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We are looking for analytical pieces on a work, an author, a literary movement, a literary question, or a contemporary debate related to French-language literature.

Essays may draw on literary criticism, literary history, theory, comparative literature, or cultural studies. They should nevertheless be written for an educated reader who is not necessarily a specialist in the subject.

We favor pieces that are:

• original and previously unpublished;
• rigorous in their argument and documentation;
• written in clear, accessible language;
• able to offer a genuinely personal point of view, interpretation, or perspective;
• attentive to the connections between the literatures and cultures of the French-speaking world and the United States.

We pay particular attention to recent books and to subjects that shed light on literary and cultural exchanges between the two sides of the Atlantic.

How to submit an essay

You can send us:

1. an essay proposal of no more than 10 lines, with a short note about the author; or
2. the full text, if it is already written.

Please state whether the text is unpublished. French Press does not publish pieces that have already appeared elsewhere.

Proposals should be sent to french.press.contact@gmail.com.

We aim to reply to every proposal within two weeks.

Review and editing

Every proposal is read by the editorial committee.

Acceptance of a piece may come with requests for changes, clarifications, or cuts, to improve its clarity, accuracy, or readability.

The title and standfirst are set by the editors, in consultation with the author whenever possible.

Writing guidelines

• Essays should be between 10,000 and 15,000 characters, including spaces.
• Works cited must be referenced in full: author, title, publisher, and date of publication.
• Hyperlinks to reliable sources are encouraged where useful.
• Notes should be kept to a minimum and placed at the end of the text.
• Quotations must be clearly identified and accompanied by their reference.
• Please keep the manuscript’s layout simple and readable.

Ethics

Essays published by French Press must respect the rules of intellectual integrity and journalistic ethics.

In particular, the author must:

• disclose any personal, professional, or financial tie that could constitute a conflict of interest with the subject;
• clearly identify quotations, borrowings, and references.

The use of artificial intelligence to write all or part of the essay is prohibited.

French Press reserves the right not to publish a piece that does not respect these principles.

French Press devotes its interviews, its “En Bref” episodes, and its reviews to French-language literature, with particular attention to recent releases and to books that illuminate exchanges between the French-speaking world and the United States.

Suggesting a book

Write to us at french.press.contact@gmail.com with:

• the title, the author, and the publication date;
• a short description of the book;
• the name and contact details of the person handling press relations.

Review copies

We are happy to receive review copies, in print or digital form. Print copies should be sent to:

Digital copies can be sent to french.press.contact@gmail.com.

We read every book we receive carefully, but sending a review copy does not commit French Press to covering it.