book Submissions for Humanitas Media

Thank you for your interest in Humanitas Media. As a human rights–focused organization, we are looking for stories that emphasize the humans living through the human rights violations we often hear about. We tell the stories of those most affected: the underrepresented and the overlooked. We highlight their voices, their struggles, their triumphs, and everything they experience in between. Your stories are what drive us, and we would love to hear them.

We accept both agented and unagented manuscripts. We are currently interested in both fiction and narrative nonfiction for readers of all ages, from young children and young adults to adults. We are open to books that address human rights directly, as well as stories in which those themes emerge naturally through compelling characters and personal experiences. If you would like us to consider your work, please see the following submission guidelines.

For fiction submissions, we request the following:

• A cover letter with the book’s working title and subtitle and a short pitch (2–5 sentences) about why readers would be interested in your book and what inspired you to write it
• The author’s biography, including any relevant writing experience
• Manuscript sample
  • Manuscript specifications, including genre and word count
  • Character sketches: A brief list of the main characters, their core motivations, their flaws, and what is at stake for them.
  • A synopsis (1–4 pages) describing the plot from the beginning of the story to the book’s conclusion
  • The first 2–3 chapters
• Audience, marketing, and promotion:
  • Target audience: Be as specific as possible about who would be most interested in reading this book, including demographics, goals, struggles, reading habits, etc.
  • (Optional) Comparable titles: What books are similar to your book, and how is yours different? Provide the title, author’s first and last name, ISBN, price, publisher, and publication date.
  • (Optional) Marketing and promotional opportunities: How do you intend to promote your book before and after launch?

For nonfiction titles, we request the following:

• A cover letter with the book’s working title and subtitle and a short pitch (2–5 sentences) about why readers would be interested in your book
• A proposal that includes:
  • A table of contents for the proposal itself (i.e., Overview, Author Biography, Marketing, etc.)
  • A book overview describing the situation being addressed and the unique offer, if any, the book is making
  • The author’s biography, including any relevant writing experience or life experiences that lend to the validity of the story
  • Audience, marketing, and promotion:
    • Target audience: Be as specific as possible about who would be most interested in reading this book, including demographics, goals, struggles, reading habits, etc.
    • Comparable titles: What books are similar to your book, and how is yours different? Provide the title, author’s first and last name, ISBN, price, publisher, and publication date.
    • Marketing and promotional opportunities: How do you intend to promote your book before and after launch?

• Manuscript sample
  • Manuscript specifications, including estimated or actual word count, how much is written, and estimated date of completion if it’s not already done
  • Table of contents that includes a brief chapter summary. Also include part summaries if the book will be broken up into parts.
  • 2–3 sample chapters, not including the introduction or preface, that will best convey your writing style and the breadth of the book’s content

Please send all submissions to submissions@humanitasmedia.org.

Please use Book submission [book title] in the subject line where [book title] is the title of your book.

If there is enough interest on our end, we will request more information. For more information on how to write a nonfiction proposal, we recommend you take a look at Jane Friedman’s blog post How to Write a Book Proposal + Book Proposal Template.

Please format your submission as a Word document or a PDF. We do not accept phone calls, faxes, direct emails, or other inquiries regarding submissions, and please do not mail any submissions.

AI Guidelines

Generative AI is increasingly becoming part of the writing process, and we are aware of that and expect authors to act responsibly. The author is responsible for their work and must be transparent about AI use with their agents, editors, and readers. We expect authors to submit original work, and unless it is specifically inherent to the subject matter of the book, we do not publish books with AI-generated text. We allow AI-assisted improvements to human-generated texts for brainstorming, research, outlining, and editing; however, you must disclose the use of any AI tools during the writing of your book so we can understand their role and appropriately tailor our editorial feedback.

Additional Terms.

Intellectual Property: You retain ownership of any original materials you submit to Humanitas Media. 

Right to Reject: Humanitas Media reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, modify its submission process, or cancel its request for submissions.

No Obligation to Contract: Your submission of a book proposal does not create a binding contract or an obligation for Humanitas Media to enter into a binding contract. 

Cost of Preparation: Humanitas Media is not liable for any costs you have incurred in the preparation or submission of your proposal. 

Similar Material Disclaimer: Humanitas Media may already be developing, or may receive from others, ideas similar to your submitted proposal and has no liability if a future project bears any resemblance to your proposal. Thank you again for your interest, and we look forward to reading your work.

Thank you again for your interest, and we look forward to reading your work.