Dektet 2010
A Celebration of Canadian Poetry
To mark the 10th anniversary of its highly regarded Quartet poetry series, Frontenac House is planning a significant expansion of the format to feature 10 books instead of four, to appear in 2010. Appropriately, the new series will be titled Dektet 2010.
The Quartet series began eight years ago with the publication of Quartet 2001. Since that time, 32 books, written by 23 different poets, have been produced. From the outset, the series has followed a mandate to publish not just established writers but also to develop talented new poets, and to publish poetry from the widest possible spectrum of voices.
The Quartet has become a landmark event in Canadian poetry. To quote Richard Stevenson, reviewing Quartet 2005 in The Danforth Review: “Frontenac House’s annual competition must offer four of the most sought-after slots in the poetry biz in Canada.”
Quartet titles have been nominated for more than 25 major poetry and literary awards, including the Griffin Poetry Prize, the Trillium Book Award for Poetry, the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award, the W.O. Mitchell City of Calgary Book Prize and the Stephan G. Stephansson Award ; and have won the Stephan G. Stephansson Award (on two occasions, for Before a Blue Sky Moon by Weyman Chan and Re-Zoom by Sheri-D Wilson), the Best Alberta Trade Book Award (for Pearl by Nancy Cullen), and the Global Filipino Literary Award for Poetry (for Puti/White by Patria Rivera).
Titles in Dektet 2010 will be selected by a jury of leading Canadian writers. Manuscripts will be submitted “blind” – that is, the jury members will not know the identity of any of the writers.
Dektet 2010 is open to all Canadian citizens or persons who have Permanent Residence status in Canada. An advance on royalties of $1000 will be paid to each writer. All books will be published simultaneously in April 2010. Further publication information, including launch details, will be announced.
All persons interested in Dektek 2010 are invited to review the Frontenac House website (http://www.frontenachouse.com) or to contact the publisher by mail at:
Frontenac House Ltd.
1138 Frontenac Ave. SW
Calgary AB T2T 1B6
Guidelines for Sending Manuscripts to Dektet 2010
General information
- All Canadian citizens or persons who have Permanent Residence status in Canada are invited to participate in Dektet 2010.
- All persons sending manuscripts to Dektet 2010 must confirm that the writing is entirely their own work, does not contain material that has been copyrighted by other writers unless written permission has been obtained, and has not been published previously in book form (prior publication of individual poems in journals, etc., is welcomed).
Preparing, sending manuscripts
- Manuscripts can be sent to Frontenac House at any time, but must be postmarked no later than September 30, 2008.
- Manuscripts should be prepared as follows:
- Typewritten or computer-generated in an easy-to-read typeface (e.g, Times Roman), space-and-one-half or double spaced, single sided, preferably on white 8½ x 11 paper.
- Each page must have a page number and the book title as a running head or foot.
- Manuscripts should be between 65 and 85 pages in length. NOTE: Please send only complete manuscripts, not partial manuscripts or samples.
- DO NOT indicate your name or identity anywhere on the manuscript except on the Manuscript Registration form. This is essential so that manuscripts can be evaluated with full impartiality by the judges.
- When sending manuscripts, be sure to attach a completed Manuscript Registration form.
- Please do not send manuscripts by email – use regular mail (courier is acceptable, but not recommended).
- Be sure to keep you own electronic or hard copy of the manuscript.
The process
- All manuscripts will be acknowledged within four weeks of receipt; authors who have not received an acknowledgement by that time should contact Frontenac House. Frontenac House will keep all manuscripts on file throughout the evaluation process. Manuscripts will not be returned to authors.
- An express condition of sending manuscripts to Frontenac House is that Frontenac House will not be responsible for lost manuscripts.
- A panel of three qualified judges will be chosen by Frontenac House. The identity of the judges will be disclosed after the final selection of manuscripts has been made.
- In the event that the judges do not feel that 10 manuscripts are suitable for publication, Frontenac House reserves the right to publish the series with fewer titles.
