Alex Preston
Managing Director, Publisher & International Acquisitions
A book crosses a border well only when the author still recognises their own voice on the other side.
International publishing agency for UK & global authors
Where authors, books, ideas& global opportunities meet.
Meridian Press International is a Chicago-based international publishing-services partner, not a traditional publishing house. We work with authors and publishers in the United Kingdom and worldwide on editorial, rights, translation, audio, marketing and book-to-screen projects. Every engagement is scoped in writing before it begins.
Discuss your book internationallySubmit a publishing enquirySpeak with our rights teamRequest an author consultationExplore booksScrolls to the services section of this page.
- Free assessment, no fee to submit
- Reply within 10 working days
- NDA on request
- You keep your copyright
We publish no fabricated reviews, awards or certifications. Everything stated on this site is either verifiable or marked as a placeholder pending confirmation.
Who we are
A publishing desk, not a marketplace.
Authors come to us when a book has found its readers in one language and deserves to find them elsewhere. That work is specific: the right translator, the right publisher in the right territory, the right narrator, the right metadata.
We do not accept every project. Before quoting, we read the material, discuss the markets you have in mind and tell you honestly whether we are the right partner. When we are, you receive a written scope with deliverables, timelines, costs and the name of the person accountable for each stage.
Long-term relationships are the business model. Transparency is how they are built.
Services
Four disciplines, one accountable team.
Each service can be engaged on its own or combined into a single international publishing programme.
Book to screen
Book to screen adaptation and screen adaptation rights.
Our Book-to-Screen division reads a published or completed manuscript as a screen property: whether it can carry a camera, in what format, and what has to be true about your screen adaptation rights before a producer will read it.
New to adaptation? Start with our guide to book to screen and screen adaptation rights. Journalists and producers can cite the division, its named lead and our company facts from the Meridian Press International press kit, or read how we work with authors in Chicago publishing.
How to submit a manuscript
Submit your manuscript to our publishing team.
UK and international authors can begin with our manuscript submission guidelines. You do not need to choose a paid service before we review your book details.
- 01
Tell us about the book
Title, genre, length, language and the markets you care about. A short paragraph is enough.
- 02
We read it and reply honestly
A free assessment within ten working days, including a plain no if we are not the right partner.
- 03
You get a written scope
Deliverables, dates and costs in writing before anything is invoiced. Nothing starts until you agree.
Free assessment
Send the details and we will read it.
At a glance
Figures we are able to stand behind.
Where a number is still being verified across our records, it is marked as a placeholder rather than rounded up.
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Titles in our published catalog
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Author services offered
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Named specialists on the masthead
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World regions we license into
Inside the house
A short film from our editorial floor.
Two minutes with the desks that will handle your book: manuscript assessment, translation review, rights preparation and the final press check before a title goes to market.
Global reach
Territory desks that know their markets.
Rights availability, retail channels and reader expectations differ by market. We work desk by desk rather than treating the world as one export list.
Territories
Eight regional desks
Hover, focus or tap a marker to see the markets covered by each desk. Territory availability is confirmed in writing before any submission.
Process
Five stages, documented from the first email.
Nothing begins without your written approval, and nothing is invoiced outside the agreed scope.
Stage one
Reading and assessment
We read the manuscript or sample, review existing rights and discuss the markets you care about.
Stage two
Written scope and quotation
You receive deliverables, schedule, costs or revenue splits, and the named lead for each stage.
Stage three
Production
Translation, editorial, narration or file preparation runs to schedule with progress visible in the client portal.
Stage four
Rights and channels
Submissions to publishers, or direct distribution setup with metadata prepared per territory.
Stage five
Reporting and review
Royalty statements on a fixed schedule, plus an annual review of what to do next.
The people
You will always know who is working on your book.
16 named specialists lead our desks, each with a published role, working languages and a direct email address. Every project names its editorial, rights, audio and distribution contacts.
Catherine Clark
Literary Agent
An agent's first duty is to read honestly, then to argue well.
Gabriel Isaac
Literary Translation & Publishing
A translation earns its place when readers stop noticing it is one.
Featured book
From the catalog.
A title we are actively championing across markets.
Crime thriller / Suspense / Spiritual fiction
Kiki Coto
Edward Avanessy
A thriller that moves between crime, conscience and the unseen: 372 pages of suspense in which every choice carries a weight the characters cannot fully measure.
Books
10 published titles in our catalog.
Explore each book directly from Meridian Press International Publishing. Every entry includes its author, publication details and a full synopsis.
