About Us
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ABOUT Open Letter—the University of Rochester's nonprofit, literary translation press—is one of only a handful of publishing houses dedicated to increasing access to world literature for English readers. Publishing ten titles in translation each year and running an online literary website called Three Percent, Open Letter searches for works that are extraordinary and influential, works that we hope will become the classics of tomorrow. Making world literature available in English is crucial to opening our cultural borders, and its availability plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy and vibrant book culture. Open Letter strives to cultivate an audience for these works by helping readers discover imaginative, stunning works of fiction and poetry and by creating a constellation of international writing that is engaging, stimulating, and enduring.
SCAMMER ALERT: Unfortunately, the uptick in scammers posing as publishing professionals now also includes individuals posing as Open Letter staff, or "project coordinators," on behalf of Open Letter Books, targeting individuals with offers of for-hire translation contracts, etc. Open Letter Books does not solicit translation samples of any kind in this manner, nor does it conduct its business in this way. Legitimate emails from Open Letter Books will only come from an [at]rochester.edu or [at]ur.rochester.edu addresses, namely that of our publisher. If you suspect you have been contacted by a scammer, please cease communication with the individual, and email us at our general contact email: contact[at]openletterbooks.org. If you are located in the United States, we recommend submitting a fraud report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you are located outside the U.S., we recommend contacting your country's relevant authority. |
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CONTACT Open Letter |
STAFF Chad W. Post, Publisher |
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Jennifer Grotz, Associate Professor, Department of English, Univ. of Rochester |
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SUPPORTERS Along with generous support from individuals everywhere, Open Letter is grateful for the past and present support from the following organizations, foundations, agencies, and programs: National Endowment for the Arts | New York State Council on the Arts | University of Rochester | Amazon.com | America for Bulgaria Foundation | Bókmenntasjóður: The Icelandic Literature Fund | Book Institute: The ©POLAND Translation Program | Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States | Dutch Foundation for Literature | Elizabeth Kostova Foundation | FACE (French American Cultural Exchange) | French Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Goethe-Institut (Germany) | Institute for Literary Translation (Russia) | Institut Ramon Llull: Catalan Language & Culture | Latvian Literature Centre | Ministry of Culture, Media & Informatic Society (Serbia) | Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia | State Cultural Capital Foundation |
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BOOKSTORE/TRADE ORDERS Open Letter titles are sold and distributed throughout North America by: Consortium Book Sales & Distribution For bookstores in Europe: |
INDIVIDUAL ORDERS Individuals can purchase Open Letter titles through our online store, literary bookstores everywhere, and all major online retailers. Organizations, such as libraries, who are interested in purchasing our First 25/50 collections should also order directly through Open Letter. Please note that international shipping is only available for subscriptions. Send any questions regarding individual orders to contact@openletterbooks.org. |
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PRESS & MARKETING INQUIRIES Chad Post, Publisher |
DESK/EXAM COPY REQUESTS To apply, please send an email with the following information: Name, position, school, department, mailing address, the book you'd like to receive, course title, and course starting date.
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Open Letter is a literary press that publishes ten books annually—mostly novels, but also collections of short stories, poetry, and literary essays. We only publish books in translation and do not publish children's or young adult literature, plays, self-help books, or how-to guides, etc. Our editors are looking for contemporary literary fiction from around the world that is unique, distinctive, and that will have a significant impact on world literary conversation. It is strongly recommended that persons who intend to submit a query should familiarize themselves with Open Letter's publications before submitting. As of July 2026 we are closed to submissions, and are in our reading period. We will do our best to answer any query emails about timeline or progress, but due to the high volume of submissions cannot guarantee an immediate response. Thank you for your patience in advance. |