Submission Guidelines

Do you have a completed manuscript or short story, novelette or novella in the science fiction, fantasy or dark fiction genres? If you have work that you feel may fit our very open and wide criteria – then we’d love to hear from you.

If you’re not sure if your work would suit us, then please do read our submission guidelines carefully, or have a look at our published books. And before you submit, find some FAQs below.

 

Please send us:

1. A covering letter with a brief overview of the story and a little about yourself. We don’t need a fluffed up sales pitch or a letter crafted using the thesaurus. But, if you’ve had an endorsement from an author you admire – tell us (Auntie Susan who once penned a short story on her trip to the supermarket doesn’t count!) and if there is something unique, or special about your work that resonates with you – tell us why. We’re interested in those life stories and events that helped craft your work. Within that letter, please include a 1-2 page synopsis of your work.

2. Ensure the work has been checked for typos and grammar mistakes. Don’t fret! The odd misplaced comma won’t put us off! But do try and ensure the work is the very best you can make it before submitting. Once happy – please save your submission with the title of the work, your name and then date of submission* (ensuring you use a clean font such as Times New Roman or Arial, minimum of 11pt and 1.5 spaced). ODT, Word or RTF preferred.

*Example: The Hobbit_JRRTolkien_01.01.12   (we can dream, right?)

3. When ready, send your submission to us via our submission manager (link just below).

Submit to Grimbold Books [currently closed to submissions]

We will respond as soon as possible, and we do aim to respond within 2 months.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to get my manuscript professionally edited before I send it to you?

Not necessarily; we do have in-house editing if we accept a manuscript. However, we do think you should have at least proofread and ideally got someone else to have read your work – we want the work to be the very best you can make it before submitting!

I’m confused. What about royalties? What’s the payment?

Royalties will be discussed with the author individually, but in the interests of transparency we offer 50% on ebooks and 10% RRP on paperback, which we feel is competitive in today’s market. We don’t offer payment per word, but, of course, everything is negotiable…

What format do you publish in?

Grimbold Books is committed to publishing high quality work, and all titles will be available in both electronic and paperback formats.

My book is Young Adult / LBGTQA / diverse!

Here at Grimbold we try not to pigeon hole works as being ‘adult’ or ‘young adult’ – so all will be considered. We are committed to bringing diverse and inclusive works to the market. LBGTQA, disabilities and people/characters of colour warmly welcomed and encouraged.

Do you take previously published or self-published work?

Yes, we do, but we’d appreciate it if you told us when you submit to us. You must also own the rights to the work (so check with your previous publisher or in your contract if you’re not sure about this).

I have a question…

We’re always happy to answer questions! You can find us on Facebook or Twitter, or email us at admin [at] grimboldbooks.com