Publishers Accepting Manuscripts

Reasons for the Growth of Small Publishers

Do you have a book you want to publish? Mapletree Publishing Company is currently accepting manuscripts in various subject areas. If you wish to submit a manuscript for our consideration, please consult our Information for Authors page and our Submissions page for guidelines.

Mapletree is one of a new breed of small publishers that is a steadily growing force in North America. While the dominant New York publishers are in a slow, gradual decline, small publishers are becoming the choice for many successful authors, and there are several reasons for that.

First, small publishers tend to be more author-friendly. We try harder to please the author, and are more accessible. That is probably the biggest reason for the growth of this sector of the publishing business. Larger firms are more compartmentalized, and the author's input is seen as an intrusion into the work of "specialists." With a small publishing firm, your input into book design, cover design, production, and many other issues will be accepted and even sought. The attitude is "We've got a lot of work to do, and we'd like your help." Your rights will also be considered more carefully and in general you will be accorded more respect. This is especially true for the non-celebrity author.

Larger publishers are mostly accepting manuscripts only through agents. Smaller publishers are generally accepting unsolicited manuscripts without requiring the use of agents.

Second, while large publishers have traditionally had a great advantage in marketing, new market forces are tending to level the playing field. The advent of distributors and wholesalers that have focused on small, independent publishing houses has given them the same market access as the larger ones. By banding together in these alliances, we are able to compete with the sales forces of larger publishers. Mapletree, for example, has enlisted the services of Biblio Distribution, a sister company of National Book Network, which is a large distributor with lots of marketing clout, to help get maximum exposure for our books. (See the for bookstores page.) The advent of online bookselling has also been a leveling force.

Third, large publishers tend to work hard at promoting only their blockbuster titles. Midlist authors get a few review copies sent out and that's often the limit of it, while celebrity authors get all of their attention. Small publishers, however, will tend to work hard to promote those same midlist authors. Small publishers also tend to have more endurance when it comes to marketing a title. They'll have smaller press runs, but will then continue to print and promote titles for a longer period of time. This isn't true in every case, but it is a tendency.