Formatting… Press is looking to publish works on the open theme of formats.
What are we looking for?
For consideration, we are looking to get a sense of:
- Your format of choice
- Who you are
- How you write
Format of choice
What format are you looking to explore? Give us a description of the book you are looking to write. What main points are you looking to hit when discussing this format? From what angles are you approaching this topic? The more clear you are in this description, the easier it will be for us to envision how your idea fits in with the other books in the Formatting family. It helps to have an outline, introduction, or sample chapter.
For formats that have had a large cultural impact, it is helpful to have a more narrowed focus. For example, writing about “the mixtape” as a format, instead of the compact cassette broadly, or writing that focuses on purple anime fansub tapes instead of the entirety of the VHS format. Alternatively, for more niche formats it helps to ground the analysis within the format’s longtail impact on technology or culture. This could include contextualizing an analysis of .v64 in a broader discussion of video game emulation, or couching a study of Cartrivision’s self-destroying features within a conversation on planned obsolescence.
Who you are
Why are you the right person to tell this story? This can be professional accolades, proven research, personal experience, or all of the above. We aren’t looking for credentials; we just want to get a sense of your lived experience as it relates to writing about your chosen format.
How you write
We want to have a strong sense of your unique voice. This helps us be able to envision the proposed full work. We don’t necessarily need more than one writing sample, but we want to see how your writing aligns with what we are looking to print. For example, if you’ve written a Master’s thesis or an academic paper on a specific format, submitting just that work is only going to give us one part of the fuller picture. We would also want to see how you can write in a more casual, accessible tone. Conversely, you could have writing samples that are excellent but don’t showcase your ability to deeply research or know a format.
Size
We publish narrative nonfiction works. We are looking for an approximate total word count of 25,000-35,000 words. This is meant to be a guideline and not a rule.
Submissions
Pitching with us
We hope that the pitching process can be more of a conversation (although it may be a slow conversation).
Publishing with us
Money stuff first: We offer 10% royalties with an advance of $1500, and we list our books at $15. That’s $1.50 per book, which starts accruing after the first 1000 books.
An advance, in this case, is in advance of profits, not advance of writing. Advancement and terms come after delivery of manuscript, before editing and publication.
Our editorial process
We want to work with you to ensure that your work is the best it can be. This will start with initial review and editing suggestions, and then we give you continued support and editorial help until we both feel like the work is ready. We will perform a final copy editing check, send the book through layout and cover design, and then prepare physical and digital proof copies for you to approve.
Submissions and Inquiries
Start the discussion by emailing us at editors@formattingpress.com and we’ll get back to you!