Call for Book-Length Submisions from Historically Marginalized Groups Residing in the Pacific Northwest: Blue Cactus Press

Submissions

Blue Cactus Press accepts rolling submissions from people from historically marginalized groups residing in the Pacific Northwest. We seek writing that is fundamentally anti-racist, two-spirit and LGBTQ+ affirming, and which sparks dialogue about what it means to get free.

We seek writing that is rooted in biracial or multicultural experiences; counter-cultural perspectives; bilingual or multilingual narratives; and Black, brown, or indigenous perspectives.

For those interested in submitting fiction, we seek fantasy, general fiction, horror, magical realism, romance, and sci-fi works.

For those submitting non-fiction, we seek works that address climate justice, community building, literary craft, nature writing, parenting, sociology, or political science.

We are also interested in works that showcase poetry and/or art, such as, but not limited to, graphic novels, paintings, photography, or printmaking.

Please read the following guidelines, notes, and process notes thoroughly before submitting your work to Blue Cactus Press.
Submission Guidelines

• COVER LETTER: All submissions must include a cover letter. Cover letters should be no longer than one page and include the following:Name, bio, contact information, and confirmation that you identify as a person from a historically marginalized group residing in the Pacific Northwest.

• A single-paragraph description of the work you are submitting, as well as what genre/form it most closely aligns with.

• A statement of how your work addresses liberation. How does this work help us get free?

• A short statement explaining how your work fits into, expands, and/or is in conversation with other works in the Blue Cactus Press catalog.

WRITING SAMPLE: All submissions should include a 10-20 page writing sample of the manuscript you intend to submit.

Submissions should be emailed to:

 BlueCactusPress@gmail.com 

and addressed to Chris Vega, Publisher.

Important Notes

• Submit your cover letter and writing sample in one document (.pdf, .docx or .doc format) in 12 point, times new roman font.

• Simultaneous submissions are permitted, so long as you let us know where your work is already being considered.

• If you are not from a historically marginalized group, we will not read or respond to your submission.

• If you do not follow the submission guidelines, we will not read or respond to your submission.

• If you are a service provider seeking assistance with writing, publishing services, or hybrid publishing through Vega Books, please follow the guidelines above and put “ATTN VEGA BOOKS” in your cover letter and/or email subject line.

• By submitting your work to Blue Cactus Press, you are guaranteeing its content is your own, original work and is not plagiarized, borrowed or reproduced from other sources.

THE SUBMISSION PROCESS

Step 1: Submit your cover letter and writing sample.

Step 2: If your work is a good fit for Blue Cactus Press, we will email you requesting a full manuscript.

Step 3: If we read your manuscript and would like to move forward, we will invite you to submit an author questionnaire.

Step 4: Once you submit your questionnaire, we will review it and use the information you provided to decide whether we have shared goals and expectations for book publication. We will make a final decision within one month of receiving your questionnaire.

Step 5: If you accept our offer for publication, we will draft a publishing contract that outlines compensation, publication date/timelines, your creative team, and other important publishing considerations.

Step 6: Once we come to an agreement on the contract terms for book publication, we’ll sign the contract! Congratulations! You’ll officially be a Blue Cactus Press author. After signing the contract, we’ll onboard you to our systems, processes, and work spaces.