How to submit your book ideas to us

We publish illustrated how-to, inspirational fine art, craft, textiles and sugarcraft books for beginners through to professional artists and craftspeople.

Our books get everywhere and you can find them in bookstores, big chain stores, needlecraft, craft and art shops in many countries, and as long as our readers want them, they stay in print.

Our books are planned carefully so that the instructions are easy to follow and inspirational so that artists and craftspeople develop their skills in a fun way. Using step-by-step photographs and instructions, we build up confidence, offering ideas and ways of using all the different media and materials.

Why publish a book?

You do have to make time to commit to writing a book, and this can be difficult if you are busy doing your day job, raising a family, or running a business, etc. However, there are rewards:

You receive a royalty or a fee if you write one of our books.
You are able to share your knowledge. It is a great thing to be able to inspire people and to help them discover and develop their own skills. A book gets you recognised and known for what you do best.
You can develop your own skills. Often when planning and writing the books, challenges and ideas present themselves. It is a journey that is both rewarding and exciting.

What we expect from an author

Our team of editors and designers are here to help you once you join our team. They offer advice and support throughout the editorial and design processes and make sure our books read well and look beautiful. However, to be accepted as an author, certain rules apply.

As our books are highly illustrated, we require any paintings, artwork, samples or examples of work to be of a high standard.

You must be able to describe and write about your techniques clearly. This means that you should write in a logical, constructive and focused way and in a way that is easy to understand. Don’t worry too much about dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s. Our editors are here to help you with grammar and punctuation; scholarly text is not the most important requirement.

Your book idea: what we need from you

So, now you know what we need from you, here is how to submit your proposal. Be brief, be concise and be clear. We do not have time to read through big manuscripts and lots of information. It is important to include images, if you are sending them electronically, or photographs if you are sending them via landmail. This is explained a little later on.

All publishers have their own specialities

If you want to submit a proposal to us, check out our website first, and do make sure we are the right publisher for you.

Do you have to think about the format of the book, or the number of pages?

No. Most publishers have their own way of working and their own book formats, so be prepared to be flexible. We decide how and when a book is published. Our books fit into specified series styles and specially selected specifications.

Who is your proposal aimed at?

It is important for publishers to know who your proposal is aimed at, i.e. what skill level. Who are you targeting? Are you writing for beginners? You need to define your market before sending us your book idea.

Is your book different?

Do your research. Look at other books. How is yours different to other books in UK and international markets. Are there similar books out there? We always focus on the ‘unique selling point’ in our marketing and sales of books, so do be aware of what’s out there.

Have you written anything before?

You should send brief details of yourself - have you written books before? Have you had any magazine articles published? If not, what makes you qualified to write a book?

What you should send us

* A brief synopsis of your book
* At least 6 examples of good quality of the artwork/images that you want to include in your book.
* A contents list.

If you have not developed your book idea enough to supply an outline or a contents list, but want feedback from a publisher as to whether or not your work is suitable for a book, you should let the publisher know what your book is about - the materials and mediums you use, your techniques and why they are different, what will be your unique 'angle'. Answer all the questions above about the market, competition, similar books, yourself - and supply the required number of images.

Send your proposal to Roz Dace, Editorial Director, Search Press Ltd., Wellwood, North Farm Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 3DR
Or e-mail me: roz_d@searchpress.com

And then...

I will look at your proposal, taking into account the competition, what the market wants and our publishing agenda. If it is suitable and fits in with what we are planning, and we agree here that your proposal is of interest to us, I will talk to you further. Once everything is approved, we can go ahead with a contract discussion. A contract is drawn up before anything else happens and it details payments, terms and conditions. Once that is agreed and signed, we are ready to start planning the book.