Submissions

 

t r a c e  is both verb and noun; act and residue.

t r a c e publishes books that illuminate, in complex, beautiful, and thought-provoking ways, contemporary and historical experiences of conflict, displacement, migration, life, labour, love, and resistance.

t r a c e prioritizes the voices of those who have, themselves, experienced war, conflict, displacement, and migration. We value the words of those historically marginalized within inequitable publishing cultures.

We are one of Canada's rare female-founded, bipoc-run presses. (this continues to be a huge challenge within a predominantly white-run publishing industry). 

We publish thoughtful, formally innovative literature from the global South and its diasporas, with a focus on Africa, SWANA regions, and South Asia. We prioritize writing by women and gender-diverse authors and translators. Before you submit your work, we suggest you familiarize yourself with our books and let us know why you think your writing would suit our catalogue. 

Since we are based in Canada, we may prioritize Canada-based authors and translators due to our funding situation. However, if your writing can be funded through other artist and translator grants, please let us know as we are strongly committed to publishing literature that crosses borders. 

We are interested in the following:

• literary fiction and poetry from the global South & diasporas, in English and/or translated into English.
• hybrid literary nonfiction and essays that provoke, unsettle, and explore new possibilities at a time of unprecedented global transformation
• critical/creative anthologies that juxtapose vital voices in conversation
• international collaborations with other like-minded publishers

Your submission should include the following:

• Cover letter with your name, address, email, & social media handles.
• One page description of your literary project and why you think it fits our list
• 20 page literary sample of your writing. 
• Your literary CV. 
• Please share your capacity to apply for funding to support your work, whether through writer or translator grants. 
• No AI use is acceptable. 

*Please compile and email as ONE PDF file to contact(at)tracepress.org.

** Kindly understand that we are small press with limited funding and capacity. We will respond within 3-6 months if we find the work suitable for our catalogue. We are currently looking for 2-3 titles to publish in 2027-2028.