Frequently Asked Questions
Who is 5310 Publishing?
We are a family-owned business dedicated and committed to helping our authors get their books published and to discover new and original ways of promoting their stories and views in front of an audience.
We want to develop a more welcoming, diverse, and tolerant world by bringing original and impactful stories to audiences worldwide.
Are you committed to diversity? What are your current efforts to promote diverse authors and characters?
Our goal is to change the publishing industry (and consequently the world) for the better through our books. We are committed to representing and providing a platform to those who are often quieted and discriminated against in the publishing industry.
We respect and do our best to include people of all races, genders, identities, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities. We do not tolerate racism, misogyny, homophobia, ableism, ageism, or xenophobia. We have no patience for bigotry or any other -isms.
All of our books and/or authors represent at least one minority group (Women, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Immigrants, LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, and others). To learn more about our efforts, please click here.
Who are your authors? Who is the 5310 Family?
How do you pronounce "5310" Publishing?
"5310" is pronounced "five-three-ten."
What is your mission statement?
5310 Publishing wants to change the world. Not only through our stories, but through our social projects as well. We are proud to give all writers and storytellers a chance to tell their stories, share their cultures, and bring their imagination to life, regardless of who they are.
We're an equal-opportunist publisher, we do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or anything else, and we make sure that all of our writers are the same.
We help writers who want to help, encourage, entertain, and/or heal others, because innovation starts with us, and only we have the capability to build a better future.
We are committed to helping the world and local communities through our books and other projects. We want to develop a more welcoming, diverse, and tolerant world by bringing original and impactful stories in front of audiences worldwide.
We have big dreams, and we're doing our best to get there. So, if you are a writer committed to helping the world and your local community as much as we are, then join us!
Are you a vanity press? What kind of publisher are you? Traditional? Hybrid? Self-publishing?
We are not a vanity press!! We are a traditional publisher. Even though we are a small independent business, we follow the conventional model. We're not hybrid, assisted self-publishing, or any other words commonly used to describe vanity publishers.
We want to make something very clear: we never charge our authors for anything. We are 100% traditional. There are no hidden fees.
How can I publish my book with 5310 Publishing? Are you accepting manuscript submissions?
How long does it take to get a reply if I send you my manuscript?
Our quickest reply was within 30 minutes, and our longest was 12 months. The average wait time is under 6 months. From our last round, it only took 2 months for everyone who applied to get a response.
How long have you been in business?
5310 Publishing was founded in 2018 in Brighton, Ontario. We are now located in Windsor, Ontario. To learn more about us, please click here.
Can I publish my previously-published book with 5310 Publishing?
We do not re-publish self-published titles (Kindle and Wattpad included.) We do not re-publish disputed titles or titles from other publishers, even if you got your rights back.
Will you edit my book? Do I need to pay for editing? How does the editing process work?
If you get a publishing deal, we will edit your book for free. Editing involves correcting errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax. We help you stay consistent with your spelling, hyphenation, numerals, fonts, and capitalization. We also correct errors in language use and sentence structure.
Then we send it back to you. After you review and approve our changes, we prepare the manuscript for publication, which involves proofreading. We examine the final copy of the manuscript one last time before publishing it.
If we come across anything that can be improved during the editing process, we will include comments and ask for your approval prior to publishing the book.
Does the author have any say on the cover design?
We work closely with you to design the best cover for your story and genre. We present you with some options, and there's some back-and-forth until we design the best cover design for the first edition of your book. We also release new editions with new covers from time to time. However, the final decision is always ours.
In what formats do you publish your books?
Hardcover, Paperback, Large Print, Ebook, and Kindle. Not every book is available in every format.
Do you offer any advances?
5310 Publishing does not offer any advances.
How does 5310 Publishing profit?
We only profit if your book sells. We get a cut from the profits. Being a royalty-based publisher definitely keeps us motivated to sell our books! We will never send you a bill. We cover all costs of editing, design, sales, promoting, marketing, production, and distribution.
What is the minimum book order requirement? Do I have to buy copies of my book to publish with 5310 Publishing?
No, you don't need to buy your own book (or anyone else's books) to publish with us.
We are against those scammy practices. You should avoid any publisher or agent that requires you to buy copies of your book to publish with them.
Where do you distribute your books? In what countries?
Aside from our major retail partners in person and online (Waterstones, Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Blackwell's, Thrift Books, etc.), 5310 Publishing works with over 40,000 bookstores and smaller retailers through our distributors, mainly in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and a hundred more countries around the world.
