Submissions

Publication Schemes

Waterloo Press is a not-for-profit organisation run by an editorial and design collective, the members of which work pro bono or for substantially less than market rates. We aim to produce16-20 new titles per year, and from Sept 2010 will be publishing new work under the auspices of three or four separate schemes:

1) Public Funding

A major grant from Arts Council England has funded the publication of 12 new titles over 2009-2011, including two translations.

A grant from the NHS Artists’ Award Scheme of the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust enabled the publication of The Hats We Wear/ Blank Versing the Past (2009), an anthology of mental health service users’ writing.

The Sur Program for Translation Support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine Republic has funded the 2010 publication of four translations of Argentine poetry.

2) Subscriptions Scheme

We also publish work by subscription. The Editorial Committee selects titles of interest. We then work with the poet to attract subscriptions of sufficient quantity to cover the costs of designing and printing the book. A minimum of 60 advance orders is required to guarantee publication. Authors may also contribute to the total by purchasing their own titles in bulk at our standard Author Discount of 40% (ie, the Author pays 60% of the cover cost).

3) Pamphlet Competition

Autumn 2011 will see the launch of the Waterloo Press pamphlet competition. Details will be announced in the spring.

4) Private funding

Waterloo Press has benefited in the past from the generosity of private benefactors, most particularly our co-founder Sonja Ctvrtecka. We are currently open to donations from individuals who wish to support our editorial mandate to publish the best of radical poetry. Without compromising our editorial integrity, we work closely with donors to ensure they fund books they can be proud of.

Submissions Policy

Submissions for the 2010-2011 ACE titles list have now closed. We will be announcing the final ACE title in October 2010. We will also select a limited number of titles to be considered for the Subscription Scheme.

We will be accepting submissions again starting in January 2011, for publication after October 2011. All submissions will be considered under the Subscriptions Scheme. If you are not prepared to help attract subscribers for your book, please do not submit work to us at this time. Otherwise, from January 2011, please send, hard copy, to the address below:

• 8-10 pages of poetry 
• a statement explaining the shape, themes and formal concerns of the proposed collection 
• a statement explaining why you wish to be published by Waterloo Press 
• a brief biography 
• a self-addressed stamped envelope

Please note: Simply being able to raise the funds for your book will by no means guarantee its acceptance. We are at all times looking for poetry that both formally and thematically excites, moves, challenges and informs the reader. Your ability to help raise advance orders reflects well on the strength and importance of your work. It will also demonstrate your commitment to a community of readers and fellow writers, a commitment we regard as vital to the health of the poetry world.