Finding a Press for Your Poetry Manuscript

In one of my first columns as an Open Book columnist, I shared my process of realizing I had a full-length poetry manuscript. Since then, I’ve written a number of columns about how to go about preparing a poetry manuscript for submission. I described what you need in a cover letter, and how to format the manuscript document. 

I did miss a crucial step: finding a press for your manuscript. There are numerous incredible independent Canadian presses (i.e., presses not affiliated with a major publishing house) publishing urgent and innovative poetry. These presses also accept direct submissions from poets. In a world of big international publishers and Amazon direct publishing taking big portions of the conversations around publishing, how does a poet go about finding these presses?

You can likely find non-exhaustive lists of presses that publish poetry by looking online, but this can be an overwhelming process. There’s no way to tell whether a press is a good fit for your work based on an online search. To a new writer wading into the world of publishing for the first time, there’s also no way to tell whether a press is a self-publishing house, or whether it is a traditional press that takes on the cost and labour of acquiring, editing, publishing, and distributing your book. 

The following tips are ways to forge personal associations with presses and to have a better understanding of the landscape of publishing in Canada in general. Although this article is geared towards finding a press to submit a poetry manuscript, these tips can also be applied to other genres as well. 

If a press has published a writer you admire, or you’ve encountered their table at a bookfair, you’ll have a better sense of whether you can entrust your work to them. Writing as a whole is incredibly vulnerable, and it’s important to find a press that treats you and your work with care and respect. 

Look at your bookshelf

If you’re a writer of poetry, you’re also likely a reader. Your bookshelf is the best place to start, whether it’s a physical bookshelf or your personal list of prized poetry collections! What are your favourite books of poetry by Canadian poets? Who is that poet’s publisher? 

Browsing independent bookstores

Even if the poetry section is small at an independent bookstore, there will likely be a few local authors and a few independent presses. This is a good and tangible way to learn about a couple of press names. You can also get a feel for their books, and know they have a bookstore presence.

Look at the member list of publisher associations

Independent presses are often members of publisher associations. An example is Open Book’s parent organization, the Ontario Book Publishers Organization. Looking at these member lists can affirm that a press has a presence in the publishing landscape of the country. 

Talk to poets you know

I’ve often had poets ask me about experiences with my press. Poets are usually happy to share this information. Hearing first-hand experiences can help you decide whether you want to submit to the press or not. 

Read poetry book reviews in literary magazines

This advice assumes that if you have a full-length poetry manuscript, you’ve likely submitted your work to Canadian literary magazines. These magazines often publish book reviews in addition to poetry and prose, and most of their reviews feature books by independent publishers. The reviews will mention the press name, and that’s another way to build your own list of presses to submit to. 

Attend local book fairs and festivals

This last point relies on you living in a city that holds book fairs. Sometimes these fairs are a part of festivals, and publishers have tables with their catalogues available for sale. Not only is this a great opportunity to see a press’s entire catalogue, you can also meet the face behind the press name. 

Author panels at these events also often feature authors published by independent presses. Like browsing a bookstore or your own bookshelf, this puts faces to the books published and can help build your understanding of the press behind the books.