We are an award-winning independent publisher founded in 2011 striving to ensure that the mainstream is not the only stream.

More than a company, we are a community of writers and readers exploring the larger questions we face as a global village. It is our intention to preserve contemplative storytelling. We publish full-length introspective works of creative non-fiction, literary fiction, and poetry.

Homebound Publications has several opportunities for manuscript submissions. Please review our submission guidelines on our website before sending us your work.

This is an open call for submissions to those writers who identify as a part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual + community. 

*The terms and definitions above are always evolving and changing and often mean different things to different people.  They are provided below as a starting point for discussion and understanding, and not with limiting or excluding intent. 

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Across all our imprints, we are deeply invested in reading and publishing diverse voices spanning across different religions, ethnicities, and marginalized communities. We strongly welcome submissions from of writers within the BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities, writers living with a disability, writers living with refugee status. . . to name a few. Writers from all backgrounds and communities should consider our press a safe space.



Entry Guidelines for Poetry Submissions

  • To enter, the poetry collection must be previously unpublished.
  • A limited number of individual poems may have appeared in print or online but the poet must hold sole rights to the work.
  • Manuscripts must be in English.
  • The manuscript must be no less than 48 and no more than 80 pages in length (without front of back matter).
  • Simultaneous submissions welcome.
  • No reading fee
  • Average turnaround time for manuscripts is 4-6 Months (Maybe Less).


Entry Guidelines for Creative Nonfiction Submissions

Here you may submit the following styles: Creative Non-Fiction, Travel Writing, and Essay Collections.

Authors representative of the work we seek would be: Barry Lopez, Joanna Macy, Gary Snyder, David Abram, Mary Oliver, Rainer Maria Rilke, Annie Dillard, David Whyte, Cheryl Strayed, Jack Kerouac, Walt Whitman, and Henry David Thoreau.

Formatting and Misc: Manuscripts should be double-spaced and written in English following the Chicago Manual of Style.

Length: We accept works that are at least 20,000 words and are no more than 60,000 words. *If you book is over 60,000 words, we (sadly) won't be the publisher for you. Why is this?  Given the rising costs of paper in light of the global paper storage, we do not have the margin to take on works over this length and make a profit.

In Your Proposal Please Include:

  • Biographical Statement
  • Full Manuscript *All manuscripts must follow the Chicago Manuel of Style.
  • A marketing analysis including: sales points, similar titles, and the authors' plans for self-promotion.

This open call for submissions is to open to writers who self-identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color, BIPOC or BIPOC-adjacent communities.  

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Across all our imprints, we are deeply invested in reading and publishing diverse voices spanning across different religions, ethnicities, and marginalized communities. We strongly welcome submissions from of writers within the BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities, writers living with a disability, writers living with refugee status. . . to name a few. Writers from all backgrounds and communities should consider our press a safe space.


Entry Guidelines for Poetry Submissions

  • To enter, the poetry collection must be previously unpublished.
  • A limited number of individual poems may have appeared in print or online but the poet must hold sole rights to the work.
  • Manuscripts must be in English.
  • The manuscript must be no less than 48 and no more than 80 pages in length (without front of back matter).
  • Simultaneous submissions welcome. 
  • No reading fee
  • Average turnaround time for manuscripts is 4-6 Months (Maybe Less).

 

Entry Guidelines for Creative Nonfiction Submissions

Here you may submit the following styles: Creative Non-Fiction, Travel Writing, and Essay Collections.

Authors representative of the work we seek would be: Barry Lopez, Joanna Macy, Gary Snyder, David Abram, Mary Oliver, Rainer Maria Rilke, Annie Dillard, David Whyte, Cheryl Strayed, Jack Kerouac, Walt Whitman, and Henry David Thoreau.

Formatting and Misc: Manuscripts should be double-spaced and written in English following the Chicago Manual of Style. 

Length: We accept works that are at least 20,000 words and are no more than 60,000 words. *If you book is over 60,000 words, we (sadly) won't be the publisher for you. Why is this?  Given the rising costs of paper in light of the global paper storage, we do not have the margin to take on works over this length and make a profit.

In Your Proposal Please Include:

  • Biographical Statement
  • Full Manuscript *All manuscripts must follow the Chicago Manuel of Style.
  • A marketing analysis including: sales points, similar titles, and the authors' plans for self-promotion. 



