writing

Submission Guidelines & Payment Information

Thank you for visiting Dream of Things

Dream of Things is a book publisher and online book store. We are dedicated to producing high-quality books of creative nonfiction (see “Guidelines for Anthologies” for definition of creative nonfiction). Our primary focus is on producing anthologies of stories built around a central topic or theme. Saying Goodbye is the first anthology from Dream of Things, and an example of the type of creative writing we are looking for.

Payment
Dream of Things pays a royalty of 10% of the cover price on trade paperback books, and 30% of the net receipts on electronic books. If a hardcover edition is published, Dream of Things pays a royalty of 15% of the cover price of the hardcover book. For anthologies, Dream of Things purchases one-time rights. Royalties are paid twice per year. Each author’s share of the royalties is prorated. (Example: If you contribute a story to an anthology that includes a total of 25 stories, you would receive 4% of the royalties for that book.) Authors also receive two free copies upon publication, and a 50% discount on additional copies. For all other books, payment terms and rights are negotiable.

How to Submit
The best way to submit stories is through our online submissions form. Using the form makes it easier for us to track your submission at Dream of Things, and ensures that your contact information stays with your story.

We will also accept submissions via e-mail to editor at dreamofthings.com. If you submit a story via e-mail, please follow these directions:

1. Put the anthology topic and title of your story in the “subject” line of the e-mail.
2. Submit only one story per e-mail. The story can be included in the body of the e-mail, as an attachment, or both.
3. Include your contact information (name, e-mail address, telephone number and mailing address), the word count of your story, and if your story has been published before, tell us when and where it was published.

Important Information
When you submit a story via the online submissions form, you should automatically receive a confirmation. You will NOT receive a confirmation if you submit your story to editor at dreamofthings.com via e-mail, so please don’t send an e-mail asking us to confirm that we received your e-mail. If you want a confirmation, please use the online submission form. After that, please be patient. Unlike some publishers who only respond when your story is accepted, we will respond whether we accept your story or not. Just give us some time. Response times are currently running at 6-9 months. Please refrain from asking about the status of your submission during that time. Thanks!

Guidelines for Anthologies
We seek creative nonfiction for anthologies on various topics. See our Workshop page for a list of current topics.

Dream of Things was founded with the intent of publishing anthologies of creative nonfiction that will fill the gap between popular anthologies that publish stories that are “short and sweet” (sometimes so saccharine-sweet they are hard to swallow), and the Best American Essays series, which are typically quite a bit longer. The goal for Dream of Things anthologies is to publish writing that is not short and sweet, but short and deep. With depth comes authenticity. The result is stories that are easier to swallow because they are authentic, and easier to digest because they average 1,250 words in length. Saying Goodbye…to the People, Places, and Things in Our Lives, published in October 2010, is the first anthology from Dream of Things.

More about “creative nonfiction”: Creative nonfiction to us means true stories told in a creative and compelling manner. The story you submit can be inspiring, heartwarming, humorous or thought-provoking. Most of all, the story you submit should be a story. Tell us the story of a meaningful or humorous experience, or the story of an interesting or colorful person. It’s not enough to simply share your insights and observations; tell us the story of how you learned those lessons. Similarly, it’s not enough to simply write about an interesting person; tell us the story that shows that person at his or her best. The best way to get a feel for the type of writing we are looking for is to read other books that have been published by Dream of Things.

Your story can be anywhere from 500 to 2,500 words long. We accept previously published material as long as you have retained rights to the work. We also accept multiple and simultaneous submissions. You will receive initial notice of Dream of Thing’s interest in 6-9 months, and final notice 1-2 months prior to publication.

Guidelines for Other Types of Books
Dream of Things has published books other than anthologies in the past (MFA in a Box and Everything I Never Wanted to Be are examples), but we are not currently accepting submissions for book-length works. For the foreseeable future, we will be focused on producing anthologies of creative nonfiction.