The kinds of books we publish
Dagger Editions, an imprint of Caitlin Press, is dedicated to publishing literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry by and about queer women (those who identify as queer women, including trans women or trans men, or anyone who includes this in their personal history). In a normal year we will publish two to four books, across three publishing seasons. These books are published alongside parent publisher, Caitlin Press, and will be available in the trade market (i.e. bookstores, online vendors, libraries, etc.)
How to submit a manuscript
We accept unsolicited manuscripts and regularly process 200 per year, from which we might typically select two or three for publication.
If you wish to submit, please begin with a letter of enquiry which should consist of an outline, an author bio and a ten-page sample of your work. In the spirit of saving a tree, please do not submit your entire manuscript unless it is requested.
We are not concerned with paper stock, or what spacing is used, etc. For style, we normally refer to the Chicago Manual, and we use the Canadian Oxford for spelling.
Please write your name, address, phone number and email address on the sample, not just the covering letter. We do not return submissions, so please do not send original material. We try to respond to all submissions, but if you are submitting an unsolicited manuscript please be aware that this is a courtesy not an obligation.
We have received a number of submissions by priority post. While we understand your commitment to publishing your work, this is an unnecessary expense. If you prefer this method of shipping, please do not insist on a signature for pick up. All submissions are made at the owner’s risk, even if Dagger Editions has indicated interest.
Please do not send submissions by e-mail or fax
Submissions can be mailed to:
Dagger Editions
3375 Ponderosa Way
Qualicum Beach, BC
V9K 2J8
Please indicate on your letter of enquiry if you have submitted to multiple publishers. We wish you success in getting your manuscript published, but please let us know if your submission has been accepted by another publisher.
What happens if we are interested:
If a manuscript is of interest, you will normally hear from us in three to six months. At this time you may be asked to complete an Author Questionnaire listing previous publications, vital statistics, etc. We may also make suggestions as to how your manuscript can be changed to make it more publishable. Such preliminary indications of interest do not constitute a commitment to publish the work. Most books are published one to two years after first submission, but the process has taken up to five years in some cases.
Author-publisher terms:
Caitlin pays industry standard royalties on net receipts. The author and the publisher share income from the sale of most subsidiary rights. Advances are negotiable based on the commercial potential of the book.
