Auckland University Press (AUP) is New Zealand's leading university press. Founded in 1966 as the publishing arm of the University of Auckland - its earliest titles were co-published and distributed with Oxford University Press, and it has operated fully independently under its own name since 1986 - the Press publishes around 20-25 new books a year. It is a book publisher only: AUP does not publish academic journals, so there are no journal submissions, APCs, or impact factors to navigate. Instead, this guide covers what AUP publishes, how the book proposal process works, how peer review is handled, what publication costs (if any) apply, and how AUP books reach readers worldwide.

AUP's board operates as a committee of the Senate of Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland, which anchors its scholarly standards. Its books regularly win national honours - at the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, Toi Te Mana: An Indigenous History of Maori Art and Sight Lines: Women and Art in Aotearoa both took category prizes.

AUP publishes peer-reviewed research and creative work in print, ebook and audiobook formats. Traditional strengths, per the Press itself:

• History and politics - especially New Zealand history and public life
• Art and architecture - including major illustrated works of Maori and Pacific art history
• Literature and poetry - one of New Zealand's most important poetry lists
• Maori, Pacific and Asian studies - from Nga Moteatea to contemporary indigenous scholarship
• Science, business and health - newer, growing lists

AUP does not publish fiction or short stories; proposals in those categories are not considered. Poetry is the exception on the creative side.

AUP operates on the traditional book-publishing model: authors are not charged APCs, submission fees, or publication fees. Books are sold in print and as ebooks (250+ titles in epub, with most also available in library ebook formats). AUP has no standard open-access books program comparable to, say, ANU Press's OA monograph model - if your funder mandates OA for books, raise this with the Press early, and check current policy directly, as arrangements can be made case by case for funded projects.

As a university press whose board is a committee of the University of Auckland's Senate, AUP describes its output as peer-reviewed research and creative work. Scholarly manuscripts are assessed by the editorial team and sent to expert readers before the board approves publication - the standard university-press model. Creative titles such as poetry are selected editorially. Expect the process from proposal to decision to take weeks to a few months, depending on reader availability.

1. Send a proposal, not a manuscript. AUP asks for a brief proposal: a synopsis explaining what the book will do and why it matters, a table of contents with chapter summaries, your background, and market analysis including competing titles and your timeline.
2. Email press@auckland.ac.nz (or post to the Press's Auckland address). Do not send original artwork, photos or full manuscripts - materials are not returned.
3. Check fit first. No fiction or short stories; New Zealand relevance strengthens most proposals.
4. Formatting. AUP house style draws on Chicago-style conventions; APA is common in its science and health titles. SciSpace's Auckland University Press formats can help you structure the manuscript once commissioned.

AUP books are distributed by Upstart Distribution in New Zealand, John Reed Books in Australia, Independent Publishers Group (IPG) in North America and Asia, and Gazelle in the UK and Europe, and the Press presents its list at international book fairs. That gives a New Zealand-focused list genuinely international availability in print and ebook.

AUP follows standard university-press integrity practices: board oversight through the University of Auckland Senate committee, external peer review for scholarly work, and adherence to the University's authorship and publication guidelines. Its reputation - six decades of publishing and a string of Ockham New Zealand Book Awards and other national prizes - rests on that editorial rigour.