Open Ends Press

Manuscript submissions

Open Ends Press accepts unsolicited manuscripts and project proposals during two reading windows each year (typically March and September), announced via its newsletter. Submit a single PDF containing a 10–15 page excerpt, a brief project description (500 words max), and a short note on how the work engages with the press’s interest in open-ended form. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please indicate this in your cover letter. Response times average 8–12 weeks; due to the volume of submissions, only successful applicants will receive a reply. The press does not charge reading fees and prioritizes work that demonstrates a clear, sustained engagement with its editorial concerns over polished but generic proposals.

In a world obsessed with culture-neutral “self-expression,” Open Ends Press advocates for literature grounded in tradition yet bold enough to transcend borders and cultural fads; it believes that the energy of new beginnings can only come from those who know their past and its various, multifaceted forms, and it supports works in which style—the how—is inseparable from content—the what. It believes that real writers still know the meaning of courage and truth, and it supports original writing with a point of view, even or especially if, the point of view challenges current orthodoxies, whether aesthetic or ideological.