Prose Submission Guidelines

Graywolf Press is a literary press that publishes about twenty-five books annually, mostly collections of poetry, novels, short stories, memoir, and literary essays. We do not publish children’s or young adult literature, plays, self-help books, or how-to guides. We also do not publish any genre fiction, such as romance, science fiction, thrillers, detective fiction, horror stories, westerns, historical fiction, etc.

Our editors are looking for high quality literary fiction and nonfiction that combines a distinct voice with a distinct vision. We are interested in manuscripts that in some way take on the social and cultural challenges of contemporary life. Please browse around Graywolf's web site to learn more about our recent publications.

Reading Period: We accept submissions postmarked January 15 to December 1 of each year.

As of 2004, Graywolf no longer offers the S. Mariella Gable Prize for a novel; to submit your novel for consideration for regular publication, please follow the guidelines below. Because Graywolf does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, we ask that you first send a query letter by regular mail. In this query, please include:

-- a one-page cover letter containing relevant autobiographical information and a short description of the manuscript;

-- a list of published works, if available; and

-- a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) for reply.

Because of the volume of submissions, we simply cannot respond to phone, fax, or email inquiries about the status of queries or manuscripts.

Queries may be mailed to: