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Small Press

universaltable.org

Wising Up Press

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Independent publishing0 open opportunities listed

About the press

Wising Up Press, an imprint of Universal Table, was founded in 2004 by Charles and Elizabeth D. (Betsy) Kraus. The press emerged from the Krauses' conviction that literature can foster empathy and cross-cultural understanding, particularly through the exploration of complex social identities. It publishes anthologies and individual works that often examine themes of family, race, class, and community, with a focus on underrepresented voices and perspectives. The press is known for its 'Wising Up' anthologies, which combine fiction, memoir, and poetry to create nuanced portraits of contemporary life.

Publishing focus

Wising Up Press is a press with a clear social mission, fostering an appreciation of the rewards and challenges of pluralism at every level in society, and, most importantly, an interest in the role that art, particularly story, can play in making inclusion easier for everyone. The editors call their approach “Finding the We in Them, the Us in You.” They are also a press with professional skills in writing, editing, and publishing, and they exercise a strong curatorial function in the work they choose—they want to publish books readers return to for years.

PoetryFictionCreative NonfictionShort Story CollectionsEssay CollectionsNovelMemoirPoetry Collections

Selected authors
Heather Tosteson, Kerry Langan, Willliam Cass, Murali Kamma, Felicia Mitchell, Toni Press, Kathleen Housley, Maria Nazos

Calls & opportunities

3 listed
Closed

Wising Up Press — Submissions

View opportunity Official listing
Closed

Wising Up Press — Submissions

View opportunity Official listing
Closed

Wising Up Press — Submissions

View opportunity Official listing

Manuscript submissions

Reading periodJan 1 to Dec 31
Reading feeNo
Response timeLess than 3 months
Simultaneous submissionsNo
Unsolicited submissionsNo

Wising Up Press accepts submissions for its themed anthologies and occasionally for full-length manuscripts. Writers should first review the current calls for submissions on the press's website, as themes are specific and change regularly. Submissions should align with the press's mission of exploring social identities and fostering empathy. The press values well-crafted, authentic writing that illuminates the human experience. Simultaneous submissions are generally accepted, but notify promptly if your work is placed elsewhere. Response times can vary, so patience is advised. There are no reading fees for most anthologies, but always check guidelines for updates.

We want authentic voices and well-crafted work that makes us think, opens our hearts and is about something. Please read our guidelines and subject categories carefully. Look at our publishing philosophy and some of our publications to see if our approach to writing and publishing echoes with yours. Use the questions in the personal statement to help you think through whether this feels like a good match. Our writers engage collaboratively with the press for two years and that needs to feel like an engaging opportunity and not an obligation. Query us if uncertain. We respond to formal submissions within two months, in a way that writers have something to grow on. Please be as considerate of our time. Note that when you submit we ask for a commitment to publish with us if we accept.

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