Submission Guidelines

Your submission to Elder Grove Media must include the following in order to be considered for publication:

  • Cover letter containing a brief description of the project and the contents of the package (See guidelines below for further details).
  • An outline and proposed table of contents (This may change as the work progresses if you don’t have a complete manuscript yet).
  • A description of the target market for your book, including an explanation of why someone would want to buy the book.
  • Include a list of known competing titles and how your book is different from theirs.
  • Brief summary of the author’s background and credentials. Why are you qualified to write a book on this subject?
  • A full manuscript, if completed. WE DO NOT ACCEPT MAILED MANUSCRIPTS. Submissions must be by email in MS Word or pdf format.
  • Your submission must include at least two sample chapters.
  • Submissions must be in English, double-spaced with 1-inch margins in 12-point type.
  • Include a Table of Contents and page numbers on all submissions.
  • Complete permissions and citations. For more information on permissions and citations, click here.
  • Total word count for the proposed manuscript, if completed (minimum of 50,000 words to be considered for publication, unless an illustrated book or children’s book).
  • Your complete daytime contact information including telephone and email.

Brief Description of Your Submission

In one or two paragraphs, describe the work, including its rationale, approach, and why you think it would be appropriate for Elder Grove Media. We generally publish books and other media on sustainable living, permaculture, and alternative spirituality.

Outline for Your Submission

A detailed outline of the book should be prepared. Send at least one completed chapter along with your outline. This gives us an idea of your writing style and how the material fits together.

Outstanding Features List

Briefly what you consider to be the outstanding, distinctive, or unique features of the work. What sets your book apart from other books on the subject? Why would it be appropriate for Black Mountain Druid Order Publications?

Sample Chapters for Your Submission

Select one or two chapters of the manuscript that are an integral part of the book. They should be those you consider the best-written ones, and do not have to be in sequence. For example, you might submit chapters 3, 7, and 14 of a 20-chapter book, so long as these chapters represent the content and reflect your writing style and themes in the best possible light. Submit any chapter that is particularly innovative or unique. Sample chapters should contain rough sketches, charts, photographs, drawings, or description of photographs to be included. The material need not be in final form, although it should be carefully prepared and represent your best work. WE DO NOT ACCEPT MAIL-IN SUBMISSIONS. You must submit your manuscript and proposal in email form as an attachment in either Microsoft Word or pdf format. Also be sure all pages are numbered either consecutively or by chapter.

Content

Will the book include photographs, line drawings, tables, charts, glossaries, bibliography, references, appendices, etc.? Will you be including any graphics with the publication materials/manuscript? Will the photos and drawings be full color, or black and white (be aware that full color books are considerably more expensive than black and white books)?

Competition

How will your book will be similar to, or different from, other works in the field? Why would a reader purchase your book instead of another book on the subject? What makes your book unique? What topics have not been covered by similar books that yours covers? What topics does your book leave out that other books have covered?

Primary Market

What is the major market for the book? Is it a scholarly academic work, or is it more for the casual reader? Is it written for novices, or is it written for people with a great deal of experience? Is it a reference work, a text book, a ‘how to’ book, or fiction? Write at least a paragraph on the market for your book.

Status of the Work

Do you have a completed manuscript, including proofreading? If not, do you have a timetable for completing the book? What percentage of the material is now complete?

When do you expect to have a completed manuscript? Be honest and accurate with your estimation, and give yourself plenty of time to complete it. It’s better to take your time and do it well than to try to rush it. A good rule of thumb is to estimate when you think it will be ready, then add 20% to that timetable.

What do you estimate to be the size of the completed book? Do you have a page count or a word count? Double spaced typewritten pages normally reduce about one-third when set in type, so 300 typewritten pages make about 200 printed pages. There are about 450 words on a printed page. A good minimum size for your book would be around 50,000 words, which would yield a book approximately 100 pages in length.

Approximately how many photographs do you plan to include, if any? Approximately how many line drawings (charts, graphs, diagrams, etc. ) will you need? If including photos or line drawings, they must be in jpeg format at a resolution of at least 300 dpi minimum. They should be embedded in your manuscript at the proper places.

Do you plan to include material requiring permission (text, music, lyrics, illustrations)? To what extent? Have you started the permissions request process? If using copyrighted material from other sources, it is the author’s responsibility to secure permission for their use. If you are unsure as to how to do this, please contact us for detailed instructions. When in doubt, it’s best to avoid including previously copyrighted material unless you own the copyright yourself.

Reviews

If we are interested in your project, we will contact you within 90 days of receipt of your proposal, outline, and sample chapters. If we contact you to express an initial interest, please allow an additional 6-10 weeks for completion of the review process.

If you have not heard from us within 90 days of the initial manuscript submission, please contact us to inquire about the status of your proposal. Please DO NOT contact us until 90 days after your initial submission. We will contact you if interested in pursuing your project.

Author Background

Please include a current resume, CV, or brief biography of your writing, teaching, and/or educational background and experience. Be sure to list any books that you have previously published, name of the publisher, and any other information about yourself on why you are qualified to write this book.

Response Time

Please allow at least 6-10 weeks for the manuscript proposal evaluation and review process. We will contact you as soon as we have had a chance to thoroughly examine your manuscript proposal.

Thank you for your interest in Elder Grove Media. We look forward to reading your materials.

For any other questions, please contact us.