Submission Guidelines
Joshua Tree Publishing is an innovative publisher dedicated to making your dreams of being a published author a reality. Not tomorrow. Not next year. But today.
At Joshua Tree Publishing, we have the expertise to help you accomplish your goals by using cutting-edge technology and a network of experts in the fields of editing, page layout, cover design, marketing, and printing to make your book a success. With over 37 years of experience, Joshua Tree Publishing knows how to publish books. Let us make your dream of being a published author a reality.
How Long Does the Submission Process Take?
Because every author and book are different, we actually read the book and materials you submit. After the initial contact with your Query Letter, we usually ask for the first three chapters within a week. Once we have received that file, we will begin to review it for formatting, word count, style, flow, etc. If we do not find any problems with the file, we will try to have a response back to an author in two weeks, asking for the entire book and other material. After two more weeks, we will provide the author with a decision whether we want to publish the book.
The Process of Getting Published
Query Letter:Â The first step in the process of being published by Joshua Tree Publishing is to send us a Query Letter by email. The first paragraph must grab our attention. Why should we publish this book? Who is your target audience? How are you going to reach them? Be concise. Include your contact information.
The Query Letter should be sent to: info info@joshuatreepublishing.com
Submission Request:
If we like your Query Letter, we are going to ask you to send us the first three chapters of the book by email attachment in Word. Please be prompt in your response.
First Three Chapters:
If we like the first three chapters, we may request an outline of the complete book, the entire manuscript in Word, and a Marketing Plan.
Our Review of Your Entire Book:
Your manuscript will be reviewed in a timely manner. We want to publish books which we feel can be successful for both the author and our company. As we review your book, we might ask for subsequent material or request answers to specific questions. We take this process very seriously.
Acceptance:
If after reviewing your manuscript and marketing plan, we feel that we can provide you with an excellent chance at success, we will send you by email an Acceptance Letter. The letter will congratulate you on providing us a wonderful product to publish and will request some additional information so an agreement can be reached.
Agreement:
Because every author and book are different, we offer contracts which are specifically designed for your work. We will negotiate with you to reach an agreement that is both fair and equitable for both of us. We are looking for long term relationships with our authors and that is why we have this process. We look forward to working with our authors.
The Next Step: Publishing Your Book
Step One:
Editing
Each author is provided an editor who works with the author, usually in Word with Track Changes, to review the entire manuscript chapter by chapter. The process can take a thirty to sixty days depending upon the changes being suggested. The bottom line is the author has the last say. After all, it is your book and voice. The second phase of this edit is to bring the manuscript into compliance with the rules and standards included in the Chicago Manual of Style, which has been the bible of the publishing industry for years.
Step Two:
Page Layout
Once the Editing step is completed, the manuscript is imported from Word into a Page Layout program, such as InDesign. During this process, the size of the book and formatting are discussed and agreed upon with the author. Fonts are reviewed to see which one works for the text, chapter headings, spacing, margins, etc. After there is agreement with the author, the entire book is set up according to the printer’s specifications. At this point, the author and editor review the manuscript and offer comments, changes that need to be made. These changes are made by the page layout team as the manuscript is no longer accessible to the author.
Step Three:
Interior Review of the Book
After all changes have been addressed and completed, a final review of the manuscript is made by the author and the publisher for approval. Again, changes or comments are addressed at this stage, and upon agreement with the author, a final version is completed by the page layout team.
Step Four:
The Cover
While we welcome authors’ visions for their covers, experience has taught us that the cover comes after the interior text is completed. Sometimes, the entire viewpoint of the book has changed during this process. We find the cover is a magical experience and work with the author to come up with a concept and artwork to reflect the book and its message.
Step Five:
The Printed Proof
We print a physical proof of the book which shows exactly how it will be printed before it is released. Oftentimes, we find minor errors which were overlooked during the digital, screen processing. We can make final changes and adjustments at this point. When the changes have been made, another proof is generated, which is electronic. Once reviewed by the author and the publisher, the book is released into distribution.