SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
WHO CAN SUBMIT?
We accept work from both emerging and established writers and artists, and from folx of any and all ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. However, we do prioritize work from artists who come from underrepresented communities.
WHAT DO “BIPOC” AND “LGBTQIA+” MEAN?
BIPOC is an acronym for Black, Indigenous, People of Color.
LGBTQIA+ is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual. The + refers to the queer identities not mentioned in this acronym.
DO YOU ACCEPT PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WORK?
Currently we publish only First Editions of full-length works (poetry and prose collections, novels, and novellas). Excerpts of a full-length may have been previously published in journals or anthologies, which is acceptable, but we only accept work where the full-length itself has not been published in its entirety by another press. Otherwise, this would constitute a Second Edition. If a previous full-length has gone out-of-print by a previous publisher, we may be open to seeing the work, though this is considered on a case-by-case basis.
WORD COUNT AND PAGE LIMITS
The poetry collection shall be 48-100 pages, excluding the Title page, Table of Contents, Author’s Note, Notes pages, Acknowledgments pages, and Reference pages.
The prose work (i.e. novel, novella, hybrid collection of prose and poetry, essay collection, creative nonfiction) shall be a length of no more than 50,000 words. For poetry and prose collections, there will be fewer than 10 illustrations, if any.
We are open to citations in MLA, APA, or Chicago format, as long as the citations are consistent and fact-checked.
For collections less than 48 pages, please consider submitting as a BulitLit. Please understand, however, that BuliLits are a series of handmade micro-chapbooks and zines. Unlike the full-length collections that are sold in unlimited stock with assigned ISBNs and are part of our permanent catalogue, BuliLits are printed on a one-month, 100-copy limited-run, whichever is fulfilled first.
WHAT MAY I WRITE ABOUT, i.e., GENRES?
While we are open to various genres and do not limit ourselves to what we read which can range from Cookbooks, Mysteries, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance, and Thrillers outside of the usual Literary Fiction, Poetry, and Literary Nonfiction that we do seek and aim to publish, please keep in mind that as long as the work exhibits a social justice edge and literary/narrative quality to them, we are definitely open to seeing your work as SamPress is a social justice press first and foremost.
Otherwise, we are unable to publish the following: children’s books, graphic novels, plays, self-help, and erotica. Particularly due to the special kind of printing, binding, ink, and format required for the genres listed, we simply don’t have the bandwidth for producing these books, which we understand requires a special kind of typeset and editorial attention.
Most importantly, please DO NOT send work with excessive or gratuitous violence, gore, abuse, and/or r*pe. We will not accept work that promotes any form of hate or harm (physical, emotional, and psychological), including but not limited to: racism, sexism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, ageism, or ableism.
REVIEW AND RESPONSE TIME
Because we are an all-volunteer staff, review times may take up to 6 months. While we strive to review the work as quickly as possible, this estimate really depends on the work and the capacities of staff. If 6 months have passed and you have not received a response from us, please kindly message us. Otherwise, we do our best to respond to each and every submission whether it is an acceptance or rejection. Please understand that sometimes we have to turn down exceptional work simply based on our current bandwidth.
WHERE TO SEND SUBMISSIONS
Please send manuscripts to SampaguitaPress@Gmail.Com. In the subject line, please put GENRE SUBMISSION: THE TITLE OF YOUR BOOK, WORD COUNT so an example would be: LITERARY FANTASY: DUENDES IN THE YARD, 50,000 WORDS. We also kindly request a pitch of one paragraph along with a bio of 100 words. Please attach your manuscript as a PDF or Word attachment.
We sincerely appreciate every author that reaches out to us and considers us as a home for their work.
Sampaguita Press 