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Submissions

Guidelines for All Submissions

Please familiarize yourself with our publishing program and imprints before submitting. Browse our website and current catalogues, and review the appropriate guidelines below. We appreciate you taking the time to ensure your submission is a good fit for our press.

Portage & Main Press/HighWater Press does not publish works that were produced using generative AI, whether in whole or in part. This applies to text, images, and any other content that would appear in a project. Authors and artists will be required to confirm they have not used generative AI and will not use it for their project as part of their contract.

Please note:

  • We are unable to provide feedback or critiques of your work. Please make use of resources in your community, such as writers-in-residence at your local library and writers’ groups, for these purposes.
  • Due to a high volume of submissions, it may take three to six months to respond to your query. Thank you for your patience!

Guidelines for Artists (for both Portage & Main Press and HighWater Press)

Portage & Main Press and HighWater Press are dedicated to publishing books that represent a diverse range of experiences, voices, identities, and backgrounds. If you self-identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, a person living with a disability, a person who is neurodivergent, or as a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community or another marginalized group, we strongly encourage you to send us your portfolio.

Portage & Main Press and HighWater Press accept portfolio submissions for the following types of projects: 

  • full-colour children’s picture books
  • black-and-white spot illustrations
  • full-colour comics for children and young adults

When we review a portfolio, we specifically look for the following: 

  • art that demonstrates a professional understanding and execution of the chosen medium
  • the ability to create a believable individual character and tell a compelling story through visuals
  • the ability to understand, interpret, and illustrate a literary text (i.e., translate a written story into a visual narrative) 
  • character designs that show development, consistency, and accurate, thorough research
  • images of people of all ages interacting and showing emotions

When reviewing comics artwork, we specifically look for the following:

  • sequential visual narrative skills (e.g., panel to panel transitions, spatial orientation, balance between text and image, understanding of reading path)
  • appropriate use of scale and proportion
  • knowledge of visual symbolism (e.g., how to use colours to impart mood and tone);
  • adequate knowledge of visual shorthand (e.g., emanata, motion lines, speech balloon qualities)
  • stylistic versatility
  • consistent depiction of objects and figures from image to image
  • knowledge of keyframe illustration (an animation background can be useful in this regard)
  • strong attention to detail and polish

Please submit your portfolio with a cover letter. In the cover letter, please include the following information: 

  • your name and contact information, especially your phone number and email address
  • a short biography, as well as your publication and illustration history, if applicable
  • for Indigenous contributors, please specify your connections to community 

Send your cover letter and a link to your portfolio to acquisitions@portageandmainpress.com. You may also send digital samples (JPEG, TIFF, or PDF) via WeTransfer or attached to the email. 

Guidelines for Writers

Please scroll down for guidelines specific to Portage & Main Press or HighWater Press. The guidelines below apply to all submissions to either imprint. 

  • Please send submissions as a PDF or Word document in a standard, letter-size document in a regular 12-pt font (e.g., Times New Roman or Arial). Send submissions for Portage & Main Press to acquisitions@portageandmainpress.com and submissions for HighWater Press to acquisitions@highwaterpress.com
  • When preparing your cover letter, ensure it includes
    • which imprint—Portage & Main Press or HighWater Press—is most appropriate for your submission. Review our About Us page, as well as the guidelines below, to help you decide. 
    • a brief synopsis for your book. For fiction, include the main characters, setting, and theme. 
    • how your book fits with our publishing program, why your book is a good idea, who would buy it, who is the intended audience or reading age, and what distinguishes it from similar titles that have already been published.
    • your name and contact information, especially your phone number and email address.
    • a short biography, as well as your publication history, if applicable. For Indigenous contributors, please specify your connections to community. 
    • a CV indicating your previous writing experience and your credentials and expertise in the proposed subject area (nonfiction).
    • whether or not your submission is a multiple submission. (We don’t mind. Please just let us know if you decide to publish your manuscript elsewhere.)
  • In addition to your cover letter, please include
    • a table of contents or outline (nonfiction).
    • a representative sample of the manuscript (approximately 20 pages). Do not send your full manuscript. If we like your sample, we will contact you for more.
    • information about proposed illustrations or photography, if applicable.

Please note:

Portage & Main Press and HighWater Press accept different kinds of submissions. Please read the descriptions below to help determine which imprint is the best fit for your submission.

PORTAGE & MAIN PRESS SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR WRITERS

Since 1967, Portage & Main Press (PMP) has been publishing quality educational resources for teachers and students. Our authors are master educators, dedicated to the success of all learners. Our books—practical, yet based on solid theory and research—help teachers make real change in their classrooms and in the lives of their students.

PMP is dedicated to publishing books that represent a diverse range of experiences, voices, identities, and backgrounds. If you self-identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, a person living with a disability, a person who is neurodivergent, or as a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community or another marginalized group, we strongly encourage you to send us your manuscript.

PMP seeks manuscripts that advance the goals of professional educators. PMP publishes books that do the following:

  • focus on collaborative, inclusive, project-based, inquiry-based best practices
  • connect with current curricula
  • include and celebrate Indigenous perspectives and knowledges

PMP does not publish the following:

  • manuscripts with content created using generative AI
  • manuscripts outside the educational realm (including general fiction, children’s fiction, memoirs, poetry, and general nonfiction)
  • student writing, dissertations, or personal journals

HIGHWATER PRESS SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR WRITERS

HighWater Press (HWP) books reflect a wide-ranging expression of Indigenous cultures and experiences. HWP develops and promotes unique voices that bring a new understanding of Indigenous peoples and communities, through their authors, to Canadian and international readers.

HWP is dedicated to publishing books that represent a diverse range of Indigenous experiences, voices, identities, and backgrounds. If you self-identify as a person living with a disability, a person who is neurodivergent, or as a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community or another marginalized group, we strongly encourage you to send us your manuscript.

HWP exclusively publishes books written by Indigenous authors in the following categories:

  • adult nonfiction titles on Indigenous history, culture, and contemporary conversations
  • genre fiction and general fiction for adults, including new adult titles
  • general fiction and genre fiction for middle years (ages 8–12) and young adult (ages 12+) 
  • nonfiction for middle years (ages 8–12) and young adult (ages 12+) relevant to age-appropriate educational curricula
  • children’s literature and picture books

HWP does not publish the following:

  • manuscripts written by non-Indigenous authors
  • manuscripts with content created using generative AI
  • poetry
  • natural history
  • dissertations or other scholarly works
  • self-help or how-to
  • cookbooks
  • manuscripts written solely to convey a moral or lesson