Q. How much of my purchase is actually going to a charity?
A. 100% of the net proceeds from our sales benefit charitable organizations. On average, our books cost approximately $1.50 per unit to assemble — this includes the cost of editorial and design work, manufacturing, etc. If you purchase them through our online bookstore, the rest of the sticker price will be donated.
Q. How regularly do your books come out?
A. We publish as quickly as we can. Essentially, as soon as we’ve paid off our debts for one series, we move on to the next. We hope to ship series 2 orders by the end of the summer.
Q. I placed an order a long time ago, but I haven’t received my books yet.
A. Sorry. We are a tiny, tiny staff of roughly 1.5, which is the minimum for using first-person plural. We’re doing our best to fulfill orders as efficiently as possible. If you haven’t received email confirmation for your order, or if you’ve waited a long time and still haven’t received your books, please contact us — sumanth(at)madraspress.com.
Q. I have a story I’d like to send you. Do you accept submissions?
A. We're always looking for new writers to add to our catalog. Most of our titles are at least 10,000 words long (which translates to approximately 30 pages, double-spaced); our maximum length is a little more flexible, but we usually keep it at 25,000 words (which translates to approximately 80 pages, double-spaced). If your story is long enough to be marketed as a novel, it’s probably not right for us.
Q. Can I send a collection of stories?
A. If you have a collection of stories that compose a manuscript of appropriate length, that’s fine, too, but please include a note in your cover letter about why the stories ought to be read together.
Q. Can I include illustrations in my story, or specify the way it’s typeset?
A. If your story requires illustrations, and you already have the illustrations, feel free to include them with the manuscript, but bear in mind that all of our books are 5”x5”, and that we do not (yet) print in color. If your story requires illustrations, and you do not already have the illustrations, please secure them before submitting your material. We can accommodate stories that require unconventional layouts, but we like to use the typeface Centaur whenever possible, for personal reasons.
Writers so inclined can mail their material to:
Madras Press
P.O. Box 307
Brookline, MA 02446
Please send one story at a time, and include a stamped return envelope if you want it back.
Q. Do you accept email submissions?
A. No, we prefer printed submissions.
Q. Do you consider previously published stories?
A. Kind of. But you may want to query us before putting anything in the mail.
Q. Can I make a donation to Madras Press?
A. Yes. We are a non-profit organization, and in an attempt to keep the sticker prices low on our books, we work on a purely volunteer basis. If you like what we’re doing, please think about contributing a few dollars at our Donation page.
Q. Can I find Madras Press books at my local bookstore?
A. Our books are stocked at a handful of our favorite independent bookstores around the country. We keep a constantly updating list on our Locations page.
Q. Do you offer discounted rates for educational institutions and libraries?
A. Yes. Please contact us directly about this.