SmileyBooks
Enlighten. Encourage. Empower.
Publisher:Tavis Smiley
President:Cheryl Woodruff
Founded by media pioneer Tavis Smiley in 2004 as a co-publishing venture with Hay House Inc., SmileyBooks is a general trade book publisher that specializes in quality nonfiction.
A dynamic company dedicated to the new media landscape, SmileyBooks will publish books by authors ranging from established New York Times bestsellers to exciting new voices on topics that will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. SmileyBooks titles will be published in hardcover, trade paperback, and digital media, offering the widest possible readership and exposure.
SmileyBooks’ expanded publishing vision is anchored by the imprint’s 2007 #7 New York Times bestseller, THE COVENANT In Action, a companion volume to the 2006 #1 New York Times bestseller, the Covenant with Black America.
SmileyBooks Mission
To empower our readers to achieve their own personal fulfillment and to become agents of change through the principles of love and service.
A Full-Spectrum Publisher
SmileyBooks publishes quality nonfiction works in the following categories:
Advocacy, Autobiography, Self-Help
Education, Memoir, Inspiration
Politics, Psychology, Business/Finance
SmileyBooks Celebrates New Authors
The new president of SmileyBooks, Cheryl Woodruff, and a roster of newly-acquired authors were introduced at the LOVE WINS reception in New York City. The celebrated authors whose titles will be published by SmileyBooks include Iyanla Vanzant, Dr. Cornel West, Tom Burrell, and Eleanor Hinton Hoytt of the National Black Women's Health Imperative.
SMILEYBOOKS MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Thank you for choosing to submit your book proposal to SmileyBooks. Due to the overwhelming number of submissions we’ve received since opening our New York offices, we’ve found that it isn’t possible to enter into e-mail correspondence or lengthy telephone calls regarding proposals and the publishing process. Please read the information below for advice.
INFORMATION FOR WRITERS
Most writers, regardless of the genre they’ve concentrated on, will want to share their work with the public by having it published as a book. The first and most important thing is DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. Find out about the various ways of getting your book published, the roles of publishers and literary agents, and exploring the options of self-publishing and acquiring a distributor. The Internet is great for this, as is the Writer’s Market and other books of this nature, which you can find in any bookstore.
Establish who your ideal reader is, and what the market is like for your book. Are there already other books similar to yours available? The more research you’ve undertaken into the market, in addition to the processes involved in selecting and publishing a manuscript, the better chance you have.
The following are the most frequently asked questions about the SmileyBooks submission process, along with our answers. We hope this information will prove helpful to you.
Are you currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts?
We accept submissions THROUGH AN AGENT ONLY. There are no exceptions to this policy. If you send in an unsolicited manuscript, it will not be opened and will be returned to you.
What if I don’t have an agent?
The best thing to do is consult the Literary Marketplace at www.literarymarketplace.com. One of the premier industry reference guides for writers, the Literary Marketplace has made a weekly subscription service available. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND AGENTS TO PROSPECTIVE AUTHORS.
FOR AGENTS ONLY
I’m an agent looking to send SmileyBooks House some material. How should I go about doing this?
We accept hard copies only—no disks or e-mailed submissions. Submit your proposals to:
SmileyBooks Submissions
33 West 19th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10011
For further information, you may e-mail SmileyBooks@hayhouse.com. WE DO NOT SEND BACK MANUSCRIPTS UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY POSTAGE. We will e-mail you a response to your submission, however.
What should I do if I’m an agent who isn’t based in the U.S.?
You must include U.S. postage, since we can’t use international postal coupons. Also, if you send checks for any reason, they must be in the form of a U.S. money order. In this case, it’s best to submit material that you don’t need returned—include an e-mail address for response.
What types of books are you in the market for?
Founded by bestselling author and broadcaster Tavis Smiley, SmileyBooks specializes in quality nonfiction, including: politics, advocacy, education, self-help, autobiography, inspiration, psychology, health and business.
The COVENANT In Action, compiled by Tavis Smiley, was a 2007 New York Times bestseller. It was nominated for a 2008 Essence Literary Award and received the 2008 NAACP Image Award. Forthcoming 2008 SmileyBooks releases include: Hope on a Tightrope: Words and Wisdom by Cornel West and Tapping the Power Within: A Path to Self Empowerment for Women by Iyanla Vanzant.
We are interested in quality nonfiction subjects as long as they have a positive and empowering slant to them. No poetry, quotation books, children’s books, or negative concepts that aren’t conducive to helping/healing ourselves, or our planet.
SmileyBooks publishes hardcover and trade paperback originals, and trade paperback reprints. We average 10-15 titles a year. We pay standard royalty and publish an average of 12–18 months after acceptance. Simultaneous (agented) submissions are accepted. We generally report in four weeks on queries; six weeks on manuscripts.
