Submission Guidelines YIf you are searching for a publisher and are considering The Overmountain Press, you need to know a few things about what we publish. We are primarily a publisher of regional-interest books, focusing on the Southern Appalachian area. We are always looking for new titles, so if you think your book fits our list, then review these guidelines and submit your manuscript accordingly. Categories of Publication Children’s Books Although we have published a few exceptions, we accept children's manuscripts with a strong regional flavor. If your manuscript does not feature the South or Southern Appalachian regions, we will not consider it for publication. In reviewing a children’s manuscript for publication, we prefer to have copies of the illustrations at the same time we review the text. Very few publishers review in this way. Most larger companies with hundreds of titles prefer to find the illustrator from their database. At an author’s request we can send a list of illustrators and graphic artists who can be hired out or collaborated with in producing a children’s book. This is a list of artists who have approached us. We do not recommend one over another. You can pay the artist a flat fee, or you can choose to split the royalties from book sales. This decision is between you and the illustrator. Again, please do not send original artwork. Copies are fine, but please include a couple of color copies so we can get a feel for the artist’s use of color. Our Overmountain History Series for Young Readers is a series of books teaching Southern Appalachian history to readers on a 3rd-8th-grade reading level. Books will need to have many photos or drawings, all historical. These books are strictly nonfiction and should have anywhere from 5,000-15,000 words depending on subject matter and illustrations. Please submit the entire manuscript. Cookbooks When accepting cookbook manuscripts, we look for a new and interesting way of cooking or organizing the recipes. A regular cookbook is hard to market without some sort of characteristic to set it apart from the others on the shelves. Your book should have a unique setup that is distinctive and obvious to the consumer. Ghost Lore We have published several stories of “true” ghost lore. We have been successful in selling these titles and will consider manuscripts of this type. They must be Appalachian in nature and be “true” stories. For example, The Infamous Bell Witch of Tennessee is a “true” ghost story passed through generations and put into book form. This is extremely marketable. Guidebooks We have published a few guide/hiking books, and we are interested in looking at others. It should be Appalachian in nature and include plenty of photographs, maps, drawings, etc. Mystery Our Silver Dagger Mystery series has its own set of guidelines for submission. They are available on our website at http://www.silverdaggermysteries.com Regional History/Nonfiction We would like to see either a complete manuscript or an outline plus three chapters. If the manuscript is very large, we can look at an outline with sample chapters to determine whether it will fit within our scope of titles. If, at that point, we decide to take a closer look, we will request the complete manuscript. We do not accept titles without looking at the entire work. We like photographs! Illustrations, slides, photos, maps, etc., all enhance nonfiction works. When submitting your proposal, please send samples of illustrations for the book. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ORIGINALS! Photocopies are fine for review. Each photo should include a brief description. You do not need to send every photo that you plan to include in the book, just a few to let us get a feel for your collection. Tall Tales/Folklore We have published several compilations of Appalachian Tall Tales and Folklore. Some of the works of Charles Edwin Price and Denvil Mullins fit into this category. In submitting, please send a proposal and a couple of sample tales along with any illustrations you may be planning. We may have left some other categories off this list. Please do not hesitate to call with questions regarding the types of books we publish. Categories Not Published by The Overmountain Press Biography General Fiction/Novels Inspirational Poetry Reminiscences We generally take anywhere from one to four months to review manuscripts. Several people are involved in the decision-making process, and it sometimes takes time to read these manuscripts. Please do not call to find the status of your manuscript. It may take us some time, but we will get back to you!

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