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GUIDELINES FOR
SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS TO RONSDALE PRESS
Ronsdale Press was
established in 1988 as a literary publishing house in order
to publish fiction, poetry, biography, regional history,
children's literature, books of ideas, and the occasional
scholarly book. Ronsdale has published a wide range of both
beginning and established authors.
Authors with manuscripts
looking for homes are welcome to send them to the Press.
Before you do so, however, please make sure that they fit
the Ronsdale mandate. How can you decide this and not waste
postage? Here are a few suggestions. The first is to browse
our catalogue to see the sorts of books we have published in
the past. It would also be wise to look at some of our books
in libraries or bookstores. Better still, buy a volume or
two, and read them to see what we like to publish, what we
find important. Remember that Ronsdale is a literary
publisher, which means that it scouts for thoughtful work
that extends the way we perceive the world. We also look for
writing that shows the author has read widely in
contemporary and earlier literature. Ronsdale, like other
literary presses, is not interested in mass-market or pulp
materials. Mystery stories or fiction that is entirely
plot-driven should be sent to the publishers who specialize
in these forms.
As further guidelines, we
provide the following:
Authors: Ronsdale
Press can at present accept manuscripts only from Canadian
citizens or landed immigrants to Canada.
Poetry manuscripts:
Ronsdale looks for poetry manuscripts which show that the
writer reads and is familiar with the work of some of the
major contemporary poets. It is also essential that you
have published some poems in literary magazines. We have
never published a book of poetry when the author has not
already published a goodly number in magazines.
Plays: We publish
only a limited number of plays.
Children's books:
We publish a small number of books for children in the age
8 to 15 range. We are especially interested in YA
historical novels. We regret that
we can no longer publish 32-page picture books.
The form of the
manuscript: This is a standard for the publishing
industry. Type and double space; leave ample margins.
Proof-read. If we accept the manuscript, then we will need
to have it on computer diskette for publication, but not
before. The editors do not read manuscripts from diskette
or on e-mail. It must be hard copy.
What to send?: If
you are in doubt, send a query letter with a sample. If
you are persuaded that Ronsdale is the press for you, then
you can choose to send the entire manuscript. That's fine
with us. Otherwise send a substantial section from the
first part of the manuscript. For poetry and short
stories, put your best work first. If you begin with the
weakest and work up, our readers may never reach your
masterpieces. Include also a brief bio (half a page will
do), and list your previous publications, if you have any.
Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope (or
international coupons) for the return of the manuscript—in case we do not accept it. Even if you do
not want the manuscript returned, we still ask that you
enclose a SASE for the reply. You do want a reply, don't
you? If you would like the receipt of your manuscript
acknowledged, please provide an extra SAS-card for that
purpose.
We have it as our goal to
read all manuscripts within a month. It sometimes takes up to two months.
The staff at Ronsdale
Press wish you success in your writing.
Ronsdale Press
3350 West 21st Avenue
Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6S 1G7
Phone: (604) 738-4688
Fax: (604) 731-4548
email: ronsdale@shaw.ca
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