Starting from June, Fawn Press will be open to submissions of pamphlets of poetry, and will be selecting its Autumn/winter 2022 poets. You can find the full list of submissions guidelines here, but I will be answering some queries that may arise about this window.
1.Submission fees.
This is always going to be a hotly contested topic, but here’s our stance. We do not receive funding. It would take at LEAST an hour of labour to read and consider your pamphlet, and as the national minimum wage for that hour is £9.50, this amount does not even reach that. The only way we can pay our editors is though submission fees, and we feel strongly that our team deserves compensation for their hard work. This allows us to keep the press running, providing a space and platform for our poets. This fee contributes to the vitality of poetry ecosystem, and keeps the press afloat. We have a number of subsidiaries that can be taken without any explanation or justification whatsoever, as Fawn Press believes that wealth should not be a boundary for writers’ poetry to be seen. However, as we are a working-class ran press, please understand that this press is trying to make it in the wild, and behind it is a woking class, disabled queer person who is trying to make Fawn Press their livelihood.
There is an option to pay extra for a feedback service. Again, this is subsidised for people from marginalised backgrounds and who can not afford it, but is charged at a further £5.00 which is well under national minimum wage for an hour’s labour in the UK.
(If you want to buy a submission entry today, and send the email within the window timeframe, that’s also fine.)
2. Why only pamphlets?
Pamphlets are sometimes overlooked in importance, and can be such a vital step in a writer’s journey. By championing pamphlets, Fawn Press hopes to encourage the development of a Poet’s voice, nurture the slow exploration of poetry, rather than jumping ahead to the final production of a full collection.
3. Why the uniform brand covers?
I hope that Fawn Press builds such a strong and recognisable brand, that even if customers do not recognise the name of a poet, they will immediately identify the book as a Fawn Press book, and the trust in the brand will help catapult Poets into reader’s carts. We are open to artistic license when it comes to illustration, but it is important that when you send us your manuscript, you understand our vision for the uniformity of our book covers.
4. Why don’t you accept worldwide submissions?
Due to my personal disability and the limitations that come with chronic fatigue, I feel it would be unfair to work with a writer who would be operating under different timezones and locations. As Fawn Press grows in size, and hopefully in team members, this is something I really want to expand.
5. What will the response rate look like?
I am hoping to reply to all submissions by the end of August.
6. What happens if I send a submission outside of the window of 1st-31st June?
You will not receive a response.
7. Will you be opening a submissions window in the future?
Yes, we are looking to open this window again in SPRING 2023
Fawn Press is looking for poets who are adventurous in their practice and skilled in their craft. We are excited for you to take us by the hand and lead us into the woods.