For Agents:
We accept a wide variety of adult fiction and non-fiction. For our literary publications, we don’t have a backlist, we have a list, and we give all our titles time and attention in the hopes that they will bloom and blossom at their own pace. Being named for Hilda Doolittle, we love novels that have strong female characters, although they don’t always have to be the lead protagonist(s). Non-fiction should be helpful and inspiring. Up until now, as we’ve found our feet and developed a reliable and dedicated staff and team of independent contractors, our publications have been sporadic, but beginning in 2019, we hope to be publishing 4-6 new titles per year. We’re an excellent choice to try when you have a title you love and have had difficulty, for one reason or another, placing it with a bigger house. We have also begun to branch out into assisting with the production of indie films that have strong social or political significance. For book titles, submissions must be from a literary agency. For indie filmmakers who are looking for funding, we accept direct queries through our media agency affiliate.
For Authors:
Both debut and seasoned authors might choose to work with HD Media Press as opposed to a large publisher if they have a niche title that the Big Five do not have a place for, or if they believe their work has the potential to become a bestseller, but needs specialized attention. For example, a novel placed with a large publisher might be released in hardback and ebook only with a price point upwards of $24.95 for the hardback and a Kindle price of $12.99. The lower-priced paperback is then not released until a year later. With so many publications flooding the market today, we’ve seen this dated approach kill sales for a new publication. A savvy author knows that creative pricing, carefully planned promotions and timely pre-orders can build reader interest. Our job doesn’t end when we accept your title for publication. We’ll work with you to give it the best chance of success.
But every author should bear in mind what unique goals they have, and what each press can offer in terms of achieving them. If you’re not so concerned with specialized attention and instead want accolades from your colleagues that you’ve nabbed a big name publisher, you truly should not consider a small press, because you won’t be happy, and we won’t be happy that you’re not happy. If your goal is to have a publisher that can offer you detailed and creative suggestions on how to maximize sales, and won’t banish your title to the scrape heap after three months, a small, dedicated press might be what you’re looking for. Finally, consider the end product. More and more big publishers are churning out uninspired covers and drab interior design in order to squeeze as much profit from each title as possible. HD Media Press works with designers who create unique and beautiful publications that each of our authors can be proud of. Ask your literary agent to request a book sample from us, so you can see for yourself the quality product we create. As the saying goes, “a diamond shouldn’t be placed in a tin setting.” Your manuscript deserves to be cosseted, and your reader deserves a beautiful book that they’ll be proud to display on their shelves.
Please Note: UNSOLICITED WORK IS NOT ACCEPTED.
We do not accept any work from authors or filmmakers directly, whether emailed or posted. Work must be represented and submitted by agents only. We have been receiving a higher than usual volume of mail. Any manuscripts or CDs sent to our address will be recycled. Any posted materials sent to our addresses will be recycled unopened. We make no exceptions to this rule, so think about the ecological waste and your postage costs. We are not able to respond to phone calls to our office or emails from artists looking for publication.
We also do not accept payment for publishing books. This is not a service we provide.
The work of our favorite poet and author, Hilda Doolittle, is not published by us, You can find her books at New Directions Publishing.