Manuscript Submissions
PLEASE NOTE: Stormbird Press is not accepting any manuscript submissions until further notice (as at September 13, 2022).
Thank you for considering Stormbird Press!
Stormbird Press publishes 6-10 literary and trade fiction and nonfiction books each year that communicate reverence for wildlife, nature, and humanity’s bond with Earth. From journalism, to dystopia, back to realism, and everything in between, we welcome submissions wrapped beautifully in captivating narrative that consider humanity’s inherent connection with the natural world, what we lose when nature is harmed or destroyed, and stories that explore people’s devotion to nature in many forms.
We only publish children’s books that we commission, and we do not publish stage/screenplays, anthologies, religious inspiration, comic books, graphic novels, cookbooks, romance, self-help, erotica, or translations. Please do not send us any proposals of these kinds. We do not accept submissions that celebrate brutality against nature or that sensationalise war (past, present, or future).
Before you submit a proposal, we ask that you take some time to familiarise yourself with our website to ensure that we are the best home for your book.
Current Submissions for 2022/23
For 2022 and 2023 we are keen to receive submissions—fiction or nonfiction—or proposals on the following five themes:
- Bonds with the world’s changing oceans
- Connections with trees
- Intersections with wildlife trafficking
- Relationships with wildlife as kin
- The struggle of land defenders
Book Manuscript Submission Guidelines - Fiction and Nonfiction
1. There is no submission deadline. We review submissions as they come in.
2. Please do not send hard copy submissions by post. The manuscript will not be posted back to you, but will be composted or recycled.
3. Authors must not submit a manuscript to more than one publisher simultaneously. By sending us your manuscript proposal, you are implicitly acknowledging that it is not under consideration elsewhere.
4. We ask that all nonfiction authors who will include references adhere to either the Chicago Manual of Style or the Harvard Referencing System.
5. We generally publish fiction and nonfiction books between 75,000-90,000 words. We prefer our nonfiction books between 60,000-100,000 words.
6. We will email you when we have made a decision regarding your submission or if we have questions. We generally respond within three months, or longer in some instances. We thank you for your patience.
7. A complete submission will include the following:
(a) In the subject line of your email should be your name and manuscript title
(b) In the body of the email will be:
- the manuscript title
- the manuscript genre and category (e.g. nonfiction—environmental/nature/science writing or memoir; fiction—romance/drama/thriller/fantasy)
- your target audience (be specific)
- one line about the subject area of your manuscript
- how you plan to ensure free, prior and informed consent, if this is required
- the name of five commercial books that you see as a comparison to yours
- your proposed timeline to complete the manuscript
- your proposed manuscript word count (total count, including references)
- the themed submission calls your submission relates to, if applicable.
(c) Please include an author biography, a comment on why you feel you are the right person to write the book, and a brief description of how you might help market and sell the book.
(d) Attach two submission documents:
- a short synopsis (maximum 2 pages)
- the first 3 chapters (or first 50 pages) of your manuscript, in MS Word or PDF format. No other formats will be accepted.
(e) At the end of the email provide full contact details, postal address and phone number.
Send submissions and proposals to editor@stormbirdpress.com noting the submission guidelines outlined above.
FAQs
What are authors responsible for?
Editing
Before submitting your manuscript to Stormbird Press it is strongly recommended that you employ the services of a professional content editor (not a well-meaning friend or family member), who will ensure your book is to publishing standard and maximising its chances. It is important that basic principles of appropriate authorship have been adhered to. Please read our Publishing Policy for further information.
Marketing
Authors share responsibility for marketing titles after publication. Stormbird Press will focus on marketing towards booksellers and media. We do not have budgets for book tours and author promotion. We request our authors actively use social media and other avenues, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and participate in blogs/forums. Authors should be open to doing local readings and book-signings if the opportunities present themselves.
Stormbird Press will generate and circulate press releases, create Stormbird Press author and title pages on our website, advertise the title through bookseller channels and in the mainstream press as the opportunities arise, actively promote titles through social media, and work with book-signing venues to have enough books on-hand for readings/signings if authors arrange these events.
While we wish we could, Stormbird Press offers no guarantee for book sales.
Free, prior, and informed consent
Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is a principle protected by international human rights standards. These standards articulate that ‘all peoples have the right to self-determination’ and—linked to the right to self-determination—‘all peoples have the right to freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development’. Backing FPIC are the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Labour Organization Convention 169, which are the most powerful and comprehensive international instruments that recognize the plight of and defend the intellectual capital rights of First Nations and Indigenous Peoples.
Respecting intellectual capital rights requires careful and thoughtful communication and consultation with the people involved. Where First Nations, indigenous, traditional, or local communities are either the subject of or woven into the fabric of fiction and nonfiction stories, consent is necessary for the reproduction or reflection of stories or communal lore within literary works. This consent must be informed and the communities involved must be given time and information to consider the requests made of them. Their right to refuse must be upheld.
Stormbird Press applies these principles to EVERY story we publish. All our authors must adhere to these principles, including respecting the intellectual capital rights of any First Nations, indigenous, traditional, or local communities that are either the subject of or woven into the fabric of works submitted to Stormbird Press.
If you don’t understand these principles please contact us for more information.
How will I know if my submission is successful?
Stormbird Press will be in contact with you via email within three months to request a full manuscript in word or pdf format. You are also welcome to send your completed manuscript with your initial proposal, and in fact, many people do.
What if my submission is unsuccessful?
Stormbird Press receives hundreds of submissions each year that meet the guidelines above. Only professionally presented submissions that meet the guidelines are considered. Unfortunately, many submissions do not meet the submission guidelines and are rejected before the manuscript is reviewed.
Does Stormbird Press charge a reading fee for submissions?
We do not charge a reading fee, and therefore do not provide comments on the manuscripts we reject. If you do not hear from us, assume we are not in a position to pursue your manuscript at this time.
Will Stormbird Press pay an advance?
If we publish your book, we will offer a traditional contract, based on the royalties model. At this stage, Stormbird Press is not in a financial position to offer author advances. We do compensate with generous royalties in our contracts.
How does Stormbird Press distribute its books?
Stormbird Press books are distributed to bricks and mortar independent booksellers via the Ingram Content Group and all titles are listed with Amazon.com, Kobo, BN.com, Apple’s iBookstore, and the other major online retailers. Printing and distribution are from the closest market—Australia, Canada, the UK, or the US.
We offer competitive bookseller discounts to ensure your book is picked up by as many independent booksellers as possible.
I am an agent. Should I follow a different procedure?
If you have not already established contact with us, please follow our standard submission guidelines.
Can I submit a book query instead of a proposal?
Yes. Although a completed manuscript enables us to make a better-informed decision. A query should include a brief description of the book, an excerpt, why you are qualified to write on the subject, and who your audience is.
I have previously self-published my book. Can I still submit it for consideration?
Yes. If you own the rights to your book, and if your book meets our submission focus, please feel free to submit it, along with all the details of its previous publication.
How much do I have to pay you to get my book published?
Nothing! Stormbird Press is not a fee-for-service publishing house. If we want to publish your book, we will pay you in the form of royalties (a percentage of the book’s net sales, to be determined during the contract phase). We take care of the book’s editorial, design, production, and publicity costs, with a few exceptions: authors are generally expected to pay for permissions and indexing, if either of those apply.
Can I resubmit my manuscript?
Unless we have encouraged you to do so in our response message, we do not accept resubmissions.