Profile of Future Tense Books - - An Independent Micro-Press

Future Tense Books Basics:

Founded in 1990, Future Tense Books is an innovative press out of Portland, OR. They publish approximately three books a year, two fiction and one memoir. One or two paperbacks are also released through Manic D Press, as The Future Tense Series. Paperback printings run 600-3,000 copies; chapbooks run 200-1,000 (they keep printing as long as the chapbook sells).

This profile was completed by the publisher and editor Kevin Sampsell.

What they're looking for:

I like books that are bold and risky and have an ambitious or unique voice. Language and sentences are very important, perhaps more so than story. I sometimes publish work that is very sexual or very experimental or very humorous. If I can get a combination of the three, well, that’s even better. I’m not interested in genre fiction or parodies or takeoffs of fairy tales.

Two authors/titles representative of their fiction list:

Zoe Trope (I published the short chapbook version of Please Don’t Kill the Freshman before HarperCollins picked it up. Her energetic style and quirky voice really hit a home run with me.)

Charles Ullmann (He combines a great mix of humor and postmodern style. All of his stories seem to do something very unique.)

What Future Tense Books offers writers that commercial presses don't:

I can’t really compete with bigger presses but I do feel that, for a small press, Future Tense is well-regarded and we usually do sell pretty well through Amazon and Powell’s. I’m surprised that many other small presses don’t sell through Amazon. Editorially, I think I let writers push the boundaries more freely.

Number one thing most likely to put them off a manuscript:

I can’t publish very long books and I often get queries for them. I’d say 60 or 70,000 words is probably the limit. Stylistically, I don’t like it when a book is too hard to follow and when the language is trying too hard. I prefer minimalism to overly lyrical work. I don’t like long descriptions of the weather or the setting and I don’t care for political writing.

Number one thing most likely to put them off a cover letter:

Misspellings and sloppy execution. Not being familiar with the books I publish.

Number one thing most likely to spark their interest:

When someone is familiar with what I publish but they offer something new. I like to try something a little different each time I publish a book. I also will be more interested if the writer mentions writers that I like or tells me he’s an avid reader. It's also valuable if the writer has already been published in magazines or on web sites. The subject matter is important, but I most value really interesting characters.

Address for submissions:

PO Box 42416, Portland, OR 97242, but please query first at futuretense@q7.com

Additional advice for writers interested in submitting work:

Like I said before, read read read! Not just the books that I’ve published but also other presses, big and small. And be patient about the publishing process. It can be a very long ordeal. If you’re not familiar with what I’ve published, at least look at my web site. There’s lots to read there.

Editorial note: as of 2008, Future Tense is not taking unsolicited submissions, and is publishing mostly chapbook-length work. Approach them via email first.