Below is the list of presses and publishers I’ve been able to compile (with the help of some awesome poets), that do not charge reading fees for chapbook or full length manuscripts. Unfortunately, it is a short list in the scope of the poetry community. What is also obvious is the tendency to have free reading periods amongst those presses whose aesthetic leans more towards the post-avant or experimental. It seems those of us who write more linear/narrative poetry are stuck in a poetic time warp of some sort. I will be posting this list very shortly to the Tilt Press website and blog, where it will stay forever, (for-eva, eva?) yes. Short list or not – I think it’s important for poets to know that there ARE presses that read manuscripts for free. As important, I’m hoping that more people will support these presses by purchasing their books. I will do my best to keep the list updated on a continuing basis. I welcome anyone to email me at rachel@tiltpress.com if they wish to be added to the list.
Tilt Press (chaps/print)
http://www.tiltpress.com/
Small Anchor Press (chaps/print)
http://www.smallanchorpress.com/Small_Anchor_Press.html
Paper Kite Press (chaps/print)
http://www.wordpainting.com/press-submission-guidelines.shtml
Wyrd Tree Press (chaps/print)
http://www.wyrdtreepress.org/
Rope-a-Dope (chaps/print)
http://rope-a-dope-press.blogspot.com/
Shadowbox Press (chaps/print)
http://shadowboxpress.blogspot.com/
Beard of Bees (chaps/web)
http://www.beardofbees.com/
ungovernable press (chaps/web)
http://ungovernablepress.blogspot.com/
Dusie (full length & chap/print)
http://dusie.org
Trainwreck Press (ditch) (chaps/print)
http://www.ditchpoetry.com/trainwreckpress.htm
Gold Wake Press (chaps/web)
http://goldwakepress.org/
Dancing Girl Press (chaps/print)
http://www.dancinggirlpress.com/
the greying ghost press (chaps/print)
http://www.airforcejoyride.com/gg
Scantily Clad Press (chaps/web)
http://scantilycladpress.blogspot.com/
Maverick Duck Press (chaps/print)
http://maverickduckpress.angelfire.com/
Taiga Press (chaps/print)
http://taigapoetry.blogspot.com/2007/12/tundra-chapbook-series-new.html
Blood Pudding Press (chaps/print)
http://bloodyooze.blogspot.com/
blossombones (chaps/web)
http://www.blossombones.com/
BlazeVOX (full-length print & web)
http://www.blazevox.org/
WordTech (full-length print)
http://www.wordtechcommunications.com/index.html
Red Mountain (chaps/print)
http://www.redmountainreview.net/rmrwebsite_002.htm
Ugly Duckling Presse (chaps & full-length/print)
http://www.uglyducklingpresse.org/submissions.html
Steel Toe Books (full-length/print)
http://www.wku.edu/~tom.hunley/steeltoebooks/index.htm
Melville House Publishing (full-length/print)
http://www.mhpbooks.com/aboutsub.php?id=14
Coconut (full-length & chap/print)
http://www.coconutpoetry.org/
No Tell Books (full-length/print)
http://www.notellbooks.org/about.php
Magic Helicopter Press (chap/print & web)
http://magichelicopterpress.com/us.htm
The Cupboard (Prose chaps/print)
http://www.thecupboardpamphlet.org/submit.html
Les Figues Press (chap/print)
http://www.lesfigues.com
New Directions Publishing (full length/print)
http://www.ndpublishing.com/home.html
Peresa Books (full length/print)
http://www.perseabooks.com/submissions.php
Red Morning Press (full length/print)
http://www.redmorningpress.com/submissions/index.html
City Lights (full length/print)
http://www.citylights.com/publishing/?fa=publishing_manuscripts
Milkweed Editions (full length/print)
http://www.milkweed.org/content/view/8/32/
Black Ocean (full length/print)
http://www.blackocean.org/submit/
Thank you Rachel for your efforts on behalf of poets and poetry.
O.P.W.
No problem, O.P.W. – I’ll be happy if it makes just a small difference.
[…] 2, 2009 at 8:38 am (nanopress, publication) Hooray for Rachel Mallino for putting this list together — presses that read manuscripts for free! As she notes, it is a short list, but […]
Thanks so much for sharing this. You are double-good generous.
Check out toadlily press at http://www.toadlilypress.com, another press that does not charge a reading fee for chapbook submissions.
Great list – thank you.
Entirely unrelated, I loved your poem in Boxcar this issue.
