About

Submission Guidelines

We are accepting submissions, though to be honest, we’re pretty much booked for two years. We will, however, take a look at what you send us and get back to you. There’s always a chance, but just so you know, it’s pretty slim.

Your best shot at getting an invite to send your whole manuscript is to follow the submissions guidelines linked below. Also be sure to check out our Formatting Guide.

The short version 

The longer version

Please take a moment and review our PM Press Manuscript Formatting Guide and the Contributor PM Press Style Guide.

The short version

Please send us:

  • A brief cover letter that includes:
    • A summary of the book
    • Why you wrote it and why people will buy it
    • Its intended audience
    • A plan for publicity, promotion, and events
    • Why it’s a fit for PM
    • A note of other publishers you are submitting the manuscript to
  • A short sample of the book in .doc or .rtf format, 10 pages or 1 chapter
  • A brief bio for all authors and contributors, along with any previous books, anthologies, or publications they have been published in
  • A table of contents and brief synopsis of each chapter (including an indication of length, photos, illustrations, etc.)
  • Information about any competing titles, published or forthcoming, of which you’re aware
  • Your intended writing timetable
  • If you require a mailed written response, include a SASE. We’d much prefer to email you, however.

Send this by email to [email protected], we’d prefer that, or if you must, mail it to:

PM Press: Submissions
PO Box 23912
Oakland, CA 94623

And then wait at least 2 months for a response. We’ll try to be quicker but can’t promise.

The longer version

So what are we looking for? The best way to know is to look at our website and get a sense of what we’ve already done. You already know we’ve radical leanings. Our subject matter is wide. We want to reach people and get them thinking critically about the world around them. So we publish everything from noir to science fiction to important (if sometimes neglected) theory to thought-provoking books on pirates and punk rock.  So you’ve looked at our site and think you’d be a good fit? Well, then what we would like you to do is write us a letter detailing what you’ve written and tell us why you’re a fit. And because we need to sell books to be sustainable and take on new projects, tell us who the audience for your book is and how you can help reach them. Sadly, this includes your involvement with promotion, social media, etc. Please talk yourself up here and let us know why you think this book is important and why other people will agree with you! And finally, send us a little sample of what you’ve written, but all we need is a taste! We definitely don’t need anything more than a chapter or two. Take a look at the list above and make sure you have everything that applies to your book.  You can either send this along in an email to [email protected] (which we’d much prefer) or send it by mail to:

PM Press: Submissions
PO Box 23912
Oakland, CA 94623

We know how hard it is to wait on tenterhooks for a publisher to get back to you on your dreams. We’d love to promise you a quick turnaround, but at this point we simply can’t. So please give us at least 2 months to get back to you.  And just to be clear on the boring stuff, we prefer emails. If you do send us your submission through the post, just remember we can’t mail back any of the documents you send to us, so make sure they are copies you can afford to never see again! And we would much prefer to send you an email in response to your submission, but if you desire an actual letter, please enclose a self-addressed envelope with the correct postage.  

Good luck!