Cosmic Cranium Press delivers electrifying literature to audiences craving razor-sharp books. Cultural distortion is the thing—the Press honors a tradition that traces its roots from the Dadaists, the Surrealists, Situationists, Beatniks, Hippies & Punk Rockers. Specifically, we are looking for garage-punk solutions to problems most don’t know exist. The Press is also interested in smart, well-researched ideas that linger on the societal brink, as well as writing that dazzles weirdly. With these concepts in mind, Cosmic Cranium Press aims to reinvigorate reading, one book at a time.

CANADA IS NOT THE 51st STATE BOOK OF ESSAYS

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSONS of ESSAY DRAFTS HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO JUNE 18th, 2025

Attention all Canadian writers opposed to Canada becoming the 51st State! As a proud and diverse nation unafraid to stand up to Trump's continual taunting, it’s vital that we make our voices heard: CANADA will NEVER be the 51st State!

Cosmic Cranium Press is compiling a collection of papers to celebrate Canada’s unique identity through stories and essays that represent YOUR personal Canadian experience.

We’re seeking a wide range of voices to contribute: seniors, Indigenous writers, refugees who have found a home in Canada, LGBTQIA+ authors, general labourers, tradespeople, professionals, and anyone else’s voice who we may have inadvertently missed mentioning. Every CANADIAN'S voice MATTERS!

Guidelines:

1) First, send a short email to info@cosmiccraniumpress.com stating your interest in submitting a paper and include any questions you may have.

2) Tell readers why US President Donald Trump's taunts about making Canada the 51st state are a non-starter. Include a reasoned argument. Your Canadian point of view matters, as does your personal, Canadian, story. Connect them to your argument. Avoid ranting.

3) Check your facts. Find multiple reliable sources for them. This book is the opposite of the tech-bro, bot-run online cesspool where the loudest (best funded) interests too often have their lies accepted as fact.

4) If you have sources requiring citation, please do not include subscript numbers in your text, rather keep track of your sources as endnotes, citing them in Chicago style .

Please follow these writing style & formatting guidelines:

1. Your essay should be 10-15 pages (6000-8000 words approx., 1.15 spacing, 2.54 cm margins)
2. Use Canadian spellings, e.g.: "colour", "honour", "cheque", etc.
3. Essays should use 12-point, Times New Roman font.
4. Essays need to be turned in on a Word document and sent as an attachment to: submissions@cosmiccraniumpress.com
5. Use the header 'Not 51 - essay draft' when sending your email.

Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will not be considered.   

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The submission process:

Drafts need to be turned in by June 18th, 2025 to be considered. We will read the papers, make editorial comments and send them back to writers for revisions by July 1, 2025, with a goal of receiving fully revised drafts from writers by July 25, 2025. Following that date, submissions will be sent to a copy editor for final corrections. With luck, the book will be ready for sale by fall, 2025. 

Someone at Cosmic Cranium will contact you if your paper has been selected for the book. All selected writers will receive a contract and an email outlining further details of payments, etc. If your paper is not selected, we thank you for the time you took to submit an essay to us. Because of time constraints and the volume of submissions, we are not able to offer feedback on work not selected.

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Time is of the essence. Trump is not going to wait and neither are we. We are going to take a stand right now!

Happy writing - we look forward to reading your work!