Submissions

Who Coffee House Press Publishes

Coffee House Press publishes emerging and midcareer authors. Nearly all CHP authors have had works published in literary magazines or other publications (a résumé including a list of prior publications can strengthen your submission). Although prior publications are important, they are not a requirement; part of our mission is to present promising debut authors alongside those who have been previously published.

Recent Coffee House Press titles include Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions by Valeria Luiselli, Stephen Florida by Gabe Habash, Thousand Star Hotel by Bao Phi, and The Gift by Barbara Browning.

What Coffee House Press Publishes

Coffee House Press publishes literary novels, full-length short story collections, poetry, creative nonfiction, book-length essays and essay collections, and the occasional memoir. CHP does not accept submissions for anthologies, genre fiction, or books for children.

Please familiarize yourself with our books to see if your work and our list are compatible. Most independent bookstores and many libraries carry our titles. You can also browse through our online catalog.

How to Submit a Manuscript

Our next open reading period is tentatively planned for the fall of 2019. Please check back to see what we'll be looking for and what genres we will be reading during that time. Please note that we only accept submissions through our online submissions manager. There is no fee to submit. Submissions will be capped at 300.

The review process for full-length manuscripts can take up to 4–6 months, or longer in some instances. We empathize with your anticipation and appreciate your patience when submitting your manuscript. Phone calls, emails, or letters of inquiry will not hasten the process.

Please note: If you are interested in submitting directly to the Emily Books imprint, please email your queries to submissions@emilybooks.com.