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John
F. Blair, Publisher, publishes 15 to 20 new books each year. We
specialize in regional books, with an emphasis on nonfiction
categories such as history, travel, folklore, and biography. We
publish only one or two works of fiction each year. Fiction submitted
to us should have some connection with the Southeast. We do not
publish children’s books, poetry, or category fiction such as
romances, science fiction, or spy thrillers. We do not publish collections of short stories, essays, or newspaper columns.
To gain a better
understanding of our publishing program, please review our
title
list.
When submitting a proposal,
please remember that it may take up to two months for the editors to
review it. Blair has an acquisitions committee, which includes several
staff members. There is no specific editor to whom you can address
queries or with whom you can discuss your manuscript. If you call our
office, we can only tell you whether your manuscript has been
received. There is no staff member available to talk to you about your
work.
Outlined below is the basic
procedure for submitting manuscripts.
All submissions:
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Manuscripts should be
typed and double spaced.
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Clear photocopies are
acceptable.
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Works of moderate
length—50,000 to 100,000 words—stand a better chance of
acceptance than short works or works of great length.
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It is important that
writers supply a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) if they
want a response. We will not return your sample or respond to
your query without return postage.
Nonfiction proposals:
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Include a cover
letter that gives a brief description of the project.
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Include an outline of
and/or introduction to the project.
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Include at least 30
pages of the text, preferably the first chapter.
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If the project will
include illustrations or photographs, please send samples. Do
NOT send originals. Clear photocopies are acceptable.
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Supply a market
analysis of the book. Unless there is something about the
potential market that would not be obvious to the uninitiated,
this analysis should concentrate on the titles, publishers, and
dates of all similar books, with an explanation of how your book
differs from each.
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Send a biography of
the author, including publishing credits and credentials in the
field. If the project also has an illustrator or photographer,
please include that biographical information as well.
Fiction proposals:
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Any fiction submitted
should have some connection with the Southeast, either through
setting or author’s background.
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Send a cover letter,
giving a synopsis of the book.
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Include the FIRST TWO
CHAPTERS (at least 50 pages) of the manuscript. You may send the
entire manuscript if you wish. If you choose to send only
samples, please include the projected word length of your book
and estimated completion date in your cover letter.
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Send a biography of
the author, including publishing credits and credentials.
Note: Do NOT submit
original material (either art or manuscript), and please keep a copy
of your project.
Please note that materials
unaccompanied by a SASE will NOT be returned.
We do not accept proposals
on disks, over the Internet, or by fax.
Mail all submissions to:
Acquisitions Committee
John F. Blair, Publisher
1406 Plaza Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
We are always eager to find
writers who can meet our editorial requirements. Thank you for your
interest in us.
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