This is excellent synchronicity, because I came here today to post a call for submissions. You would be wise to avail yourself of Lucy-S' offer in advance!
Hand-Picked Words is a new small press with a twist. We publish a monthly book lovers' box containing excellent writing of all sizes. It's like a CSA or farm box: the farmer produces tomatoes and pears and mint, and people sign up to get a regularly scheduled box of whatever amazing organic goodies are coming out of the farm. Community-supported literature.
Each novel earns two dollars per subscriber; shorter pieces receive a dollar. A month after the box goes out, pieces are added to our online store as well as to Amazon and other digital booksellers. Authors receive 85% royalties on pieces sold through our store, and 85% minus the distributor's fees on pieces sold elsewhere.
This is what's known as a Pretty Good Deal. The current downside is that we are soliciting material pre-launch. That is: until our about-to-start Kickstarter gets up to speed, we won't have a strong idea of how many subscribers we'll be starting out with. On the other hand, you get to keep the rights to your work. And, unlike most publishing deals, you don't have to do all your own marketing: a significant portion of the proceeds of each subscription goes toward marketing your work.
Initially, all boxes will be digital; as we determine interest, we look forward to also producing a deluxe monthly box with nicely-printed works.
What are we looking for?
Each box is loosely arranged around a theme. The first one will be New Beginnings. Feel free to be creative in how your work relates to this theme.
We are looking for COMPLETE novels, creative non-fiction, personal essays, memoirs, short stories, poetry, and graphic novels. Do not send incomplete work; it will be returned to you with a sad-face stamp. Work should be compelling, and interesting to a wide audience. Genre writing is totally fine, but all work - no matter what kind - must have strong plot, setting, characters, and style. This is fairly broad, but that's the nature of a subscription box: we're aiming at readers with eclectic tastes, who may have favorite genres but are willing to try anything so long as it's interesting and well-written.
No fanfiction (copyright reasons); no erotica (so many reasons). We do accept some children's books and YA.
Yes, your old write-ups may "count". Keep in mind, however, that what seems like fantastic quality on E2 may seem less powerful on the printed page. Please PARTICULARLY keep this in mind with poetry. Poetry demands higher standards than other pieces, because it is so concentrated; shortfalls that would be completely acceptable in a longer piece become extremely glaring in a half-page poem.
If your work has nothing to do with "New Beginnings", submit it anyway. It may turn out to be a great fit for a future box. Please allow a month for our response, although at this early stage we may be able to respond more quickly.
Seriously Though
You guys are awesome and quirky, the perfect fit. Please throw whatever you like at booklovers@handpickedwords.com and we will see what sticks.
I'm sure I SHOULD be asking for professional cover letters and whatnot, but I don't give a damn. Your work will speak for itself. If I find that we need that stuff, in time, we'll implement it. Jot something nice in the email ("I LOV TO WRIT PLZ CHECK MY ATTACHMINTS") and send it off.
If you know anybody elsewhere who might be interested, please pass this message on. Interested parties can check us out, and download a free sample box or free individual sample pieces, at http://handpickedwords.com. You can also pre-order the first real box there.