FAQ and Submission Guidelines
Palewell Press publishes books on Human Rights, Refugees, Environmental Sustainability and Nature.
Submission is open to all writers – beginners and established, in the UK or elsewhere. Since 2016, an increasing number of our books have been written by or about refugees.
Manuscript submission is free for refugees, asylum seekers and exiled writers. Just tell us that applies to you when you are submitting a manuscript.
We publish fiction, non-fiction and poetry in almost any genre except drama and children's books. Mixed genres, such as poetry and memoir, are also possible.
- The general submissions window for publication in the second half of 2024 is now closed and manuscripts have been evaluated.
- A decision will be communicated to submitters by the end of the first quarter 2024.
- When the next general submissions window opens it will be announced here and in the Newsletter.
- With the limited number of publication slots available it is sometimes necessary for accepted manuscripts to be published later than notified on the submissions page. Where relevant, this will be communicated to authors at the contract stage.
- To submit a prose piece to our upcoming short story anthology, see Anthology Submissions below.
- POETRY SUBMISSIONS should consist 10 pages of poetry or 10 poems, whichever is longest, plus an indication of whether the poet is preparing a pamphlet (of at least 24 pages of poetry) or a full collection (of at least 48 pages of poetry).
- LONG FICTION SUBMISSIONS should consist of the first 10,000 words plus a 300-word synopsis.
- SHORT FICTION SUBMISSIONS should consist of one story plus a one-line description of the other stories.
- NON-FICTION SUBMISSIONS should consist of the first 10,000 words plus a chapter plan and description of the intended audience.
- All submissions should be accompanied by a 300-WORD WRITER BIO plus a proposal of how the writer would HELP TO MARKET their publication.
- Manuscript submission is free for refugees, asylum seekers and exiled writers. Just tell us that applies to you when you are submitting a manuscript.
- Other writers planning to submit a manuscript should PURCHASE ONE OF OUR BUNDLES of books and/or pamphlets through our Book Bundles page. When submitting the manuscript and associated documents, in the subject line of the email please type “Submission” followed by the Transaction Id from your PayPal order. This purchase will support our publication of work by and about refugees and other disadvantaged groups.
- Submissions should be emailed to the Submissions Editor, at enquiries@palewellpress.co.uk in .DOC, .DOCX or .RTF file formats only. Your work will not be returned, so please keep a copy.
- Eventually we will reply to all submitters by email, so thank you in advance for your patience.
- If a submission is not accepted, we will let you know by email but won’t offer individual feedback.
- If we need to see more of your work before definitely accepting a submission, we will ask you to send additional text.
- If we are interested in a submission, we will email you to start discussing possible publication.
- Occasionally, we will use the website and newsletter to announce an upcoming anthology and ask for submissions.
- Your piece(s) may already have been published on-line, in magazines or anthologies or on the radio, provided you retain copyright and Palewell Press can publish the piece(s) again with no additional payments or paperwork.
- When submitting, please make it clear which material has already been published or broadcast.
- A short story submissions window is open. In the coming year, we plan to publish a short story anthology about refugee journeys - emotional as well as physical - from where a person once lived to their arrival in the UK and settling into a new home here. Your prose piece should be 2,000-4,000 words in length and may be fictional or memoir-based. To submit, email us the full piece plus a 100-word bio which should be the first page of your entry. This competition is free to enter and closes at noon on May 31st 2024.
- Authors receive a royalty on every copy sold except those that Palewell Press sells directly to the Author ( or to a person representing the Author ) at the Authors’ Discount.
- We calculate royalties in March for the preceding 12 months, and pay them in July of that year.
- Royalties increase as more copies are sold. These are the royalty rates:
- Paperback or Pamphlet: 10% of the paperback or pamphlet’s Sterling Retail Price on 1-5,000 copies sold; 12.5% from 5,001-10,000 copies, then 15% for all printed copy sales thereafter;
- eBook: 15% of the eBook’s Sterling Download Price on 1-10,000 copies sold; 20% from 10,001-30,000; and 25% for all eBook download sales thereafter;
- Audiobook: 15% of the audiobook Sterling Download Price on 1-10,000 copies sold; 20% from 10,001-30,000; and 25% for all audiobook download sales thereafter. On sales of audiobooks in cassette or disc form: 10% of the audiobook Sterling Retail Price.
- We don’t pay advances.
- Authors receive 10 free copies of their paperback or pamphlet.
- Authors can also buy copies of their paperback / pamphlet to resell, directly from Palewell Press at the Authors’ Discount of
- 40% on orders of under 100 copies;
- 45% on orders of 100 copies or more
- To buy copies at the Author's discount plus postage, email us at enquiries@palewellpress.co.uk
- The author owns the copyright to each individual poem / piece of prose in their publication.
- Palewell Press owns exclusive rights to the whole publication with its title and cover design.
- Palewell Press retains this exclusive right to publish a book for 20 years from the Agreed Publication Date.(See Contract Clause 13-c for the option to terminate every 5 years)
- During that 20 years, the Author can submit some of the book’s contents to anthologies, magazines and competitions, telling them which pieces have already been published by Palewell Press. Most competitions require an Author to submit unpublished work.
- If an author wants to publish their book in one or more languages other than English , the may do so. To use the same title and cover design, they will need permission from Palewell Press.*
- From agreeing the final manuscript to launching your paperback or pamphlet takes approximately 3 – 4 months, or longer if the period includes Christmas or other holidays. Palewell Press plans each year’s publications in advance. We will tell you when your publication will start to be worked on.
- The Agreed Publication Date is a date close to the expected launch event and will be discussed with you and included in the contract. Subsequently, Palewell Press can agree with you to shift the launch event and/or Agreed Publication Date forwards or backwards in time.
- Once your paperback / pamphlet has been launched, you can ask Palewell Press to prepare an eBook and/or an Audiobook. The details will require further discussion.
- Book Cover Design
- All book covers are designed by Palewell Press and discussed with you.
- A draft cover will be reviewed by you ahead of publication.
- If you have a suitable photograph you can ask if Palewell Press wants to include this in the cover design.
- Internal Illustrations
- For reasons to do with printing technology and cost, Palewell Press books rarely include internal illustrations. If these are important to your book, you should discuss this with Palewell Press before signing the contract.
- Images source and cost
- Palewell Press will source images that go on the cover or inside the book
- If you want to use a particular commercially available image, the cost will be paid by you
- For logistical reasons, Palewell Press will only organise a face-to-face launch event for authors based in England, Scotland or Wales.
- If you live outside that area and/or if Covid-19 or other Public Health crises are causing issues, your launch may need to be online rather than at a physical venue.
- Palewell Press shares physical launch costs 50-50 with the Author up to a ceiling Palewell Press contribution of £50.
- Palewell Press will not contribute to any costs not agreed with them in advance.
- All books published by Palewell Press are listed on the website.
- When a book is about to be published or has been published recently, we also include it in our monthly newsletter.
- Around the time of launch we use social media to publicise it.
- Authors should commit to share in marketing their work alongside Palewell Press, whether through social media or by emailing their contacts.
- Your paperback / pamphlet will be available for sale:
- During your launch, and at book events you arrange
- On the Palewell Press website
- On Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles and Bookshop.org websites;
- From your local bookshop if you can get them to stock it
- eBooks and audiobooks will be available to buy on Amazon.
Contact Information
Camilla Reeve, Senior Editor
© Copyright Palewell Press Ltd 2024
Registered in England. Number 10473109. Registered Office 89 Sheen Lane, London SW14 8AE