Thank you for choosing to submit your book proposal to Hay House. Over the years we have found that it is not efficient to enter into e-mail correspondence or long telephone calls regarding proposals and the publishing process. Please read the information below for advice.
Information for Writers
Most writers, regardless of the genre they have concentrated upon, will want to share their work with the public by having it published as a book. The first and most important thing is DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. Find out about the various ways of getting your book published in the UK, the roles of publishers, literary agents, and exploring the options of self-publishing and acquiring a distributor.
Establish who your ideal reader is, and what the market is like for your book. Are there already other books similar to yours available? The more research you have undertaken into the market, in addition to the processes involved in selecting and publishing a manuscript, the better chance you have.
Hay House UK receives many hundreds of unsolicited book proposals a year, and from these, only about ten end up on the shelves of a UK bookstore.
Hay House UK Submission Guidelines
Can I send you my manuscript?
You are welcome to send any non-fiction full length work that contains a positive message. However, we recommend that you follow the suggestions detailed below.
Proposals can be submitted as either hard copy or by email, in the following format:
Proposal Submissions must include:
• A covering letter
• A synopsis summarising the book
• An author biography, detailing why you have chosen to write this book, and any relevant experience, qualifications, teaching and media experience
• The first three chapters of the manuscript.
• Submissions should be typed single-sided on A4 paper, double-spaced and unbound.
In your proposal it can be helpful, but not essential, to include the following:
• List similar books that are already in print.
• Explain how your proposal differs from these.
• Provide an idea as to how comparable books have sold in bookshops.
• List additional markets that your book could sell to, besides bookshops.
• Explain how you would promote your book and whether or not you have media or corporate contacts that would help us to publicise and market you book.
Turnaround
Please ensure you retain a copy of your work. Never send the only copy of your work. Writers will be advised in writing when their proposal has been assessed, and assessment is made in order of receipt. Please note that due to the amount of submissions we receive, it can take up to twelve weeks before a decision is made.
If you would like to submit your proposal please note the following:
Hay House UK is interested in a variety of topics as long as they have a positive self-help viewpoint. However, we cannot accept any poetry, prose, verse, quotation books, card decks, CDs and other multimedia, or any work containing negative concepts that are not beneficial to helping / healing ourselves, or our planet.
Non-fiction subject matter
Self-Help, New Age, Sociology, Spirituality, Philosophy, Health, Diet, Psychology, Men’s/Women’s Issues, and Celebrity biographies. Subjects include social issues, current events, ecology, business, food and nutrition, education, the environment, alternative health/medicine, money/finance, nature, recreation, religion, spiritual growth.
Tips from the Hay House Editors
“Above all, I would suggest to do your research into our existing works, and to perfect your work. Most rejections are based on a lack of commercial value for us rather than their quality: they’re simply not right for us.”
“Our audience is concerned with our planet, the healing properties of love, and self-help principles. We’ve noticed that our readers are interested in taking more control of their lives. If I were an agent trying to market an author’s book today, I would research the market thoroughly to make sure that there weren’t already too many books on the subject. Then I would make sure that there was a unique slant on the idea.”
Address submissions to:
Submissions
Hay House Publishers
292B Kensal Road
London
W10 5BE
Or email us at submissions@hayhouse.co.uk
Although all possible care is taken with submissions, Hay House UK bears no responsibility for the loss or damage of unsolicited materials received. If you would like your submission returned, please include a stamped self-addressed envelope.
Generally, Hay House UK is not able to give you feedback if we decide your submission is not suitable for our list. If you would like a constructive report on your proposal / manuscript, it could be useful to have a manuscript assessment done.
Publishers are most likely to take on a new writer if the work is written well, if the content is good or unique and presented well, or if it is recommended by a literary agent, or has been assessed by a manuscript assessing service. Approach literary agents with the same proposal you would send a publisher, some agents will read and assess it. Some charge a fee for this and not all welcome unsolicited manuscripts.
Check out other major publishers’ websites for details and information about how to get published.