Crime thriller, suspense and spiritual fiction
Kiki Coto
By Edward Avanessy
A thriller that moves between crime, conscience and the unseen: 372 pages of suspense in which every choice carries a weight the characters cannot fully measure.
Historical fiction, family saga
Flee to the Forest
By Barry John Cohen
A sweeping saga of survival, love and resilience across generations, from the shtetls of Lithuania to a moshav in Israel.
Memoir
Journey of a Muizenberg Boy
By Barry John Cohen
A memoir of doubt, courage and passion, following a working life across music, theatre, business, politics and sport.
Conflict / Geopolitical Thriller
Last Flight From Pemba
By Barry John Cohen
Northern Mozambique is burning, and Pemba has become the last way out for civilians, contractors and foreign operatives.
Biography, sport and music
The Cedric Kushner Story
By Barry John Cohen
From working a passage on a freighter to promoting more than 300 world title fights: the life of Cedric Kushner.
Legal drama
The Boys from Bulawayo
By Barry John Cohen
Two men survive the Rhodesian war, leave Mugabe's regime for Australia, and are drawn into a high-profile legal battle.
African history and politics
The De La Rey Conspiracy
By Barry John Cohen
Honour, political identity and rebellion in the years after the Anglo-Boer War, and the memory that followed.
Historical fiction
The House on the Hill
By Barry John Cohen
A 32-room mansion in Altenburg, a war-torn Europe, and a painting that reopens a family's stolen legacy.
Business and technology
AI for Simpletons
By Barry John Cohen
A plain-language guide to using AI tools when you are buying property, written for readers who are not technical.
Contemporary fiction
The Life They Chose
By Gabriel Isaac
Daniel Cole and Maya Brooks rebuild their lives while discovering that lasting love takes responsibility, not just good intentions.
Standards
Trust is a set of practices, not a badge.
Written scope before work begins
Deliverables, dates and costs agreed in advance; changes only by written variation.
Ethical publishing commitment
No fake reviews, purchased awards or misleading trust marks, ever.
Clear rights position
You keep your copyright. Licences are specific in language, territory, format and term.
Questions
Frequently asked, plainly answered.
Is Meridian Press a traditional publisher?
We are an international publishing-services partner, not a traditional publishing house. Authors and publishers can engage us for defined services or a separately agreed publishing partnership. Costs, responsibilities and any rights licensed are set out in writing before work begins. Paid services are separate from literary representation, which carries no reading, submission or retainer fees. An enquiry or service purchase does not guarantee publication, representation, sales or placement.
How do I submit a manuscript to Meridian Press?
Read our manuscript submission guidelines, then send your book details and sample through the secure submission form. There is no fee to submit. We review the material and reply within ten working days.
Do you work with authors in the United Kingdom?
Yes. Meridian Press is based in Chicago and works internationally, including with UK authors. Our United Kingdom-based literary agent handles representation enquiries without charging authors reading, submission or retainer fees.
Do you charge authors to be published?
Some services are fee-based, such as translation and audiobook production. Others run as co-publishing or revenue share. Which model applies is stated in writing before you commit.
Who owns the rights to my book?
You do. We license specific rights on your behalf, or act as your publishing partner under an agreement with a defined term and reversion date.
Can I speak to previous clients?
Where an author has agreed to act as a reference, yes. We will not publish testimonials or contact details without written consent.
Verify us
A real company, with details you can check.
If you are deciding whether to trust a publishing partner, start here. Every item below can be verified before you send a manuscript or a payment.
Registered base
Chicago, Illinois, United StatesDirect line
+1 (575) 766-1804Company email
contact@meridianpressinternationalpublishing.comOffice hours
Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm US CentralWritten scope before payment
Deliverables, dates and costs are agreed in writing first. Nothing is invoiced outside that scope.
No fake reviews or paid awards
Testimonials are published only with written consent from the author who gave them.
Secure, consent-first website
Served over HTTPS with strict transport security, and analytics only run after you consent.
Policies you can read in full
Privacy, cookies and terms are published openly, together with a security contact address.
Local details
Based in Chicago, Illinois, publishing worldwide.
A United States publishing agency working with authors, translators and publishers internationally. Call or email our Chicago desk directly.
Opening hours
Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm US Central Time (Chicago). Enquiries answered within two business days.
contact@meridianpressinternationalpublishing.comNext step
Tell us about your book
Send the manuscript details and the markets you have in mind. We reply with an honest assessment, not a sales pitch.