Submission Guidelines
Author Guidelines
CAXTON PRESS has a long tradition of publishing Western works with timeless appeal. We always are looking for new material. Please follow our guidelines when submitting so that we may give your manuscript the attention it deserves.
Suggested Topics: Caxton publishes nonfiction trade books for general audiences. Although we may consider a manuscript on any subject, we prefer nonfiction with a theme such as western or frontier history, travel, pictorials, narratives or western themed cookbooks. We will consider historical fiction if it deals with the West. We do not publish poetry.
Topics to generally avoid: "How I spent my years on the farm, on the mountain, in the city, etc." or "My family history."
Standards: We prefer to receive a query letter first that outlines your topic. If we feel it has possibilities, we'll usually request some sample chapters and an outline before requesting the complete manuscript. Both physical and digital copies of the work are acceptable and one, or the other, may be requested depending upon the topic and amount of material being submitted.
Use active rather than passive verbs, and vibrant, colorful prose.
The piece must be responsibly researched. Your sources must be thoroughly documented and not infringe on existing copyrights. It is your responsibility to provide all photographs, illustrations, and graphics for your book. If your manuscript is accepted, the final version must be delivered to us on computer disk or via e-mail (Microsoft Word format preferred). Some of our books include indexes, and we may ask the author to assemble the index at the appropriate time.
Style: We request our authors to follow the Chicago Manual of Style (15th edition).
Proposals: Submit a cover letter addressed to the editorial department with your proposal. Introduce yourself and the theme of your manuscript. Tell us about your target audience, and why you think Caxton should publish your book. Include either an outline or a table of contents, a sample of the manuscript (usually one or two chapters), photocopies of artwork samples, and a SASE for return of your materials.
We handle every manuscript we receive carefully, but prudence dictates that you keep a copy of everything you send us. Don’t send original documents, photos or artwork unless we request them.
Please allow 8-12 weeks for our response. We receive many manuscripts every year and evaluate each for readability, literary merit, accuracy, research, and salability.
Send submissions to:
Caxton Press
Attn: Scott Gipson
312 Main St.
Caldwell, Id. 83605