‘Throughout my life there has been one constant: box ticking. Are you Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander? Miss/Mrs/Ms? Queer? Do you speak a different language at home? These are all questions to tell you you're different, you're not “normal”, you're less important. JOAN is about creating a new narrative. If you've ever had to tick a box for your race, language spoken, gender, sexual orientation, or anything that makes you “different”, we're looking for you. If you've never seen a name like yours on a cover, if you've ever had to go searching for a text that has someone “like you” or you've ever had to explain your identity to someone, we're looking for you. If you have you written something you've never read before from a perspective you've never seen before, we're looking for you.’ 
– Nakkiah Lui

At JOAN we’re looking for work that pushes boundaries and challenges norms, creating a space for voices that for too long have been pushed to the margins. If you have a story to tell that finds joy in resistance and laughs in the face of oppression and despair, then we want to hear from you!

JOAN is open to non-fiction, fiction, poetry and short stories. At this time we are only accepting submissions aimed at an adult readership, not children’s or YA.

For manuscript proposals or submissions, please email submissions@joanpress.com

Submission Guidelines

In your submission you must include:

·        A 300-word author bio

·        A 300-word synopsis (this is a synopsis of the entire work, from beginning to end, not an open-ended blurb or pitch)

·        300 words on why you are pitching to JOAN

·        Three chapters or 50 pages of the proposed work

·        A 250-word description of what resistance means to you

When sending your email please ensure that:

·        The subject line of your email indicates the genre/subject area of your work

·        All of the requirements listed above are included in your email

·        You copy and paste the below form into the body of your email and fill in the required information

  1. Title:

  2. Author:

  3. Genre/Subject area (e.g. memoir, history, politics, romance, literary fiction):

  4. What do you see as a comparison title to your work?

  5. List any previous publishing history and/or any awards or residencies (e.g. Varuna) you have received:

  6. Please let us know if you have submitted your manuscript anywhere else.

I have sent in my submission. Now what?

If we are interested in reading your full manuscript or proposal, we’ll contact you directly. We will try to get back to everyone, regardless of the outcome of their submission, but if you haven’t heard from us within six months, then please assume it’s a pass.