Do I have to be from Northern Ontario to submit work? What boundaries do you consider for Northern Ontario? 

While we prioritise publishing work by writers and artists from Northern Ontario, submissions are open to anyone who feels a connection to the region. Though we technically consider Northern Ontario to be the statistical region shown here – we like to extend our small-town hospitality by saying: “Everyone’s welcome here.”

Do I need to go through a literary agent to submit work to you?

While we do accept work submitted to us by agents on behalf of writers and artists, we actually prefer to deal with you directly. We’re an intentionally small business with a small town attitude – we want to foster relationships with each and every author we publish, and we want those authors to retain as much of the proceeds of their hard work as possible!

Does my work have to be about Northern Ontario?

It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. We prioritise supporting voices from our northern communities because they are underrepresented in the publishing world. While our shared geography has definitely helped inform and inspire these voices, we know it certainly does not – and should not – limit them.

We also prioritise marginalised voices, but again, not because we expect them to write about any particular narrative projected onto them because of their identity, but because we want to to normalise books being written by diverse authors. We want people who are marginalised to have the freedom to write about anything they want to write about, not what society expects them to write about. At Type A Media, we are interested in promoting those works which both celebrate our diversity, and explore our shared experiences; we want the works that only you can create.

​​Can anyone submit work? Do your Readers know whose work they are reading?

Yes and yes. While many publishers prefer to consider work separate from its writer or artist, we ask that you share with us a little about yourself and your connection to your work with every submission you send our way. Here’s why: we value supporting works created by people who have traditionally been marginalised, especially #OwnVoices works.

We particularly welcome submissions from individuals who identify as: womxn, BIPOC, disabled, LGBTQ2S+, and individuals from other intersectional and under-represented communities. If (and only if) you feel comfortable identifying yourself as one or more of the above, please do mention this in your cover letter. We respect your privacy and your journey, and will never disclose any personal information you choose to share with us without your consent, and we will never ask you to disclose any personal information to us that you are not interested in sharing.

We are proud to offer a #saferLIT platform. As such, we will not consider work that is ableist, misogynistic, queer-phobic or racist, or work that seeks to harm, humiliate or demean. If we receive work from a writer or artist that demonstrates a pattern of any bigotry or intent to cause harm, we will no longer accept submissions from that individual. If you feel that work we have published fits that criteria, or that any writer or artist we have published does not align with our ethos, we encourage you to contact us to discuss your concerns in confidence, and we commit to investigating and taking action with regards to any such claims. We listen and we stand by our community members, especially those most vulnerable.

​Do you charge a submission or reading fee?

Submissions are always free for everyone at Type A Media. We believe you deserve barrier-free opportunities to showcase your work to the world and we are committed to providing that for you. We value your work and we want to see you being paid for it – not the other way around!

​​What’s the catch? Is this a Vanity Press? Are there hidden requirements for authors?

No catch, we’re simply very passionate about supporting and promoting fresh, diverse voices from Northern Ontario. We are a traditional, independent small press, NOT a vanity press or self-publishing company. We have a rigorous selection process that begins with our diverse team of First-Readers, who rate each manuscript on a variety of objectives in alignment with our expressed values and directives. Our Managing Director has the extremely difficult task of making the final selections, and though we wish we could publish each and every person who submits to us, we must choose to focus on only a very small percentage of all submissions we receive each year.

All manuscripts selected for publication must undergo intensive rounds of editing – for content, grammar and style, and sensitivity – before publication – all of which we carry out in-house as part of our publishing activities. Where needed, we employ professional artists and designers to ensure our publications are of the highest quality in all respects.

How are you able to do all this? Are you actually a small local business, or are you owned by a larger publishing house?

Type A Media is an independent, unfunded literary small press and publishing company founded, owned and operated right here in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. We are a female-owned, sole proprietorship and we are proud to be intentionally small so as to allow us the opportunity to nurture real relationships with our authors. We are committed to supporting Canadian culture, and we strive to pay our writers and artists in alignment with the immense value of their work. Canadian writers and artists are chronically underfunded and undervalued, but we are working to bring attention and change to this reality.

Amazing! I can’t wait to be a part of this! How many works can I submit at a time?

We know you’ve got a lot of fantastic work to show us, but we can only read and publish so much every year. So, we ask that you only send us up to 2 manuscripts at a time for our Open Call for Submissions, in any category of work we publish. From time to time, we may put out a call for submissions toward a Special Edition themed anthology or other special project and would be happy to accept submissions from anyone in the community – including those who currently have works under consideration for Open Submissions.

Do you accept simultaneous submissions?

We want you to have many opportunities to succeed, and so we are happy to accept simultaneous submissions. Of course, if your work is accepted elsewhere while we are still considering it, please let us know immediately out of respect for our Readers, and so we can send you our congrats!

​​Can I send in work that has been previously published?

At this time, we are seeking only unpublished works – but congrats to you on having your work published elsewhere! If there are exceptional circumstances why you feel this particular work needs to be republished (for example, we know a lot of writers and artists are looking for #saferLIT spaces), please do send us an inquiry and we’d be happy to start a dialogue with you. We are here to support you.

​​Can I resubmit a piece that you previously declined?

Inevitably, we have to turn away a lot of great work simply because it doesn’t fit with our current Editorial Calendar for the upcoming year. Sometimes, if we feel really strongly about a work like this, we may ask if we can hold onto it for a future date. Other times, we might come across a work that we feel is *almost* there, but not quite ready for publication yet, so we might ask you if you’d consider editing or reworking it for us. Beyond these two situations, the only time we’d consider re-reading a previously submitted work is if it’s undergone a drastic rewrite. But you should know – just because we might not be able to offer the right home for your work doesn’t mean it won’t find the perfect home elsewhere.

​​Can I submit new work for another manuscript after being published (or declined)?

Absolutely, though we do prioritise new writers and artists who have not been published by us before. So long as you keep creating evocative work, we want to keep reading it and sharing it with the world!

​Do you provide free Author copies?

We always provide our writers and artists with digital editorial proofs of the full manuscript for their review and approval in advance of publication, and are happy to also provide each author with a complimentary Author’s Copy of the final publication.

​Do I keep the copyright of my work published by you?

Type A Media purchases first North American Serial Rights and Digital Rights. Copyright of individual works always remains with the writer or artist.

I have another question, not included here . . .

We’d love to hear from you and chat further . . . send us a message HERE.