The Writers Union of Canada

Getting your manuscript published is time-consuming and can often be a frustrating experience. Finding a publisher who will consider your book idea or look at your manuscript is the first step to becoming a published author.

If you are asked to submit a manuscript, it is courteous to inform the publisher of any multiple submissions you have made to other publishers. For information on Canadian publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts, please see our publication, Writers’ Guide to Canadian Publishers. Please also see Guidelines for Submitting to Literary Magazines and Journals.

Due to a shortage of literary agents in Canada in the past, many writers have chosen self-representation as a means to publishing, or found literary representation outside of Canada. For more information on agents in Canada, please visit Literary Agents, and see our publication: Author and Literary Agent.

Should you be offered a contract from a publisher, be sure to observe cautions when approving each clause.

For more information on publishing terms, please see our publication Glossary of Publishing Terms, and for more information on contracts, please see our Contracts Self-Help Package. Remember that copyright should always maintain with the creator.

For a comprehensive overview of the business of publishing in Canada, TWUC offersProfessional Development Workshops, which are facilitated once per year in many cities across Canada. TWUC also publishes many booklets to help emerging writers get the most out of their first publishing experiences.

Our Manuscript Evaluation Service may help in getting your manuscript published, as may services offered by individual professional writers.