Post by shayepoet on Oct 23, 2008 0:10:09 GMT 2
Plain View Press
PLAIN VIEW PRESS
www.plainviewpress.net
Description of the press and its mission:
Plain View Press is a 33-year-old issue-based literary publishing house. We have published 250 titles and more than 400 writers from many countries. Despite evidence that relentless violence has taken root worldwide, there is hope and there are artists to show the human face of it.
Year press began:
1975
Awards received by your press and its authors:
Plain View Press editor, poet, Susan Bright is an award winning poet and many of our writers have won awards too numerous to list here. Many are documented on our website on the individual book pages for our titles.
Open to unsolicited submissions?
Yes, however we prefer that people query via e-mail first.
Submission period:
All year
Guidelines for submitting:
Plain View Press has published 250 books in the past 33 years. Many of the writers we have published come to us through workshops, festivals, conferences or are recommended by other writers. We also read manuscripts year around, which come by invitation after an initial query.
To query electronically you can send us an introductory e-mail with a link to a website that features a selection of your work and information about you, or you may include in the email a short selection (several pages) of work. International submissions may be made after an initial query via email. We don't open attachments we are not expecting so query first.
We will let you know if we would like to see more work. Manuscripts should be sent by standard mail. Send S.A.S.E. if you want your ms. returned. Do not send originals or your only copy of your work to anyone. It is a good idea to put your name on every page, along with an email address. We suggest that writers study our website, catalogs, find our books in libraries or bookstores, or order sample copies so you can see what kind of work we publish. Our editorial interests are literary and issue-based.
Plain View Press grew out of the feminist movement and has grown with that movement into many areas of social change--peace, environment, healing family violence, social and economic justice. We are gender and culture diverse. We don't publish work that celebrates war, or is replete with sexist or racist language unless there is a strong literary justification for such usage. We don't publish porn or soft porn.
Our artistic standards are high. We tell our writers to speak the truth, which is the meaning of the name of our press.
Our method is collaborative. Many of our projects are cooperative. Plain View Press is on the cutting edge of alternative publishing in America, independent publishing. We receive no public support. Many of our writers, however, have been award winners of various sorts. We are not afraid to help new writers get a start.
Send us a sample (5-10 pgs) of your best work as a word attachment to an e-mail message.
We create, with the authors, individual books and anthologies. Drama, journal, creative non-fiction, poetry, short stories, novels, novellas, experimental work, etc. -- all literary forms ok. We will read manuscripts from outside the US that come as email attachments -- if we have invited the writers to send them. Do e-mail us with queries. We'll get back in touch as soon as possible. Usually within two weeks, maybe sooner. We don't meet with writers until after we've seen work.
Send ms. to:E-mail: sbpvp@sbcglobal.net
Plain View Press
P O 42255
Austin, TX 78704
512-441-2452
What the press really wants to see in manuscripts:
We want to publish beautiful and significant literature.
What makes the press cringe?
I try to give every manuscript a fair read. We are literary and activist. That means there are a number of things we turn down. We get between 2 and 5 queries a day an last year published 40 titles. It will be between 50 and 60 next year.
Number of books published in past year:
40
Average press run:
500 copies -- our books, however, do not go out of print since we use a short run printer that fills orders as they are needed. We are an independent literary publishing house that uses a short run printer to produce books that are available world-wide and that do not go out of print.
Distributor:
Ingram International, I-pages, Baker and Taylor, all the major distributors in the US order from us. Overseas distributors get our books from Ingram.
Book Promotions:
Our books are showcased on our website where people can also purchase them. Amazon.com, barnes&noble.com carry all our titles. You can read our catalog listings to get an idea of how our books have been reviewed and received. Publicity plans for each book are individually crafted by the press and the authors. One advantage of our collaborative process is that authors help each other organize events, take part in regional Book Festivals, etc, conferences. Many of us go to AWP where in 09 we will have two tables. Come see us. Review strategies vary from title to title.
Susan Bright
sbpvp@SBCGLOBAL.NET