Submit your Manuscript to The Normal School Nonfiction Series

Deadline: May 1, 2018

Outpost19 publishes The Normal School Nonfiction Series, a series compelling and thought-provoking creative nonfiction, essay, and literary journalism books. Outpost19 wants immersive and reportage based writing, socio-cultural and political criticism, pop culture analysis, and essayistic prose that artfully blends the personal and public. It is also interested in lyric essays, hybrid nonfiction, research-driven memoir, and the sort of engaging and eclectic nonfiction writing.

It seeks unpublished single-author 40,000 to 100,000 words nonfiction book manuscripts. The creative nonfiction manuscripts should have been already completed and not in draft form. In your proposal, include:

1. Title
2. At least two sample chapters, around 50 pages total (double-spaced, 12 pt. font); though complete manuscripts are preferred.
3. Project Overview (1–2 pages) which includes the following:
   1. Brief (1 paragraph) “elevator pitch” for your book. How would you answer the question, “What is your book about?” if you only have a sentence or two to explain.
   2. Longer (2-3 paragraph) “bar/coffee shop pitch” or summary of the book, similar to the copy you’d find on the back of a book that you pick up in a bookstore. How would describe your book if you had longer to talk about it?
   3. An answer to the question, “Why Outpost19 for this project?”
4. An “outline” of each chapter/essay in the book, which should be an approx. 1 paragraph description for each that pays attention to how the chapters/essays connect to one another and to the whole shape of the book. This should NOT be a “Harvard outline” of the book.
5. Notes on significant or unique features (e.g., new subject area, unique form, page treatments, photographs, hybrid text, etc.).
6. A brief consideration of “comp” titles: Please tell us what other books or resources are available on your topic, or on closely related topics, and how your book differs from or compliments these other titles. Another way to think of this is, if your book was shelved according to subject in a bookstore, what other authors would be on that same shelf? How is your book unique?
7. A related but brief analysis of the “market” for your book: The book’s target audience and relevant demographics. Who needs this book? Readers interested in a topic? A certain sub-genre of nonfiction? Other writers? Students? If students, in which kinds of classes, at what level? What are the book’s selling points: What might motivate someone to purchase the book? What will readers gain, so to speak?
8. A brief Author Bio is helpful; but more important would be a short description of your platform as a writer that might address your national presence in publishing and presenting at conferences or as a visiting writer, your promise as an emerging writer with publications, your online and social media presence, or other factors that can help us market both you and the book.

Submit your manuscript via Outpost 19’s Submittable. All inquiries should be directed at Jon at jon[@]outpost19.com.