We encourage author and agent submissions both. We read all submissions, but please remember, time will vary on responses, since we receive thousands of submissions. We accept 80% nonfiction and 20% fiction.

Ready to Query? Submit to query@kunati.com.

Do not forget to include the title of your work in the subject line.

Note: Currently, our fiction list is full to 2011, although we still enthusiastically read fiction submissions for fall 2011. We are still accepting nonfiction for 2010.

Nonfiction

Your credentials and expertise is paramount. Past publishing credits can be important, but your credentials and writing skills are the main criteria. We look for innovative lifestyle oriented nonfiction in many topics. Originality, innovation and clarity are important. We are actively seeking manuscripts in these areas:

•true crime
•inspirational self help
•body/mind and spirit
•healthy living
•new age or occult
•tarot decks
•business and marketing
•personal money
•how-tos from authors with a platform
•food
•entertaining historical
•topics with wide audiences

Some select memoirs are accepted, although celebrity, writing style and uniqueness are the most important factors. Memoirs is a highly competitive genre.

Fiction

Please bear in mind that fiction remains a smaller market when compared to nonfiction, while the majority of submissions tend to be fiction. You must stand out from the crowd. We remain one of the few publishers still interested in debut fiction authors, although our list fills fast. This makes it important to think "high concept." Only the very finest prose will be accepted. Fiction submissions tend to take longer to review due to volume. Fiction tends to release later, too, due to relatively full lists.

Guidelines

We no longer accept mailed, hard copy submissions. This is because it is important that our authors be computer savvy and equipped to work in Microsoft Word and Adobe Reader for editing, and be capable of blogging and using email tools. Authors who wish to submit materials to Kunati must do so by email to query@kunati.com. Manuscripts and sample chapters must be in Microsoft Word Document format, attached to your email query. Any submissions sent directly to the publisher or other emails will either be forwarded or may not be read.

For non-fiction — include a full proposal highlighting:

• market niche
• at least three competitors: be sure to include title, author, ISBN and WHY your book compares
• why your book is different
• a marketing plan: highlight who you can reach out to and how
• your PLATFORM — very important in non-fiction — why are you qualified to write this book and why will your credentials make people want to read your book
• a short outline chapter-by-chapter (one paragraph per chapter)
• testimonials or endorsements
• a sample chapter
• author bio
• past publish credits if any.
• NOTE: We are rarely interested in memoirs except from celebrities, or with an entirely unique story, simply due to the sheer numbers of memoirs in print.

For fiction — include:

• a short three-paragraph synopsis that reveals the novel's ending
• a "pitch line"—"elevator pitch" of what is "different" about your project
• the first three chapters attached as a Word file or Text file. (Note: If you do not have Word or the ability to convert to Word or Text, please do not send. We will not do this for you.)
• include your author bio and past publish credits if any
• testimonials, endorsements and any special marketing positions/concepts you think make your book uniquely marketable.

Other Guidelines

1. We accept both agented and unagented submissions. We do not read or prioritize one above the other, although clearly we respect and take into consideration the credibility of an agent submission.
2. We accept simultaneous submissions, but you must state this in your query. As a courtesy, please inform us if you have released the rights to another publisher while we are still considering your work.
3. Do not send complete manuscripts unless we've asked. Samples are fine. DO NOT SEND ANY ORIGINAL FILES, PICTURES OR DOCUMENTS. We are not responsible for returns of materials.
   
4. You will receive an automatic response to your email query informing you that we have received it. Because of the large volume of submissions we receive, we will not be able to give you a decision for several months. Please be patient. If you do feel the urge to inquire, wait at least three months, and limit your inquiries to monthly requests by email. Make sure you identify the email address you originally submitted under. We search by email on inquiries. If you give us a different email as a follow up, we may not find your submission.
5. Our decisions are not based solely on your wriitng and creativity. We must look at the market for your project, analyze the potential with retailers and distributors, and study the competitive situation. If you are not accepted, do not take it as a criticism of your writing skill or creative. Also, feel free to re-submit a new project. The second project may be analyzed as having a higher market potential.
6. FAQs are found here.

THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING KUNATI BOOKS.

The most common reasons you haven't heard from us as soon as you might hope—

1. You queried by email, then followed up from a different email address. We can search your queries only by the original email address.
2. You sent by mail. We will not be liable for returning hard copy submissions and priority is given to email. Queries sent to the Florida address are delayed at least 8 weeks. If you must contact us by land mail, the address is Kunati Inc, 75 First Street, Suite 128, Orangeville, Ontario, Canada L9W 5B6.
   
3. You didn't follow our guidelines. If you didn't submit a logline, sample and short synopsis to our query AT kunati.com or using our secure email, you will not likely be informed (we'd like to, but we received 8500 submission in the last 10 months). If you follow our submission guidelines, you will likely get a response. The response time is getting longer, however. DO NOT SEND to our secure email a query such as "What should I do to query?" If you found our secure email address, you have access to our submissions guidelines.
   
4. You weren't clear or complete in your information.
5. You didn't provide a phone number or email or alternative method of contact. Some manuscripts have been sent with cash for return postage with no other contact information. Where the cash is insufficient for postage and there is no contact information for follow up, we will not return, nor will we accept responsibility or liability for not returning.
6. Your email query was filtered as spam. Avoid subject words such as Sell, Special, You won't believe this, or anything that sounds like spam.
7. You're query was "What do I do to submit?" If you submit this sort of query, we may not have time to respond. All of this information is on our website. You must do your own research.
8. Your query was addressed Dear Agent. We're publishers. If you didn't take the time to change the Salutation, we assume it's a mass submission being read by dozens or more. Although we will read simultaneous submissions, you must indicate this on your query and take a moment to let us know you're writing to us, rather than an agent (Don't laugh, this happens weekly!)
9. We're just way overloaded with pending replies and haven't had time to respond as of yet.
10. For Non-Fiction you didn't submit the mandatory information which includes—

• Your qualifications (include a resume and past writing credits)
  
• Your marketing plan
  
• A quick competitive analysis of similar titles
• You platform — or your planned platform: in other words what have you built that makes you the expert to listen to on this non-fiction subject and how will people know this AND your plans for broadening your reach and platform.
  

Dear Authors,

 Although we will take "old fashioned" mail submissions, we give priority to e-submssions. They are easier to circulate through our acquisitions editors on secure Irex Iliad readers (we try to run a paperless office). The return postage issue is a large obstacle in terms of replying to your submission as well.

Even if you do submit "hard copy" please be aware:

• We will return your submission only if sufficient postage is provided. Please do not enclose cash. 

• Always provide an email address and phone number. If we need to discuss your submission, these are a must.

• Consider providing an email and "no return required" even if you submit hard copy. This is more convenient.

If you do submit hard copy, the delay in photocopying your submission and the need to "handle postage" will possibly slow down your submission.

We suggest querying by email to query (AT ) kunati.com. Thank you. Note: The AT is a nod to scanning software that spammers use. You know what symbol to use. Otherwise, just use our handy email form (copy and paste your chapter and synopsis into the text box) here.

Do you have an edge? Are you unique?

As book publishers we are driven by our mission: "To publish the provocative, bold, controversial." We publish all genres. The illustrated cover (left), our famous award-winning graphic for TK Kenyon's controversial novel RABID, should make our concept clear. Browse some of our other covers. The common bond is "unique" and "edgy." 

A Note from the Publisher

I was in a local, rural store the other day. I was delighted to see all of our titles on the shelf, many of our "shocking" covers facing out. I loitered and overheard the owner of the store hand-selling Rabid to a long-time customer (names changed for privacy):

"It looks scary."

"It's not a horror, Jane. It's quite funny at times."

"Why is there a cross on her tongue?"

"You tell me. After you read it."

I smiled. 

More information: FAQs

Ready to electronically submit? Click here. 

