Writing a book?

If you are interested in writing a book for us, please read this (long!) page:

Our Philosophy

We try to anticipate a need for basic, understandable information and fill that need by publishing an informative, clearly written and reasonably priced how-to book for the layperson. We publish as many as 30 new titles each year, as well as revising more than 50 of our backlist titles to ensure that our books are always up to date regarding changes in legislation or current procedures and practices.

Our Readers

The Self-Counsel reader is seeking the answer to a question or a solution to a problem:

• Can I probate an estate (or get a divorce or incorporate a company) without a lawyer?
  
  
• Can I write my own will (or medical directive, or partnership agreement) without a lawyer?
  
  
• How do I learn how to start my own retail business (or market my product)?
  
  
• Can I prepare a simple agreement or contract without a lawyer?

Our authors seek to answer those questions in a simple, easy to read style which avoids jargon and “legalese.”

Our Authors

The Self-Counsel author is an expert in his or her field, excited by the challenge of making specialized and often complicated information accessible and intelligible to any reader.

Our authors are expected to keep up to date on material pertinent to their books and prepare revisions (which may be frequent in the ever-evolving legal field) when necessary. Authors are also encouraged to include checklists, glossaries, bibliographies, and worksheets, where applicable, and to present the information as clearly and comprehensively as possible.

Your Ideas

Before you submit a manuscript or proposal to us, please spend a few minutes exploring this web site. Doing this will give you an idea of the types of books we publish and should help you decide if we are the “right” publisher for you. Note that we publish in Canada and America.

We are currently seeking authors for:

1. Forms on CD: we publish and distribute a large number of legal, business, and consumer forms kits and are always interested in adding to the selection. We commission the writing of these and are happy to hear from lawyers and paralegals interested in the work. Send an enquiry email to editor at self-counsel dot com to learn more.
   
   
2. The Legal series deals with legal issues for the lay reader and includes books such as how to file for divorce or prepare a will without using a lawyer. Some of these books are national in scope, others deal with the law from a state perspective. These books are typically a mix of explanatory text and examples of the paperwork needed. Page count ranges from about 150 pages to as many as 300-plus pages.
   
   
3. The Business series concentrates on the needs and interests of the small business operator, including books on human resources management, finances, and the “how to” aspects of sales and marketing. The mix of text and examples and the page count is similar to the Legal Series. Note: we are not currently looking for new titles in the human resources field.
   
   
4. The Start & Run series tells readers how to start and operate a specific kind of business, such as a bed & breakfast hotel, a home cleaning company or a coffee shop. These books are typically between 200 and 250 pages in length and are always written for readers in both Canada and the U.S.A.
   
   
5. Other: We have a growing line of books dealing with real estate (buying, renting, leasing, selling, and managing, as well as landlord and tenant issues) and are interested in book ideas in this line. We are also expanding our line of books on retirement and are interested in books on such topics as places (including countries) to retire and eldercare.

If your submission falls within one of the above categories it will have a stronger chance of success. We do look at submissions outside the three categories; we do not publish many. Please note, we are currently not seeking submissions for our Writing series of books.

We do not publish fiction or poetry or comics, nor do we publish political or religious works. We rarely publish books less than 50,000 words long and our concept of an illustrated book is one with lots of worksheets and legal or business forms.

What To Send

To have your book proposal considered by Self-Counsel Press, please send the following:

• A detailed outline or synopsis
• A brief description of why you think the book is needed, who will read it, and your evaluation of any competitive or comparable titles
• A sample chapter, if available, or a table of contents, or a sample of your writing
• A resume or a description of your credentials for writing this book
• A daytime telephone number, fax number or email address where we may reach you if we have questions
• A self-addressed, stamped envelope or international postal reply coupons if you want your material returned to you.

All Material MUST Be:

• typed
• on 8-1/2" x 11" (“letter-size”) paper
• double spaced
• typed on one side of the sheet only.

If you are making a multiple submission (i.e. you are submitting to more than one publisher at a time), please be courteous and indicate this in your covering letter. We will usually respond to a submission within 60 days of receipt.

Please forward all proposals to: