Trans/NB Submissions Open

We are actively seeking submissions by and about persons who identify as Trans and/or Non-Binary. 

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We feel it is highly important to offer opportunities to trans and non-binary authors, readers, and the general public for works that describe how it is to live as trans and/or non-binary. Children’s stories are especially important.

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These books are often banned or removed from library and bookstore shelves because some unenlightened individuals, acting out of ignorance, fear, or some other troublesome attitude, complain or outright campaign against making this type of literature and story available to children, young people and even adults, thus denying all members of the reading public the chance to learn and enjoy reading about trans and non-binary people.

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It is especially disturbing to note that children who identify as either of these are being discriminated against and subjected to further harassment by adults who should know better. Propertius Press aims to help lift up these stories and voices in an effort to counteract the dangerous and disturbing forces that aim to silence trans and non-binary folk.

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Do you have a story? Hop on over to our Submissions Portal, and send us your words. We promise to give them a serious review, and very much appreciate your time and interest in our small, independent, not-for-profit Press. Happy writing!

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Submissions open January 6, 2022

We will be accepting submissions in a limited number of categories starting Thursday, January 6, 2022. Believe it or not, we are still working through some of the submissions from last year, in which we received more submissions than all of the last five years combined. The pandemic seems to have been an invitation to many to write down thoughts, to finally start that novel, to craft a poetry collection. This is all wonderful, and we encourage creative writing in all its forms. Because of this, we will be setting submissions caps and deadlines for each category. As the year progresses and we clear through submissions, we will be opening up additional categories, so please check back with us from time to time.

2022-2023 Short Story Anthology

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The theme for our Fourth Annual Short Story Anthology is The Natural World. Stories should take place predominantly outdoors or in some natural context, with nature a defining aspect of the work. Man-made environments and situations should take a backseat in the characteristics of landscape, plot, and other elements of your submission. Merriam-Webster defines “the natural world” as “all of the animals, plants, and other things existing in nature and not made or caused by people.” We would love to see stories that explore how interactions with nature cause tension, excitement, wonder, and/or increase the knowledge of the reader and characters in the story. Reconnecting with the natural world is vital in these times of pandemic, resulting in working from home, avoiding crowds, being cooped up in enclosed spaces, away from each other. How can we maintain our humanity without nature? How often should we try to be outside, in nature? What can happen because of it? Without it?

Visit our Bookstore

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Our catalog has grown by leaps and bounds over the past two years! If you haven’t checked it out recently, please hop on over and pay us a visit.

And remember, it’s never too late to start writing. Perhaps one day, you will see your own words on our pages!

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Submissions sought: Black and Minority Ethnic

We are actively seeking fiction and non-fiction written by and about black and minority ethnic persons and issues, including children’s literature, essays,  memoirs, biography, creative non-fiction, poetry, and works that may not fit into any one genre.

Please send queries and synopsis through our Submittable portal at http://propertiuspress.submittable.com. Priority given to works of this type for the upcoming 2021 publication schedule.

Illustrations from Pixabay and are provided as examples only. 

Editing the Manuscript

Image from Shutterstock

You’ve written your story, and now comes the time to dig in, to sift through the words, to pare back and refine and polish. Or do you? Would you send a raw manuscript out to potential publishers?

I hope the answer is a resounding “no.” Although an exceptional plot and engaging, well-developed characters can sometimes redeem a poorly penned story, and likewise, a unique take on an unexplored, fascinating and relevant subject can make a nonfiction work ring with meaning that survives ratty presentation, it’s never a good idea to skip using the grammar reference, dictionary, and thesaurus.

You want your work to shine above the others, and unfortunately many publishers simply won’t bother with a poorly-worded submission. In order to give your work the attention it deserves on the publisher’s side of the desk, give it the attention it deserves prior to sending it out.

If grammar and spelling are challenging for you, engage a friend to help, or the services of a professional editor. Look for recommendations, or read through some examples before hiring someone.  Honestly, some manuscripts that were stated to be professionally edited appeared to us to be anything but. Be careful about sending your work to the lowest-priced or most expedient service available, such as those offered through popular self-publishing packages. Some of the most poorly-written submissions we’ve received were unfortunately the results of poor writers paying for these kinds of services.

As in all things, you do get what you pay for. However, as it is with some of the best things in life, excellent help is available for free!

Consult with some of the resources available at local community colleges, libraries, and writer’s groups. Honest and accurate feedback is essential to making your best work. Try not to argue over suggestions about word choice and clarity. The end result is up to you, but helpful advice can ensure your work is not only read, but recommended. And that will increase the popularity and enthusiasm surrounding your book!

Happy writing, and editing!

Aspen Institute’s Seven Tips on Writing Fiction

The Death of Literature by the Digital Age

The Editor’s Desk

Recently, we’ve been instituting some changes in the way we assess and process submissions, in an effort to get more books out to our readers a bit more quickly, without compromising on the quality you expect from Propertius Press. We encourage you to use our Submittable platform, and to read the instructions for submissions carefully. This is the best and most expedient way to ensure your work gets the attention it deserves.

Right now, we’re preparing our list of publications through the end of the year. Follow us on Twitter, here on our Blog, and at the Facebook page for all the latest news and developments, including an improved, more user-friendly website and shopping cart.

These refinements will mean we can spend less time with administrative tasks, and more time reviewing, preparing and finalizing quality literary fiction, non-fiction, verse, children’s works, and other fine offerings for our catalog. We know you’ll be as pleased as we are with the final results!

Final Call – Anthology

We are finalizing a short story collection to be published this year in our first Anthology, and are very excited about the submissions received thus far. We have begun making our final selections for this unique collection, with the theme centering on Metamorphosis.

In this collection, the stories chronicle deep changes in at least one of the characters, where by a lesson, a journey, discoveries, the confluence of ideas, an accident or some other more esoteric circumstances the central character becomes more attuned to the inner and outer worlds than they were at the beginning. More than a coming-of-age or life crisis, it might be said each of these stories begins with a seed and opens into flower. Sometimes the flower could be said to continue the cycle back into the earth, but this is never for naught. Something always remains as a result of this evolutionary transmogrification that gives the reader something to consider, that perhaps wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

If you have a short tale of less than 20,000 words that you believe fits into this thought motif, please follow up through our Submissions portal. Deadline: April 30, 2016.

The Anthology Metamorphosis is scheduled for the Fall of 2016.

 

Submissions!

We do love submissions, to be quite honest. The Submissions page has recently been updated to reflect a bit of feedback we feel would be helpful for those considering sending a piece of work to us.

Image credit: Pixabay

 

It’s been an interesting year, and we’ve enjoyed getting to know many new and established authors. We’re finalizing decisions on several pieces, some of which we expect to release in 2016 as ebooks and paperbacks. After several fits and starts we also are happy to say that our long-awaited Anthology is coming together. If you’ve been holding out on submitting your short story, we encourage you to send it for consideration prior to the end of February.

We’ve also talked about audiobooks and issuing some of our most popular titles in hardcover. With all this in the works, this is certainly going to be our busiest year yet.

So …if you’ve read this far you probably have something you’d like to send us. What are you waiting for?

Bring it!