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Essay Press

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About

Founded in 2006 by Eula Biss, Stephen Cope, and Catherine Taylor, Essay Press publishes artful, innovative writing that questions convention and explores issues of significant contemporary relevance. EP publishes essays that extend or challenge the formal protocols of nonfiction, including, but not limited to: lyric essays and prose poems or poetics; experimental biography and autobiography; innovative approaches to journalism, experimental historiography, criticism, scholarship, and philosophy. EP considers the essay as a form to be rooted in its etymological origins: as a trying, as an attempt, as a process.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions. (Note: About 14% of publishers always charge fees.)
The fee range is USD $20 to $25 (above average for publishers that charge).

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium

Print Publication Print Publication

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
Essay Press's overall average response time is slower than most publishers.

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Nonfiction Collection: 20 - 40 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Critical, Experimental, Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
History: Biographies, See guidelines.
Philosophy: General, See guidelines.

Payment:

Unknown advance + Unknown royalties Unknown advance. Unknown royalties.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poetry Chapbook: 20 - 40 pages.

Poetry Forms:

Lyric poetry, Prose poetry.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Unknown advance + Unknown royalties Unknown advance. Unknown royalties.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Essay Press Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 6 reports from 6 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
112 min | 133.7 mean avg | 121.0 median | 181 max days (28.2 std dev)
Pending
1 response is pending (191 days waiting). This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 120 days. (50.0 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 120 days.)
Do not query on the status of your submission before 120 days have passed.
The most common submission fee paid: USD $25.00.
Most recent response reported was received on 27 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 30 Apr 2026.
Date compiled: 17 Sep 2026 23:37 UTC (less than a minute ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

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Your Submissions

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Essay Press / UW Bothell MFA Book Contest BELIEVED DEFUNCT  Charges fees for all submissions
Essay Press Chapbook Contest BELIEVED DEFUNCT  Charges fees for all submissions

Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • For book publishers, it is standard to submit a cover letter, synopsis, and sample instead of the full manuscript. Do this unless otherwise instructed.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 07 Jun 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.

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