4437 Rondeview Rd. Madeira Park, BC V0N 2H0
info@harbourpublishing.com

GUIDELINES FOR WRITERS

How to Get Published: Start Here
For general information on how to get published, please consult the very useful "Guide for Writers" at the Association of Book Publishers website.

Eligibility
Harbour publishes about twenty books a year in all genres, but mainly on topics concerning the west coast of British Columbia. Some recent titles with a focus on British Columbia are Skookum Tugs: British Columbia's Working Tugboats and Full Moon, Flood Tide: Bill Proctor's Raincoast. We publish guidebooks and natural history, such Kayaking Vancouver Island: Great Trips from Port Hardy to Victoria, Pacific Reef and Shore: A Photo Guide to Northwest Marine Life and A Field Guide to Gold, Gemstone and Mineral Sites in British Columbia. Harbour publishes Anne Cameron's novels, including her most recent, Dahlia Cassidy. We have also published such children's titles as Boys, Girls and Body Science and Skookum Sal, Birling Gal. Recent poetry releases include Patrick Friesen's The Breath You Take from the Lord and Patrick Lane's Go Leaving Strange. Other titles include how to's (like How to Get Your Lawn off Grass, by Carole Rubin) art books, cookbooks and anthologies. Prospective authors may consider any one of the above mentioned titles as typical of Harbour output in terms of content and style. The Harbour catalogue, which is available, from the publisher at a cost of $3.00, may also be studied for better knowledge of Harbour's range.

Submissions Policy
No phone calls, please
We accept unsolicited manuscripts and regularly receive 1,000 per year, which we read as time permits. Please begin with a letter of enquiry which includes an outline, a bio, publication credits (if applicable) and a sample of the work. Manuscripts must be legible. Please make your submission to the mailing address above on hard copy, not e-mail or computer disk. Please write your name and address on the manuscript, not just the envelope and covering letter. Although we will make our best effort to return materials where a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) is included, we do not guarantee it. Manuscripts can and do get lost. All submissions are made at the sender's own risk, even where the press has indicated interest. Do not send original art or photos. If you do not include an SASE, you are highly unlikely to get any response.

Acceptance Procedure
If your manuscript is under consideration, you will receive an acknowledgement card within two months. If the press is interested in publishing your work, you may be asked to submit 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. You may be also shown a contract for perusal so you may understand the terms under which Harbour authors work. None of these things constitute a commitment to publish the work. That occurs only when a contract is signed by both parties.

Contract Terms
Harbour offers full distribution across Canada and into the U.S. and U.K. where appropriate. Foreign language rights and subsidiary rights (film, etc.) are actively marketed. The press acquires world rights to the work and pays industry standard royalties. Advances are negotiable, based on the commercial potential of the book.