Fiction
The Stillness of Predators
by Lucas Hartwell
A meditative novel about a family of field biologists, the silence of observation, and the patience required to truly see another person.
Read moreEst. 2024 • Independent Literary Press
Praying Mantis Press publishes the literature of quiet attention.
An independent house for fiction, poetry, and non-fiction that rewards a second reading. We believe books should be held, considered, and remembered.
Recent titles
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Poetry
The Paper Garden
by Eliot Marlowe
A collection of poems that move between pressed flowers, archival letters, and the quiet labor of tending something over time.
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Fiction
Nocturnal Letters
by Eliot Marlowe
A nocturnal novel in letters: two strangers write across a single sleepless summer, and the dark becomes a kind of confessional.
Read moreOur philosophy
The patience of a predator, the care of an editor.
Praying Mantis Press takes its name from the insect that waits: motionless, attentive, and precisely ready. We think good books are made the same way — slowly, deliberately, and with fierce attention to the sentence at hand.
Founded in 2024, we publish a small list of fiction, poetry, and literary non-fiction each year. We work closely with authors on editing, design, and publication, treating every book as a physical artifact as well as a work of language.
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Titles published
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Genres
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Mission
Authors
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Lucas Hartwell
Author of The Stillness of Predators
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Eliot Marlowe
Author of The Paper Garden, Nocturnal Letters
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Sia Moretti
Author of The Salt Road
Open for submissionsEmail submissions
Send us your manuscript
We read fiction, poetry, and literary non-fiction during our open reading periods. We are especially drawn to voice-driven work, formal experimentation, and writing that pays close attention to the natural world.
Fiction & Non-fiction
Complete manuscripts between 40,000 and 100,000 words. Query letter and first 50 pages required.
Poetry
Full-length collections of 40 to 80 pages. Include a brief bio and publication credits.
Response time: 12–16 weeks