Get to Know the U.P. Team

Unsolicited Press is a small press based out of Portland, Oregon. We focus on literary fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Whether you craft short stories, novels, chapbooks, memoirs, or essay collections, we want to read it. Unsolicited Press seeks to reject all the bullshit bureaucracy of mainstream conglomerates. No matter what 'level' you are, we encourage you to submit manuscripts that will catch our eyes.

Unsolicited Press's focus is on you, the author. That doesn't mean we sacrifice the importance of business. At Unsolicited Press, we create individual editorial, production, and marketing plans for each author. An integral part of our mission is to be an advocate for the author at every stage of the publishing process.

Authors are expected to to pull their weight, though, as we are a small team. At the end of the day, we like to view publishing as a collaborative effort with everyone dedicating significant time to the process. Our team takes a huge financial risk when choosing to publish a book, so we request a commitment of your time and loyalty in return.

Our mission will not choke under financial issues. We will work until our hands bleed and your excellent work is in print. Your work is important to us. Contact us with any questions that you have.

We Don't Get Paid.

That's right. Every single person working for Unsolicited Press is volunteering their time to this venture. Many of our editors work 20+ a week on top of their other obligations. 

Mission Statement in a Nutshell:

"We reserve the right to publish brilliant writers, known or otherwise, and to reject all of the bullshit bureaucracy of the mainstream conglomerates. "

The Team

Unsolicited Press believes in respecting one's privacy in a world so completely gaping open on the internet. With the advent of the internet, writers have begun to expect presses to list personal details of staff on their websites; prior to the digital age mastheads were found on the copyright pages of books/magazines, and that's a tradition we continue to implement. It is not a legal requirement for Unsolicited Press to release the full names of our staff online. Our team has decided to list limited information about our team, but not so much that anyone feels stalked by prospective writers (it's happened in the past). If you are selected by our press, we promise that you will get to know us.
Summer
Publisher & Managing Editor

Summer is a poet and editor living in the PNW . When she isn't reading or staring down a manuscript that needs a little love, you can find her backpacking, birding, or kayaking on the river.
Esme
Production Editor

​Esme holds a degree in publishing and considers layout the end-all-be-all of bookmaking.  She recently relocated to the Mountain West with her partner and their kitten.
Jay
Associate Editor

Jay has been an Associate Editor at Unsolicited Press since August, 2018. Jay is a well traveled writer with impeccable editing skills. Jay lives in the rainy PNW.
Alexis
Assistant Editor

Alexis lives in the Southwest. They have experience with a wide range of editing styles and love working on creative nonfiction projects.
Kristen
Associate Editor

Kristen lives in the Midwest and has a special talent for uncovering all the little errors in a book while simultaneously strengthen a story's core. 
Robin
Associate Editor

Robin is a storyteller at heart and knows their way around a manuscript. When Robin isn't editing, they are having fun playing video games and hanging out with their puppies.
Giuliana 
Social Media Manager

Giuliana is from Glasgow and is living on the West Coast. She is a book reviewer and social media expert. The beach is her favorite place.
Kathryn
​Design Manager

Kathryn spends her time basking in the heat of the South. She balances her time between designing covers for the press and crafting ads for a local ad agency. Kathryn is on a mission to bake the best batch of chocolate chip cookies on the planet.
Andy
​Acquisitions Editor

Andy is a salt-of-the-earth Midwesterner with a no bullshit perspective. His attention to craft and love of literature makes him an invaluable team member.