Submissions
Te Herenga Waka University Press publishes fiction, poetry, and nonfiction (literary and scholarly). We welcome inquiries from prospective authors, and we are glad to receive work that aligns with our publishing programme.
Before you submit your work to us, please note:
— If you submitted a manuscript before 2025 and haven't heard from us, we're no longer actively considering your work. We do our best to respond to all submissions and apologise if you didn’t receive a direct response. You are welcome to re-submit under our current guidelines.
— Due to the volume of submissions we receive, it can take us up to six months to respond.
— We publish work by writers based in Aotearoa New Zealand and writers who have a meaningful connection to Aotearoa New Zealand.
— Before submitting, we strongly encourage you to read some of our books and browse our online catalogue to get a sense of the books we publish.
What we publish
We publish literary fiction, memoir and essay collections, poetry collections and scholarly nonfiction.
Scholarly nonfiction should be suitable primarily for a New Zealand readership. A connection with Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is an advantage but not a necessity.
What we don’t publish
— Young Adult and children's fiction
— Self-help, wellness or mind-body-spirit titles (for example, books focused on healing journeys or personal transformation as instruction)
— Business manuals
— Very short works (usually, books under about 20,000 words).
We rarely take on straight genre fiction such as fantasy, romance or horror.
We are not able to consider manuscripts that have already been published, including self-published titles. For poetry and fiction, it is fine for individual pieces to have appeared in print or online publications.
What to include in your submission
Your submission must include:
— A brief cover letter (this can be in the body of your email) that tells us a little about you and your book, and any relevant publishing history;
— A synopsis or a proposal (see categories below);
— A writing sample (see categories below).
Submissions missing any of these elements may not be considered.
By category
Fiction, memoir, essay collections: A synopsis and a writing sample consisting of 5,000–10,000 words from the beginning of your manuscript.
Poetry: A brief description of the collection and 10–15 poems, or up to 20 pages from your manuscript.
Scholarly nonfiction: A proposal (a summary of the project and a chapter outline), and a writing sample of 5,000–10,000 words from the beginning of your manuscript.
How to send your work to THWUP
We prefer to receive submissions by email. Our submissions email is: thwupsubmissions@vuw.ac.nz
Attach documents in Word or PDF format. For your writing sample, include one file only, rather than separate attachments (e.g. ‘Chapter 1’, ‘Chapter 2’, etc.). Please format the text in 12-point font with double line spacing, and number the pages.
We can also consider submissions by post. Make sure the material is typed (12-point, double-spaced) and printed single-sided on A4 paper, with pages numbered. We can return your material if you include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Te Herenga Waka University Press
PO Box 600
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
FAQs
How long will it take before I hear back from Te Herenga Waka University Press about my submission?
We are a small team and we receive many submissions, so it takes us up to six months to respond.
Do you consider simultaneous submissions, i.e. can I also send my manuscript to other publishers at the same time as submitting it to THWUP?
Yes, we allow simultaneous submissions. Just let us know in your cover email. If your manuscript is accepted by another publisher, please also let us know so that we can withdraw your manuscript from consideration.
Are you able to provide editorial feedback?
We’re sorry to say that due to the volume of submissions we receive we are not able to provide editorial feedback, and no further correspondence can be entered into.
Can I call you to discuss my submission?
Please email us if you have questions on the progress of your submission, at thwup@wgtn.ac.nz.
I have previously had a book or books published by another publisher. Are you able to consider my current project?
We will assess your work on its merit and whether we think it is the right fit for our press. Please know, though, that we are not often able to take on mid-career authors who have parted ways with a previous publisher.
I have self-published a book. Will Te Herenga Waka University Press consider it for wider publication?
We are not able to consider full-length works that have already been published, even if they have been self-published or published only in a digital format.
What do most unsuccessful submissions get wrong?
Most commonly, the project isn’t a fit for what we publish, or it has no meaningful connection to Aotearoa New Zealand, or it’s a previously published book-length work.
Some writers re-submit a manuscript to us very quickly after we have decided not to take it on. We do welcome re-submissions, but please wait at least one year before you re-submit your work.
I want to write my life story. Where can I get advice about writing it?
Look for courses in memoir and life writing. Some continuing education programmes offer these courses, as do polytechs and universities. Here at THWUP, when we are considering nonfiction submissions, we look for strong, compelling voices, insight, craft and story.
I’m a young writer and I want to write a book one day. Where do I start?
Read as much as you can. Look for writers’ events in your community – readings, talks, festival events – and go to hear writers speak about their work. You could start or join a writing group, where people give and receive feedback on their work in progress. A creative writing workshop can also energise your writing.
The Exercise Book (2011) contains a wealth of writing ideas and exercises for poetry, fiction and script-writing. The Fuse Box (2017) is a collection of essays from New Zealand writers about the creative process.
Many online resources offer advice to writers. The New Zealand Society of Authors offer good, wide-ranging advice and resources for writing and publishing your work in New Zealand.