PUBLISHING

PRINT YOUR TRUTH

MEMOIRS

Literary journalism, narrative non-fiction, immersive memoir, or creative non-fiction rooted in lived experience.

GENRE-DEFYING WORKS

Writing that mixes genres and styles, refuses to be boxed in, and walks its own streets. Raw, restless, and unapologetically hybrid.

POETRY COLLECTIONS

Collections that push form, language, and perception or experiment with structure, typography and multimodal elements

FIRST-TIME AUTHORS

No previous credits? No sweat. We'll help you turn your first manuscript into a published masterpiece.

LITERARY FICTION

Grounded, emotionally resonant stories that deeply explore the worlds, people, and environments we live in. Perspectives that celebrate and elevate diverse cultural heritages.

"CONTROVERSIAL" WORKS

Work that’s been rejected by traditional publishers for being "too niche" (which, lets be real, almost always means "too honest").

SLIDING SCALE

Stories Over Profit

No reading fees, no matter the tier (meaning we don’t charge to read your work, ever).

Community Tier

$0 - $500

For first-time authors low-income writers and authors facing financial barriers

✓ Fully subsidized publishing support
✓ Covered by Sustaining Tier authors and grant funding
✓ Available to authors who self-identify as facing financial barriers
✓ No documentation and no justification needed

50%

ROYALTY RATE OF NET REVENUE

Supported Tier

$500 - $2,500

For authors with some financial capacity and believe in the mission

✓ Shared-cost publishing model (amount determined collaboratively based on project scope)
✓ Covers part of editorial and production costs
✓ Helps sustain Community Tier access

40%

ROYALTY RATE OF NET REVENUE

Sustaining Tier

$2,500 - $5,000

For authors organizations or institutions with full resources who want to sustain the mission

✓ Covers full production cost contribution
✓ Contribution directly funds the Community Tier
✓ Recognition as a mission sustainer in all published materials (opt-in)

35%

ROYALTY RATE OF NET REVENUE

Not sure which tier is right for you? Select “Not Sure” in the submission form and we can figure it out together.

INCLUDED FOR EVERYONE

WHAT ALL OUR AUTHORS GET, REGARDLESS OF TIER

✓ Full editorial support

✓ Professional cover design and interior layout

✓ ISBN assignment and copyright registration

✓ Distribution through IngramSpark to 40000+ retailers and libraries globally

✓ Print-on-demand and E-book production

✓ Active promotion through Prohibition Press channels, events and community

✓ A permanent home for your book in Prohibition Press’ bookstore

✓ Honest and transparent communication throughout the process (no ghosting, no runaround)

✓ Fair royalties on net sales

And most importantly, all author’s retain copyrights in perpetuity.

Author Rights

Authors retain full copyright of their work.

We only acquire the rights necessary to publish and distribute your book (print and digital unless otherwise agreed). 

Additional rights (audio, foreign language, film, etc.) remain with the author unless explicitly negotiated. 

HOW IT WORK

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Include:

✓ A short description of your work
✓ Your manuscript (or sample pages if nonfiction)
✓ A brief author bio (no publishing credits required)
✓ Genre and approximate word count
✓ A note on your preferred sliding scale tier (optional at this stage)
✓ One sentence on why Prohibition Press feels like the right home for your work

STEP 01

SEND YOUR MANUSCRIPT

If we move forward, we will schedule a conversation to discuss:

✓ Editorial direction
✓ Publishing timeline
✓ Tier structure
✓ Agreement terms

STEP 02

CONVERSATION

STEP 03

REVIEW

If your work resonates, we will request:

✓ Full manuscript (if not already submitted)
✓ Additional materials if needed (outline, proposal, etc.)

If accepted, you will receive a formal publishing offer outlining:

✓ Tier structure
✓ Rights and royalties
✓ Timeline
✓ Editorial plan

At this stage, we strongly encourage all authors to review contracts with a literary attorney or advisor.

STEP 04

OFFER

Submit a Manuscript

We read every submission ourselves.


Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes. Our community is Denver-rooted but our mission is not geographically limited.

  • Good. First-time authors are exactly who we're here for.

  • Tell us anyway. We're more interested in the story and the storyteller than the genre label.

  • No. We accept unagented submissions directly from authors.

  • Absolutely. Some of the most important books ever written were rejected dozens of times first.

  • You self-select. We trust you. If you're unsure, tell us your situation in your query letter and we'll have a human conversation about it.

  • Acknowledgment of receipt within 5-7 days

    Full response within 15 days

    We respond to every submission.

    • Literary fiction and narrative nonfiction rooted in lived experience

    • Memoir and personal essay from voices underrepresented in traditional publishing

    • Poetry collections : especially experimental bilingual or community-rooted work

    • Hybrid and genre-defying work that doesn't fit neatly elsewhereWork that has been rejected by traditional publishers for being "too niche" (which, lets be real, almost always means "too honest")

    • Children's picture books

    • Banned or challenged manuscripts” work that someone somewhere has tried to silence

    • Work by first-time authors with no prior publishing credits

    • Genre fiction without a strong literary or community-rooted dimension (like thriller, romance, or sci-fi for its own sake)

    • Academic or textbook manuscripts

    • Work that centers glorifies or humanizes white supremacist fascist or dehumanizing ideologies

    • Work by authors whose platform or public conduct actively harms the communities we serve

    • AI-generated or supported works. Period. And yes, we will be able to tell.