Author Submission Guidelines

We are honored you’re considering Zora’s Place for your book! Our shelves are intentionally curated to reflect our mission as Evanston’s first Black feminist bookstore: centering, celebrating, and sharing the stories of Black women and nonbinary authors.

Because our shelf space is limited and our curation is intentional, we have specific guidelines for self-published authors. Please read carefully before submitting your book for consideration.

What We Accept

We welcome submissions from:

  • Traditionally published Black women and nonbinary authors

  • Self-published Black women and nonbinary authors who are local to Evanston and/or the Chicagoland area

  • Works in all genres that align with our values and mission, including fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry and children’s books

We do NOT accept:

  • Self-published titles from authors who are not local to Evanston/Chicagoland

  • Works that perpetuate racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, albeism, fatphobia and/or other forms of oppression

  • Books created with AI-generated text and/or illustrations

Our Anti-AI Policy

Zora’s Place values human creativity and storytelling rooted in lived experience. We do not accept books or book art that have been generated or significantly altered by artificial intelligence tools. All text and illustrations should be your original work or created in collaboration with a human artist.

Consignment Terms for Self-Published Books

  • Standard consignment split: 60% to the author / 40% to Zora’s Place to be paid out within 30 days of the end of each calendar month.

  • Books are stocked for a trial period of 30 to 90 days, depending on availability. At the end of this period, we’ll review sales and determine whether to continue carrying the title.

  • Authors are responsible for delivering books to the store and picking up unsold inventory.

Event Opportunities

If your book is accepted, we may be able to host a launch event, signing, or reading. Event opportunities are limited and booked at the discretion of Zora’s Place based on our calendar and audience interest.