Shy City House aims to radically alter the status quo of publishing. For too long, cult of personality has been grossly misused as justification for printworthiness. Shouldn’t we be most interested in the words and work—whether poetry, prose, opinion, or anything requiring continuous trains of thought—of people who strive for the opposite of brazen external validation? Here, we found reason for being. Our mission is to publish the best new writers, regardless of how many people worship them on social media.
Isn’t that rad?
contact us
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email. Please direct all submissions and questions to the email listed here, or via Facebook. We’ll do our best to get back to you as quickly as possible. Please remember this is a small organization, which means it might take some time to get a response. Definitely message us again if you haven’t heard back after six months.
editor@shycityhouse.com
Chicago, IL
staff
Andy Holsteen
Editor at Shy City House
“Our lives are but specks of dust falling through the fingers of time. Like sands of the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.”
— Socrates, TV
FAQs
Is Shy City House accepting unsolicited submissions?
Yes. We’re taking submissions for online publication, as well as manuscripts for print. They must fall under the umbrellas of “creative” or “biases.” And no, we don’t have precise guidelines or definitions for those categories. Reading through some pieces we’ve already published should give you an idea of what’s up. You can direct submissions and general questions to our email editor@shycityhouse.com, or through our Facebook or Instagram.
What the heck is “biases” supposed to mean?
Glad you asked. Not many media outlets willingly acknowledge their own biases. We’ve decided to make this an inherent part of our editorial process by stating it outright. Opinion and truth have a hazy relationship. It’s our hope for “biases” to explore this concept, with the results being informative, evocative, and transparent all at once.
How are contributors compensated?
Right now, there are two ways contributors can be paid by Shy City House. Everyone who publishes a book with us will get an individualized contract. But almost all will break profit sharing down like this: 75 percent to the writer, 20 percent to Shy City House, 5 percent to a charity agreed upon by the writer and Shy City House. The percentages change to 85/10/5 after selling 1,000 copies. Furthermore, royalties will be distributed on a quarterly basis, not every six months as with many publishers.
We care about our writers and their success. This is why they receive the overwhelming majority of profits from book sales. Shy City House provides editing, cover design, and distribution services for everyone who publishes with us. Our cut is just to make up for some of the time spent making sure every book we put out is a success.
People published on our website will receive payment if their work is included in our annual Shy City Sampler compilation. Everyone published in the Shy City Sampler equally shares the profits. Shy City House retains 10 percent of proceeds to account for the work and review associated with design and distribution. Feel free to ask any questions if you have them. There shouldn’t be any ambiguity when it comes to how you’re getting paid.
Holding anyone or their material prisoner isn’t really our thing. Writers may republish their work elsewhere one calendar year after the original Shy City House release, as long as we’re given credit for first publication.
What if this doesn’t answer your question?
Send us an email at editor@shycityhouse.com if you still have any questions. We’d love to connect and start a conversation with you.