We were hoping to keep our novella submission call open until we’d managed to fill up our entire 2024-25, but due to an recent large influx of submissions we need to close for now in order to catch up. Hoping to reopen again later in the year. Apologies to anyone who was planning to submit something, and thank you for understanding!
We are NOW CLOSED to general submissions. Below are our submission guidelines for reference. We hope to re-open later in 2024.
We are looking for previously unpublished novellas (20,000 – 40,000 words – firm limit) aimed at an adult audience. Please ensure your work is complete and as polished as possible before you submit. Unfortunately we cannot consider pitches for unfinished manuscripts.
UPDATE 15th April: All submissions prior to 31st March have now been responded to. If you haven’t heard from us, please check your junk mail first, then query us at info@ghostorchidpress.com.
Payment: Modest advance against royalties, 50% of net royalties thereafter on both e-books and physical books.
SUBMIT HERE (currently closed)
What We’re Looking For:
We’re looking primarily for dark fiction including horror, gothic, and dark fantasy. We love genre mixing, works that stray from the well-trodden path, or that offer a fresh perspective on existing tropes. BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors are especially encouraged to submit.
If you want to get a sense of our tastes, here’s a few authors we’ve recently read and enjoyed: Julia Armfield, Roshani Chokshi, Eliza Clark, Mariana Enriquez, Alexis Henderson, Andrew Michael Hurley, Ai Jiang, Stephen Graham Jones, Natsuo Kirino, Kirsty Logan, Scott J. Moses, Iain Reid, Morgan Talty.
Check out our books to get a feel for what we publish, and if you’re in any doubt whether your story might be a fit for us—send it anyway!
What We’re NOT Looking For:
— YA or childrens’ fiction
— Apologies, but we’re not currently looking for novels (over 40,000 words) or short story collections
We operate a firm no-AI policy and will not consider work produced by AI / machine-generation. For our part, we pledge not to use AI in any part of our submission or publication process, including book covers.
How to Submit:
CLICK HERE (currently closed to submissions) to use our form to submit a brief pitch (1-2 paragraphs) and first chapter. We aim to respond to submissions within 90 days of receipt.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Just let us know if you need to withdraw your submission for any reason. No multiple submissions, please.
Rights and Contract:
We ask for exclusive first publishing and electronic rights for a set period following publication. Thereafter, all rights revert to the author, although the contract can be extended if both parties are happy to do so. All copyright remains with the author.
Authors will also receive 5 paperback copies of their book free of charge and the option to purchase further copies at a discounted price.
Exact details of the contract will be negotiated with individual authors, but we are happy to send you a copy of our sample contract upon request.
Please consider carefully whether indie publishing is right for you. We work closely with our authors to invest in your book, however our marketing budget is small and we’re primarily a one-person operation, with all the limitations that go along with that. Always be sure to thoroughly research any press you consider signing with. And please feel free to ask us questions! You can get in touch at info@ghostorchidpress.com.