Turnstone Press

1. How do I submit a manuscript to Turnstone Press?

   Before submitting, please read the detailed instructions on our How to Submit page. Please buy and read Turnstone books and review our catalogue to make sure your manuscript is compatible to our list.

2. Should I send my whole manuscript of just a sample?

   For fiction and non-fiction, we prefer to see a sample, approximately 50 pages long. For poetry, please send the whole manuscript. For detailed instructions please refer to our How to Submit page.

3. How long do I have to wait for a response about my submission?

   Given the high number of submission we receive, our response times vary from 12 weeks to 24 weeks. For more information please refer to our How to Submit page.

4. What type of books does Turnstone Press publish?

   Turnstone Press publishes literary fiction, literary non-fiction, and poetry. Our Ravenstone Books imprint publishes mysteries, thrillers and noir fiction. For more information please refer to our How to Submit page.

5. Do I need to have been published elsewhere before I submit my manuscript?

   While we publish a significant number of first books, having publication credits in literary magazines is something we look for in a writer's CV.

6. Where can I buy Turnstone Press books?

   We prefer that you support your local independent bookstore. It that isn't possible or convenient, books can be purchased on this website.

7. How can I receive a Turnstone Press catalogue?

   Flip through our browseable catalogue or download a pdf version of here.

8. I am a book reviewer. How can I get a review copy?

   Please refer to our Review Copy Request page for this information

9. I am a university instructor/professor. How can I get a desk or examination copy?

   Please refer to our Desk Copy Request page for this information

10. How do I contact a Turnstone Press author?

    For privacy reasons we never release author contact information, so please address any correspondence to the author in the care of Turnstone Press Ltd. For example, if you wish to contact Karen Connelly, address your letter:

    Karen Connelly
    c/o Turnstone Press Ltd.
    Artspace Building
    206-100 Arthur Street
    Winnipeg, Manitoba
    Canada R3B 1H3

    We will also forward emails addressed to authors. Please put the author's name in the subject line and type your message into the body of the email. Please do not include attachment(s)-these will not be forwarded and will be deleted. Please contact us here.

11. How do I get more information about Turnstone Press authors?

    If you can't find what you need to know on this website, some of our authors have websites . If you still need information fill out your request here.

12. I need permission to reproduce or photocopy a part of a Turnstone Press book. Who do I contact?

    Please send a request for permission to Turnstone's general contact address.

13. How can I get a job in book publishing? Are you hiring?

    Turnstone Press is not a large company. We hire staff when required and we use freelancers occasionally. You may send your resume with a cover letter stating the type of position you are seeking and salary your expectations, to:

    Associate Publisher
    Turnstone Press Ltd.
    Artspace Building
    206-100 Arthur Street
    Winnipeg, Manitoba
    Canada R3B 1H3

    We will keep your resume on file for three months and contact you if a suitable position opens. No telephone calls, faxes, or emails please.

14. What is a Turnstone?

    A Turnstone is a small, short-legged shorebird about seven inches in length. It has a short dark bill, which has a slight upturn on the lower mandible, which it uses to turn over stones in search of insects, crustaceans, and molluscs. The Turnstone comes in two varieties: the Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) and the Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala).

15. How can I receive Turnstone Press swag?

    You can order an excellent and elegant Turnstone Press toque for $15.00 plus GST and shipping.

Turnstone Press is a literary publisher, not a general publisher, and therefore we are only interested in literary fiction, literary non-fiction—including literary criticism—and poetry. We do publish literary mysteries, thrillers, noir, speculative fiction, and fantasy under our Ravenstone imprint.

We publish only Canadian authors or landed immigrants, we strive to publish a significant number of new writers, to publish in a variety of genres, and to have 50 per cent of each year's list be Manitoba writers and/or books with Manitoba content.

We publish eight to twelve books each year in short print runs. If a book sells well, we reprint as necessary.

