Submission Guidelines

Submissions Update: Row House is currently considering proposals for our 2026 catalog until December 31, 2024. We are open to the following categories: Adult Nonfiction, Adult Fiction (Romance, Fantasy, Upmarket, Literary), Young Adult Fiction (Romance, Fantasy, Horror, Contemporary), Children’s Picture Books (Fiction and Nonfiction). These terms exclude participants of the Blocked 2 Book community, for whom all genres are open.

Note on Accessibility: We at Row House believe that every person—no matter their background, identity, or disability—should have an equal opportunity to tell their story. Therefore, if any of our submission guidelines do not meet your access needs, please email us here or use the chat feature on this page to let us know how we can assist you in submitting your proposal.

About Row House’s Submissions Process
is your book a row House book?

We at Row House are on a mission to raise the volume on voices that matter by publishing beautiful, groundbreaking, and provocative books by authors who are also advocates, activists, thought leaders, and masterful storytellers. Row House books are as unique as their authors, yet they share several distinctive traits. Our books...

  • Speak through a social justice lens, center those pushed into the margins, and challenge the status quo with courage, creativity, and critical thinking. (e.g., The Antiracist Business Book by Trudi Lebrón and The Day God Saw Me as Black by D. Danyelle Thomas)

  • Start new conversations, introduce novel concepts, and shed light on culturally significant but overlooked movements. (e.g., Are We Free Yet? by Tina Strawn)

  • Expand discussions by replacing false narratives with truth, especially those regarding identity, culture, and history. (e.g., The Humanity Archive by Jermaine Fowler and Brown Enough by Christopher Rivas)

  • Exemplify a “for us, by us” model, but also serve readers outside of the author’s immediate community or who might not share the author’s identity or experiences. (e.g., All the Black Girls Are Activists by EbonyJanice Moore and We Alive, Beloved by Frederick Joseph)

  • Align with the core themes and values of the company and its existing catalog, facilitating a cohesive conversation among various works. (e.g., Hood Wellness by Tamela Julia Gordon)

  • Contribute to collective liberation, center joy, and acknowledge the beauty inherent in our diverse intersecting identities. (e.g., Adventurous Adeline by Mary Fashik and Someplace Generous, an inclusive romance anthology)

  • Row House and our imprints accept proposals from both agents and unagented authors on a continuous basis.

    The submission process is designed to be fair and equitable, giving no preferential treatment to agented authors.

    Exclusivity: Row House accepts proposals from agented authors on an exclusive basis only, which means that we do not accept proposals sent to other publishers for consideration. However, authors without representation can submit their proposal on a non-exclusive basis.

  • Please allow 60 days for our team to review your submission and respond via email. Submissions are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, with no preference given to agented authors.

    Kindly refrain from requesting updates on your proposal before the 60-day review period has passed.

    Note that we do not offer editorial notes or feedback on submissions.

  • Row House’s standard contracts are available for your review here. These can help you in deciding whether Row House’s financial and rights models are the right fit for your book.

    Our contracts include an eleven-page Book Launch Success Plan, a proprietary document that offers a step-by-step framework and timeline to help our authors effectively promote and market their books using accessible tools and methods.

  • Download an example of a proposal for a nonfiction self-help book, You Have 4 Minutes to Change Your Life by Rebekah Borucki, here.

Submit your book proposal to row house

Thank you for choosing Row House as a potential home for your book. Follow Steps 1-3 for detailed instructions on how to submit your proposal for consideration.

STEP 1: Choose the best imprint for your book.

  • Row House welcomes proposals for non-fiction book titles and decks in the following genres: self-help, general wellness, spirituality and spiritual wellness, personal development, social sciences, politics, cooking, lifestyle, and business. We are specifically seeking titles written through the lens of social justice, liberation, and equity.

  • Wheat Penny Press welcomes proposals for board books, picture books, early reader, and middle-grade fiction and nonfiction centering human characters. Note that we are specifically seeking books that focus on health and wellness, diversity, social justice, mythology, food and culture, “non-traditional” families, adventure, and fantasy.

  • 100 Block by Row House welcomes proposals for nonfiction and fiction book titles, decks, graphic novels, and illustrated books in the following genres: mental health, politics, cooking, lifestyle, fantasy, upmarket, romance, and literary. For all our books, including adult fiction, we prioritize "voices that matter."

