University press
The Pennsylvania State University Press
Academic, Art and Photography, Comics
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About Penn State University Press
Penn State University Press is open to proposals from authors without an agent. Send a brief query email to the acquiring editor for your field first, then a proposal that follows its guidelines. It does not take unrevised dissertations.
The Pennsylvania State University Press is based in University Park, Pennsylvania. It publishes academic nonfiction in fields such as religious studies, Jewish studies, Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic history, art and architectural history, medieval and early modern studies, rhetoric and Africana studies. Its Graphic Mundi imprint publishes trade graphic novels and graphic studies.
Submissions are open today. Send a brief query to the acquiring editor for your field, since editors prefer electronic submission. Then send a proposal that follows the press guidelines, including your word count with notes and bibliography. If you send by post, include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Editors request the full manuscript only after reviewing the proposal. The press does not consider unrevised dissertations.
What Penn State University Press is looking for
- Animal studies, graphic studies and trade graphic novels (Graphic Mundi)
- Religious studies, Jewish studies, Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic history, German diaspora history and culture
- Book series in early modern history, history of the book and sensory history
- Art and architectural history, visual culture, history of photography, occultism and esotericism
- Iberian and Latin American history and culture, rhetoric and communication studies, Africana studies
- The Inventing Christianity series
Publishes
- Academic
- Art and Photography
- Comics
- History
- Nonfiction
- Religion and Spirituality
Specialties
- University press list
How to submit to Penn State University Press
From its own guidelines- Find the acquiring editor for your field.
- Email that editor a brief query about your project.
- Send a proposal that follows the press guidelines, with your word count including notes and bibliography.
- If you send by post, include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
- Wait for the editor to request the full manuscript if the work fits.
Is Penn State University Press right for your book?
A good fit if
This press suits scholars with a revised, book-length project in one of its listed fields, as well as creators of trade graphic novels and graphic studies for Graphic Mundi.
Look elsewhere if
Look elsewhere if your manuscript is an unrevised dissertation, because the press does not consider them.
Penn State University Press imprints
Which take submissions| Imprint | Direct submissions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Graphic Mundi | Not stated | Trade graphic novels and graphic studies; handled by the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Graphic Mundi per the proposals page |
Questions about Penn State University Press
Does Penn State University Press accept unsolicited manuscripts?
No, the press does not want full manuscripts first, but it does welcome queries and proposals from authors without an agent. Email a brief query to the acquiring editor for your field, then send a proposal that follows its guidelines. Editors request the full manuscript only after reviewing the proposal. Unrevised dissertations are not considered at any stage.
How do I submit to Penn State University Press?
Send a brief query to the acquiring editor for your field, since editors prefer electronic submission. Then send a proposal that follows the press guidelines, including the manuscript length in words with notes and bibliography. If you send the proposal by post, include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Graphic Mundi projects go to the editor who handles that imprint.
What does Penn State University Press publish?
Penn State University Press publishes academic nonfiction. Its fields include religious studies, Jewish studies, Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic history, art and architectural history, visual culture, medieval and early modern studies, rhetoric and Africana studies. It runs series in early modern history, history of the book and sensory history, and its Graphic Mundi imprint publishes trade graphic novels.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
- Checked on the publisher's own site
