[Publisher] Milkweed Editions

My mother is looking at small publishers for her literary novel and I'm not familiar with that genre's presses.

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They probably mean 37,500 to 100,000 words.

Is your mother familiar with literary presses? Who publishes the literary novels that she reads? Has she explored getting an agent?

Like any other genre, you should check your local bookstore to see which publishers manage to get books like hers actually onto shelves.

Who publishes the books like hers that are physically on the shelf in your local library?

Milkweed is a respected, well-known publisher here in Minnesota. Like Uncle Jim suggested, you might check to see if their books are available on shelves in your area.

Saanen said:

Does anyone know anything about the publisher Milkweed Editions? Their covers look good and they've been around since 1979 according to their site. Preditors and Editors doesn't list them. Their guidelines say they accept manuscripts "between 150 and 400 pages," which is weird. They don't mention wordcounts.

My mother is looking at small publishers for her literary novel and I'm not familiar with that genre's presses. I think this one looks good, but I want to be certain before she submits to them.

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A creative writing professor that comes and goes at our school is published several times there and seems to like/recommend them. They sound fine for your purpose. They do publish literary, and they aren't huge, but if you're looking for a small press, you should go for it.

They may be a small press, but they keep all of their books in their catalog forever and they sell several hundred thousand books a year. They are pretty big for a small press. Very well respected.

They're pretty much held in high esteem as far as I can tell. They have special months for submitting, and special months for reading. I've had a manuscript out with them for 212 days. I sent my manuscript 3/30/11 for the open submission period: Jan - Mar. The reading period for was supposed to be Apr - June. I sent an email in August to find out about their Fiction Prize (submitting enters you); if they'd picked a winner. I received an email back after about a month saying they can't track submissions, to be patient and I'll hear from them. I checked their website and they seem to have their winner for 2011. I still haven't heard anything. I don't get it. I submitted through submission manager.

I finally got an answer 7 mos. later. A very nicely worded form rejection. The submission was a synopsis with the first three chapters. Ack. I'm disappointed they couldn't be more personal, or say anything specific about it, but I know not to expect anything anyway. Sucks nonetheless after such a long wait. No, my story does not need to be told. If it never gets published, then it never needed to be.

I just submitted here. They had a handful of young adult on their current list that looked similar enough to mine to be a good fit. Wish me luck, I love the looks of them.

lilysea said:

I just submitted here. They had a handful of young adult on their current list that looked similar enough to mine to be a good fit. Wish me luck, I love the looks of them.

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Good luck! Hopefully you won't have to wait 7 months for an answer.

lilysea, did you submit a query attached to the mss in the file, or just paste on the submissions web page? I can't tell which way they want it.

Yeah--that was confusing. I split the difference. I put the blurb paragraph of my query in the "comments" field, but added the full-on query letter (including blurb) to the top of the ms chapters and uploaded them together.

I also thought the pages versus word-count thing was weird. But in a kind a kind of quaint, charming way.
And I also hope I don't have to wait 7 months. But oh well. If it was 7 months for a yes it would be worth it. Meanwhile, there's the next book to write, right?

Yes, there's always that next book. I'm glad I wasn't the only one who was confused; thanks for responding.

Currently have a manuscript under consideration (been out 186 days after being submitted on the first day of open submissions). Fingers crossed!

At 209 days with Milkweed, for which a partial was subbed (as their guidelines stipulate). Subbed it in July, been "under consideration" since September. Anyone else?

BethanyCM said:

At 209 days with Milkweed, for which a partial was subbed (as their guidelines stipulate). Subbed it in July, been "under consideration" since September. Anyone else?

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Yep, mine's at 219 days. On duotrope I see that this week they've rejected a 175, 195, and 217 day sub. Also, good luck!

Fruitbat said:

Yep, mine's at 219 days. On duotrope I see that this week they've rejected a 175, 195, and 217 day sub. Also, good luck!

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Oh, good to know. I'm on Submission Grinder and there's only one other entry for Milkweeds. And good luck to you, as well! We wait...

At 230 days and counting... good luck to everyone who still has a sub pending!

Waiting at 215. ::clinks glass with fellow waiters::

Another month with no word. Anyone else hear anything yet?

Not I. 246 days and seriously curious... especially since they only have a partial and therefore the best case scenario might be more waiting!

I know they ask you not to check in but 254 and still "under consideration" for a partial ms seems so ____.

@Bethany, mine's at 264 days. And out at several places longer than that. These small literary presses seem to go at their own pace and that is that. But you can send it to other publishers at the same time so nothing really lost at least. Good luck!

P.S. Duotrope lists (for the past 30 days) these rejections from Milkweed:

217 day form rejection on February 3
175 day form rejection on February 6
195 day form rejection on February 7
205 day form rejection on February 17
245 day from rejection on March 4
234 day (unspecified) rejection on March 18

Thanks, Carly! Should I say Fruitbat?

I don't have Duotrope anymore and there's only one other listing on Grinder.

This is absolutely my record with a small press, so it's good to see them getting through subs. I do think they'd be a great place to land with this novella, though, so still hopeful. And good luck to you!