House of Anansi Submissions
House of Anansi Press is always open to direct submissions from authors via our online portal. Before submitting, please familiarize yourself with our imprints (see below) and recent books to ensure your work fits within the scope of Anansi’s publishing program.
WHAT WE PUBLISH
Our fiction list collects the best of literary, upmarket, and genre novels, as well as short story collections by new voices and household names. Our nonfiction list includes creative nonfiction and book-length deep dives alongside more lifestyle-oriented offerings. And our poetry list features experimentations within lyric traditions by debut poets and those with established reputations.
Currently, we are not accepting submissions of personal memoirs or autobiographies.
For poetry submissions, please note that our poetry list is currently full until 2030, so if you would like to see your collection published sooner than that, it might be wise to submit elsewhere.
Get to know our acquiring editors on the House of Anansi blog, here.
For children’s and young adult literature, please refer to Groundwood Books.
WHO SHOULD SUBMIT
House of Anansi Press prioritizes submissions from Canadian citizens and residents, along with Indigenous peoples from Turtle Island and beyond who are eligible to hold Canadian citizenship. Writers submitting work through the portal must not currently have an agent, nor should the submission be previously self-published in book form.
We are always looking to engage with work by writers from historically underrepresented communities, including—but not limited to—those who are Black, Indigenous, persons of colour, disabled, neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, or debuting later in life.
HOW TO SUBMIT
Please submit your work through our online portal.
Our editorial team recognizes and is grateful for the time and effort involved in formatting your submission to our specifications. Please read our submission guidelines carefully.
Include the following with your submission:
- A pitch letter telling us about your book. This might include your reasons for writing it, why you are the person to have done so, who the ideal reader for it is, and how you see it relating to the list of books we publish.
- A brief synopsis (250 words max) of your project to be pasted into a text box within the submission portal.
- A CV that includes your city of residence, writing credentials, and publication history (if applicable).
- Your full manuscript or proposal.
Title your documents in the following format:
- [Last Name]_[First Name]_Pitch
- [Last Name]_[First Name]_[Title of Work]
Please use a legible, 12-point font, double spaced, with 2.5 cm (1 inch) margins, and insert page numbers.
Please note that Anansi only accepts .docx, .doc, and .pdf file formats.
We accept multiple submissions per writer, but please limit your submissions to one per genre.
If you select “send me a copy of my responses,” you will receive an email confirming receipt of your submission. We do not charge a fee to submit.
WITHDRAWALS AND UPDATES
If you need to withdraw your submission, please send an email to submissions [AT] houseofanansi [DOT] com, subject line: SUBMISSION WITHDRAWAL.
We accept simultaneous submissions, but we request that you advise us if you are submitting elsewhere and inform us right away if your manuscript has been accepted for publication by another publisher.
Please do not send unsolicited submissions to our submissions email. Submissions sent to this address will be deleted.
WAIT TIMES
House of Anansi Press receives thousands of solicited and unsolicited submissions each year. The review process typically takes 4–6 months, though it may take longer depending on the volume of submissions we receive. Phone calls and emails will not hasten the process. We appreciate your patience.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Is there a word limit for submissions?
We do not have any hard rules about submission lengths. If you are curious about the range of books we have published, please see our backlist.
- How can I update my contact information after submitting?
Please email updates about your contact information to submissions [AT] houseofanansi [DOT] com.
- Can I submit multiple manuscripts at the same time?
We accept multiple submissions, but please limit your submissions to one per genre, i.e., one poetry manuscript, one fiction manuscript, and/or one nonfiction proposal/manuscript.
- Can I submit a co-authored manuscript if I am a Canadian citizen/permanent resident but my co-author is not?
Yes, you can submit your work to us.
- Can I request a faster timeline than 4–6 months?
Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate requests to rush submission reviews. We give careful attention to each manuscript that comes to us; due to the volume of submissions, we are unable to guarantee a faster timeline. Thank you for your patience!
- Do you accept manuscripts that were previously self-published?
Unfortunately, manuscripts that were previously self-published are ineligible for submission.
- Can I submit a short story collection if individual stories in the collection have been published in magazines?
Yes! As long as the manuscript itself is unpublished in book form, it is eligible for consideration. Please include all information about your publication history on your CV.
- Can I send a hard copy of my submission through the mail?
No, Anansi does not accept physical submissions. Any hard-copy submissions received will be recycled.
What's an imprint?
An imprint is a brand within a publishing house that focuses on specific subjects, genres, or audiences.
Anansi (Fiction) publishes groundbreaking Canadian literary and upmarket fiction that has a unique flair, memorable characters, and a strong narrative voice.
Anansi (Nonfiction) publishes compelling narrative nonfiction and meticulously researched, thesis-driven works to wrestle with the mind and passions.
Anansi (Poetry) publishes the best of Canadian poetry, from debut collections to selections by established and award-winning poets.
Astoria is devoted to award-winning and high-calibre short story collections with compelling and memorable premises and strong narrative voices.
Arachnide publishes the best fiction and nonfiction from French Canada in translation.
Spiderline is home to genre-bending, ground-breaking, experimental, innovative, unexpected, and unconventional speculative writing in all its forms, from horror and science fiction to psychological thrillers and mysteries.
Anansi International publishes fiction and nonfiction from around the globe, often in translation, as a means of presenting Canadian books in conversation with the wider world.
Ambrosia is a lifestyle imprint that features visually arresting gift books and cookbooks, along with creative and prescriptive nonfiction.
The Walrus Books is a partnership with The Walrus magazine designed to publish excellent book-length nonfiction.
