It is important that you familiarize yourself with our list before submitting, so that you aren't wasting your own time, or ours. (This very much applies to agents as well.) Please be prepared to write a statement (however brief) explaining why you feel Two Dollar Radio is the perfect publisher for your submitted work.
Please note that we ask to see completed manuscripts—no samples, excerpts, or proposals. Given the extreme number of submissions that we receive, it is not always possible for us to respond individually. Please keep in mind that we try our best to be respectful of both you and your work.
Please submit a completed manuscript, along with a brief cover letter that details the work and any publishing credentials you want us to be aware of.
At this time, we are considering fiction and non-fiction manuscripts, essay collections, and travel writing that is manuscript length. We used to say that we were primarily looking for edgy fiction or topical essay collections, but we have broadened our horizons: we'd like for you to blow our minds. Overall, we are looking for what we would characterize as bold, creative work of high literary merit. Again: please familiarize yourself with our titles before submitting anything.
Please note that there is a $3.00 reading fee per submission, to help us cover the cost of tracking submissions.
FAQ
Why are you charging for submissions?
Think of it as postage. Fifteen, twenty years ago, presses accepted physical submissions. While this created a good deal of waste, we're certain, it also required that the author submitting the work had to actually be cognizant of who they were sending their work to, as well as selectively pick and choose which presses to send to. Writers had to print out their manuscript and cover letter, package it, and walk it to the post office. They were most likely familiar with the books published by that press. Nowadays, we estimate that at least 25% of the submissions that we receive are from writers who are blinding submitting work to any and every press with an email address posted online. Reviewing submissions takes time! Opening and rejecting an entirely inappropriate submission draws our attention away from considering the serious work that we should be devoting our time to. In other words, our time is being wasted. By charging a measly $3, we hope to eliminate those superfluous submissions enabling us to devote our time and attention to the work that we should be considering. Or, you can think of the $3 as a decent cup of coffee. Think of it as buying us a cup of coffee to sip while reading your manuscript.
Does the $3 fee apply to agents as well?
Absolutely. There are plenty of agented submissions guilty of the abovementioned time-wasting.
Now that you're charging $3/submission, will I receive a response?
Yes, though it might not be an individualized response. Your work will be read by our editors as promptly as we can manage.