University press
University of Pennsylvania Press
Academic, Nonfiction
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About Penn Press
Penn Press welcomes book proposals from authors without an agent in fields that fit its editorial program. Read its Proposal Submission Guidelines page, then contact the acquiring editor for your field.
Penn Press is the University of Pennsylvania Press, the university press of the University of Pennsylvania, based in Philadelphia. It publishes academic nonfiction in fields that fit its editorial program. The press lists its acquiring editors and the fields each one covers on its Acquisitions Department page, which is the best place to see whether your project matches what the press publishes.
Submissions are open today, and its site says proposals are welcome. Start by reading the Proposal Submission Guidelines page, since it sets out what the press wants to see. Then find the acquiring editor for your field on the Acquisitions Department page and send your proposal following those guidelines. Matching your project to the right editor gives it the best chance of a careful read.
What Penn Press is looking for
- Book proposals in fields that fit the Penn Press editorial program
- Academic nonfiction suited to a university press
- Projects that match a field covered by one of the acquiring editors on the Acquisitions Department page
Publishes
- Academic
- Nonfiction
Specialties
- University press list
How to submit to Penn Press
From its own guidelines- Read the Proposal Submission Guidelines page.
- Find the acquiring editor for your field on the Acquisitions Department page.
- Prepare your proposal following the guidelines.
- Submit the proposal to that editor.
Is Penn Press right for your book?
A good fit if
Penn Press suits scholars writing academic nonfiction in a field covered by one of its acquiring editors.
Look elsewhere if
Look elsewhere if your book falls outside the fields its acquiring editors cover, because the press considers proposals that fit its editorial program.
Questions about Penn Press
Does Penn Press accept unsolicited manuscripts?
Penn Press welcomes book proposals from authors without an agent, as long as the project fits its editorial program. Begin with a proposal rather than a full manuscript, and follow the Proposal Submission Guidelines page for what to include. Check the Acquisitions Department page to make sure an acquiring editor covers your field before you send anything to the press.
How do I submit to Penn Press?
Read the Proposal Submission Guidelines page first, since it explains what the press wants in a proposal. Then find the acquiring editor for your field on the Acquisitions Department page. Prepare your proposal following the guidelines and submit it to that editor. Reaching the right editor helps your project reach someone who acquires books in your area.
Where is Penn Press based?
Penn Press is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the University of Pennsylvania Press, the university press of the University of Pennsylvania, and it publishes academic nonfiction. Its site lists the acquiring editors and their fields on the Acquisitions Department page, and its Proposal Submission Guidelines page explains how to send a book proposal to the press.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
