Website
Type Of Organization
Press
Mission Statement / Editorial Focus
Founded in 2009 as the literary book imprint of the Department of Creative Writing at UNCW, Lookout has spent our first decade championing emerging and historically underrepresented voices and engaging authors in collaborative editing and marketing to build national conversations around their books. In a publishing landscape increasingly indifferent to literary innovation, Lookout offers a haven for books that matter. Our advocacy model allows for devoted focus on a single book a year. Since the beginning, we’ve offered all authors a robust, equitable, and transparent 50-50 profit sharing model. We’ve become known for publishing groundbreaking story collections, debut novels, researched nonfiction, and breathtaking poetry. With our sister publication Ecotone, Lookout is a centerpiece of the Publishing Laboratory at UNCW; through our certificate programs, we prepare BFA and MFA students for leadership in literary publishing.
Lookout made history in 2011 as the first independent press to have its debut book, Edith Pearlman’s Binocular Vision, featured on the cover of the New York Times Book Review. The collection went on to be named a finalist for the National Book Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Story Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Award, which it subsequently won—a feat that prompted Washington Post book reviewer Ron Charles to call ours “one of the most auspicious publishing launches in history.”
Social Media Platforms Used
Instagram, Facebook
Is Your Group Affiliated With A University, Portal Or Other Agency?
yes
If Yes, Please Name
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Primary Editor/Contact Person
Emily Louise Smith
Contact Title
Founder and Publisher
Contact Email
Publishes
essays, fiction, nonfiction, poetry
Recent Awards Received
National Book Critics Circle Award, PEN/Robert W. Bingham Award, PEN/Malamud Award, Forward INDIE, Young Lions Fiction Award
Representative Authors
Edith Pearlman, Valerie Boyd, Clare Beams
Submissions Policy
Lookout continues to partner with contributors to our sister magazine, Ecotone. If you’re a contributor with a query or book manuscript ready for consideration, please reach out to Lookout’s publisher, Emily Smith, or editor, KaToya Ellis Fleming. We always welcome unsolicited queries from agents familiar with Lookout’s mission. We post detailed guidelines for our open submissions window during the summer months.
Accepts Unsolicited Submissions
Yes
Submission Guidelines URL
Simultaneous Submissions Accepted
yes
Reading Period
Varies
Reporting Time
6 - 12 months
Author Payments
royalties
Number Of Paid Staff
3
Number Of Unpaid Staff
7
Year Founded
2009
Distributors
Consortium Book Sales & Distribution
Number Of Books Published Per Year
1
Titles In Print
10
Percentage Of Above Available Digitally
90
Paperback
100
Average Price Per Book
16.95-18.95
Average Price Per E-Book
9.99
Number Of Issues Per Year
1
Back Issues Available
yes
Unsolicited Manuscripts Accepted
yes
Format
perfect
Publish Print Anthology?
yes
Press