 Homebound Publications announces The Prism Prize for Climate Literature

Seeking to promote and support fiction, poetry, and literary non-fiction writing in the emerging genre of climate literature, Homebound Publications proudly announces its new climate writing competition. 

Sponsored by The Wayfarer’s environmental editor Gail Collins-Ranadive, the prize carries an award of $1000 and publication of the winning manuscript.

Our climate crisis is as multifaceted as a beam current sunlight passed through a prism: each refracted color reflects another dimension to be creatively examined: science, weather, politics, psychology, sociology, eco-justice, biodiversity, agriculture, ocean acidification, economics, ecology, environmentalism, energy, extinction events, spirituality, ethics, morality, infrastructure, sustainability, activism, solutions…

Potential climate writers need not be intimidated by a perceived need for extensive research. Just start where you stand, and write out of your experience and expertise. 

How does climate change affect who you are, what you care about, where you live, why you do what you do, and how you view the future? 

Through intuition, insight, integration and imagination, creative climate writing could help awaken a critical climate consciousness and inspire action equal to the greatest challenge humankind has ever had to face.


Submission Guidelines 


 

The Winner Will Receive

The winning author shall receive a $1000 prize and publication with a standard royalty contract.

What We Require

  • Cover Letter
  • A Complete Manuscript (Preferably no more than 50,000 words for nonfiction submissions and no more than 125, 8.5 x 11 pagA panel of fellow writers will select the winning manuscript and award the prize. We are open for submissions from May 30, 2023 - May 30, 2024. The winner will be announced September 1, 2024. es for poetry.) *No Fiction at this time.
  • Market Assessment and/or statement of marketing intentions.
  • Biographical statement and/or CV
  • 300 DPI Headshot Jpeg
  • List of Previous Publications (If Any.)

Do we accept Entries from authors outside the USA?

At this time we only accept manuscripts from authors residing in the United States or the United Kingdom. While our titles are available worldwide, we simply don’t have the network to accept projects from other countries in the global community at this time. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. In time, we hope to be in a position to open ourselves to proposals from writers residing in other countries.

Putting Together Your Submission | How Do I Submit?

Although we appreciate hearing from our readers and prospective authors, postal mail requires a lot of packaging, paper mailing materials and fossil fuel to ship. In an effort to cut down on paper usage/waste, at present prefer electronic submissions sent to us via our secure platform with Submittable.  (It is free to open an account to submit your work. You can even sign in via your Facebook account.)

In Support of Diversity 

Across all our imprints, we are deeply invested in reading and publishing diverse voices spanning across different religions, ethnicities, and marginalized communities. We strongly welcome submissions from of writers within the LGBTQIA community, writers living with a disability, writers living with refugee status, and Native American voices . . . to name a few. Writers from all backgrounds and communities should consider our press a safe space. 

Deadlines

A panel of fellow writers will select the winning manuscript and award the prize. We are open for submissions from June 15, 2022 – Feb 28, 2023. The winning manuscript will be announced on April 25, 2023. 

A category for those submissions either requested from an author or coming from an agent. 

Please submit:
  • Cover Letter
  • Author Bio
  • Marketing Proposal
  • 2-3 Page Summary (For Fiction and Nonfiction)
  • Full Manuscript
We allow submissions of any genre here but ask that the guidelines for length and themes be followed. Please consult our submissions guidelines

*Owl House Book is currently closed to unsolicited submissions. 


In General: As a highly-selective press, Owl House Books publish only 2 - 4 full-length works a year. Owl House Books specializes in genre fiction. We seek works of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and thriller. 

About Us: Myth has haunted and shaped us since the dawn of language, giving wing and fleshy form to the archetypes of our imagination. As our past was spent around the fire listening to myths and the sounds of the night, so were our childhoods spent getting lost in the tangled branches of fables. Through our titles, we hope to return to these storytelling roots.

Are you a subsidized publisher? We are a royalty-based publisher. Our authors do not subsidize the publication of their book in any way. 

Our Books

Our books are available worldwide. Distributed via Publisher's Group West, a Division of Ingram. We publish in paperback, hardcover, and e-book. Our audio editions are available on iTunes, Amazon, and Audible.com. 

