seriously the opportunity to consider your work for publication; at the same time, there is no guarantee that we will choose a book to publish in any given reading period.

Wesleyan University Press is committed to publishing outstanding books of poetry by outstanding poets.  We offer a competitive contract, including a generous number of author copies, a substantial discount on additional copies purchased by the author, royalties paid annually and where feasible an advance against these royalties.

Thank you! We look forward to reading your work.