New Star welcomes unsolicited manuscripts. We publish in the following areas:
- Social issues and politics.
- The culture and history of British Columbia and the West.
- Literary prose, both fiction and non-fiction.
- We also publish poetry, however we do not consider unsolicited poetry manuscripts.
It's best to familiarize yourself with the kinds of books we publish to make sure your submission would be a good fit.
New Star also publishes Transmontanus, a series of short illustrated books about some of the more unusual aspects of life in a corner of the world currently known as British Columbia.
We accept simultaneous submissions, but we'd appreciate knowing that other publishers are looking at your work. If your manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere, please do advise us. We cannot discuss book proposals on the phone.
New Star encourages submissions from members of diverse and underrepresented communities including indigenous writers, LGBTQST+ writers, writers of colour, writers with disabilities, and those who identify with other marginalized groups.
Where to send your proposal
Proposals for the New Star list and for the Transmontanus series should be sent directly to New Star's editorial offices in Vancouver, either by mail or electronically:
Rolf Maurer
Publisher
New Star Books
107 – 3477 Commercial St.
Vancouver, BC V5N 4E8
What to send
- FICTION: full manuscript with a query letter.
- NON-FICTION: full manuscript, or full outline & sample chapters, with a query letter.
- The information that other publishers are also considering the manuscript, if this is the case.
- Information about you including any previous publishing history.
- For electronic submissions, a word processor document (.odt, .doc, .docx, .pdf) with double-spaced, 12 pt type.
- For hard copy submissions, unbound single-sided pages, a big enough self-addressed stamped envelope for return of manuscript if necessary; or indicate we can recycle it if not interested.
What NOT to send
- Disks of any type.
- Faxed queries / manuscripts.
- Poetry manuscripts.
- Originals of photos or illustrations.
Please allow anywhere in the traditional six to eight weeks from time of receipt for a response. If your book is accepted, it will be at least one year before it is published.
Also worth knowing
- If even after perusing our website you're uncertain whether we're the right place to approach, you can send us a query letter first.
- Due to the volume of manuscripts we receive, we are not able to respond with critiques of rejected manuscripts. Nor do we refer manuscripts or authors to other publishers.