Thistledown Press seeks Canadian fiction and nonfiction, plus some kid lit and poetry

Thistledown Press

220 20th Street West
Unit 222
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7M 0W9

https://thistledownpress.com/

Founded in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 1975, Thistledown Press began as a venue for new Prairie writers and soon burgeoned into a publisher of emerging and established writers from across Canada. Thistledown has published more than 500 titles in its 45 years.

Thistledown has published work by Tanya Bellehumeur-Allatt, Lorna Crozier, Susan Juby, Patrick Lane, Alden Nowlan, Alistair MacLeod, John Lent, Angie Abdou, Harold R. Johnson, Susan Musgrave, Marty Chan, Devin Krukoff, Tara Gereaux, Rita Bouvier, Leah Horlick, and Dawn Dumont. 

The press came under new ownership in fall 2020, and the new team continues Thistledown’s commitment to publishing Canadian literary writing, with a particular focus on authors from Western Canada.

Thistledown publishes novels, short story collections, creative nonfiction, and collections of poetry they find irresistible. They will consider YA novels and – occasionally – books for younger children.

Thistledown is open for submissions September 1 – May 1.

All queries must be submitted by post, on paper. Thistledown does not return submissions. In your query package, please include:

A cover letter that describes your work and its appeal to readers of Canadian literature and which states clearly the genre of your submission

An author bio that includes your publication history

A brief marketing analysis

A selection of work from your manuscript: the first thirty pages of a novel or nonfiction manuscript, or two or three short stories, double spaced. For poetry submissions, please send fifteen to twenty pages, single-spaced, with each poem beginning on a new page.

Your contact information, including an email address.

See Thistledown Press’ full submission guidelines here.

See all upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.  

Navigation tips: Always check out the Labels underneath a post; they’ll lead you to various distinct collections of postings. See information about other publishers looking for manuscripts here (and scroll down). If you’re looking specifically for publishers of children’s and young adult books or short pieces, see here (and scroll down).