submitting to greenboathouse books

Chapbook Submission Guidelines:

First of all, we're not accepting any manuscripts at all right now, and won't be for a while. Find out why...

Now, if we were accepting manuscripts, here are our standard submission guidelines, in case you were interested.

We normally only accept unsolicited chapbook manuscripts during June and July (June 1 - July 31). Any and all manuscripts arriving outside of these dates will be returned to sender, unopened. While this may sound tight, the point is that up until now we've held onto submissions for way too long, and limiting submissions to these two months will force us to read and consider them all at once (in the fall) so that we can in turn make our decisions quickly and return unaccepted manuscripts promptly.

Next up, keep in mind that we're way overworked and completely under-funded — actually, as a chapbook press we have no funding at all. What this means is that we can only publish a few titles each year, and at the moment we have a handful we'd LOVE to publish. What this means is that there is no point whatsoever to sending your manuscript to us unless you have a pretty good idea that we'll love it, and to determine that make sure you read the rest of this page closely.

First important warning:

We are a chapbook press, which means please don't send us your book proposals, novels, 3-act plays, non-fiction memoirs, or full collections of poems - we simply don't produce anything longer than 30 pages. Period.

Second important warning:

There used to be a nice note here warning authors of rhymed, centre-justified 'poetry' to steer clear, but it didn't seem to be doing any good, so let's take these gloves off, shall we?

If you've never published but are convinced you have "a unique voice," if you "love poetry" but don't read (contemporary Canadian) poetry, if your manuscript has anything to do with gods or goddesses of any kind, or any interest in the contemporary urban existential dilemma, or maybe it's a lovely exploration of your political perspective on the environment, or champions the simple honesty of the unemployed logger, if it has even a hint of empty, clichéd metaphors or nonsense about poetry being "a pursuit of truth," or if you're thinking of including a photograph of your children or pets — if your manuscript has even the slightest whiff of any of these odours, please don't send it to us.

Oh, and no "The This of That" titles, please, they're getting tired (The Subtlety of Butterflies, The Burden of Loneliness, The Groan of Precious Titles).

Some will read this rant and find it insulting, possibly offensive, and that will simply mean it's doing its job, but more likely it still won't be harsh enough.

Others will read it and be reassured that Greenboathouse is definitely the right place to send their writing. Please take the above rant seriously, just as we take seriously the books we publish.

Also, mind your cover letter. It's amazing how many cover letters we get full of bravado and over-confidence, even bragging of untapped talent and amazing insight, yet the letter is full of spelling errors, there's no evidence of literary experience (no publishing credits), and to top it off there isn't the slightest mention of any familiarity with Greenboathouse Books' publications (or better yet, our names are misspelled).

Before sending anything to a publisher get acquainted with their books and show that you've done so in your letter. Your letter is an introduction, and you wouldn't walk up to a potential employer and start rambling on about how great you are, totally ignoring the person you're talking to, would you? (If so, don't send us your manuscript.) No, you'd want to make a good impression by showing you've done your homework, are aware of what the employer wants, and carefully acknowledging their time and attention.

Do your homework. Show some humility. And if you haven't published anything, go publish a few things in the wide variety of Canadian literary journals. Then think about sending us a small collection of your work, along with a well crafted cover letter. Then we, in turn, will take the time to give it honest, careful consideration.

Now, if you still think we're the press for you, here's what you need to know:

First things first:
Chapbook submissions must be sent in hard-copy format via snail mail, and will only be considered if received between June 1 and July 31.
Second things second:
What we're looking for are mini-collections/sequences of poems or postcard short stories, a single long poem or short story, or an interesting mix of these or any other literary form that might work particularly well in chapbook format.
Guidelines:
Unlike conventional submission guidelines, we're not all that concerned with uniformity of presentation. Chose your own font and size, type and dimensions of your paper, and if you have images you think might work with your writing, send those along as well. HOWEVER, your submission should adhere to these three simple rules:

It must fit in a 9" x 12" envelope.
Maximum page count of 20 pages of text (not including titlepage, etc.).
If you'd like the manuscript returned, it must include a self-addressed 9" x 12" envelope with sufficient return postage, otherwise the manuscript will be recycled. International submissions (US, etc.) MUST INCLUDE INTERNATIONAL REPLY COUPONS; (US postage is not valid in Canada). International submissions sent without IRCs will be recycled and any contact will be attempted via email (so make sure you include your email address with your submissions).

Although these guidelines allow you to present your work as you wish, keep in mind that our aesthetics may differ. Your best bet might be to keep your design clean and simple, but a well put-together package will tend to distinguish itself from the rest. Design is always a gamble, so place your bet wisely.

Please include a brief cover letter with a bio detailing any/recent publication credits.

If you have any other questions or comments, .

Now that you've read these guidelines, a quick reminder that we're not accepting any manuscripts for the time being, and in case you missed the link above, here's why.

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