No Starch Press has long had a reputation for publishing unique books on technology, with a focus on open source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, LEGO®, science, and math. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about.
If you have a book in mind or just an idea for a book that you'd like us to consider, let us know. You can email our editors at [email protected].
Book Proposals
When submitting a proposal, please address the following. If this seems like an overwhelming task, just buzz us to see if we like the idea of your project and we can proceed from there. Really, the primary thing that we're looking for is a clear description of what it is that you want to write and your table of contents:
- 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?
Please also submit any writing samples for this particular project, if available.
Publishing With Us
You can find a copy of our publishing agreement here.
We offer a kind of cafeteria plan for royalties. As long as your work won't require extensive rewriting and it's one color throughout, you will have the choice of one of the following (subject to our editorial review):
- 15 percent royalty with no advance
- 12 percent royalty with $5,000 advance
- 10 percent royalty with $8,000 advance
Our royalties are flat, meaning that we don't cut them in half or thirds for various types of sales.
We pay 25 percent royalty on ebook sales and we split revenue from translation rights sales 50-50. Those are some basics.
A Brief Look at Our Editorial Process
Perhaps at least as important as our payment terms is the fact that we edit everything. Our seven acquisitions editors handle a total of about 50 books per year. One of our editors will read and edit your chapters, offering extensive support and editorial help as necessary. And once the two of you have finished that back and forth we'll send your chapters to production where a production editor will review your material and manage the handoff to a copyeditor who will make your book even better. You'll see page proofs and we'll have everything checked by a proofreader. When your book goes to the printer you will have given it your stamp of approval and we'll have done the same. No surprises.
You see all of the changes that we make at every stage. You review copyedit and final pages, have input on the cover (or cartoon subject), and we'll ask for your input on marketing. We'll do what we can to satisfy your needs and desires with the goal of making the best book possible.
Publishing is a partnership but it's also a service. We'll work with you. We won't just give you some random deadline, bug you until you write, then print your drafts. Essentially, you're paying us to deliver something of value and we work every day to do that.
After all, the world doesn't need more books, it needs better books. Our goal is always to produce the best book possible.