New Rivers Press


New Rivers Press is an American non-profit publishing press located in Moorhead, Minnesota and affiliated with Minnesota State University Moorhead.

History and mission

New Rivers Press was founded by C.W. “Bill” Truesdale in 1968 out of an old barn in Massachusetts. The first title published by New Rivers Press was So Many Rooms Has a House But One Roof, a poetry collection by Margaret Randall. The press moved to Minnesota in 1978, joining the thriving literary small press community in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, that includes Coffee House Press, Milkweed Editions, and Graywolf Press. In 1982, the press became the first book publisher to obtain 5013 nonprofit status. In 2001, when Truesdale died, the press went into suspension and later that year relocated to Minnesota State University Moorhead, where it was revived under different management with a dual mission: to publish literature by new and emerging writers, honoring Truesdale's legacy, and to provide learning opportunities for students. Through collaborative efforts, New Rivers Press publishes enduring literary works and teaches the business of publishing, offering the opportunity to earn a Certificate in Publishing while working as interns to gain practical experience. The activities of the press and its related curriculum were integrated into the school’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program until its termination in 2014, and also into accounting, art and graphic design, English, marketing, mass communications, promotions, and website development classes at MSUM. Cover designs for New Rivers Press by graphic design students were selected as winners in the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 American Inhouse Design Awards by Graphic Design USA.

Series, distribution and funding

New Rivers Press book series include American Fiction Anthologies, American Fiction Series, American Poetry Series, Many Minnesotas Project, Many Voices Project, and the New Rivers Abroad Series. The press offers two national awards, The Many Voices Project Prose Prize, and the Many Voices Project Poetry Prize. New Rivers Press titles are distributed by Small Press Distribution. New Rivers Press has received support from the McKnight Foundation, the Jerome Foundation, and individual donors.

Notable authors and honors

Notable authors include Diane Glancy, Richard Hoffman, Charles Baxter, Kathryn Nocerino, James Bertolino, Robert Peters, Warren Woessner and Albert Goldbarth. New Rivers Press titles have been reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews.

Staff