Submission guidelines
Black Chicken Unlimited is the exclusively indie publishing house for most curious bk-bk-bk-books.
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What do we define as "most curious"?
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Non-fiction books that explore real-life oddities of history, space, science, language, nature...
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The kinds of books you can imagine being read in deeply cool old bookshops, or kept secret in the vaults of catacombs, or carried around 'til they're tattered to shreds by exceptionally clever children...
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Books with photos, pictures, and maps are excellent.
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Preference given to books that deep dive on specific matters, for example, On Immortal Jellyfish, or On The Star System, Alpha Centauri, or On The Berserkers... ​​
Preference also given to books that can be read in an afternoon, or even by flipping through a random.
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We love books that make it irresistible to THINK!
Fictional works are more competitive, more subjective, and less likely to be accepted than non-fictional works.
In general, we will consider cleverly annotated classics in the public domain, historical fiction, sci-fi, noir, fantasy-adventure, experimental novellas that explore universal/big questions, and well-made plays (if you don't know what "well made play" means in this context, BCU is not for you).
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As with works of non-fiction, we greatly prefer books that make people THINK and spark meaningful conversations! We also prefer books that can be read in the course of an afternoon, or that could be read aloud to an audience in two or three hours.
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We will not consider any "new-new-now" stories about hot-button issues that will date the story within a decade, nor will we consider fully-bleak "Orwellian" stories, and absolutely no dysfunctional family dramas-- ever.
HOW TO SUBMIT
Step One: Email your complete manuscript as a PDF to amanda@ajschaar.com
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Step Two: Within 24 hours, you will receive a confirmation and a link to the Givebutter payment platform.
Black Chicken Unlimited requires a non-refundable $20 reading fee.
(The chicken is wild at heart. You can't expect it to just do things for you. You must offer it some chicken-scratch to make it consider you.)
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Step Three: Within 2 weeks, you will receive a yes or no. Easy!
WHAT HAPPENS IF BCU SAYS "YES" TO YOUR BOOK?
Black Chicken Unlimited will begin publishing your book under the Black Chicken Unlimited imprint!
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The published product will be proofed for typos and consistency, formatted for readability on the page, and cover designed.
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Based on the printing requirements of the book, Black Chicken Unlimited will recommend ideal retail pricing to you, and based on the subject matter of the book, will also recommend searchable keywords. You will be invited to review, discuss, and approve these decisions. We ask that you do so in a timely manner, please.
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Within 1 month, you will be holding a galley proof copy of the book in your hands to review and approve for public distribution.
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Distribution will be through Lulu, which automatically sends your book to the Amazon (US) and Ingram (US) networks. Ingram, in turn, is the distributor for indie book shops across America. US distribution typically takes 2 months to go live due to independent retailer reviews.
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Black Chicken Unlimited will additionally register your book with the databases of Bowker (US), Thorpe-Bowker (AU), and Nielsen (UK). This will ensure your book will be available to be voluntarily picked up by bookshops, libraries and universities across the English-speaking world.
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And, of course, we will feature a link to your book for sale in the Black Chicken Unlimited catalog. You will have the option to link a free PDF to your book on our site for people to browse (if you share our feeling about paywalls), or the option to sell paid versions only (which we respect).
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There is no cost to you to publish your book if it's accepted. You keep the copyright. You own the work. You get 90% of the royalties. Black Chicken Unlimited keeps 10% publishing royalties.
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You can review our sample contract and royalty form here.
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We are not aggressive marketers, and will not commit to any paid marketing for your book, but it is in our interest for your book to succeed, so for as long as you are listed with BCU, we will keep a weather eye out for opportunities to get your book coverage.
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We hope our authors will also want to help spread the good news about their book's publication among their readership and networks as well!
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What Happens If BCU Says "No" To Your Book?
Submitting a manuscript to Black Chicken Unlimited does NOT guarantee it will be published. Furthermore, if your book is not chosen for publication, we will decline the book without critique. (We have found that many writers, understandably, don't care about the WHY the book wasn't chosen-- they just want to clucking move on-- and we don't want to draft a critique that's wholly unwanted or potentially upsetting.)
If your book happens to be declined and you'd like to discuss it further, we will make ourselves available for paid consultations-- but we hesitate to even mention this because so few writers would pay to know why an editor turned down their book. It's just an option. There's no pressure. The door's open, but our time outside of active projects does come at a cost. You can learn more here.
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Thank you for your interest in Black Chicken Unlimited as a potential roost for your most curious bk-bk-bk-book!
Do you just want feedback on your manuscript?
We offer critiques as part of our
RED Phone for Writers on-demand service.