University press
University of North Texas Press
Academic, Cookbook, Diverse and BIPOC voices
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About UNT Press
UNT Press is open to general queries by email or mail, and the standard route is free. You send a query package to the right acquisitions editor and usually hear back in 2 to 4 weeks. Fiction and poetry come only through two prize contests with a $25 entry fee.
UNT Press, the University of North Texas Press, was founded in 1987 and is based in Denton, Texas. It publishes in the humanities and social sciences, with an emphasis on Texas history and culture, military, western, criminal justice, folklore, multicultural topics, music, natural and environmental history, culinary history and women’s studies. Its series include Great American Cooking and War and the Southwest.
General queries are open, and the general route is free. You send a written query package by email or mail to acquisitions editor Ronald Chrisman or Amy Maddox. The press usually responds within 2 to 4 weeks and does not accept simultaneous submissions. If interested, it asks for the full manuscript and illustrations. Fiction and poetry come only through the Vassar Miller Prize in Poetry and the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction, each with a $25 entry fee.
What UNT Press is looking for
- Humanities and social sciences, with an emphasis on Texas history and culture
- Military, western, criminal justice and folklore topics
- Multicultural topics, music and women's studies
- Natural and environmental history and culinary history
- Books for series such as Al Filo: Mexican American Studies, Western Life and North Texas Lives of Musicians
- Poetry through the Vassar Miller Prize (September 1 to October 31) and short fiction through the Katherine Anne Porter Prize (May 1 to June 30), each $25 with one fee-free day
Publishes
- Academic
- Cookbook
- Diverse and BIPOC voices
- Fiction
- History
- Memoir
- Nonfiction
- Poetry
Specialties
- University press list
How to submit to UNT Press
From its own guidelines- Choose the relevant acquisitions editor, Ronald Chrisman or Amy Maddox.
- Write a query letter covering the project, audience, comparable titles and your qualifications.
- Add the length, illustrations, a table of contents or annotated outline, a short sample chapter and your CV or bio.
- Send the package by email or mail, and do not send it to other presses at the same time.
- Expect a reply in 2 to 4 weeks; if interested, the press asks for the full manuscript.
Is UNT Press right for your book?
A good fit if
UNT Press suits authors of nonfiction on Texas, the West, military history, folklore, music or food history who can wait for a reply before trying another press.
Look elsewhere if
Look elsewhere for fiction or poetry outside its two prize series, or for memoirs and personal essays outside its listed subjects. It does not take phone pitches and does not print books for customers.
UNT Press imprints
Which take submissions| Imprint | Direct submissions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aquiline Books | No | Imprint of UNT Libraries for works of scholarship from the UNT community (faculty, staff, students) only |
| Vassar Miller Prize in Poetry | Yes | Contest: $25 entry fee via Submittable, Sept 1-Oct 31; fee-free day Oct 1; $1000 + publication |
| Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction | Yes | Contest: $25 entry fee via Submittable, May 1-June 30; fee-free day June 1; $1000 + publication |
Questions about UNT Press
Does UNT Press accept unsolicited manuscripts?
UNT Press accepts unsolicited queries, not full manuscripts. You send a written query package by email or mail, and the press asks for the full manuscript only if it is interested. The general route is free. Fiction and poetry are accepted only through its two prize series, each with a $25 entry fee, and the press does not accept phone pitches.
How do I submit to UNT Press?
Send a query package by email or mail to acquisitions editor Ronald Chrisman or Amy Maddox. Include a query letter on the project, audience, comparable titles and your qualifications, plus the approximate length, illustrations, a table of contents or annotated outline, a short sample chapter and a CV or bio. Do not submit the same project to other presses at the same time.
How long does UNT Press take to reply?
UNT Press usually responds within 2 to 4 weeks. Because it does not accept simultaneous submissions, wait for its answer before you query another press. If the press is interested, it requests the full manuscript and illustrations, then sends the manuscript to readers from its Readers Database for evaluation.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
- Checked on the publisher's own site
