Book Proposals & Submissions
Thank you for your interest in publishing with Seed House Press. We strive to be a trusted first-step on an author’s publishing journey and their mission to offer life-changing stories, wisdom, and poetry with their audiences.
We happily consider unsolicited submissions from authors without agents who wish to publish their first or second chapbook.
Please read all of the guidelines and FAQs before proceeding with your submission.
How to Submit
You can email your proposal to kim at openroads dot life.
Do not send us entire manuscripts. Book proposals are preferred. Please use our Chapbook Proposal Outline for further guidance.
You can also mail a hardcopy to:
USPS Mail:
Seed House Press
PO Box 480
Claysburg, PA 16625
We do not accept manuscripts by UPS or FedEx.
Do not send material on flash drives or similar devices.
Thank you again for your interest in joining Seed House Press’s mission to heal the planet and heal the people. For more about Seed House Press, please visit About Us.
Content Guidelines
At Seed House Press, we want our books to be the catalyst for healing and growth. We also want our books to be an extension of the work wellness and helping professionals do in the world.
We are interested in self-help books disguised as essay and poetry collections, experimental creative nonfiction, and memoir derived from all wisdom traditions. Our chapbooks books sit well beside works by self-empowerment authors like Gay Hendrix, Natalie Goldberg, Glennon Doyle, and Sally Kempton. They also are in conversation with seminal works by yogis like Danna Faulds, Bernie Clark, and Paul Grilly. And last, they speak to the literary traditions established by authors like Dinty W. Moore, Roxane Gay, Cheryl Strayed, Sue Monk Kidd. Our collections of poetry sit on the shoulders of Sappho, Theodore Rilke, David Whyte, Mary Oliver and Lucille Clifton.
Our challenge is to publish chapbooks of 40-80 pages of depth and insight that honor the literary arts and the voices that came before them.
Submission FAQ
What's a chapbook?
Chapbooks have a long history dating back to the sixteenth century. They became popular in the succeeding centuries as publishing became more affordable. Originally, they were pamphlets and small booklets that contained ballads, poems, folktales, and the like. Modern chapbooks are small books of less than 50 pages, usually, saddle stitched or perfect bound. Some presses offer beautifully hand-bound editions.
At Seed House Press, we offer saddle-stitched, perfect bound, and hand-bound options for chapbooks.
How will I know my submissions was received?
We strive to respond to all unsolicited proposals within two to three months. Please only reach out to withdraw your submission or to let us know another publisher is interested in your work.
Will anyone actually read my proposal?
Yes. Each proposal is read. We genuinely appreciate your submission and for trusting your work with us.
Do you publish authors with agents?
No. We publish early-stage authors on their journey to finding an agent. The chapbooks that authors publish at Seed House Press prepare them for soliciting agents and landing book deals with larger publishers.
I have a completed manuscript. Can't I just send that instead of the chapbook proposal?
While we appreciate your accomplishment, we do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Any manuscript that is submitted will be deleted without a response.
A proposal is a business plan for your book. It outlines the scope of your book, its competition and audience, as well as the marketing plan. We need all of this information to decide if Seed House Press is a good home for your book and if you’re ready for publication. If we decide your work isn’t a good fit, we’ll tell you. And if you’re not ready, we’ll outline a some next steps to help you get ready.
Part of our mission is to grow authors and prepare them for what’s next on their publishing journey. Learning to write a book proposal is a necessary step and much less daunting for a chapbook than a full-length book.
Is there help to write the chapbook proposal?
While we’d love to help every author write their proposal, we are a publishing company. We highly recommend reading the article “Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal” by book proposal expert Jane Friedman.
What will you do with my work after it is rejected?
We delete, recycle or destroy your work. Do not mail us the originals of your work. We do not return content mailed to us.
