Submission Guidelines

Lake Claremont Press invites writers to send us their proposals for books to be considered for publication.

Some General Tips

We are a small press. Learn what the advantages and disadvantages of publishing with a small press are, and know if it is the right choice for you.

Feel free to make a brief phone or e-mail inquiry about your topic before sending us a full proposal or manuscript.

Familiarize yourself with our company, books, style, and approach by browsing our Web site, reviewing our books at your local library or bookstore, and by meeting our authors and staff at public events.

Our Specialty

Lake Claremont Press specializes in books that foster and celebrate what's distinctive about Chicago's history, culture, geography, spirit, and lore.

At this time we publish only nonfiction, trade paperback books. We are also exploring supplementary materials to these books: postcard books, specialized walking tour maps, and audiobooks.

• fiction, even if based in Chicago or based on historical events
• poetry
• photography
• hardcover
• coffee table
Please understand that your book in one of these categories is not an exception.

• memoirs
• children's books
• crime/gangster topics
• Midwestern topics beyond the Chicago area

We Are Looking for Authors Who...

...understand our company and our approach.

...are passionate and knowledgeable about their subject, and committed to covering it with integrity, professionalism, and enthusiasm.

...will be dedicated to promoting their book once it's published, and are interested in sharing their expertise through ongoing media interviews and public events.

Numbers to Know

We receive almost 500 queries, proposals, and manuscripts every year. Your ideas, proposals, and finished books are competing against many other high-quality submissions to be one of the 4–7 books we publish annually. Keep this in mind as you assess the appropriateness of your project for our press and as you prepare your submission for us.

What to Submit

Simply, send us an organized, well-conceived proposal that will convince us to publish your book! This may include any or all of the following: cover letter, summary, outline, table of contents, sample chapter(s), actual chapter(s), partial/complete manuscript, additional materials such as photos or maps, resume, overview of your credentials specific to the project, and a market analysis. A market analysis can cover such things as similar books on the market, breadth/depth of expected audience, sales and marketing hooks, range of sales outlets, and your own ability to be involved in the promotion of your work.

How to Submit

Please mail your proposal to Publisher Sharon Woodhouse at: P.O. Box 711; Chicago, IL 60690, or e-mail it to: lcp@lakeclaremont.com. Attachments must be in MS Word and virus-free. We do not accept faxed submissions. If your submission is not appropriate for us, we will notify you within 15–45 days. If we keep it for future evaluation, it could take 2–5 months for notification.

Our Evaluation Process

We have a three-page form by which LCP staff members evaluate all proposals that meet the criteria already outlined here. By considering dozens of questions and factors in three basic categories—Subject/Content/General-Worthiness-to-Exist, Author & Credentials, and Sales & Marketing—we are able to choose the books best suited for our press. This involved process also helps us organize our thoughts, visions, and plans for the books that we do choose from the very start of our relationship with it and its author. We make contract decisions 2–3 times a year.