UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS

Yes. We do accept unsolicited mss and, actually, we prefer them over agented work.

That being said, we are looking for mature, polished writing "from the heart" by authors of any age who are artists and craftworkers with words . . . and also have the practical business sense needed to assist us in bringing a "book product" to book buyers in the "real world."

Cune Press relies largely on volunteers, rather than paid staff. We have no foundation support or other patrons whose agenda governs our choice of books. So, we are utterly independent. The flip side: we welcome your help in promoting our titles.

Please help us by following the guidelines below:

Please do not contact us by phone and do not ask for a face-to-face meeting. Only approach us by email or US mail. Please reference a similar Cune Press book to show that you are submitting in an area of our interest. Our titles are available as eBooks. Ideally, you will have purchased and read one or more of our books.

We are especially interested in works of narrative nonfiction, reportage, and fiction that have social impact. We are looking for books that have heart and mind and do their part to expose injustice and also to uplift dialogue, help readers lead "beautiful lives," and create a sustainable future. Is your book a "journey of the soul." Please let us take a look at it. Does your book have wicked humor and biting commentary. Please share it with us.

Please, send us the next "Kite Runner," the next "Reading Lolita in Teheran," the next "Catch-22." If you have written the next "Eat, Pray, Love" or "The Year of Living Dangerously" you can send that along too.

At the time you submit your work, you will need to provide bare bones info, under Phase I below.

If we think that your book is a good fit for us, we will need you to fill out a detailed marketing plan under Phase II below. This is info is required by our distributor. 


Many thanks for considering Cune Press as the publisher for your work.


1
Please send the below info at the time you query us.

Contact Info
Name
Mailing address
Location (home base)
Email address
Cell phone / landline
Social media phone number: WhatsApp, Viber, Zalo,
Website(s) / Blog(s)
FaceBook page(s)
Day job(s)
Jobs / Travel / Experience (that explain your connection to the subject you are writing about)

Abstract 
a. Working title
b. Author Name
Co-Author Names
Illustrator Name
c. Genre: nonfiction / travelogue? fiction / first person novel?
c. Location: geographic setting, social setting
d. Brief Description: 25 words or less
e. Key words for Amazon: 5 or 10 words that bring up comparable books
f. External Event / Fact / Occurrence that your book responds to:
(Example: Syrian alleged involvement in the 1986 Berlin disco bombing that killed American servicemen sparked my interest in traveling to Syria and writing about the Syrian people who were largely silent and unknown behind the screen of media coverage on terrorism and power politics.)

Twelve Comparable Books
List 12 comparable books, with 5 from the last three years.
Please do not tell us that your book is "unique" so there are no comparable books. If this is true, then the sales reps will not be able to convince the buyers in bookstores to purchase your book for sale to the public, so we will not be able to publish your work. Some comparable books will be on your exact subject, others will be on related subjects or similar subjects set in different locations, others will be comparable in spirit.

Example: our book of photographs, Apartheid Is a Crime by Mats Svensson, is similar to other protest books on the Palestinian occupation, but it is also reminiscent of photography books that document homelessness in New York City, the lives of African-American miners in Pennsylvania, the public trust of the natural environment on the Oregon coast, the social protest of Now Let Us Praise Famous Men.


2
Please send the additional information below before your contract is signed.

Index
For nonfiction books, please send a list of words in your text that should be included in your Index.

Marketing Plan
Note that this information will vary based on the type of book: fiction, memoir, reportage, how-to, education, art.

a. Book Description: 100 - 200 words (OK to include text from the Brief Description from the Abstract, above)
Please include at the end of your description: 10 - 40 key words that can be used in Amazon to bring up comparable titles.

b. Author / Illustrator bio(s): (50 - 100 words)
Question: What in your experienced prepared you to write this book? What qualifies you as an expert on your subject?

c. Marketing and Selling Points

d. Sales Comps: (Please include the info you developed for "12 Comparable Books" above.)

e. Event Information
This can include proposed events as well as scheduled events. If you are proposing to do a blog tour, then please list 10 or 12 blogs that would be interested. If you have a museum or bookstore that will be a sure thing, let us know. (Be aware that many bookstores charge authors to hold readings.) Do you have an organization or a campus group or other social group that will be receptive to hosting events? If so, include this info.

Now that we are in the era of Covid . . . pay attention to possible events held by an organization or hosted by a friend who is fan of your writing that are virtual (via Zoom, for example).

f. MS Package
i. Is the MS completed? How long (# of words). [Provide in MS word or Adobe InDesign]
ii. Please list the "juicy" words or identifying words that should/must be included in your title or subtitle. Example: A book on Syria should have one of these identifying words: Syria, Syrian, Damascus, Aleppo. Note that "juicy" words are words that contain an image and are NOT "corporate speak." Juicy words especially apply to titles of novels or memoirs.
Please include several variations on your title and subtitle. (Be aware that subtitles do not need to be displayed on the book cover in full. They can have extended text that is useful for Internet searches.)
iii. Do you have a list of keywords that we can use to enhance Amazon searches for your book? When you search on Amazon with these words, comparable books should display in the search results.
iv. Do you have a list of words, names, people in the book that we can use to create an index? (Applies to nonfiction)
v. Have you created a Bibliography?
vi. Have you created a "Further Reading" list of recommended titles?
vii. An Acknowledgement page? (Please put the Acknowledgements after the body of your book, in the end matter.
viii: Footnotes: We do not use footnotes (ie. Notes at the bottom of the page) in most cases and instead use End Notes. Have you removed the dynamic footnote function and given us a non-linked list of notes by chapter for the End Notes?
ix. Have you provided a Timeline of related events?
x. A Glossary of terms, organizations, and locations that will help readers to understand your book?
xi. Do you have a high res head shot? It should be taken by a pro, should not have harsh shadows on your face, and you should not be wearing stripes or geometric patterns. Please remove glasses or give one photo with and without glasses. Men who are clean-shaven must shave prior to the photo shoot. [OK to provide]
xii. Do you have unique art work that could inspire the look and feel of the cover? [OK to provide]
xiii. Do you have three or more "blurbs" by experts, notable figures, authors, readers? [OK to provide]

g. The Market
Who will buy this title? Define the market within the US / Canada / UK, including statistics or figures. Is it targeted for a particular region, group, level, or special interest?

Define the market in English in another region of the world such as the Middle East. Who will sell the book in this region? Who will distribute it?

Examples:
i. A study by [organization name] in [year] indicates that [number] North Americans are in / have [situation of need] that will make this book important for them.
ii. Appropriate for both beginners and longtime practitioners.

h. New Editions
What percentage is new material? Has a new chapter, an introduction, or a foreword been added? Sales figures for previous editions.

i. Notable Elements
Photos, recipes, cd-rom attached, illustrations

j. The author, series, illustrator or other contributor
Name titles and sales or copies sold in the series. The awards and honors that have been given to the contributor. How is the contributor notable. If there are several notable contributors, name them.

k. Tie-in to recent or forthcoming events
Is the book a companion or complement to a movie, sporting event, political event, or a best-selling title.

Examples:
i. Taps interest in early Church political intrigue stimulated by the Da Vinci Code
ii. Released in time for the [year] presidential election
iii. Interest in this subject is growing partly due to the involvement of high profile celebrities. [list the celebrities]