Publishing Programme 2021

What makes a strong proposal

We do not expect a polished, fully realised manuscript at the expression-of-interest stage. An abstract, a working outline, or a sample section is often enough for us to understand the core idea. The strongest proposals are those that clearly articulate the relationship between the written content and the physical or experiential form the work might take. Whether you are proposing a poetry collection that resists linear reading, a fiction project that wants to drift into audio, or a piece of creative nonfiction with a typographic argument, we want to know why the form matters to the text itself.

Please include a short description of the intended medium or media, and be honest about which aspects of production you feel confident about and which areas you would hope to develop in collaboration with our team. If you already have sketches, visual references, or audio recordings, mention these in your proposal. For prose and poetry collections, a sample of five to ten pages is helpful; for experimental or multimodal work, a one-page explanation plus examples of related previous work is often more useful than a conventional excerpt.

• The central idea and why it suits a printed or cross-media edition
• Proposed format, scale and approximate length
• Any existing material: manuscript pages, prototypes, recordings or visual notes
• Your interest in collaboration and the areas where you would welcome design input

The collaborative process

Selected projects are not handed over to a designer at the end of an isolated writing process. Instead, authors work alongside our in-house typographic artists and associate designers from an early stage. This usually begins with a shared conversation about the reading experience you want to create: how the eye or ear should move through the work, where disruption or silence should sit, and how the physical object or performance document can support the text rather than decorate it.

After an initial exchange of references and prototypes, we move through structured rounds of development. Each round produces a test print, a layout proof, or an audio excerpt for discussion. You will always have final approval over the text itself, and the design team will bring options for type, paper, binding, image-making and recorded delivery. We use shared digital documents, video calls and, where possible, in-person studio sessions. The aim is a genuinely collaborative edition in which authorial voice and material form carry equal weight.

Production timelines vary, but most projects move from first conversation to finished edition within four to eight months. We will agree a schedule with you before work begins, and we will keep you informed of any changes.

Publication formats and production

Each accepted proposal is matched with a production method that serves the work rather than forcing it into a standard paperback template. We have experience with a range of print processes, including digital printing, risograph, screenprint and letterpress, and we are equally interested in works that exist primarily as audio recordings, performance scores, video pieces or hybrid objects that combine print with a QR code, USB card or separate poster or map.

For text-led collections, a staple-bound or perfect-bound edition may be the natural starting point, but we will always consider how paper stock, page size, typographic detail and binding can extend the meaning of the work. For concrete poetry, asemic writing or ergodic literature, a riso-printed or screenprinted edition can preserve the material grain of the marks. For work intended to be performed or heard, we may produce a limited print edition accompanied by a digital or cassette audio release, or a printed score designed with the same attention as the text.

• Digital printing for text-led editions
• Risograph and screenprint for colour-critical or image-led work
• Letterpress for typographically focused or sculptural pieces
• Audio, cassette, digital sound files and performance documentation
• Hybrid objects combining book, poster, card, map or recorded component

We produce in small, carefully considered runs. Editions are usually between 50 and 200 copies, though this can vary according to the project, and every author receives a set of contributor copies alongside their royalty agreement.

Rights, royalties and distribution

Colliding Lines does not charge a submission fee and selected authors are not asked to contribute to production costs. Copyright remains with the author at all times. In accepting a place on the publishing programme, you grant us a non-exclusive licence to produce and distribute the agreed edition, including any audio or digital components, for a limited period. The exact terms are set out in a plain-language agreement before production begins.

Authors receive a royalty on each copy or edition sold, paid quarterly, along with an agreed number of contributor copies. We are a small independent programme, so royalties are modest, but we aim to be fully transparent about print runs, unit costs and sales. If a project performs strongly, we will discuss reprints, digital excerpts and festival or performance opportunities with you before proceeding.

Editions are distributed through our online shop and through a small network of independent bookshops, zine fairs and partner festivals. We also share selected excerpts and audio samples on our website and social channels, always credited to the author and with your approval.