FAQs

Below is our list of frequently asked questions. If you don’t see your question here, please feel free to contact us directly!

Employment Inquiries 

1.) Are you hiring any editors, proofreaders, book designers, etc.?
No, we are not hiring at this time (this includes freelancers as well). Please do not email resumes, CVs, or inquiries, we will not be able to respond. If this changes, we will list positions on our “Opportunities” page.

2.) Do you offer internships?
Autumn House currently offers internships that coincide with the academic calendar and rotate over spring, summer, and fall. Please see our “Opportunities” page for more information and how to apply.

3.) Do you offer remote internships?
Yes.

4.) Are there any volunteer opportunities with Autumn House?
Yes, there are several ways to get involved! Please email us your resume and what kind of work you’re interested in doing (ex. marketing, community outreach, etc.)

 

Ordering Inquiries

1.) Am I able to purchase your books online?
Yes. In addition to being available on our website, our books can be purchased on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and on our distributor’s website. We hope you’ll consider purchasing your AHP title directly from us or our distributor. It’s the best way to support both the press and our authors.

2.) Do you provide examination and/or desk copies?
Yes. Please email our distributor and let them know which title you’re interested in teaching. It is also important you include the university, class, and class size in your request. Detailed ordering information can be found here.

3.) I’m considering reviewing an AHP title. Who should I contact?
Yes, please follow the instruction here.

 

Submission Inquiries 

1.) Do you accept a single poem, short story, and/or essay submissions?
Autumn House Press only publishes full-length books.

2.) Who will be reading my submission?
Submissions are read by a combination of the Autumn House staff and board members, paid readers, and volunteer readers. All submissions are read by at least two readers.

3.) I accidentally submitted my manuscript with my name on it, what should I do?
Please notify us through email.

4.) Do the page–limit guidelines include the table of contents?
No, the page limit refers to the body of work itself.

5.) My manuscript is longer than the suggested guidelines. May I still submit it?
We view our page-limit guidelines as a suggestion rather than a hard rule. If your prose book is over 400 pages, that is too long. If your poetry book is over 120 pages, that is too long.

6.) My manuscript is shorter than the suggested guidelines. May I still submit it?
Yes, as long as your prose manuscript is at least 100 pages and your poetry manuscript is 48 pages, then you are welcome to submit it.

7.) Can I mail my submission to your office?
We ask that all submissions come through our submission manager, Submittable. However, if this is absolutely not possible, you may mail your submission to the office. We do ask that you read all our guidelines and contact us by email before sending. All paper submissions should be accompanied by an SASE.

8.) Can I email my submission?
No, we do not accept submissions through email. Any email submissions will be disregarded.

9.) Why does AHP charge reading fees?
As a small publisher, reading fees are necessary to continue the work that we do and to ensure our organization’s sustainability for the foreseeable future.

10.) I can’t afford the reading fee. Can it be waived? 
We will waive the submission fee for those undergoing financial hardship or living with limited means. Before you reach out to request a waived fee, please read our full statement and instructions here. If the guidelines are not followed, we will not be able to offer a waived fee.

12.) Should I submit a book proposal with my manuscript?
No. We evaluate each manuscript we receive on the merit of the writing alone.

13.) Can I email you a pitch for my book?
No, at this time, we are only able to accept finished manuscripts during our scheduled reading period.

14.) Can I email you a proposal for an anthology or a New and Selected collection?
At this time, we are not accepting any anthology proposals or proposals for New and Selected collections.

15.) Can my agent send a book?
Starting January 1, 2023, we are temporarily not accepting agented submissions.

16.) Can I submit if I know the judge or the editors?
Friends, family members, and former students of judges or Autumn House editors may not submit to the contest. Students do not include interactions at short-term residencies or fellowships. Former employees of Autumn House, including interns, may not submit to contests. We strive to run our contests ethically and subscribe to CLMP’s guidelines. We encourage you to reach out if you are uncertain whether your past relationship with a judge or member of the Autumn House staff might constitute a conflict of interest.

17.) Do you accept translated works?
We are currently unable to accept works in translation.

18.) Do you accept international submissions?
We welcome work from international writers, though they must be submitted in English.

19.) If my book was published by a press and has now gone out of print is it eligible for submission?
Yes, as long as the rights have been reverted back to you, you may submit the book.

20.) Do you accept self-published books?
No, we do not accept self-published books.

21.) If a poem, short story, essay, etc. from my book has been published in a magazine, journal, etc., is my book still eligible?
Yes.

22.) Do you have a font preference?
Any legible serif font (ex. Times New Roman, Garamond, Perpetua) that is at least 11 points in size.

23.) Should my work be single- or double-spaced?
For prose manuscripts, we do ask that you double-space them for ease of reading. We suggest poetry manuscripts be single-spaced unless spacing is important to the form.

24.) What should the page size for my MS be?
Please use the standard page size, 8.5″ x 11″

25.) Do you publish genre work?
Autumn House does not publish genre work; however, this certainly doesn’t mean your book can’t have elements of mystery, fantasy, romance, etc.

26.) Do you publish YA or children’s books?
No, Autumn House does not publish any YA or children’s books. While we value books created for a younger generation, our books are meant for an adult audience.

27.) Do you accept hybrid texts?
Yes, we accept hybrid texts. If you are hoping to submit to a full-length prize, please pick the genre that most aligns with the manuscript’s work. The open call period is also a great time to submit a hybrid text.

28.) May I include illustrations/photos/artwork in my book?
You may, but the creative writing must account for at least 75 percent of the book, the art pieces must be in black and white, and the art must be by the author or permission has been secured by the author.

29.) Do you accept co-authored works?
Yes, as long as all parties are submitting.

30.) Do you offer feedback for authors?
Unfortunately, no. As much as we’d love to offer personal feedback on the work we receive, the staff is too small at this time to do so.

31.) Am I able to submit more than one manuscript?
Yes, you can submit as many as you’d like, but you will be required to pay a reading fee for each.