the university’s press
The Cornerstone Press is a university trade press, publishing collections of short fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, as well as recipients of prizes for first novel and first poetry collection. The only press of its kind in the University of Wisconsin system, Cornerstone Press is one of five undergraduate, student-staffed presses in the United States.
Our independent publishing house and teaching press was established in 1984. Today, it is publishing more than 60 titles yearly. Student staff work primarily in editorial, cover design, social media/marketing, and events management, as well as local sales and campus outreach. The students working in the Cornerstone Press don’t have to imagine what publishing jobs will require. They are already making the same connections and solving the problems they will face on the job.
Cornerstone Press operates with the support of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Department of English, the School of Humanities and Global Studies, and the College of Letters and Science. It is located at 1901 Fourth Ave, CPS 127, on the UWSP main campus.
AWARDS
Its titles have received reviews in the New York Times Book Review, Booklist, Kirkus, Foreword Reviews, and elsewhere, as well as recognition from PEN America, LitHub’s 100 Notable Small Press Books list, the William Saroyan International Prize, the Midwest Book Awards, the Foreword INDIES, the National Indie Excellence Awards, the Independent Publisher Book Awards, the Society for Midland Authors, the Chicago Writers Association, the Eric Hoffer Awards, and many other state and national contests.
annual PRIZES
The Linda Nemec Foster First Book AWARD for Poetry
The prize is named in honor of poet Linda Nemec Foster, award-winning author of fourteen collections, a Michigan Notable Book Author, finalist for the Michigan Governor’s Artist Award, Pushcart Prize nominee, first prize winner of the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award, and founder of the Contemporary Writers Series at Aquinas College.
Submission Period: May 1 – August 1 (yearly)
Entrance Fee: $15.00
Winner Receives: $1,000 advance
Guidelines: 1) Submission must be entrant’s first book of any kind (including chapbooks); 2) submission must be the entrant’s original work. The use of AI in any way is prohibited; 3) submission must be previously unpublished, save for portions published in journals or magazines prior to submission (entrant must list previous publication venues with their submission materials).
Submission Link: https://cornerstonepress.submittable.com/submit
THE LARRY WATSON FIRST NOVEL PRIZE
The prize is named in honor of bestselling American novelist Larry Watson, whose books include The Lives of Edie Pritchard (2020), As Good as Gone (2016), Let Him Go (2013), and Montana, 1948 (1993). Montana, 1948 won the Milkweed National Fiction Prize and sold over half a million copies, and Let Him Go was made into a feature film, released by Focus Features in 2020. Watson taught at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, the home of Cornerstone Press, for 25 years.
Submission Period: November 15 – January 15 (yearly)
Entrance Fee: $25.00
Winner Receives: $1,000 advance
Guidelines: 1) Submission must be entrant’s first book in any genre; 2) submission must be the entrant’s original work. The use of AI in any way is prohibited; 3) submission must be previously unpublished, save for portions published in journals or magazines prior to submission (entrant must list previous publication venues with their submission materials); 4) submission must be literary fiction. Genre fiction (fantasy, romance, science fiction, etc.), nonfiction, children’s fiction, and story/novella collections are not eligible for this contest; 5) submission must come from an author living in the United States; 6) submission must be written in English; 7) submission should be between 40,000 and 75,000 words. Exceptions may be made. Please query.
Submission Link: https://cornerstonepress.submittable.com/submit
Mission
Cornerstone Press provides experiential learning opportunities to students pursuing careers in writing, editing, and publishing, by acquiring and developing writers that inspire, interrogate, and inform; fostering collaboration with community, university, and industry partners; and preparing students for life beyond college.
Vision
To be a leading advocate for Midwestern and regional voices, to develop literary community through strategic growth, and to manage resources ethically through responsible business practices.
FOR AUTHORS
WHAT SETS CORNERSTONE APART
Cornerstone Press values the meaningful collaborations we make with authors, the university, and the publishing trade. From editorial and cover design, to layout, marketing, and sales, our student staff gains valuable industry experience while bringing award-winning books into the world from up-and-coming and established authors. We accept manuscripts on a rolling basis and strive to provide authors with a quick decision regarding their submissions.
contact Cornerstone Press
CPS 127
1901 Fourth Ave
Stevens Point, WI 54481
Email: cornerstone.press@uwsp.edu
Phone: 715-346-4532
PROFESSIONAL STAFF
Ross Tangedal
- Associate Professor
- Director of Cornerstone Press