Submissions

Currently Seeking:

f/64 Publishing currently seeks creative nonfiction, especially that with New England themes or from New England authors (though not exclusively), for our 2017 catalogue. Think you have something worth a general audience's time? Something for a specific audience you know will love it? See below, and then show us your best work.

We read unsolicited submissions year-round, and usually in a comfy chair at a coffee shop. You probably wrote your submission in a similar place--appropriate, eh?

Familiarize yourself with the books we publish before submitting your query package. You’ll notice:

--We embrace specialties across a wide range of interests. These include travelogues, memoirs, biographies, histories, humor, and even regional-focus books from just about anywhere. The key: the writing must intrigue, inform, and entertain, all the while presenting insights and observations that show keen understanding of the subject…and why it matters to a broad audience.

--Books for f/64 Publishing need to paint a bigger picture even when the lens is focused on a smaller scene. Such is the nature of enduring writing—the kind of high quality prose that is meaningful to readers who have never met the author, or been to the places described…because they still know what you’re talking about, and see their world better for having read your work.

--We think “light reading” is like skim milk and light beer—pointless at best, offensive at worst, and better avoided.

--We love essay and short story collections...and humor that has a point. The internet, cell phones, and TV have destroyed our attention spans, heralding new glory for essays and other short, yet meaningful work. Those we publish must be culturally relevant and engage the reader with ideas, perspectives, and lucid imagery…while still being entertaining. Command of prose is a prerequisite; insight and truly engaging commentary set strong manuscripts apart. f/64 Publishing looks for manuscripts that leave the reader inspired, imperiled, intrigued, or otherwise affected.

--Our founder is prolific. Are you our founder? We also publish a lot of other people’s best work. Are you someone else? Be sure to indicate which in your cover letter.

--We aren’t a mainstream press. We’re not the quirky cousin who shaved a pink Mohawk and ran off to Berkeley, either. So send your pulp bestseller to Random House. Send your speculative political fiction written in an MS Xcel spreadsheet to…um…someone. Send us some truly engaging, thought provoking creative nonfiction, and we’ll send you a contract. Or your own SASE. Which will it be? (probably the SASE…but there’s only one way to find out!)

Submission Method

Mail the following:

Cover Letter—review your topic, get us excited about your approach to it, and wow us with your credentials.

First Three Chapters or Annotated Chapter Outline—let us see what you’re talking about. Don’t send more than 50 pages, unless you really want to…we’ll know if it’s love, lust, or just an awkward pass in about 10 pages. Make them double spaced, printed on a single side of the page (preferably the front—consult your manual), stapled in the upper left hand corner, paper clipped in the lower right corner. Especially lively prose may also require the use of a binder clip on the left, 2/3s of the way down. Include a title page with your name, full contact information, and a drawing illustrating your mood at the time of mailing. We’re serious.

SASE or SASE-Alternative—only you can keep the USPS in business. But, you can save yourself the postage by drawing our attention to an email address we can use to contact you. If we’re really excited, we’ll probably call, or drop in for dinner. If not, we’ll give you the basic respect of closure via email (check your spam folder often, just in case). We will—will—respond to all queries. You deserve that.

Resume or Relevant Background—show us who you are, and why you’re the best person to write about this topic. Great ideas are worthless in the wrong hands; the right hands, sans ideas and opportunities, are best left empty. Convince us that you’re the right person in the right place with the right idea.

Supporting Documents—objective quality is easily discerned in a simple package. Subjective quality might take a bit more salesmanship. You might not need to submit any supporting documents; maybe you’ll have a marketing plan, survey of similar titles with brief speculation about how yours is different, a letter from your governor, a doctor’s note, or other supporting material. A picture says a thousand words—you may include a photograph or drawing representing either the superiority of your work or the inferiority of its competition; please indicate which you chose.

To:

Query via email for the address of the editor who coordinates manuscripts on your topic--this gets you noticed faster than at other publishing houses!

Be aware that: all materials are non-returnable, and will be recycled or burned for fuel—we are in Maine, after all. We endeavor to respond to you within a month, though occasionally longer, because every writer who gives us a fair chance at their manuscript deserves a fair read and the courtesy of closure if not accepted. Boo on the publishing houses that say “not hearing from us is your answer.” That’s extremely tacky, and the opposite of our policy.

Be aware though, that especially terrible submissions will be excerpted and posted to the break room wall to be mocked by interns in a form of guerrilla theater—their main reward for volunteering here.

We hope to publish your work. We hope to be inspired even by those submissions which aren’t quite right for us—every good idea has a home, and there are many homes other than f/64 Publishing, so don't be discouraged by anyone's rejection.

Personal responses to submission packages are wonderful, but time consuming and not always possible. If you receive a personal response from us, take it as a compliment. We hope you get our sense of humor, and if you receive a Rejection Form Letter Mad Lib, that you fill it out and return it. This is not likely, but possible, and our interns say it’s fun.

Do not call with pitches or call / e-mail for follow-ups. We'll actually get back to you--that's part of what makes us different.

Our phone number is easy to find. Please only contact us through e-mail and snail mail, though.

Check Out Our Books!