Open Letter is the University of Rochester's literary publishing house, and it is dedicated to connecting readers with great international authors and their works. Publishing twelve books a year and running an online literary website called Three Percent, Open Letter is one of only a handful of U.S. organizations with a commitment to cultivating an appreciation for international literature. The Press also provides internships, especially to students enrolled in the University's literary translation programs.

Open Letter
University of Rochester
Lattimore Hall 411, Box 270082
Rochester, NY 14627
t 585 319 0823
f 585 273 1097
Distribution in the U.S.:
University of Nebraska Press
Distribution Center
1111 Lincoln Mall
Lincoln, NE 68588-0630
t 800 755 1105
f 800 526 2617
pressmail@unl.edu
Distribution in the U.K./Europe:
Turnaround Distribution
Unit 3, Olympia Trading Estate
Coburg Road, Wood Green
London N22 6TZ
UNITED KINGDOM
t 020 8829 3000
f 020 8881 5088
orders@turnaround-uk.com
teleordering mnemonic — TURN
Executive Committee
Thomas DiPiero, Senior Associate Dean of Humanities, University of Rochester
Fiona McCrae, Publisher, Graywolf Press
John Michael, Chair, Department of English, University of Rochester
Joanna Olmsted, Dean of Arts & Sciences, University of Rochester
Claudia Schaefer, Chair, Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, University of Rochester
Joanna Scott, Roswell S. Burrows Professor of English, University of Rochester
Declan Spring, Senior Editor, New Directions
Advisory Committee
Esther Allen, Director of the Center for Literary Translation, Columbia University
Bradford Morrow, Editor, Conjunctions
Karl Pohrt, Owner, Shaman Drum Bookshop, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Returns Policy
Returns should be addressed to:

Open Letter
University of Nebraska Distribution Center
800 R. St.
Lincoln, NE 68508

Damaged/Defective:
No permission required. Such claims must be made within 30 days of invoice date. Please indicate whether you desire replacement or cancellation.

Overstock Returns:
No permission required. Invoice information, together with packing list of titles and ISBNs, must accompany shipment. Returned copies must be clean, saleable, and carefully packed (please don’t use newspaper). Returns deemed unsaleable will be sent back to the customer at the customer’s expense.

Period of Eligibility for Overstock Returns:
18 months from invoice date. Books must be in saleable condition and still available from the publisher. Superseded editions are not returnable 90 days after publication of new edition.

Credit Allowed:
Full credit will be given at the price and discount of the customer’s actual purchase of each title returned. Books not purchased from Open Letter will not be accepted and will be returned at the bookseller’s expense.

Retail Discount Schedule:
Paperback/Cloth: 1-4 books 25%; 5 or more books 45%

Shipping Policy:
FOB Lincoln, NE. Books will be shipped via the least expensive trackable means, usually UPS or Motor Freight. Open Letter/University of Nebraska Distribution Center will not ship by non-trackable means unless a waiver of liability is on file.

Orders & Inquiries
Sales representation for all Open Letter titles is handled in-house. Please contact us directly if you have any questions or if you’d like to place an order:

Submission Guidelines:
Open Letter is a literary press that publishes twelve books annually, mostly novels, collections of short stories, and literary essays. We only publish books in translation, and do not publish children's or young adult literature, plays, self-help books, or how-to guides, etc.

Our editors are looking for contemporary literary fiction from around the world that is unique, distinctive, and that will have a significant impact on world literary conversation. It is strongly recommended that persons who intend to submit a query should familiarize themselves with Open Letter's publications before submitting. Translators and authors wishing to submit a query should include:

  • a one-page cover letter containing relevant autobiographical information about the author and the translator and a short description of the manuscript;
  • a sample translation of approximately 20 pages (more is appreciated)
  • a list of the author's published works, if available; and
  • a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) for reply.

We cannot take submissions of any kind by fax and we also do not accept disks.

Because of the volume of submissions, we simply cannot respond to phone, fax, or email inquiries about the status of queries or manuscripts.

Queries may be mailed to:
Editorial Department
Open Letter
University of Rochester
Lattimore Hall 411, Box 270082
Rochester, NY 14627

Or emailed to:

Journalists:
If you wish to receive press releases, our catalogs, or other promotional materials:

Chad Post

585 319 0823