    For our romance category specifically:

    We are interested in romance at any heat level up to "high" but are not seeking works that would be classified as "erotica."

    We are looking for submissions in the subgenres of fantasy, thrillers, and contemporary romantic comedies. We are eager to see fresh takes on these genres, retellings that offer new twists on classic stories, and manuscripts that blend multiple genres to create unique and exciting reading experiences.

  • 100 Block Futures (Row House’s young adult imprint) welcomes proposals for nonfiction and fiction book titles, decks, graphic novels and comics, and illustrated books in the following genres: humor, politics, lifestyle, fantasy, contemporary, horror and thrillers, and romance. We have particular interest in proposals that fit these descriptions:

    • Young adult horror, but specifically, manuscripts that are Queer-focused and campy at their root. We want the thrills of jump scares meshed with dark humor from characters who are a tad bit nihilistic and warm up as they find their chosen family. 

    • We would love to read more books exploring folklore, mythology, and fairy tales, whether retellings or new creations inspired by these categories.

    • We're interested in exploring clean teen romance, where relationships help characters discover themselves, find acceptance, and rediscover joy in life. Meet-cute moments are wanted!

    • We're eager to read manuscripts that fall in the realm of magical realism and urban fantasy. We love the elements of everyday life with a bit of adventure and magic.

    • There are some manuscripts that we're less interested in at the moment. Those include:

      Heavy Sci-Fi

      We are open to submissions that explore utopian themes or present an empowering relationship with technology.

      Strictly Historical

      While we are interested in historical YA, we prefer submissions that include elements such as self-acceptance and love, magic or paranormal aspects, or unique retellings.

  • small. is seeking contributor submissions for small business-focused content. All calls for submissions will be posted on our jobs listings page.

  • Your book is best suited for Row House or 100 Block by Row House.

    Attach a one-page cover letter to your proposal, introducing yourself, your book, and who you hope to reach through publication. Also, send a book proposal (30-40 pages) that includes the following:

    1. An overview describing your book, what it will contain, why you are the person to write it, and a description of your audience or community (3-5 pages)

    2. A marketing section to include your bio, platform insights and statistics, marketing plan, and a list of 4-5 comparative titles with links to their Amazon sales pages (3-5 pages)

    3. A chapter summary, offering 1-2 paragraphs on each chapter, explaining what each will contain, including any exercises, activities, or resources (10-15 pages)

    4. Two sample chapters that best illustrate your content, writing style, and what you hope your book will achieve (10-15 pages)

  • Wheat Penny Press, 100 Block by Row House, 100 Block Futures.

    Attach a one-page cover letter to your proposal, introducing yourself, your book, and who you hope to reach through publication. Also send:

    1. An overview describing your book, what it will contain, why you are the person to write it, and a description of your audience or community (3-5 pages)

    2. A marketing section to include your bio, platform insights and statistics, marketing plan, and a list of 4-5 comparative titles with links to their Amazon sales pages (3-5 pages)

    3. The completed manuscript.

    4. Sample illustrations (only if you are the project's illustrator or currently working in partnership with an illustrator).

  • Your project is best suited for Row House, 100 Block by Row House, or 100 Block Futures.

    Please send a one-page cover letter introducing yourself, your deck, and who you hope to reach through your book’s publication. Also send:

    1. An overview describing your deck, what it will contain, why you are the person to create it, and a description of your audience or community (3-5 pages)

    2. A marketing section to include your bio, platform insights and statistics, marketing plan, and a list of 4-5 comparative titles with links to their Amazon sales pages (3-5 pages)

    3. Writing samples as card descriptions and booklet content.

    4. Sample illustrations (only if you are the illustrator for the project or if you are currently working in partnership with an illustrator).

STEP 2: Prepare your proposal.

  • The preparation of your proposal (including the overview, bio, marketing plan, etc.) provides our editorial team with a clear indication of how you will promote and market your book to potential readers and booksellers. All proposals should be in 12-point Arial, Helvetica, or Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and sent as a PDF with pages numbered.

    Also include your name, phone number, and email address on your cover letter and in your email. Only complete submissions will be reviewed by our editorial team.

  • Email your proposal to Row House Submissions using this subject line and your book’s details: Book Proposal Submission for [imprint ex. Row House, Wheat Penny Press, …] - [author name] - [book title] - [genre]

STEP 3: Finalize and send your proposal.