Call for submissions!

Cantine Press is a new independent publisher based in Oakland, Calif. We publish emerging writers in three languages (English, Spanish, French) and are looking for our next titles.

Are you:

  • Wrapping up a novella?

  • Collecting a series of your essays or short stories?

  • Crafting a poetry selection?

We want to read it! Send us an excerpt of your work by 15 August 2025. Here’s how:

  • Send us an email at editors@cantinepress.com that starts with the word “Submission” followed by the type of submission - novella, essays, short stories, or poetry.

  • Tell us about yourself - name, brief bio (including where you are based), writing and publication history (if any).

  • If you are submitting a novella, essay collection, or short story collection: attach an excerpt (20,000 words max) of your work, double spaced. On the last page please outline the rest of the novella/work (1-2 pgs max). 

  • If you are submitting a poetry collection: send us up to 20 pages of poetry. 

  • Submissions can be in English, French, or Spanish, or a combination of the three.

What exactly are we looking to publish?

  • A novella that is max 35,000 words. It can cover any theme or genre.

  • An essay and/or short story collection no longer than 40,000 words.

  • A poetry collection, somewhere between 40-80 poems or 50-100 pages.

We love our local Bay Area communities, and we also love the far-reaching perspectives and experiences of writers from all places (and, potentially, from all times). We’re not uptight, but we’re passionate about publishing art that will move, inspire, and reshape the tired discourses of our day. 

The nuts and bolts:

  • We will not accept full-length manuscripts that have been published in other places, unless they have been self-published. Previously published individual pieces (e.g. poems, essays, or short stories) are fine, as long as you retain the rights to re-publish them in a full length collection. Please list any prior publications you wish to include in a collection when you email your submission.

  • Cantine Press is small, and a labor of love. We regretfully cannot read entire, finished works for everyone that wishes to submit. As such we are limiting the scope of the submission and we will contact you to read the rest of the work. If you'd like, we can give some feedback on what we've read.

  • Submissions will be due by August 15th and we will get back to people by September 15th. Our goal is to publish two books within the next year. If you don't hear from us by September 16th then feel free to start emailing us until we respond.

  • Selected authors will receive a modest advance (between $300-$500) and 7-8% royalties on the retail price of the book, payable after the advance has earned out.

  • Authors own their work: if your manuscript is selected, you will retain full copyright. We'll simply request the rights necessary to publish and distribute your book. 

  • Any work not originally written in English, Spanish, or French needs to be accompanied by a translation into one of those three languages. 

  • You can submit translations of someone else’s work, as long as you already have the rights to publication in both languages.

  • Simultaneous submissions are welcome; please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

  • Multiple submissions are also welcome; please just be reasonable…