Michigan Writers Cooperative Press (MWCP) will publish work written by members of the organization. The manuscripts submitted for consideration will be carefully juried and two chapbook length manuscripts will be accepted during each cycle of the press. The initial print runs will be 100 copies of each title.
The purpose of the cooperative press is to help emerging writers publish their first book in a literary genre. Poetry, short story collections, and works of creative non-fiction will be considered. Selection will be based on literary merit, not genre.
As participants in the cooperative press, authors will also be expected to take part in every aspect of the publication and marketing process, from the initial editing to readings and book signings and other activities that are necessary to successfully promote their books. They will also be required to share the financial burden of printing their work, approximately $250. Cooperative press authors may provide assistance to other writers being published by the press.
Specific guidelines are as follows:
-Publication by the Cooperative Press is open to all members who hitherto have not had a book published by a juried or commercial press in a literary genre. This means that if, for example, you have authored a textbook on auto mechanics and want to try publishing in any literary genre, you may submit a manuscript to the MWCP. However, if you previously published in a literary genre, i.e. a book of poetry with a commercial press, you are not eligible to submit to the MWCP.
-Writers wishing to submit manuscripts for consideration must be members of Michigan Writers, Inc. If you wish to join or if your membership has lapsed, please send $35 for annual dues along with your manuscript. For an additional $12, you may purchase a discount subscription to the Dunes Review. To download a membership form, go to http://www.michwriters.org/.
-If submitted works have been previously published, authors must affirm that they hold clear copyrights to the material. Directors of Michigan Writers Inc., their families, and adjudicators for the cooperative press project may not submit manuscripts.
-Manuscripts must conform to the length available in a 28-page publication, roughly 10,000 words for prose or 16 t0 23 poems for poetry. Manuscripts longer than specified above will be returned unread. The page size of the chapbooks will be 5" by 8.5" in a format similar to the one used by Dunes Review.
-Please submit your work on paper, double-spaced in 12pt Times New Roman. All work should be in a final draft form, thoughtfully revised, and carefully proofed. Include your name and contact information in a cover letter. Because the manuscripts will be read blind-the readers will not know the names of the writers-you must also include two title pages: one with your name, the genre of your work, and contact information, and a second with only the title. If your manuscript is selected, you will be expected to provide a digital copy in Microsoft Word.
-Michigan Writers will accept manuscripts until Dec. 7, 2007. Please mail your submission to Michigan Writers, Inc. P.O. Box 1505, Traverse City, MI, 49685. Manuscripts will only be accepted via the USPD.
-Manuscripts will be read by volunteer Michigan Writers members who are specialists in a given genre, i.e., poets will read poetry and essayists will read essays.
-Publication decisions should be completed in January. Authors selected for publication will be expected to sign a contract with Michigan Writers and participate in editorial revision process with the reader/adjudicators. A copy of the contract will be available upon selection.
-Michigan Writers reserves the right not to publish chapbooks during the annual MWCP cycle if there are no manuscripts judged suitable for publication.
If you have questions about whether your manuscript meets the above criteria, or if you have any other questions regarding the Cooperative Press, please contact Aaron Stander at (231) 276-6842. He will not be involved in judging the manuscripts but can answer procedural questions about the submission process.
