Sterling Letter Press
For authors

Submit yourmanuscript

We read every submission. Tell us about the work that refuses to look away from a hard question.

No agent neededSubmit directly to us.
No fees to publishNo reading fee, no submission fee.
A reply either wayEvery complete submission, within 8–12 weeks.

Read our terms and the full contract before you submit — we'd rather you knew what you'd be signing.

What we publish

Fiction and nonfiction, held to one standard

Sterling Letter Press publishes work that lingers in the space between rule and reckoning. We are especially drawn to stories and arguments grounded in law, ethics, and the messier truths of human character — but the through-line matters more than the genre.

Literary & historical fiction

Novels with the discipline of an argument and the pulse of a story — including work grounded in true events, legal drama, and morally complex characters.

Narrative & legal nonfiction

Essays, true crime, and narrative nonfiction that examine law, cruelty, justice, and the systems — formal or human — that hold us accountable.

A clear, honest voice

Above all, we look for a manuscript that earns the reader's trust one honest sentence at a time. If that describes your work, we want to read it.

Before you submit

Submission guidelines

What to prepare

  • A complete manuscript, or the first three chapters plus a full synopsis for longer works
  • Standard manuscript format — 12pt serif, double-spaced, numbered pages
  • A one-page synopsis describing the full arc, including the ending
  • A short author biography, including any previous publications
  • A list of comparable published titles, if helpful for context
  • PDF or Word (.doc/.docx) only

What to expect

  • Please allow 8–12 weeks for an initial response
  • Simultaneous submissions are welcome — just let us know
  • We don't accept revised drafts while a submission is under review
  • We reply to every complete submission, even when the answer is no
  • An offer, if made, will be governed by a written publishing agreement — the one published on this site

By submitting, you confirm the manuscript is your own original, unpublished work (or that you hold all rights necessary to submit it), and that you are the person entitled to enter into a publishing agreement for it should we make an offer. If the book has been published before in any form, including self-published, our Previously Published Work Addendum will form part of any agreement.

Ready when you are

Submission form

Fields marked * are required. Submitting this form sends your materials directly to our editorial team.

Please include the full arc of the story or argument, including the ending.
If a clause in our contract concerns you, this is a good place to say so.
PDF or Word (.doc/.docx) only, up to 7 MB. If your file is larger, send the first three chapters and we'll ask for the rest — or email it to submissions@sterlingletterpress.com.

We read every submission personally. Thank you for trusting us with your work.

If the form gives you any trouble, email your materials to submissions@sterlingletterpress.com instead — it reaches the same place.