SUBMISSIONS

Shepheard-Walwyn Publishers

Thank you for choosing to submit your book proposal to Shepheard-Walwyn. We accept proposals across all non-fiction genres, with or without an agent, from anywhere in the world.

Non-Fiction genres we are most interested in are:

Ethical Economics, Politics, Society and Social Change, Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Art History, Literary Criticism, Environmental issues, Self-Help, Personal Development, Autobiography, Literary Memoirs.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

We help non-fiction authors with moderate but growing social followings to increase their engagement as their book ideas develop. If you have a strong vision, a new way of approaching a topic, have made a start building a social media following and are perceptive enough to build your community alongside your book proposal, we would love to work with you.

Whether you are a new author or have been previously published, Shepheard-Walwyn Publishers would like to hear from you. You may not hear back from us straight away as the review process takes time. We will contact you once a decision has been reached. We encourage any prospective author to look at the books we have published to date, to ensure publishing with Shepheard-Walwyn is the right choice for you.

Once your submission is received it is considered for publication by an editor, who will assess content, subject matter and suitability for our brand.  If the editor considers the work to be appropriate for our list, we will put forward an offer of publication.

We have produced this submission guidance to give your project the greatest chance of being considered for publication. Please read the notes of guidance below carefully and use them to structure what you write in your submission letter of introduction.

  • Think carefully about the suitability of your project for Shepheard-Walwyn. Does it fit into our list? Have we published similar titles in the past? Please look at our profile to determine if your project might be a good fit.
  • It is important that you tell us what makes you particularly qualified to write this book. We recognise that not all our writers are academics, but they are all experts in their chosen field. It may be that you are new to writing and we are always keen to work with new talented writers.
  • If you have had books published previously, please give as much information about these as possible; if not, please give details of your other writing experience. We do publish books by writers who have not been published before, but please bear in mind that writing a full-length book, particularly if it is intended for the general reader, is a long and difficult process, and that we will require evidence that you will be able to write in the appropriate style, meet deadlines etc.  Very often this will mean working with editors on your work and making changes to it.
  • One of the most important considerations for any publisher considering a new project is the target market. If we are to consider your proposal seriously, we will need clear and precise information about the audience for whom you are writing, and about any potential secondary markets. Remember that you are not only trying to persuade us that we will want to read your book, but also that we will be able to sell it.
  • Another aspect to consider is your online social media presence. We expect all our authors to promote their work across social media platforms on a regular basis. We will help and have a dedicated digital marketing team to support you, but you must be willing and proactive in this area as it is key to getting your book published.
  • Likewise, we would hope that if you were invited to participate in events such as book fairs, bookshop signings and appearances, and interviews, that you would do so if at all possible.
  • When completing the section on Competing Titles in the non-fiction proposal form, remember there are always books of similar content. Think about it as if you were placing your book on a bookshelf in a bookshop, what other books would be on the same shelf? Giving clear and precise information on competing titles, and the comparative strengths of your proposed book, will help it stand out from the majority of submissions we receive.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE SUBMISSION PROCESS

  1. Covering letter
    1. Your covering letter should include:
    2. Your full name (and pseudonym if applicable)
    3. Your postal address, telephone number, and email address
    4. An estimated word count for your complete manuscript
  2. Complete the form – Download Here (PDF) or here (Word Doc)
  3. If you have already completed your manuscript, or a full book proposal, attach your manuscript or proposal.

Send your covering letter, completed form, and manuscript or proposal to: [email protected]