Minneapolis · Seoul
A publisher between languages.
Exile Press began with a poet living between Minneapolis and Seoul. We make books that cross cultures, question easy answers, and reward a closer look.
The origin
From Seoul to Minneapolis
A poet in exile does not lose the language. They gain a second place to stand.
The name comes from the idea of the poet in exile. Peter N. Liptak lived in Korea as a poet and a translator of poetry, and that work set the shape of the press: reading across languages, publishing across cultures, and trusting readers with a point of view that is not already their own.
We still work between Minneapolis and Seoul. Exile here is intellectual rather than biographical. It means stepping outside the familiar far enough to see it clearly, which is also what a good book does for a reader.
What we believe
How we choose what to publish
- Seek truth
- We would rather publish a harder, more accurate book than an easier, vaguer one.
- Turn great ideas into beautiful books
- Design, paper and typesetting are part of the argument, not decoration.
- Language connects people
- Half our list exists because someone wanted to be understood in a second language.
- Curiosity over cliche
- Culture is worth approaching with real attention instead of a template.
- Books with a point of view
- Every title on the list argues for something. Neutral is not a standard.
Structure
Five imprints, one standard
Exile Press
Books with a point of view.
The flagship list. Language, translation, poetry and culture for readers who want to see a familiar thing from somewhere else.
ThriveU Press
Practical books you can actually use.
Study, learning and practical nonfiction. Clear, grounded and specific, with no motivational filler.
Hungry Dictator Press
Satire with a straight face.
Political satire, history and graphic nonfiction. Sharp, dry and irreverent where it earns it.
Rooted Reclaimers
A life that feels like your own.
Grounded, compassionate books about survival, self-understanding and reclaiming a sense of self.
Little Bear Books
Raising curious humans.
Picture books and early readers with warmth, humor and real craft. Stories that hold up on the two hundredth read.
Working with us
Submissions, rights and trade orders
Submission guidelines, rights contacts and trade and library ordering details are being published here shortly.
The Exile Press letter
New books, essays and the occasional diatribe
One email or two a month: what we are publishing, what we are reading, and notes from Minneapolis and Seoul. Unsubscribe any time.
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