No Starch Press is a small press that focuses on publishing work on technology, particularly work with “a focus on open source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, LEGO®, science, and math.” Their motto is “the finest in geek entertainment.” They are distributed by Penguin Random House. You can get a good feel for what they publish by going here.
They say that you can just send them an email with the basics of your project if the proposal sounds overwhelming, but that they mostly want to see the following information included in your proposal:
-
Summary of Your Book. Describe your book.
-
Outline. Provide a detailed outline listing at least chapter titles and first level headings.
-
Audience. Who is your target audience and how will your book meet their needs?
-
Competition. List any competing titles. How will your work compete?
-
Market. Discuss the market for your book.
-
You. Who are you? What are your goals in writing this book?
They also ask that you submit any writing samples for your project, if available, and they stress that a clear description of what you want to write and your table of contents are the most important factors.
Unlike most publishers they are very much upfront about royalties and the editorial process, which are both disclosed here. Also on that page they link to a sample publishing agreement, which they appear to always use, and is not up to negotiation. So before submitting to that, review it carefully.
Please only submit a proposal if they feel like a good fit for your work.
Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2023 Guide to Manuscript Publishers.
She regularly teaches three acclaimed courses on writing and publishing at The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish. You can follow her on Facebook here.
