Submissions

Thank you for your interest in publishing with ARP.

We have an Open Submissions Policy, so manuscripts that arrive “over the transom” are welcome.

These guidelines are designed to help our editors and submitting authors save time and effort. We receive many unsolicited submissions each year. Your manuscript may be exactly what we are looking for…but there’s also a good chance it won’t fit our list. 

To smooth the path, we respectfully request you read and respect our manuscript submission process. 

First, please understand what kind of books we publish.

We are a left-wing progressive publisher and our mission is to amplify writing from the left. We publish non-fiction, literary fiction, and poetry. All of our books, regardless of genre or style, have a left-leaning focus on cultural labour, social and economic justice, and progressive politics.

We are especially interested in works that contribute to debates that are often not covered by mainstream publishers or media. As well, we are keen on seeing innovative and experimental approaches to scholarly, trade non-fiction, and literary writing.

We focus on Canadian-authored books and we are particularly interested in writers from Treaty One and the Métis Homeland in Manitoba, where we are based. Foreign-authored titles are considered, but we are limited in the number we can publish.

We prioritize and amplify authors and collaborators that are and work in support of anti-colonial Indigenous, Black, racialized, LGBTQQ+, people living with disabilities, and other marginalized groups in an inclusive and consultative manner. Works that fulfill this publishing mission are more likely to be considered for publication.

To help you further decide if you should submit your manuscript, this is a quick list of some of the genres WE DO NOT PUBLISH: science fiction or fantasy, genre fiction or “mainstream” fiction, books for children, young readers, or young adults, business books, self-help titles, cookbooks, personal memoirs, travel books, military histories, family or community histories, “quick and dirty” takes on current events, and books that claim to have a singular solution to complex problems. It is unfortunate, but the submissions in these genres will be unread and will not receive a reply or acknowledgment of delivery.

Finally, the best way to know if your manuscript fits our list is to review the books on our website and read two or three of our books that you feel are similar to your manuscript. (This is important—our authors deserve and want to be read. As you will one day.)

If you are interested in sending a manuscript to us, understand WE DO NOT ACCEPT submissions by mail, phone, or social media. Please send in PDF format:

COVER LETTER

A cover letter explaining the primary objective of your manuscript.

  • This letter should include the manuscript’s working title, its unique attributes, and why you think it fits our list and why we would be a suitable publisher. 
  • It would be helpful if you could describe your intended audience, what works it compares with, and how it is distinct in the field. 
  • Please note the current state of the manuscript, when you expect it to be completed, and its approximate length. Also indicate if photographs or illustrations will be included.

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

A brief synopsis and an outline of the work (or the table of contents).

SAMPLE CHAPTER

A sample chapter or portion of the work.

WRITER’s CV

Please indicate if the work has been submitted to other publishers.

We receive many quality manuscripts and we are usually looking to build our list 18 months to two years in advance. The review process can take up to a year. Therefore, we ask that you do not send follow-up queries until three months after your original submission. 

Please email all requested material to: submissions@arpbooks.org

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CONTACT US

ARP Books
205-70 Arthur Street Winnipeg MB Canada
R3B 1G7