Local Voices:

Author Submission Policy

Supporting Local Voices in Our Independent Bookshop

We are proud to support local, self-published authors and are happy to consider stocking books that align with our values, quality standards, and customer interests. Please read the following guidelines before submitting your book for consideration.

1. Eligibility

  • Authors must be based in the county of Dorset.

  • Books must be professionally bound (no spiral-bound or loose-leaf formats).

  • We accept fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children’s books, as long as they are appropriate for our audience.

2. Submission Process

Please let us have the following:

  • A physical copy of your book for review purposes; it will require collecting if not accepted

  • A brief author bio and background

  • A short synopsis of the book

  • Retail price and suggested age group (if applicable)

  • Any press/reviews/promotion you’ve done or plan to do

Send to: Teasel & Skylark, 2 Georgian House, Trinity Street, Dorchester DT1 1UB

3. Sales Terms

We offer consignment terms only:

  • The standard split is 60% to the author, 40% to the shop (based on the retail price).

  • We typically stock 3 copies initially for a 3-month trial period.

  • If the book sells well, we may request more copies.

  • Payments to authors will be made quarterly for any sales.

4. Marketing & Events

  • We welcome authors who are proactive in promoting their work.

  • You may be invited to participate in a local author event or signing.

  • We’re happy to help spread the word via social media if you tag us and provide visuals.

5. What We Look For

  • Quality writing, layout, and cover design

  • Topics or styles that resonate with our customer base

  • Local relevance or interest is a plus!

6. Disclaimer

We reserve the right to decline any book that we feel does not meet our standards or align with our shop’s ethos. Due to limited space, we cannot stock all submissions.

Thank you for considering our bookshop as a home for your work! We love supporting local talent.