Book Publishing Submission Guidelines

We review all manuscripts before we publish them. If they do not meet our criteria of being family-friendly or of a high quality, we will return all materials to you with a letter of explanation as to why we could not publish your work.

There are three easy steps to get started:

1. Gather Your Materials

We accept manuscripts in the following file formats: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, Text or Rich Text, Adobe InDesign, Adobe PageMaker version 6.5 or later, Corel WordPerfect versions 5 or 6. If you cannot send any of these formats or if you need to send a Macintosh formatted file, contact us to see if we can accept your file’s format.

Name word processing files with the title of your work and your name. Name multiple word processing files, such as separate chapters, with a number indicating the proper sequence of the files along with the title of your work and your name.

If you have original artwork or photographs, we can scan these items for you. This is the best option for books containing old photos that need a lot of touching up or less than 10 photos. We can scan up to 10 items up to 8.5 x 11 inches or smaller for no additional charge under our Standard Book Publishing Plan. If the files are digital, they must be a minimum of 300 dpi to print clearly, although 600 dpi is preferred. Art for the cover will appear in full-color unless otherwise specified. Interior art will appear in black and white. If you would like interior art in color, contact us to inquire about our offset capabilities. The copyright to all artwork provided must be owned by the author or accompanied by a release granting permission from the copyright owner to use it for your book.

Digital manuscript and art files can be submitted over the internet by email or by sending us any of the following (in Windows format): CD ROM (no CD-RWs), 3.5” Floppy Diskette, or Zip Disk (100 MB). Label disks with your name, the title of your book and use the system of indicating “Disk 1 of 2”, “Disk 2 of 2”, etc.” if submitting more than one disk. Remove all unnecessary files from your disks, and if applicable, retain all file extensions in the file name. It is also a good idea to create a backup of all files submitted for your own use.

2. Complete the Agreement

Download our Book Publishing Services Agreement. (PDF) This will serve as our contract with you in providing our services. Print it out, complete it, and send it in with your submission.

3. Submit your material

Your complete submission package should include:

• Your completed manuscript (on disk or by email)
• Any art, photos, etc. you want to include in your book (hardcopy to be scanned, on disk or by email)
• Your completed Book Publishing Services Agreement
• Author photo(s)
• Your payment
• Copies of any releases granting you permission to use non-original material. Keep copies of all permissions for your records.

We will not begin production on your book until we receive all of the items listed above.

Do not send us the only copy of your manuscript, as we cannot assume responsibility for it. If you need us to return any disks or materials, please provide a self-addressed stamped envelope along with your submission that covers the cost of postage for your materials. If sending original artwork, we will make special arrangements with you regarding the return of these items.

Once we receive your submission, the Imagine! Publishing Services staff will review it for eligibility and be in contact with you regarding your submission within a couple of weeks. If you wish, we can conduct a review of your manuscript before you send in the complete package. This will eliminate unnecessary shipping charges if we cannot accept your manuscript. Contact us for details.