Xenos Books

The word xenos in ancient Greek has a double meaning, both "stranger" (as in the word xenophobia) and "guest." We chose the word for our enterprise back in 1985, bearing in mind that many readers and writers are obliged to wander the wide and often inhospitable world as strangers and unbidden guests. Xenos Books is a micropublisher with a mailbox i... n Las Cruces, NM. We have no publishing house with thirteen storeys, no offices, no secretaries, no mailroom workers, no publicists, no business experts, no accountants, no chain-store connections, no advance payments, no book-signing tours, no friends in the media, no flunkey reviewers, no kickback channels, no greased palms, no casting couch, no movie deal in advance of publication, no business lunches and no ghostwriters. We survive (break even) thanks to friendly grants, for which we are most grateful. Our mission, in the midst of the mass-media entertainment complex, is to join with other small publishers in trying to keep original literature alive. But we are only one small house, and our contribution is small -- a few books a year at best. Had we the resources, we would accept many of the submissions that come our way; most are really talented. But realistically we can accept only a very few. Generally we prefer experimental fiction, prose poems, off-beat memoirs, poetry with punctuation, occasional essays and especially translations. We are always interested little-known or neglected European writers, especially from the 1920s. Please note that we tend not to publish science fiction, historical novels, romantic novels, religious reflections, children's literature, textbooks, self-help, local history, ethnic interest, drug experiences, encounters with extraterrestrials, sexual lifestyles and politically motivated writing. In fact, we never publish children's literature or poetry without punctuation. We publish only whole books, not single stories, poems or pamphlets. If you cannot find a publisher to take your work, consider other options: publishing in ...Read More