Manuscript Submission Guidelines

Please follow the manuscript submission guidelines detailed below in order to expedite the publishing process as much as possible:

How to submit

Submissions can be sent via post to the following addresses:

Jaclyn Woods, Office B4, the District, 41 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, 7925
Postal: PO Box 6836 Roggebaai 8012, SA

If sent by post, please send a copy of the original work.If the manuscript need be returned, please send a self-addressed envelope (SASE). If no SASE is provided, the manuscript will be recycled.

What to submit

The Jonathan Ball list specialises in South African non-fiction, in particular biography, history and politics. We do not publish children’s books, poetry, plays or short story collections. We do publish fiction, but on an extremely limited scale.

Sunbird Publishers publishes books pertaining to South Africa in the following areas: travel and outdoors; maps and atlases; natural history; illustrated; food; lifestyle; adventure; culture; and wildlife. We do not, however, publish in the following genres: coffee-table photo portfolios; poetry; short stories; general/science fiction; fantasy; scripts; and religion.

Please provide the following information:

1. A 200-300 word cover letter briefly summarising the book
2. A detailed contents list
3. 3 sample chapters
4. 1-2 paragraphs of marketing research: Who are you writing the book for? What is the approximate size of this market? Is there an optimal time of year to publish?
5. Details of comparable/competitive books: Similar competitor titles? Distinguishing features of book? USP (Unique Sales Point)?
6. Format and length of the book: Percentage balance of text vs. illustrations; Format you have in mind; Estimated length of entire manuscript (wordage/pages)
7. Portfolio of photographic/illustratedwork on either CD or email
8. Time scale you are working towards: Current status of the manuscript? When could the final manuscript be ready?
9. Biographical details: Previous publications, if any; Experience, educational background or qualifications relevant to material; Publicity contacts
   
   

Due to the high volume of manuscripts we receive, please note we will take approximately 2-3 months to respond to your proposal.

Submissions that do not comply with these guidelines will be discarded.