Manuscript submission:

 

We are a small publishing house specialising in (mostly literary) fiction and unusual non-fiction (mainly autobiography and travel writing). We publish books in English and Afrikaans.

We only publish 12 to 15 titles per year and consequently stay very close to our mandate – which is to publish a diverse list of fresh, new South African fiction, voices that were previously not heard, and exceptional non-fiction.

Please look at the books we have published recently, either here on our website or in a local bookshop or library.

 

How do I submit a manuscript to Kwela?

 

We try not to be too prescriptive, but here are some basics.

We prefer electronic submissions to hard copy manuscripts. Please submit your manuscript as a single document via email to kwela@kwela.com.

Double spacing is preferred as it is easiest to read (this means a blank line between each line of type).

Pages should be numbered and it helps to insert the title of your manuscript at the top of each page as header. Please do not send sole original copies of manuscripts as we cannot be held responsible for their return.

Include the following:

• A covering letter containing an outline of the contents
• A short author biography

• Which imprint you are submitting your manuscript to, ie Kwela (or Human & Rousseau, Tafelberg or Queillerie)
• Please send the completed manuscript

Please note that the initial manuscript assessment process can take up to four months, sometimes even longer.

Submissions should be posted to:

Kwela Books
P.O. Box 879
Cape Town
8000

Please remember that post can take up to two weeks to reach us, so please be patient.