Wayne State University Press is a distinctive publisher of exceptional books and journals based in and shaped by the city of Detroit. The Press is committed to its parent institution’s mission to create and advance knowledge and to prepare a diverse student body to thrive while positively enhancing the international reputation of the Press and the University. Our award-winning publications, whether print or digital, educate and inspire. We are active promoters of the written word, uncommon voices, and the arts and culture in our community.

The Press has published more than 2,250 titles since 1941 and has more than 1,800 titles in print. The Press enjoys strengths in the following subject areas: Black studies; Jewish studies; film and media studies; fairy-tale studies; speech and language pathology; Great Lakes history and culture; history and culture of Michigan and Detroit; and highly select fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction.

The Made in Michigan Writers Series 

Since 2004, this series publishes books of literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. This series is devoted to highlighting Michigan’s diverse voices, with the aim of encouraging recognition of the state’s artistic and cultural heritage throughout the world. 

Guidelines

Our submission period is March 1–April 30. Writers may submit once per year. 

Writers in the series must either currently reside in or have spent formative years in the state of Michigan, but the work does not have to take place in or be about the state. 

To submit, we ask for a cover letter and your full, polished manuscript, which must be between 60 and 90 pages for poetry and between 50,000 and 90,000 words for fiction and creative nonfiction.

Your cover letter should offer a summary of the work as part of a brief artist’s statement, a description of the work’s intended audiences, and why you believe Wayne State University Press is the right publisher for the manuscript.