Thanks for your interest in Signature Editions. The first thing to remember is that we receive over three hundred unsolicited manuscripts a year and can publish only eight to ten. And because most of our time is spent on the books and authors we're already committed to publishing, it usually takes six months or more for us to evaluate unsolicited submissions. So please be patient. That said, here are the who, what, where, when and how of submitting:

WHO we publish

We publish only authors who are Canadian citizens. We do not publish non-Canadian authors unless they are being included in a specific anthology.

WHAT we do and don't publish

Look through the titles on our web site and you'll get a pretty good idea of the kinds of books we're interested in. We're a literary press and publish primarily poetry, fiction, drama, and non-fiction work with literary merit. While we've got a pretty eclectic list, we do not publish children's books, romance novels, or self-help books.

WHERE to send your manuscript

We do not accept submissions by fax or e-mail, and do not discuss concepts over the phone.

Fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama manuscripts should be submitted by mail to:

Signature Editions
P.O. Box 206, RPO Corydon
Winnipeg, MB R3M 3S7

WHEN you should submit

While we do many first books, almost without exception, our authors have already seen their work in print elsewhere. They may not have been published in book form, but they are not novice writers. If your work has never been published before, start sending your poetry, short stories or excerpts to literary magazines, most of which will accept unpublished authors. When you've got some other publications under your belt, we'll look at your manuscript.

HOW to submit

You may send us the full manuscript or a sample (5 stories or chapters, 25 poems, or approximately 50 pages). If our interest is piqued by the sample we'll ask you to send the entire manuscript. First submissions should also include a covering letter, a synopsis of the work, and a curriculum vitae specifying previous publications, as well as copies of reviews from previous publications. For drama submissions, please include copies of reviews from professional productions of your play. We will consider multiple submissions, but please make a note of this in your covering letter. Never send your only copy. The manuscript should be typed, in at least 12-point type, double-spaced on one side only of 8 1/2 x 11 inch white paper. On the first page, type the manuscript title, the approximate number of words in the manuscript and the number of pages, as well as your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address if you have one.

Remember to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for a reply from us. If you want us to recycle your materials rather than return them, enclose a regular self-addressed stamped envelope. If you would like your material returned, please enclose an envelope of sufficient size, with sufficient postage. If submitting from outside Canada please enclose IRCs (International Reply Coupons) rather than stamps. They are available at your local post office.