Overview

The mission of The Brautigan Library is to archive and curate unpublished manuscripts by writers keen to share their stories for general public reading. Manuscript submissions (in digital format) are welcome. This information is about how to prepare and submit unpublished manuscripts to The Brautigan Library.

Background

No physical manuscripts
The Brautigan Library has no space or resources to accept new physical manuscripts in its collection. But, you are welcome to submit your unpublished manuscript(s), in .PDF format. Your manuscript(s) will be assigned a manuscript acquisition number (MS#), included in the Library's catalog, and curated on the Digital page of this website. The digital copy of your manuscript will be available for download by anyone interested.

Language and formatting
Your manuscript(s) may be written in any language, but to increase readership, you should provide an English translation. The English translation(s) of your manuscript(s) must be typed. See "Details," below.

Rights
As the author of your manuscript, you have control over rights associated with its re-production and distribution. There are three ways you can deal with these rights when submitting your manuscript to The Brautigan Library.

• Copyright your work.
  Copyright is a collection of rights you retain all rights to your work and anyone wishing to use your work, or any portion, must seek your permission to do so. Without your permission, any use of your work is illegal and you can pursue legal action against such unauthorized use. If you wish to assert your copyright you must say so in a statement included on the title page of our manuscript. In this statement you say that no one may use your manuscript for any purpose, other than reading, without obtaining your permission. Frequently asked questions about copyright.
• Assign Creative Commons licenses.
  If you choose to assign licenses through Creative Commons you are granting permissions for people to use your creative work in various ways. Learn more about Creative Commons, and the licenses you can assign to your manuscript.
• Place your work in the Public Domain.
  If you choose to place your manuscript in the public domain you grant anyone the opportunity to do whatever they want with your manuscript, including offering it for sale. No payment is made to you. You cannot undo your choice to place your manuscript in the public domain. You can place your manuscript in the public domain using a Creative Commons license. Public Domain Frequently Asked Questions.

No matter the choice you make, by submitting your manuscript(s) to The Brautigan Library you grant the Library limited rights to publish portions or your manuscript in its efforts to promote and maintain its mission of providing a publicly accessable portal for unpublished manuscripts, like yours. Any income realized from such effort belongs to The Brautigan Library and will be used to offset its operating costs.

NOTE: The Brautigan Library is in no way responsible for protecting your manuscript from what you might consider unauthorized use. The Brautigan Library is not liable for any actions brought against you in response to the contents, tone, or voice of your manuscript. You voluntarily place your manuscript with The Brautigan Library and agree to it being downloaded and/or read by anyone interested. Remember, you are placing your work online. Anyone can download your work, and use it for their own purposes. This may be very hard for you to monitor.

Publication
You may pursue publication of your manuscript after submitting a copy to The Brautigan Library. No matter the outcome of your efforts, the digital copy will remain in the Library collection, and continue to be available to interested readers. However, The Librarian will place a comment that your manuscript has been published.

Details

Formatting
Unless a comic or graphic novel, your manuscript should be typed, 1.5 spacing between lines, and formatted with standard margins. Notes and citations should follow current style guides (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.). This is to make it easier for readers to enjoy your manuscript.

Title page
Your manuscript should have a title page, which includes information about your manuscript and what permissions you are granting for its use by others. Please follow the example below, removing all notes. When completed, please include all this information on your title page.

Title ______ (Note: Insert title of your manuscript)

by ________ (Note: Insert your name, real name, please, not a pen name)

Your address and contact information (Note: Include postal, email, and social contact information here. Make it easy for interested readers to contact you.)

Date ______ (Note: Insert current date)

Abstract ______ (Note: Insert an abstract, a short overview, of your manuscript here. This is information readers will use to make initial decisions about your manuscript, so provide helpful information.)

Permission Statement (Note: Complete the following permission and include the entire text on your title page)
"I, ________ (Note: Insert your name), submit this unpublished manuscript, written by me and entitled, ________ (Note: Insert title of your manuscript here). I assign the following rights for usage of my manuscript by others:
(Note: Select one rights assignment and delete the others)
None. I retain all rights as holder of copyright for this manuscript
Some. I grant the following Creative Commons Licenses to my manuscript
(Note: Provide details which licenses you are granting here)
All. I place this manuscript in the Public Domain. Anyone can use it however they wish, including for commercial purposes, although I do ask my name as original author be retained."

Date ________ (Note: Insert date)

Signed ________ (Note: Insert your name)

Digital manuscripts only
The Brautigan Library can only accept your manuscript(s) in .PDF format, the higher the quality, the better. Many word processing programs allow you to export your work as a .PDF file. Photocopy services can turn your physical, typed manuscript into a .PDF file for you. Please combine multiple .PDF files into one file, with the title page being first.

Submission
Please use the WeTransfer service to send your digital manuscript file to The Brautigan Library. This is a free and efficient file transfer service. The instructions for transferring your file(s) are easy to understand and follow. Send your manuscript to jfbarber[at]eaze[dot]net This will alert The Brautigan Library that your manuscript is ready for download.

Payments
The mission of The Brautigan Library is to archive and curate manuscripts by writers keen to share their stories for general public reading. The Brautigan Library does not make royalty or other payments for your manuscript, nor does it act as an agent to sell or otherwise commercialize your manuscript.