GETTING STARTED

Ready to share your story with the world? First things first, please familiarize yourself with our submission and publishing guidelines to see if we're a good fit; we want to make sure that Night Heron Media will be a great home for your work, and we're sure you do, too.

WHAT WE PUBLISH

Night Heron Media publishes a limited range of titles each year. With that said, our editorial team is always looking for high-quality fiction, non-fiction, and poetry that is in line with our mission: to educate and entertain Texans about our culture, history, art and lifestyle. There are no restrictions to the specific genres of written work we publish--as long as the manuscript is relevant to our mission, we want to see them! In addition, we are happy to receive unsolicited manuscripts from both new and previously unpublished authors.

To get a better idea of the kinds of work we typically publish, we highly recommend that you view our online store to see the various titles we've worked with.

HOW TO SUBMIT A MANUSCRIPT

If you believe your work is compatible with our list, we encourage you to send it our way! Please follow the below guidelines and restrictions to ensure the review process for your manuscript goes as smoothly as possible:

GENERAL GUIDELINES

• Formatting - Manuscripts should be typed in 12pt Times New Roman font, and double-spaced.
• Completeness - We will only consider completed manuscripts for publication. We do not accept query letters or proposals. If you are interested in consulting with one of our editors for unfinished work, please contact us for more information.
• Cover Letter - Please submit a cover letter that includes the following details:
  • An introduction/brief description of the work
  • Information about the market for the work
  • Your personal biography, in addition to any relevant credentials
  • Unique contacts and connections you may have
  • Why you believe your work is a good fit for our publication list and what makes it different

Finally--and this goes without saying--we expect your work to be original and one-of-a-kind, just like the diverse state we live in.

FICTION

• Novels & Other Long-Fiction Works - Please send us your completed fiction manuscript; for works of fiction more than 50 pages in length, we ask that you only submit the first 50 pages of the work. Along with your sample work we also ask that you submit an outline that lists each chapter title in the full work.
• Children's Books - For children's books, we expect the word count to accommodate the age-range of children you are trying to reach. For example, picture books for kids up to 8 years of age have an average word count of 1000 words, although many books are shorter. For your submission, you are not required to send in illustrations, unless you already have them completed. (If you do not have illustrations prepared, we can help you partner with one of our talented illustrators to produce illustrations for your book. Please contact us for additional information.)

NON-FICTION

• Memoirs, Biographies, and Other Long Non-Fiction Works - Please send us your completed non-fiction manuscript; for works of non-fiction more than 50 pages in length, we ask that you only submit the first 50 pages of the work. Along with your sample work we also ask that you submit an outline that lists each chapter title in the full work. Also include any sample images or photos with their captions in your submission (if applicable).
• Cookbooks - For cookbooks, please send only the first 50 pages of work. With your submission, include an outline or list of recipes that will be included in the full work. You are not required to send in photographs of the dishes, unless you already have them ready. (If you do not have photographs, we we can help you partner with one of our photographers to produce them. Please contact us for additional information.)

POETRY
Please send us a complete collection of poems. Keep in mind that the average length of a poetry book is a minimum of 60 pages. We will not accept submissions of single poems.

Mailing Submissions

If you choose to mail your submission, please include the following:

• SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) - Please make sure the envelope you include is large enough to fit your manuscript submission for return and covered by the appropriate postage amount. Manuscripts that are sent without a SASE will be recycled within a month of it being reviewed.
• Cover Letter - Your cover letter should be one to two pages in length.
• Copy of Your Manuscript - It's silly, but it's a nice reminder. We highly recommend that you send us a copy of your work--and that includes photos and illustrations. Keep the original!

Please send all mailed manuscripts to the below address:

Night Heron Media
Attn: Manuscript Department
PO Box 5872
Katy, TX 77491

Uploading Submissions

Please send all digital manuscripts by filling out the below form and uploading your submission. (We only accept submissions as .pdf or .doc/.docx files.)

---

While You Wait...

Please note that due to the volume of submissions we receive throughout the year, and the due consideration and time our editors take with each submission, the review process of submitted manuscripts can take up to 4 months. During this time, we appreciate your patience after we have received your manuscript. After reviewing your work, our editors will send you an email or letter in the mail regarding your manuscript status.

In the meantime, we invite you to subscribe to our newsletter for updates about submissions and publishing opportunities, and check out our regular updates on social media and our blog!