Submission guidelines

Thank you for your interest in Second Story Press. We are currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts.

We are a Canadian feminist press publishing books of special interest to women. Our list is a mix of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books. We look for manuscripts dealing with the many diverse and varied aspects of the lives of girls and women. If you feel that your manuscript fits with our list, please send it according to the instructions below. If you are a US author, you may want to consider sending your manuscript to one of the many US publishing houses; we try to focus on Canadian authors. Note we do not publish poetry, rhyming picture books, or books with anthropomorphized animals.

How to send a manuscript:

Send a PRINTED version of your submission to the following address. We do NOT accept proposals or manuscripts on disk/cd or via email.

Second Story Press, 20 Maud Street, Suite 401 Toronto, ON, M5V 2M5, Canada

All submissions must include a SASE (a self-addressed envelope, stamped with sufficient postage) so that we are able to return your manuscript and/or send you a reply. We cannot send your submission back to you without this SASE, nor can we send you a reply letter.

Don’t forget to keep a copy of your manuscript! Although we make every effort to keep your manuscript safe and sound, we cannot assume responsibility for your manuscript.

Please allow a period of at least 6 to 9 months for us to consider your submission. We read the manuscripts on our own time, outside of work, so please be patient.

For submissions from outside of Canada, please use regular mail service and a declared value of $0.

What to send:

It is generally a good idea to send us a C.V. with information about academic history, related work and previous publishing credits (where applicable). This is particularly important for those submitting certain types of non-fiction.

Fiction:

Those interested in submitting adult fiction can send either an outline with sample chapters, or a complete manuscript. Please note that we do not publish traditional romance novels.

Non-Fiction:

Again, you can send either an outline with sample chapters or a complete manuscript. If it is a lengthy work, a summary is appreciated!

Children’s Books:

Send an outline and sample chapters or a completed manuscript. Please keep in mind that as a feminist press, we are looking for non-sexist, non-racist and non-violent stories, as well as historical fiction, chapter books, novels and biography. Illustrations are not necessary.

If you are interested in submitting, we strongly suggest that you familiarize yourself with the books we have published in the past.

Hey, illustrators!

We also accept illustrator portfolios. Please send a sample of your work and a C.V. to our address. We will only respond if interested, but will keep your portfolio on hand for future projects. Your portfolio will not be returned.

Also, keep in mind that we only publish one or two illustrated books per season.

Our address

Second Story Press, 20 Maud Street, Suite 401 Toronto, ON, M5V 2M5, Canada