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Ugly Duckling Presse

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About

Ugly Duckling Presse is a nonprofit publisher for poetry, translation, experimental nonfiction, performance texts, and books by artists. Through the efforts of a volunteer editorial collective, UDP was transformed from a 1990s zine into a mission-driven small press that has published more than 400 titles to date, and produced countless prints and ephemera.

Voluntary Fees: This project accepts voluntary fees for submissions with donations.
Submission Caps: They may close to submissions early if they reach their quota.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 1995

Publication Medium

Print Publication Print Publication

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Statistics Synopsis

Regular Speed
Ugly Duckling Presse's overall average response time is within a normal range for publishers.
More Challenging
Ugly Duckling Presse's overall acceptance rate is lower than most publishers.
More Responsive
Ugly Duckling Presse's overall rate of non-response is lower than most publishers.

Poetry Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poetry Chapbook: No page limits known.
Poetry Collection: No page limits known.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: See guidelines.

Payment:

No monetary advance to Semi-pro advance (US$200-1999) + No royalties to < 15% royalties Pays occasionally, up to Semi-pro advance. Royalties range from No royalties to < 15% royalties. Details: USD $250 fee for chapbooks, no royalties. No advance paid for full-length manuscripts, 6% royalties.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
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.

Ugly Duckling Presse 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 17 reports from 17 different members within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
29 min | 80.9 mean avg | 64.0 median | 152 max days (44.6 std dev)
Responses
100.00 %
Acceptances:
0.00 % No publication has a 0% acceptance rate. This data is based on submission reports sent to Duotrope, and we have not received reports of any acceptances yet.
Rejections:
100.00 % (80.9 avg. days per rejection) | 29.4 % personal, 41.2 % form, 29.4 % unspecified | 5.9 % shortlisted
Non-Responses
0.00 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawals
-

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 150 days. (11.8 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 150 days.)
The most common submission tip paid: USD $15.00. (23.5 % reported giving a tip.)
Most recent response reported was received on 29 May 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 30 Apr 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 04:30 UTC (5 hours, 31 minutes ago).

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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: 17 Jul 2026

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

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