We also distribute our ebooks to several online retailers, including Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, Nook, Amazon Kindle, etc.
Who is your distributor?
INGRAM is our distributor and wholesaler worldwide.
The following partners carry our books:
- Ingram: wholesaler and distributor in Canada, United States, and Europe.
- Gardners: a wholesaler in the UK.
- BPS: a wholesaler and distributor in Australia and New Zealand.
- UmLivro: distributes our translated books in Brazil.
Do you publish authors from other countries?
Yes, we accept submissions from around the world.
What books have you recently published?
Do I have to pay for marketing?
No, you do not have to pay for marketing.
Can I keep my audiobook rights?
5310 Publishing will try to sell/license your audio rights to other publishers and producers. If you wish to keep your audio rights to either self-publish the audiobook or query with audio producers, simply ask us to remove this clause from your contract—100% negotiable.
How many people work at 5310 Publishing?
We are currently two people: Eric Williams is a publisher, designer, publicist, and the owner of 5310 Publishing. Alex Williams is a creative director and editor at 5310 Publishing.
Can I contact your authors to ask them questions?
Our authors would really prefer if you didn't contact them without asking us first and until you have an offer from one of our editors. Read our testimonials page instead.
How do I know if 5310 Publishing will be a good fit for me?
We are home to original and talented voices who want to cause a positive impact. We help writers who want to help others. If you are committed to helping the world and your local community as much as we are, then join us! We'd love to give you a platform to help you with your mission!
I'm an older author, can I publish with you?
Yes, we don't care about your age, as long as you are over 18.
Do I need an agent to publish my book with 5310 Publishing?
No, you don't need a literary agent to publish your book. Click here to learn more about how you can publish your book with us and to upload your manuscript.
I have an agent, can I publish my book with 5310 Publishing?
Absolutely! Please ask your agent to email us. Click here for more details about how your agent can contact us.
What is it that "hooks" you typically? Is it a feeling? Connecting with the character(s)? The premise or the world the story takes place in? Or is it an organic "all of the above"?
All of the above. Relatable and believable characters and a good plot are more important, not too much the world for me (except fantasy). If the first few chapters are slow, then I need a very good hook at the start OR an excellent synopsis/blurb so I know what is about to happen.
I received an ARC, what’s the best time to post a review to make a difference?
If you received an advance review copy from us, please post a review as early as possible. Preferrably on Goodreads and your social media accounts.
Do you read all of your submissions? When do you know you want to read more?
I read all of the first chapters and query letters that come to my desk—that's the least I can do. Some people don’t know how to write query letters, so I make sure to read the first few chapters and the synopsis.
But if the synopsis, blurb, or first chapter don’t hook me, then it’s a pass.
How does a writer know they are done editing their manuscript and ready to query?
(advice) Please only query after your manuscript is 100% done, edited, and polished. Once you start writing your next book and know you achieved your best, that's when you should start querying.
I'm a novice when it comes to pitching to an agent or publisher. Where do I begin?
Search how to prepare a query package (manuscript, query letter, synopsis, author bio, etc), then start querying agents and the big 5 imprints that accept unagented submissions. After a few months, start querying smaller traditional publishers, such as 5310 Publishing. Good luck!
Can I use a pseudonym instead of my legal name? (pen name)
Yes, of course! Just make sure to let us know your pen name is not your legal name before you sign the contract.
What is your opinion of the 2nd person POV (point of view)?
For fiction? Hate it. From our research, most readers don’t like it either. Nonfiction? Fine.
I heard that publishers will automatically reject a query if the manuscript is over an expected word count. Is that true? Any leeway when it comes to word count?
I can't speak for other publishers/agents, but I'd never reject a book just because of the word count. Our current guidelines say "up to 140,000 words," but if you came in with a book with 160,000 words, we wouldn't reject you just because of that, it wouldn't be fair. You should write as much as your story needs.
Include this in your query letter: "I know I'm over the word count, but here's why you should ignore the count and still publish my book......" —good luck!
If I wrote a series, do I mention it in the query that there are other books, or do I leave it out? Does it turn off agents/publishers when they see there are more books?
It is better for you if you are honest.
If it's a standalone with series potential, then say that.
If it's the first in a series, then say that.
But never leave it out, as it is misleading.
I see a lot of writers mention "querying," what is it?
Querying is sending your finished manuscript with a letter (called query letter) asking a publisher to publish your book or asking a literary agent to represent you and your book(s).
Will male-oriented stories make a comeback? My story has a diversity of male characters, but has no real female lead.
