Soi Books is interested in projects rooted in visual culture — books that document scenes, explore process, or bring overlooked histories, artefacts, and communities into focus. We tend to work with artists, photographers, writers, and researchers whose material is visually strong, editorially clear, and grounded in real access.

We are particularly interested in:

• scene-led projects documenting subcultures, communities, and visual movements

• process-driven work exploring how things are made, from sketchbooks to finished work

• culturally significant figures, objects, or institutions with a strong visual or archival dimension

• visual storytelling rooted in lived experience, research, or first-hand access

The proposals that tend to resonate most are those with a clear concept, compelling material, and a strong sense of why the project needs to exist as a book.

Please include:

• a short overview of the project

• 10–20 sample images or relevant visual material

• a note on your access to the subject, archive, or contributors

• any existing text, structure, or editorial thinking

• your location and contact details

You do not need to send a fully resolved proposal, but it should be clear what the project is, why it matters, and why you are the right person to make it.

We keep our list deliberately small and work quite closely on the projects we choose to develop. Most books take time to shape properly, so this is not the right route for projects that need an immediate turnaround or are tied to urgent deadlines.

At the moment, we are less likely to take on:

• purely text-led projects

• straightforward monographs without a strong editorial angle

• proposals without clear visual material, access, or a defined point of view

Because of the volume of submissions, we are only able to reply to projects that feel like a strong fit for Soi. If you have not heard from us within four weeks, please assume that the project is not one we are able to pursue at this stage.