Our books cover a range of subjects and styles, so if you are interested in submitting to us, we recommend you:

• Buy and read books by Turnstone Press authors . If you have already done so, thank you. If not, please do so. After all, if we do publish your manuscript, buying and reading your book is what you will want people to do. Most important, reading our books is the best way to know what kind of book we are interested in publishing.
• Browse our catalogue. As we don’t expect you to read every Turnstone Press title, but literary tastes and styles evolve so it’s best to know what we’ve published, especially the newest titles and those published in the last 5 years. As well, be curious about the previous ten, fifteen, and twenty or more years.
• Understand what we do not publish. This includes, but is not limited to: young adult, young reader, children’s, romance, horror, cookbooks, self help, business, and family histories or personal memoirs (a.k.a. “life writing”). Knowing this saves you time and postage.
• Read and follow the manuscript submission requirements.
• Read Deliberation is more important than speed.
• Be dedicated to the art and craft of writing.

Manuscript Submission Requirements

Please read to the end of this section before submitting your work to Turnstone Press.

Please remember that submitting a manuscript to a book publisher is a professional correspondence. We create guidelines to make our expectations clear and to help us handle your submission.

We understand how daunting finding a publisher to submit your manuscript to can be. Therefore, we have an open submissions policy. This means we will review unsolicited complete manuscripts. However, submissions of this kind must be exclusive submissions.

For other submissions, we prefer exclusivity, but if it is a multiple submission, please tell us in your cover letter. If your manuscript is being seriously considered for publication, we will require a period of exclusivity before continuing to assess it.

Turnstone is not an insurer of manuscripts. Therefore do not send your original manuscript, send only a copy; and do not send irreplaceable photographs, maps, or other documents.

We apologize that we are unable to: 1) provide detailed feedback on all the manuscripts we receive; or 2) respond to questions about these submission guidelines.

Grooming your submission

For all submissions:

• Please include a one page cover letter. Tell us who you are and why you are submitting to Turnstone Press. Tell us how your manuscript fits with our list by comparing it to or contrasting it with at least two Turnstone Press titles. Please list your relevant publication credits, i.e. if you are submitting a poetry manuscript, we expect to see poetry publication credits. Please be specific about the credits—titles of work published and in what journal/magazine/book and what date. If you have substantial relevant publication credits, these may be included on a separate page.
• You may include a synopsis of the manuscript, but it must be limited to one page (we won’t read further).
• Only submissions including a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) will be responded to and/or returned. Please make sure the SASE is of sufficient size, with sufficient postage, for your manuscript if you wish it returned should we not accept it. For Canadian citizens submitting from a foreign country, please include an international reply coupon. Manuscripts arriving without a SASE will not be replied to and will be recycled, as will submissions requesting email responses in lieu of a SASE.
• If you require us to acknowledge the receipt of your manuscript, please include a SAS postcard.
• Send only one (1) submission per envelope.

For fiction and non-fiction:

• Samples must be 40 to 60 pages, typed/printed in a minimum 12 point serif typeface such as Times , Book Antiqua , or Garamond.
• Please use only 8.5 x 11 white paper, print only on one side, double-space the text, and indicate paragraph breaks with an indent.
• Number all pages and put your name and address on all pages.

For Poetry:

• Poetry manuscripts should be a minimum 70 pages. Please submit the complete manuscript.
• Please use only 8.5 x 11 white paper and print only on one side.
• Number all pages and put your name and address on all pages.

Timelines

We take your submission seriously (your writing may be exactly what we are looking for), but please understand that given the volume of submissions we receive and the demands of actually turning accepted manuscripts into books, delays do happen.

Our goal is to send you an initial response to your submission within 16 weeks. Sometimes we are faster. Sometimes we are slower. If you are concerned about the status of your submission, send us a short note by mail. Please don’t phone, fax, or email us about your submission.

If your manuscript is being seriously considered for publication you will be notified, but a final decision on whether or not to publish may take an additional 2 to 3 months.

We plan our publication schedule approximately 15 to 18 months in advance, so the time from submission to publication is usually at least two years.

Please address your submission to:

Submissions Assistant
Turnstone Press
Artspace Building
206-100 Arthur Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada R3B 1H3