Nothing wrong with an all-male cast, BUT make sure that you are balancing that equation with other types of representation, such as LGBT, BIPOC, Disabilities, etc.
What genre of fictional literature seems to be paying authors best in 2022 / 2023?
Romance and Fantasy.
Would a creatively different query letter catch your attention in a positive way?
No. I prefer if it’s a standard letter that follows our guidelines because it can be very distracting and could take it away from the story.
My stories have strong female characters, is this a plus or minus in your opinion?
Strong female characters are always a plus!
Do you have a preference for series or stand alone novels?
No preference.
Do you read any of the sample pages? Or do you usually just read the cover letter and only read the pages if the letter grabs you?
Just reading the query letter is not fair because a lot of writers don’t know how to write query letters. I read all my submission forms and at least the first few pages of every manuscript.
I wrote a series. Book 1 is already published (self-published or with another publisher), can I publish with you?
Sorry, we don't publish books that are part of a series without having the right to the entire series.
Why don't you want COVID-related stories?
Our readers read books to escape reality. We are over this whole pandemic thing, as we have been living in one for the past 2 1/2 years... It would be nice to get a book where people can go out, have a drink, eat, go on dates, etc, without worrying about a virus, masks, lockdowns, etc... We won't be interested in COVID stories until at least two years after all of this is done.
Does it matter if I have 40,000 followers or only 400? Will having a low follower count on social media affect my chances of getting published?
Not at all. We only care about your manuscript. If you have a good story that hooks us within the first few chapters, that's all we care about.
As a publisher, what is your opinion on writer's lifts / follow for follow?
Lifts are the worst thing one could do to any account! It's a pain to grow an account with that kind of engagement because none of the people following you actually care about you; they are just a bunch of ghost followers who only care about their count. When you engage with writer's lifts, your account gets stuck with that engagement group and never find readers.
Why do you ask for my social media accounts when I'm querying my manuscript?
We ask for your social media accounts when you query because it helps us plan the marketing campaign. We look at it only after we have already decided that we want your manuscript. The number of followers is not important, as long as you're nice and approachable, you're fine. It's more of a project planner thing.
Does language (AKA swearing) deter you from accepting a book to publish?
If it’s excessive and unnecessary, yes.
How important are comp titles in a query? (comparables)
Comparables help us understand what kind of readers would be interested in reading your book. We don't want you to find something that is exactly the same story. A comparable is a book we can say "Hey, readers of X, if you liked X, then you should read Y."
What genres do you publish?
What is BIPOC? What does BIPOC stand for?
BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
Pronounced “bye-pock,” this is a term specific intended to center the experiences of Black and Indigenous groups and demonstrate solidarity between communities of color.
What do the numbers "5310" mean?
5310 is pronounced "five-three-ten."
The number five (5) is about achieving freedom. It represents a restless spirit in constant search of the truth surrounding us. The number 5 represents people who are intelligent, curious, and with great artistic ability. 5 is a symbol of freedom, independence, change, adaptation, movement, the search for new experiences, and the traveling and adventurous spirit.
The number three (3) represents genuine expression and sensitivity to the world. It represents connecting with your deepest emotions. 3 is the number of creativity, expressiveness, sociability, joy, cheer, and optimism.
The number ten (10) symbolizes spirituality. "Panta rei" refers to the idea that everything flows and changes. It is a message from the angels: Don't fear change. Change is good. It illustrates how everything around us is changing. Therefore, 10 is a symbol of change and continuous energy.
You can also further break the 10 down to 1 and 0:
The number one (1) represents creativity, independence, originality, self-reliance, and confidence in the world. It reflects power, creative strength, quick mind, drive, and ambition.
Finally, the zero (0). Everything begins at the zero point, and at the zero point everything ends. We often do not know the end, but we know the beginning: zero. It is a symbol of eternity, and it represents a continuous line with no beginning or end.
What happened with Notebooks For Life™?
This was our approach to a better life on Earth! Notebooks For Life™ were custom-made blank-lined notebooks, each with a beautifully designed cover, perfect for anyone who wants to write notes, journals, or draws.
The For Life™ brand was created in response to the COVID pandemic. It was a limited-edition project with more than 200 designs. 50% of all our profits were donated to the World Food Programme (through ShareTheMeal) to fight hunger.
This one-year project ended up lasting 18 months! We are very proud of it. We donated more than a thousand meals!
My question wasn't answered. How can I contact you?
Please email any questions you might have to faq@5310publishing.com or @5310publishing on Twitter and we will get back to you. Thank you.
© Copyright 5310 Publishing - All Rights Reserved.