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**RCE is not currently accepting Non-fiction submissions. Please check back later.**
Guidelines
and Information about Non-Fiction Book Submission
Regal Crest Enterprises accepts unsolicited submissions
directly from authors. First we want a query, then we
will ask for a proposal if the query piqued our interest.
We strongly prefer that writers not
send us queries or proposals that are simultaneously
under consideration elsewhere, but if you have done
multiple submissions, please tell us. We know how important
it is to respond quickly to authors, so we attempt to
respond to query letters within two weeks. When we like
a query and request a proposal, we try to evaluate and
respond within six to eight weeks so that the writer
is not left hanging.
The submission process for non-fiction
books is not the same as what we use for fiction submissions.
Non-fiction is routinely sold on the basis of a detailed
outline and sample chapters. Though you are welcome
to offer a completed non-fiction manuscript, it is not
required. If you send us a proposal and outline for
an unwritten book that we like, we may be able to assist
you in fine-tuning the project before you start the
detailed writing.
The Process
- If we like your query,
we ask for a proposal.
- If we like your proposal,
we provisionally accept it, pending receipt of the
completed manuscript.
- An editor is assigned who
will answer any questions that come up along the way
- Upon receipt of the completed
manuscript, we review the work to ensure that it conforms
to the basic concept originally tendered.
- A contract is agreed upon,
and a publication date is set.
What
RCE is looking for:
Topics of interest to both alternative (GLBTQ) readers
as well as mainstream readers including, but not limited
to, humor, popular culture, current events and politics,
psychology, erotica, education, health, sports, travel,
pets, biography and memoir, social issues, and history.
We are also interested in anthologies and How-To books
(such as writing instruction), and depending upon the
approach, we may also be interested in topics in the
fields of business, sociology, and religion.
If you have a project you think
is suitable for our list, please send a query letter
and a complete proposal.
What RCE Will Not Publish:
- Academic essays or essays
about obscure writers
- Collections of book reviews
- Fleeting topical issues
of the moment
- Personal travelogues or
non-memoir travel writing without narrative structure
- Pornography (This not only
applies to pornography as a genre, but also the use
of sex and violence to sell books and includes violence,
sexual or otherwise, or pornographic violation of
any kind against men, women, children, or animals)
- Anything of a racist, sexist,
or homophobic nature
Factors We Consider for Non-Fiction
Submissions
Is the concept presented
clearly ?
While we don't expect perfection, we do expect that
the ideas for your book be thought out well and carefully
described. Your ability to conceptualize and share the
vision is very important.
Is the proposal well written,
indicating that the writer has a style of his or her
own along with good writing skills?
Style isn't everything, but your ability to craft a
cogent proposal goes a long way toward showing us that
you can create a compelling and interesting book.
Will the book be entertaining,
interesting, and/or guaranteed to provide information
or facts that people simply must know?
If the book is entertaining or compelling or groundbreaking,
we have a better chance of catching the public's interest.
Has the book been (or will
it be) well-researched and accurately written?
Facts and accuracy are critical. Historical details,
quotations from experts in the field, and the use of
primary resources must be credited properly. RCE stands
by our books, and we want to publish non-fiction of
the very highest quality. At the same time, any writers
of non-fiction have biases or perspectives, and it's
important to make that clear up front. We tend to shy
away from polemical writing, but non-fiction on a mission
is always acceptable.
Is the timeline for delivery
reasonable enough to ensure that the author will submit
an acceptable manuscript?
It's important that the writer follow through with the
writing of the complete manuscript and then with submitting
it in a timely manner. Also, the condition of the submitted
manuscript is a critical factor in whether it's accepted
for publication so the writer needs enough time to finish.
Does your book fit the RCE of
list?
Not only do we wish to publish non-fiction that falls
within our editors' interests and skills, but we also
want our non-fiction works to appeal to the largest
audience possible. We may find that your proposal is
dynamite, but if we're already saturated with similar
books, we may not be able to accept a work at this time.
And finally, is there something
about the topic that gets everyone all excited?
If the submissions team is all a-quiver about the proposal
that you have submitted, we suspect that the general
public will be as well.
Electronic Submissions (E-mail)
is Required
Unless you are specifically asked
to mail us hard-copy materials, all initial submissions
must be made by e-mail. Unsolicited hard-copy queries
proposals will be discarded and not evaluated.
While this hard-line approach
may seem harsh, the fact is that RCE uses electronic
tools extensively. For instance, when it comes time
to edit your work, the edit will use the Track Changes
process found in modern word processing programs. If
an author does not have access to or aptitude with e-mail
and word processing tools, they will not be a good fit
for the production process at RCE.
Three Steps
to a Non-fiction Book Proposal for RCE
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