Our Respect for Authors

Every editor in Owl House Books is also a working writer, as such, we respect an author’s voice. We always like to ensure that our authors are pleased with the final product. Working under this philosophy, we involve our authors in the interior/cover design process. 

Putting Together Your Proposal

Although we appreciate hearing from our readers and prospective authors, postal mail requires a lot of packaging, paper mailing materials and fossil fuel to ship. In an effort to cut down on paper usage/waste, at present prefer electronic submissions. Owl House Books is an imprint of Homebound Publications. You can submit to us via Homebound Publications' Submittable Platform under the Owl House Books category. 

Please Include: 

  • 2-3 Page summary of the work
  • Biographical Statement
  • Full Manuscript *All manuscripts must follow the Chicago Manuel of Style.
  • A marketing analysis including: sales points, similar titles and the authors' plans for self-promotion. A list of 6 themes that your book touches on.

Homebound Publications is pleased to launch Little Bound Books: Small Books, Big Impact. 

There are three categories under which to submit your work to us:


General Nonfiction

  • Manuscripts should be double-spaced and written in English following the Chicago Manual of Style. Manuscripts must be between under 180 double-spaced pages in length. (Up to roughly 50,000 words max). 
  • *No Poetry Collections.


Chapbooks/Novellas (Literary Fiction Only)

  • Manuscripts should be double-spaced and written in English following the Chicago Manual of Style. Manuscripts must be between under 140 double-spaced pages in length. (Up to roughly 40,000 words max). 
  • *No Short Story Collections.


Little Bound Books Essay Series

The cornerstone of the imprint is the Little Bound Book Essay Series. Personal. Poignant. Powerful, this series is tiny in appearance at 4 x 6 in size and only 30,000 words in length; however, don’t be deceived by the small stature. The content for each personal essay in this series packs a punch to the heart (in the best sense). Think: Emerson’s On Nature or Self-Reliance; Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, Barry Lopez’s Sliver of Sky, Annie Dillards’ Total Eclipse, or  James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son—it is this honesty, grit, and intelligence to which we aspire. 

  • Submissions must be between 19,000 - 20,000 words (not including front and back matter). *This is a firm length. You cannot fall under or go over. 
  • These little books will receive the same full distribution, sales representation, and PR efforts of any standard-size offering.
  • Submissions can be previously published as long as you hold the current rights.
  • Illustrations and black & white photography can be offered but must be of the highest-quality and aesthetic to be considered.


General Notes on Submissions

  • Simultaneous submissions are permitted; however, we ask to be notified promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere.
  • Please include: the full manuscript, resume or CV, author bio, and a statement about your marketing philosophy.

Here you may submit the following styles: Creative Non-Fiction, Travel Writing, and Essay Collections. 

Our Mission: At Homebound Publications we publish books written by soul-oriented individuals putting forth their works in an effort to restore depth, highlight truth, and improve the quality of living for their readers. As an independent publisher, we strive to ensure that the mainstream is not the only stream.

We are currently open to query letters. We are seeking both fiction and creative non-fiction titles with a special focus on spirituality, education, regional interest, history, personal growth, self-help, and ecological. We have a soft spot for books about our native region of New England.

Authors representative of the work we seek would be: Barry Lopez, Joanna Macy, Gary Snyder, David Abram, Mary Oliver, Rainer Maria Rilke, Annie Dillard, David Whyte, Cheryl Strayed, Jack Kerouac, Walt Whitman, and Henry David Thoreau.


Themes We Look For: 

  • mind/body/spirit
  • personal growth
  • sustainable practices
  • the environment
  • introspective travel writing

Formatting and Misc: Manuscripts should be double-spaced and written in English following the Chicago Manual of Style. We are unable to consider manuscripts over 60,000 words at this time. 

Length: We accept works that are at least 20,000 words and are no more than 60,000 words. If you book is over 60,000 words, we (sadly) won't be the publisher for you. Why is this?  Given the rising costs of paper in light of the global paper storage, we do not have the margin to take on works over this length and make a profit.

In Your Proposal Please Include:

  • 2-3 Page summary of the work
  • Biographical Statement
  • Full Manuscript *All manuscripts must follow the Chicago Manuel of Style and be no more than 60,000 words.
  • A marketing analysis including: sales points, similar titles and the authors' plans for self-promotion. A list of 6 themes that your book touches on.


Homebound Publications