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?
No, moving forward, our internships will be hybrid and so best suited for those in and around the Pittsburgh area.

 

Ordering Inquiries

1.) Where should booksellers, librarians, educational institutions, and wholesalers order?
Through our distributor, Consortium. 

2.) Do you provide examination and/or desk copies?
Yes, please follow the instructions here.

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

 

Submission Inquiries 

1.) Do you accept single poems, short stories, 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, board members, and paid 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?
No, we ask that all submissions come through our submission manager. Submissions mailed to the office will be disregarded.

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 on 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.

11.) Are reading fees refundable?
No, submission fees are nonrefundable. The fee covers the cost of having your manuscript read and considered, regardless of the outcome.

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

14.) 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.

15.) 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.

16.) Can my agent send a book?
Yes.

17.) 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 prizes. 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 prizes 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.

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

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

20.) If my book was published by a press and has now gone out of print, is it eligible for submission?
No, unfortunately, we only accept previously unpublished books.

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

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

23.) If a poem, short story, essay, etc., from my book has been published in a chapbook, is my book still eligible?
Yes. We just ask that the full chapbook not be recreated in your full-length submission.

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

25.) 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.

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

27.) 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.

28.) 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.

29.) 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.

30.) 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, and the art must be created by the author.

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

32.) Do you publish chapbooks? 
No, we no longer publish chapbooks.

33.) 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.

34.) 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.