Unable to get a literary agent? Don't throw in the towel just yet.
Hey love!
So if you’re an aspiring author who’s done their research, you know that in order to get a book deal with a major publishing house you need the help of an elusive creature otherwise known as a...Literary agent!
The process of acquiring an agent can be pretty daunting and querying agent after agent can get hella discouraging real quick, considering it can be pretty difficult to secure one.
Don't freak out though! Because I've got something to help. In the event you’re unable to get an agent, or simply want to keep your options open, I’ve compiled a list of some notable publishers that accept unsolicited submissions. It’s always good to have a back up plan!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Swoon Reads
Imprint: Macmillan: Feiwel & Friends
Submission genres: Any genre as long as it’s YA or New Adult fiction.
Query letter?: No need for a query letter, to be considered for publication all you need is a blurb, some cover art and an awesome completed manuscript.
Submission medium: Upload your manuscript to their website.
Currently open for submissions.
Swoon reads is a crowd source publisher that involves the community in choosing which novels ultimately get published. Writers upload their manuscripts to the website and users will read, rate, and leave comments on the novel. The staff at Swoon Reads take these ratings into consideration when they choose a few novels to publish every quarter. Some novels that they choose have been on the website for a long time, and others are brand new. Securing a book deal from Swoon Reads doesn’t mean your novel has to get the most five star ratings or be on the trending list every single time. Chosen novels have had 10 ratings to 100 ratings, ultimately the most important thing is the quality of your manuscript which I really appreciate since it creates a level playing field. When I spoke to a Swoon Reads employee at Y'all West, regarding if there was a specific genre they prefered to publish, she emphasized that the genre truly doesn’t matter as long as the story is superb and it has a marketability factor.
I have personal experience with Swoon Reads, last year I uploaded the first draft of my YA fantasy novel. My novel was a #1 trending manuscript for almost a month and was even added to the reading list of a couple Swoon Reads editors. And while my manuscript wasn’t chosen the first time around, I’m so happy that I put myself out there and submitted because I was able to get some really helpful reader advice. Ultimately, I took my manuscript down to do some edits and make some changes (because if I’m being honest it needed a lot of work haha.) I highly recommend submitting to Swoon Reads because it gives you the opportunity to get some real reader feedback and the chance to get a publishing deal. Talk about killing two birds with one stone! They also have a blog that gives some great writing and publishing advice.
Submission genres: YA, Fantasy, Mystery, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction (with an emphasized interest in YA and Fantasy).
Query letter?: Yes! PageHabit requires a query letter to be included in your submission packet.
Submission medium: Email
For all submission guidelines click here
Currently open for submissions.
PageHabit was originally founded as an exclusive book subscription box company that features author-annotated new release books in a variety of popular genres including Literary Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction and more. Page Habit has been featured in notable publications such as Bustle and Oprah Magazine. While their publishing venture is relatively new, their access to worldwide distribution and multitude of resources makes Page Habit a strong contender for anyone considering a career as a novelist.
With PageHabit Publishing, each writer will receive:
A small dedicated team determined to make their book succeed.
A more personal, hands-on experience throughout the entire process from editing to design to publication to marketing.
An all-in-one resource -- Page Habit will act as agent, publisher, and retailer.
Imprint: Macmillan Tor/Forge
Submission genres: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, general fiction, horror, mystery, paranormal, suspense/thriller, and more. Children's and Young Adult.
Query letter?: No need for a query letter, but they do require a full and comprehensive synopsis.
Submission medium: Snail Mail
Currently open for submissions.
They have some pretty specific submission guidelines so be sure to click here to read them.
“Tor Books is the most successful science fiction and fantasy publisher in the world. Winner of the Locus Award for best SF publisher 20 years in a row, Tor regularly puts books like Robert Jordan’s Knife of Dreams and Terry Goodkind’s Chainfire atop national bestseller lists. Tor’s Orb imprint offers trade paperback editions of outstanding, award-winning SF and fantasy backlist titles. Additionally, the Tor Kids program includes Starscape, Tor Teen, and one of the largest classics lines in North America.
The Forge imprint publishes a wide range of fiction, including a strong line of historical novels and thrillers, plus mysteries, women’s fiction, and a variety of nonfiction titles. Tor/Forge has also become the leading modern publisher of American westerns.
Well-known authors recently published by Tor and Forge include Andrew M. Greeley, Douglas Preston, Orson Scott Card, Michael & Kathleen O’Neal Gear, Harold Robbins, Susan Kearney, Jonathan Carroll, Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Andre Norton, Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, former Secretary of Defense William B. Cohen, Susanna Clarke, Allan Folsom, Eric Lustbader, Elizabeth Haydon, Gene Wolfe, Morgan Llewelyn, David Lubar, David Weber, Christopher Pike, and Philip K. Dick.”
4. DAW
Imprint: Penguin
Submission genres: Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Temporarily closed for submissions, during their transition to a digital-only submissions proces. They will re-open for submissions in late 2018.
Even though, DAW is temporarily closed for submissions, I wanted to include them on this list because they have a long and notable tradition of publishing. "More than 30 years and more than a thousand titles later, DAW has a well-deserved reputation for discovering and publishing the hottest talents in the industry. Many stars of the science fiction and fantasy field made their debuts in the pages of a DAW book, including Patrick Rothfuss, Tad Williams, C. J. Cherryh, Mercedes Lackey, Kristen Britain, Melanie Rawn, C.S. Friedman, and Tanith Lee. "
You can follow them on twitter, @dawbooks , and subscribe to their monthly newsletter in order to be notified when their submissions re-open.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let me know in the comments below, if you thought this article was helpful! As I seek out my own path to publication, I've come across some great info and I'm excited to share what I've learned with all of you. I'll have some more posts like these in the future.
Be sure to follow my bookstagram account @januaryrabbit for more bookish content and updates. You can also follow my story account @blossom.of.ash for updates on my WIP novel.
