Oregon State University Press publishes compelling, well-written, well-researched books of integrity. Our audience and authors come from the academy and beyond, in Oregon and around the world. OSU Press publishes books on the Pacific Northwest, American West, and Pacific world, with a focus on history, environmental studies, natural resource management, and Indigenous studies. We also publish general interest books on topics relevant to the Pacific Northwest, including memoir, creative nonfiction, food and wine, and politics. All books published by OSU Press are peer reviewed and approved by the press’s faculty editorial board.
OSU Press is not accepting proposals for fiction and poetry projects.
Oregon State University Press Proposal Guidelines
All projects start with a proposal, which should be submitted via email to press.submissions@oregonstate.edu. Do not send hard copy materials.
Your proposal should give a clear and detailed road map to your project, and should include:
- An overview of the book’s content, contribution, argument, and/or approach.
- An assessment of the book's audience and comparison to other works on the topic. How does your book fit into the market and what is it bringing that’s new or interesting?
- Annotated table of contents with chapter descriptions.
- Length (in words) of manuscript and number and type of illustrations.
- Project status and timeline for completion.
- CV or bio, including previous publications and platform.
- Any other presses to which the project has been submitted.
- 1 or 2 sample chapters, if available.
- Any other elements of the project we should know about, including but not limited to potential for course adoption or special sales; sources of funding to support complex or design-intensive projects; and institutional partnerships.
Please do not send the entire manuscript, high-resolution images, or other large files unless requested.
We make every effort to respond to inquiries promptly; please expect an average response time of 10–12 weeks. We reserve the right to decline any project, and do not offer advice or comments on projects we decline.
OSU Press supports the work of the Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications and recommends authors consider their Guidelines on Inclusive Language and Images in Scholarly Communication.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
OSU Press publishes work that is original, creative, and accurate. While we have concerns about the ethical, legal, and environmental implications of generative AI/large language models (ChatGPT and similar programs), we realize that this is an evolving technology with potential benefits.
Authors should keep in mind that they are solely responsible for the quality and accuracy of the work they submit to the Press. Authors must disclose the use of any AI-generated material (text or image) in their project on submission; and must cite any material generated by AI tools as they would any other outside source (see Chicago Manual of Style 18, 3.38 and 14.112).
Our Decision-Making Process
Each manuscript we consider seriously for publication must receive positive external peer review and be approved by the OSU Press Faculty Editorial Board before it is published. This is standard practice at university presses.
If we review a proposal or manuscript and think it has solid potential as an OSU Press book, we will send it to two appropriate peer reviewers for evaluation. These are usually individuals who are published authors themselves, who are knowledgeable about the subject matter of the manuscript, and who are experienced in evaluating a project’s strengths and weaknesses. The Press solicits and pays these individuals, who remain anonymous unless they choose to be identified to the author. The peer review process helps Press staff ensure the integrity of each title we publish.
Thank you for considering Oregon State University Press as your publisher.