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 publishes books by authors ranging from established New York Times best sellers to exciting new voices on topics that appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. SmileyBooks titles are 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 best seller, THE COVENANT In Action, a companion volume to the 2006 #1 New York Times best seller, the Covenant with Black America.

New releases include Cornel West’s memoir, BROTHER WEST: Living and Loving Out Loud, A Memoir and Jeff Johnson’s EVERYTHING I’M NOT MADE ME EVERYTHING I AM: Discovering Your Personal Best.

Since fall 2008 SmileyBooks has published seven exciting and timely releases from inspiring, well-known authors, as well as companion volumes to the America I AM: The African American Imprint exhibit. Two of our authors, Cornel West and Iyanla Vanzant, were nominated for 2009 NAACP Image Awards.

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 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 to 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 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
250 Park Avenue South, Suite 201
New York, New York 10003

For further information, you may e-mail SmileyBooks@hayhouse.com. WE DO NOT SEND BACK MANUSCRIPTS UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY POSTAGE. However, we will e-mail you a response to your submission.

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?
SmileyBooks specializes in quality nonfiction, including: politics, advocacy, education, self-help, autobiography, inspiration, psychology, health and business.

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.

THE COVENANT In Action, compiled by Tavis Smiley, was a 2007 New York Times best seller. It was nominated for a 2008 Essence Literary Award and received the 2008 NAACP Image Award. Fall 2008–Fall 2009 SmileyBooks releases included: Tapping the Power Within: A Path to Self Empowerment for Women by Iyanla Vanzant, On Air: The Best of Tavis Smiley on the Tom Joyner Morning Show 2004-2008, Hope on a Tightrope: Words and Wisdom by Cornel West, America I AM Legends edited by SmileyBooks, America I AM Black Facts by Quintard Taylor, EVERYTHING I’M NOT MADE ME EVERYTHING I AM: Discovering Your Personal Best by Jeff Johnson and BROTHER WEST: Living and Loving Out Loud, A Memoir by Cornel West.