Submissions-to-published ratio

We received 5,200 submissions in the last six months. Of those, we accepted 14 for publication (0.26%). A project must fit our mission, have a long "shelf life" — we don't backlist books, we keep them front list and top of mind. We invest heavily in the marketing, distribution and sales. Our royalties are, perhaps, among the highest in the industry. Therefore, we must, sadly, turn down many wonderful books. Books deserving of publication. This is a resources and mission issue. Every book must succeed.

Do you take submissions without agents?

Yes! Which begs the question why. We believe that too many fine books are not being read because of the artificial barriers to publications built over the last few decades. Most of our best titles were submitted directly from the author.

A note from the Publisher

We take agented submissions, too. But we give them no more priority than unagented. It's a lot of work, frankly, accepting unsolicited submissions, and there are days when we regret this decision. It takes time to read thousands of submissions, even if we only read the first chapter. But we just don't believe a non-Kunati person is the best judge of what belongs between the gorgeous cloth covers of a Kunati book!  If we had an agent-only policy, we  would never have found bang BANG by Lynn Hoffman, which garnered stunning starred reviews, nominations for prestigious literary awards and great sales!

More information: FAQs

Ready to electronically submit? Click here. 

Do you publish non-fiction?

Yes! We're actively working on several non-fiction projects. They take longer to develop than fiction, simply because they're typically written after we acquire the rights to publish. We are definitely interested in commercially viable, unique and breakthrough non-fiction.

A Note from the Publisher

One of my very favorite projects in 07 to work on was Carol O'Dell's Mothering Mother. What a voice! More important, here is a book that is both entertaining — funny and heart-breaking at the same time — and useful for those coping with elder care, the Sandwhich generation of families, and serious conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinsons Disease.  

More information: FAQs

Ready to electronically submit? Click here. 

What about Canadians or non-US writers?

Absolutely! We always anticipated at least 10% of our list would be Canadians, proportionate to the US to Canadian population ratio. So far, it's no where near that. More Canadians please! Brilliant, unique voices are found all around the world. Andy Tilley from the UK is one of our most original — and hilarious — voices. 

A Note from the Publisher

One of our first authors was Cheryl Kaye Tardif. Compassion, humor and an amazing narrative style all rolled into one Canadian author. She's also developed a huge fan base in the USA. In publishing, there are no borders! 

More information: FAQs

Ready to electronically submit? Click here. 

Is it true you prefer electronic submissions?

Indeed. We're very environmentally conscious. Books are paper, but they are kept and treasured by owners. We print all our books on recycled paper with vegetable-based inks and natural pigments. Manuscripts, however, are not kept and must be recycled. For a publisher this can be tons of paper. We prefer using e-ink readers and our computers.

A note from the Publisher 

It is no exagerration to write here that we receive thousands of submissions per year. Imagine the impact of thousands of paper manuscripts on recycle bins? Since we implemented our paperless office strategy, we've reduced this wastage to next to nothing. We use PDFs as our standard form of layout proofing. Submissions come in as Word Docs or text files which we load on to Irex Iliad e-ink readers. These nifty electronic devices read like paper, weigh nothing, can be read in full sunlight (in case our editor needs a break and wants to read outside in the sun), and allows us to eliminate most of the paper in our office.

Please help us by submitting electronically if you can. Your manuscript will not be distributed, except to acquisitions editors. However, if you prefer submitting traditionally, please ensure you enclose sufficient postage for the return of your manuscript. For information on mailing addresses, click here.

Otherwise, please submit electronically!

More information: FAQs

Ready to electronically submit? Click here. 

Where are you distributed?

Our distributors include Independent Publishers Group in the United States. Through IPG we are distributed to all major chains, libraries, independent stores and online stores, plus non-traditional channels. In Canada, our distributor is Canadian Manda Group.  All major wholesalers also sell our books to booksellers and libraries, including Ingram and Baker & Taylor. In the UK, Australia and other countries, affiliates of IPG distribute our books.

Thank you for considering publication with Kunati Books.