Fernwood is a non-fiction publisher specializing in books that provide a critical analysis of society. Our books address issues of activism and social change, Indigenous resistance and decolonization, global justice, law, politics, social work, sociology, anti-racism, feminism, social theory, and more (for a full listing, search by topic).
What to Know Before You Submit
Fernwood Submission Guidelines
If your book idea or manuscript fits with Fernwood’s publishing mandate, prepare a proposal according to the guidelines below and we will consider it for publication.
We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts: We require a formal proposal to assess your manuscript and its fit with Fernwood’s publishing program.
You can expect a reply within three months.
Please submit your proposal to editorial@fernpub.ca
How to Prepare Your Proposal
Your proposal should be about five to eight single-spaced pages. Send it all in one file. Number the parts of the proposal accordingly:
.1. Proposed Title
- Provide the proposed title for your manuscript. If it is tentative or unknown, please indicate so in your submission.
.2. Name of Author(s)/Editor(s)
- Provide the name(s) of author(s) or editor(s) in the way you would want them to appear in the publication.
.3. Information About Yourself/ves
- Author(s)/Editor(s) bio (80-100 words)
- What is your relationship to the subject matter of the proposed book (life experience in the subject matter, previous publications, professional experience, education, etc.)?
.4. Your Project
- Summary description of your book: What’s the main takeaway – what will you argue, what will you conclude, and how will you get there? It’s important to tell us in the proposal what you will actually say in the book, rather than a description of what you’re going to write about. Also think about these questions: Why is this book important and how will it make a difference to the people you’re writing for? Who are the thinkers this book is influenced by and in conversation with? What is the central question your book is trying to answer? Is your argument new and innovative, or does it offer a new perspective on established ideas? What is this book’s writing style (academic, journalistic, narrative, multi-genre, etc.)? You don’t have to answer all of these questions as they may not all work for each book proposal, but use them to structure your succinct thinking about why this book fits into Fernwood’s publishing program.
- Annotated table of contents: Describe the contents and purpose of every chapter (five to eight sentences each). Present each chapter’s core contribution to the overall project. Think of each chapter as a part of the answer to that central question your book poses; your answer should be multifaceted and the chapters are those parts or steps of the larger idea.
- List of contributors (if applicable): If this is an edited collection, please include a brief bio for the contributors. If you have not finalized the contributor list, include as much information as possible about who you intend to invite or how you will recruit contributors.
- Rewriting: If this project is based on a thesis/dissertation, check out our guidelines and briefly explain how you will rewrite it as a book.
- Word count: Most of our books are between 60,000 and 90,000 words, but there are some exceptions. Please indicate your estimated word count, knowing a typical double-spaced page in Microsoft Word is 250 words.
- Completion date: What is the date you estimate your first draft will be ready for submission?
- Simultaneous submissions: Let us know if you have submitted the proposal to other publishers as well.
.5. Other Important Information
- Audience: No book works for every reader. Identifying an appropriate audience will serve your book well. Is your book written for scholars, students, practitioners, advocates, journalists, policy makers, public educators, non-specialist readers? We find a helpful exercise is to picture three people in your life you would want to read this book and then describe the demographics they represent (your student, your colleague, your mom, etc.).
- Classification: What is your book’s classification (scholarly/professional reference book, college and higher education, junior-level textbook, trade, young adult, children’s book)?
- Competing or complementary books: Briefly describe them and explain what’s unique about your book. Please indicate if they are published in Canada, the United States, or other English-language regions.
- External reviewers: Suggest a minimum of three people who would be appropriate external reviewers.
- Funding: Do you have access to or ideas about any additional funding for this book? It’s okay if you don’t, but as a small independent publisher we often rely on grants to support our work, especially for books with high production costs (e.g., colour photos).
- Figures: Indicate whether there are any photos, tables, charts, graphs, figures or maps in your book. How do these figures contribute to the book?
- Subject area: Which subject areas does your book fit into (i.e., criminology, fiction, Canadian politics, etc.)? If your book could be used for research or classroom use, please indicate which departments, levels, and courses might use the book.
- Promotion and marketing: How would you contribute to the promotion and marketing of your book? Publishers rely on a strong partnership with authors to promote and ensure the success of accepted books. We’d like to hear your thoughts and ideas about where and how the book should be marketed. What role, as author, could you play in its success?