• Matwaala poets—poets who read for Matwaala festivals form the editorial pool. Poets of South Asian origin are welcome to submit their manuscripts to us.
• A poet can invite or select two editors from the pool for review. The manuscript will also be read by the Directors to make a final decision for acceptance.
• If a manuscript is accepted, the selected/invited editors will be responsible for the final editing and proof- reading stages.
• The Matwaala collective will help with reviews, blurbs, readings motivated by mutual support and community.
• Printing estimates will be requested by presses. Poets will then actively work toward publication of their manuscripts through grants provided by foundations, institutions, prizes, or individual donors.
• Printing, page layout, design, cover illustration, ISBN, mailing are to be covered via fundraising. Matwaala poets will donate if interested. 100% of book sales go to the poet. Book publication is directly dependent on donations raised for the project.
• Project donations will be made to Matwaala Press for payments to ensure no personal payments are made that qualify the book as a Vanity Printing project. Complete transparency with funds will be maintained with the poet per project.
• Poets will partner with illustrators, artists and a printer of their choice. Mawaala Press will provide a list of potential printers, artists, illustrators for quotes. The poet is free to work with this list or with personal choices.
• The poet can decide on print run and sale price of each copy. The poet will own the copyright to the publication.
• Matwaala will shepherd the book through the editorial process, submit the final manuscript for printing, and oversee the final steps until the book is in the hands of the poet.