- Due to the volume of manuscripts that is anticipated, editorial comment, either by Frontenac House or the judges, will not be available to persons sending in manuscripts.
- Frontenac House will advise all persons whose books have been selected for publication by the judges. The selection list will be posted on our website March 16, 2009. Persons whose manuscripts were not selected will not be contacted individually.
- Frontenac House will offer a publishing contract to all persons whose manuscript was selected; upon acceptance, a $1000 advance on royalties will be paid.
- All books will be edited, designed, printed and marketed according to Frontenac House’s customary professional standards.
- Royalties of 10% of the net price of the book will be paid, starting at the point that royalties surpass the initial $1000 advance.
Submission Form
Ten Questions about Dektet 2010, and the Answers
Q: Who exactly is Frontenac House?
A: We’re a small publishing house based in Calgary. We specialize in poetry, although lately we’ve been extending into other genres. We started in 2000; between that time and April 2008 we’ve published 36 poetry books and 40 books in total. Our titles have won six major awards and been nominated for more than 25 others. We were voted Alberta Publisher of the Year in 2006. Our website, http://www.frontenachouse.com, will give you an idea what our books are like.
As regards marketing, Frontenac House organizes book launches, sets up readings and sales at launch time, arranges for author interviews, sends out copies for reviews, displays books on our website, places advertising, promotes to book stores and libraries across Canada, and lists titles online through Indigo, Amazon, etc. Many books are sold through author readings; these are set up by Frontenac and by authors themselves.
Q: Do you publish work by writers who are previously unpublished, or are you only interested in well-known authors? And are you interested in material that’s really different, and out of the mainstream? or provocative, or controversial?
A: Frontenac House has a mandate to publish not just established writers but also to develop talented new poets. We take special interest in publishing poetry from the widest possible spectrum of voices. Our website will give you an idea of the range of material that we’ve published. Better still, take a look at the books themselves!
Q: What are your requirements for sending manuscripts for consideration for Dektet 2010?
A: The key point is that this is not a competition or contest, with restrictive rules. The requirements are really just common sense guidelines: send us your manuscript in a way that makes it easy to read, easy to keep track of, easy for our judges to evaluate. That’s the best way to ensure that your material gets the best possible reception! For more specific guidelines, see the “Dektet 2010 Manuscript Registration form”.
One other point that’s vital: be sure to keep your own electronic or hard copy of the manuscript. We take pride in treating manuscripts with care and respect, but it is possible for things to get lost. It is an express condition of Dektet 2010 that Frontenac House is not responsible for lost material. In addition, manuscripts will not be returned to the author.
Q: Why do you not return manuscripts?
A: It’s the sensible thing to do, given the complexity of handling the potential volume of returns. In addition, the author is spared the cost of return postage.
Q: Can I send more than one manuscript?
A: Yes, but we don’t recommend it. Over the years that we’ve published poetry we’ve found that writers who send multiple manuscripts usually haven’t thought out their approach carefully. The result is two (or more) poorish pieces of writing, whereas a bit more care by the writer in refining his or her work might have produced one very good piece. Two so-so unpublishable manuscripts are nowhere near as good as one excellent, publishable, one!
Q: Can I send a manuscript to other publishers in addition to Frontenac House?
A: Yes. But please be courteous – if you accept another publishing offer, advise us immediately. If the judges choose a manuscript which then turns out to be unavailable, the difficulties of restructuring the selection list would be considerable.
Q: Is there a cost or fee for sending a manuscript for Dektet 2010?
A: No.
Q: Why do you not accept manuscripts by email?
A: The incompatibility of computer formats makes the handling of email manuscripts incredibly difficult. It’s much better simply to send manuscripts in the post. Courier and registered mail are acceptable, but we prefer regular mail – just make sure the package is postmarked no later than September 30, 2008.
Q: How will I know you received my manuscript?
A: You will receive confirmation of receipt within four weeks of sending us the MS. If you haven’t heard from us in that time, please call.
Q: How will I know if my manuscript is selected for publication?
A: Frontenac House will announce the selected writers on March 16, 2009.
