Submissions

Freehand Books is the literary imprint of Broadview Press. We publish new, original work by emerging and established Canadian writers from across the country, and consider book-length manuscripts of fiction (novels and short story collections), poetry, and literary non-fiction.

Please note that our mandate is to publish work by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. We currently do not publish children’s, young adult, or dramatic literature.

For fiction and non-fiction submissions, you may either query with a sample (of at least forty pages) or submit a full manuscript. However, we request that for poetry you send the full book-length manuscript.

Submission Guidelines

Please submit only one manuscript at a time.

Fiction and literary non-fiction should be double-spaced and in 12-point font with standard margins.

Poetry should be single-spaced with standard margins, with each new poem beginning on a new page.

Include your full name, address, and e-mail address on the first page of your manuscript. Please number your pages clearly. A table of contents should be included with collections.

Include a brief cover letter. A succinct synopsis of the work you are submitting is required. An outline of relevant writing experience and/or publication history is encouraged. For literary non-fiction, you may wish to include a paragraph or two outlining the expertise or experience you bring to your particular subject.

Please mail your submission, in hard copy, directly to our office. Please do not send packages that require a signature (i.e. by courier).

Robyn Read, Acquiring Editor
Freehand Books
412 – 815 1st St SW
Calgary, AB T2P 1N3

Email submissions are accepted. You must attach the manuscript to your email as a Word or RTF document; PDFs are not accepted. Your cover letter may be attached as a separate document, or included in the body of the email. Please write “Submission to Freehand Books” in the subject line, and address all email submissions to:

Robyn Read, Acquiring Editor, Freehand Books
rread@broadviewpress.com

Our Response

Please include a valid email address with your submission so that we may confirm that we have received your manuscript.

We are a small press with real time constraints, and our consideration process can take up to eight months. We appreciate your patience during this time.

We will send you our decision through email. Alternatively, you may include a standard size SASE with your submission for our reply. Should you wish the manuscript returned to you, include a SASE of appropriate size and with sufficient postage. Otherwise we will recycle your manuscript and send our decision only.

We regret that we cannot offer editorial comments on declined manuscripts or those under consideration. Additionally, it is not our policy to discuss concepts, proposals, or specific submissions over the telephone or by e-mail. Please do not telephone us or email us to inquire about or discuss your submission—especially not before the eight months of our consideration process has elapsed.

Thank you for your interest in Freehand Books. We look forward to reading your work.