FAQs
Why publish anonymous authors?
Because biography increasingly determines how books are read.
Today readers are often given a narrative about the author — their background, identity, credentials, platform — before they encounter the writing itself. Those signals shape interpretation before the first sentence.
Velum removes that layer so the work can stand on its own.
Is anonymity a gimmick?
Anonymous publication has a long history in literature. Pride and Prejudice first appeared “By a Lady.” The Brontë sisters initially published under pseudonyms. Mark Twain wrote under a name that concealed Samuel Clemens. James Weldon Johnson released The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man anonymously in 1912. More recently, Elena Ferrante has chosen to remain unknown.
Writers have used anonymity for many reasons, like privacy, protection, artistic freedom, or simply to let the work arrive without the weight of the author’s identity attached to it.
Velum isn’t interested in mystery for its own sake. We exist to return attention to the writing itself.
How do submissions work?
Manuscripts are submitted through our website.
Submissions should include only the work itself — no biographies, publication histories, or platform information.
Each manuscript is first read anonymously by the Velum Reading Circle, a small group of trusted readers who encounter the work behind the same veil as everyone else. They read without knowing the author’s identity, background, or credentials.
Manuscripts that stay with the Circle move forward to editorial discussion and a final decision.
Could anonymity hurt a book’s chances?
It takes more to market and sell a book published by an anonymous author, but Velum invests in finding alternative paths for our books, through reviewers, booksellers, and readers who find the work because of what it is.
What if I work in an industry where publishing my book could cause problems?
Maybe you’re a professional whose career, institution, or personal circumstance makes public authorship complicated: academics writing outside their field, people in legal or medical professions, writers whose subject matter intersects with their work or family life. Velum was built with exactly this in mind. Your name is never attached to your submission, your identity is never disclosed without your consent, and that decision remains yours indefinitely.
How is my identity protected during the submission and contracting process?
Your manuscript is submitted with no identifying information — title only, no name or bio — and is read by the Velum Reading Circle anonymously. If your work is accepted, we'll request legal identification privately, for contracting and payment only. That information is held by editorial leadership, shared with no one else, and never affects your public anonymity. The veil holds at every stage of the process.