Rachel, I’m humbled – thank you!
It’s great you put this together, but some of these presses do NOT accept unsolicited material: Coconut Books and No Tell Books solicit their material. Ugly Duckling & Taiga I believe are only doing translation. Other presses have very brief reading periods.
Not trying to be a drag, but don’t want people wasting time and postage.
jp-
It’s not my intention to have people use this list without checking the actual press website. The editor at Coconut personally emailed me so Coconut could be added to the list (while he is not reading manuscripts at this time does not mean he will not be reading in the future.) No Tell does solicit, however, it seems that Reb uses the journal as a starting point, and that does not negate the fact that these presses read manuscripts for free. Taiga does not accept ONLY translation manuscripts, but if they did – so what? Again, it doesn’t have any bearing on the fact that they read manuscripts without a reading fee!
Maybe I’m being sensitive – but you ARE being a drag. If people can’t take the time to READ submission guidelines, then they shouldn’t be submitting. This list is intended to highlight those presses who have no reading fee – period. It is not an all inclusive list with submission guidelines and aesthetics.
Is it possible to do anything good within the poetry community without someone pissing all over the parade?
RE: “Is it possible to do anything good within the poetry community without someone pissing all over the parade?”
Rachel, Exactly how does jp wood’s comment differ from your comments in “Grumble” – https://rachelmallino.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/grumble/ – the post that started it all?
It’s all about opinion.
It differs dramatically, Helen. JP’s comments have nothing at all to do with the intention under which this list was started. This list was put together to highlight presses that read for free – period. What JP has done is moan about the fact that some of these presses have specific guidelines regarding their free reading of manuscripts but that has nothing at all do with the fact that these presses read for free. I don’t see an “opinion” in JP’s post – there are ONLY facts – I’ve corrected him regarding those facts.
My post re: grumble is my opinion about an ongoing problem in the poetry community concerning reading fees that, I feel, is hurting the community – not helping.
The point is – there is absolutely nothing controversial about this list. It’s straight forward – a list of presses that read manuscripts for free.
15.00 reading fees for chapbook manuscripts by a brand new press who does not offer anything in return to its entrants = controversial. You can see that it is by the other comments on “grumble”.
Again – JP is not offering an opinion – he misstated facts, and quite apparently, didn’t understand the point of the list (although that is very hard to believe!..which makes me suspicious.)
The statement that JP made “I don’t want people wasting their time and postage” is completely irrational. JP is either really dumb or came to piss on something for the sake of pissing on something. Just how in the world would people waste their “postage” based on a list of websites? The poet would HAVE to click on the website and read the submission guidelines before ever wasting “postage” – therefore, this means they’ve read the guidelines! “wasting time” would indicate that the poet doesn’t have time to read ANY guidelines, because in order to submit to any press – one HAS to read the submission guidelines, so just how is this list wasting someone’s time? I feel like we’re sitting here trying to dissect the reasoning of an eight year old.
With close to 200 clicks a day to this blog since the list was posted (because of Ron Silliman’s link to this blog) and only ONE person with something completely irrational to say – and you want to discuss his specific comment and my reaction to it? Really Helen, I’m sure you have better and more productive things to do with your time.
[…] useful list of small presses who don’t charge reading fees, for those of you who are thinking about […]
This is fantastic–thank you so much.
thanks so much for this list, as the publishers ive contacted say they love the story and will publish it ,only if i get it polished and read and then saying i have to pay a fee of between 70 and 90 pounds , which i think is a right con.
i’ve put together a more updated list here: http://thisquiethour.blogspot.com/2012/03/poetry-presses-that-read-for-free.html
Thank you! I’d like to add that Crisis Chronicles Press also reads for free. 🙂
http://press.crisischronicles.com/
Hey, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your blog in Firefox, it looks fine but
when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, wonderful blog!
– Put plenty of Consideration in the Buy It Now Price.
To view and print grocery coupons using Redplum,
click Grocery & Drug through the navigation menu around the left-hand side with the Redplum home page.
Finally these autos wind up in seized vehicle auctions that allow you to buy your individual vehicle to the fraction within the cost.
This article will help the internet users for building up new web site or
even a weblog from start to end.
Excellent article. Keep posting such kind of information on your
blog. Im really impressed by it.
Hello there, You’ve performed a great job. I’ll definitely digg it and individually recommend to my friends.
I am sure they’ll be benefited from this site.
This piece of writing is genuinely a good one it assists new web visitors,
who are wishing for blogging.