St. Mary’s County Library is pleased to have the published works of many local authors in our collection. In response to the large number of requests we receive from authors who want to see their materials in our collection, we apply the same criteria to the selection of local, self-published authors, as what is used in the selection of all other materials in our collection. This policy was developed to guide local authors in their efforts to have their works selected for the Library’s collection.

For the purpose of this policy, Local Authors are defined as residents of St. Mary’s County, Maryland. Books set in the St. Mary’s County area may also be included.

Included in this document are information about the following:

• Procedures to follow in submitting your work for consideration
• Information on what you can expect the Library to do in support of your writing endeavors
• Author Fair
• Author Programs
• Local Author Submission Form

What we CANNOT accept:

• Text Books
• Spiral Bound Books, except Braille books
• Digital Books, unless available through our existing vendors

How to Submit Your Work
Materials must be bound and formatted in a way that enables circulation, ease of use, and durability. The Library will only accept physical books. Items must be in new condition. Complete the Local Author Submission Request form and drop off the completed form and one copy of your work at any Library location, or send to:

St. Mary’s County Library
Local Author Submission
23630 Hayden Farm Lane
Leonardtown, MD 20650

Local Authors are limited to three title submissions per calendar year.

The Library carefully evaluates all items using the detailed selection criteria in the Library’s Materials Selection Policy. The Library cannot guarantee acknowledgment of the receipt of your work, nor can we notify you of our final decision. We cannot meet with individuals to discuss their work. Works not accepted for the collection will not be returned to the author. They will be given to the Friends of the St. Mary’s County Library to include in local book sales.

If your work is chosen for inclusion in the Library’s collection, the Library is under no obligation to purchase additional copies for the collection. If the Library chooses to buy additional copies, they may not be directly purchased from you but from an intermediary source.

Some works, especially works of non-fiction, may not be considered without accompanying professional reviews. The Library relies in part on professional reviews when making selection decisions, and it is up to local authors to solicit reviews for their works. You may resubmit your work if professional reviews appear at a later time. Please be aware that reader reviews on websites such as Amazon and Goodreads will not be considered by the Library.

The St. Mary’s County Library bears no obligation for marketing an author’s work. Authors are fully responsible for promoting their work. Local Author titles added to the collection will be assessed on a routine basis and could be removed from the collection using the same guidelines that are applied to other materials in the Library’s collection.

What You Can Expect From Us

• If approved, your work will be cataloged in the Library system, making it available to customers of St. Mary’s County Library, as well as customers of Calvert Library, Charles County Public Library, and other libraries in the state and country.
• The Library may use your work in displays at the Library.
• The Library occasionally hosts a Local Author Fair. See below for more information.

Author Fair
The St. Mary’s County Library endeavors to host an Author Fair annually. This is an opportunity for authors to participate in a Q & A Panel, give a brief presentation of their published work, and sell copies of their work. The author must take responsibility for collecting all monies, and reporting sales tax, as appropriate.

Interested authors must complete an Author Fair Application. Space is limited. Authors who are traditionally published, independently published, or both are welcome, and treated equally. Please watch our website for details about the next Author Fair, and application acceptance dates and deadlines.

Author Programs
We are fortunate to have a great number of authors in our community. Though we would like to accommodate them all, we have limited time, space, and staff for programming. Requests from authors to present programs are considered by the Library’s program committee. Programs for a single author are considered only when the book has received widespread recognition or a specific subject or topic will be covered as part of a larger Library programming effort.

Local Author Submission Form
Complete the Local Author Submission Request form and drop off the completed form and one copy of your work at any Library location, or send to:

St. Mary’s County Library
Local Author Submission
23630 Hayden Farm Lane
Leonardtown, MD 20650