What are publishers looking for?

How to read and format your submissions

How to Submit to a PUBLISHERThe #1 Rule is READ ALL of the publishers guidelines.Many Publishers will do the digital version of trash can filing if you do notMany will not even OPEN your submission

Books to Go Now Submission Guidelines

We are actively acquiring works (from short stories to full novel length) from both aspiring and established authors. Before submitting a query or proposal, please read the guidelines below.

We accept only a small number of the thousands of submissions we receive. Why? Because we are looking for the best. Anyone can write a book, but not everyone can write a great book. Have you written a great book or story? We would love to see your work.

If you would like to inquire about what we accept please send us a note to: Inquiry@BooksToGoNow.com If you have a submission please send it to: Submissions@BooksToGoNow.com

Current CallsCurrent CallsWe are currently reading all genres of fiction, but we are actively acquiring works from  8,000 - 80,000 in all romance at all heat levels and all relationships (f/m , m/m, etc.).  8,000-12,000 words in other listed genres. If you have a story you love, we would love to see it.  Here at BTGN we are particularly interested in stories with strong romantic elements.  We love romances and readers do too!  Give us a story that hasn’t been told, that has a fresh voice, a strong character/romantic arc, and that can keep us wanting to turn the page.  HEA/HFN is required.Accepted GenresRomance:ContemporaryHistoricalParanormalBDSM/ and m/mEroticaScience Fiction & FantasyHorrorMystery & Suspense

GuidelinesSpecific GuidelinesLength8,000 to 80,000 words. Full length manuscripts in romance only. If your story exceeds the length requirement, we are willing to read your work if you have a strong query.Anthologies/group projectsOccasionally we at BTGN like to gather some of our best-selling short stories and put them into an anthology after they are a stand-alone publication.

When submittingPlease submit exactly and only the following:A Query Letter with: Your name and contact e-mail. The name of the manuscript you are submitting and the name of the series it is a part of, if any. The completion status and expected length of your manuscript. The genre, the premise, and the degree of sensuality present in your manuscript.A short but complete Synopsis focusing on the characters' goals and motivations, the major story events, climax and ending.

Formatting your Submission

A Partial which includes the first Three Chapters of your manuscript. A short prologue should not be counted. In the case of works less than 15.000 words please send complete manuscript.Formatting Your SubmissionPlease follow these simple formatting guidelines precisely. DOC files only. Submissions in other formats will not be accepted. Double-spaced. Standard 12 pt serif font. Times New Roman or Courier preferred. Formatted to US standards such as indented paragraphs etc. Emphasis and foreign words may be underlined or italicized. Place the Query Letter only in the body of the e-mail; you may address it to the Editor-in-Chief, Jennifer Conner. Attach the Synopsis and Partial to the e-mail Include your name, pen-name and contact e-mail in the Query Letter, Synopsis and Partial.

What to do next?

Send the submissions package to submissions@bookstogonow.com. You will receive a response with 4-6 weeks of submission.   If you have not heard from us in three weeks please feel free to send an email inquiring as to the status of your submission.

Other Publishers Guidelines

Harlequin

So you want to publish with Harlequin series? Fantastic! We're always looking for creative, talented, prolific authors.First: check out the Harlequin Writing Guidelines and identify the series that your novel best fits. The only lines accepting manuscripts are the series lines and Harlequin Kimani. For our single title imprintsincluding MIRA, HQN, TEEN and Non-fiction-�we work only with agented authors.Second: check our Electronic Manuscript Guidelines Briefly, have your manuscript saved as .txt, .rtf, .doc or .docx, and following the naming convention of LastName_SeriesInitials_Manuscript Title. For series initials, see below. Please have page 1 be the introduction, 2-4 should serve as the synopsis, and opening text can begin on page 5 (approximately).Third: Please log in or sign up to our Community through the easy process. We need to know who you are and how to contact you!Fourth: If you have had encouragement from a specific editor or have information you think would be useful beyond your cover letter, please include it in the comments box. These submissions are first received by the editorial assistants for the line and then divided up to their teams. If there is important information, do let us know!Go On To Next Step: Upload Your Story

We prefer initial queries, but will look at unsolicited partial or complete manuscripts.All material should be the author's own original, previously unpublished work. Stories that contain scenes or plotlines that bear a striking resemblance to previously published work are in breach of copyright law and are not acceptable.Our editors use Microsoft Word. For electronic submissions, we will accept text files in .txt, .rtf, .doc or .docxPlease name the file with the following convention: LastName_SeriesInitials_Title or Murphy_HD_Billionaire’s Baby.Please have your name and title in the upper left-hand header of each page, and page number on the right.Your cover memo (Page 1 of file) must have your complete name, email, address and phone number, as well as any pertinent information about the project. We need to know the line the manuscript is intended for, the word count and status (complete/partial/query), any publishing history, writing awards and a one paragraph synopsis of the material. This is standard query letter material—check our Guidelines and Community for samples if you need them.Following this should be a synopsis—preferably between 500-1000 words, giving an overview of your story—including the ending!

Unfortunately, with the exception of Avon romance, HarperCollins does not accept unsolicited submissions or query letters. Please refer to your local bookstore, the library, or a book entitled LITERARY MARKETPLACE on how to find the appropriate agent for you. 

If the Guidelines say “does not Accept unsolicited submissions”

that means they will not open or look at your manuscript Unless you have a literary agent

Thank you for your interest in Artisan Books. Before submitting a proposal, please review this site to learn more about our current list and the type of books we typically publish. When submitting a proposal, please keep in mind that it may take up to three months for editors to review it. Outlined below are suggested materials to include in your proposal; the more information you can give us to understand your project, the better. Please send only copies of your material, not originals. Please note that we do not accept proposals on disks or via e-mail or fax.A proposal may include:* A cover letter giving a short description of the project and what materials are included in the package.* A proposal, which includes an outline, introduction, art list, and sample text/chapters.* Sample illustrations or photographs (duplicates, not originals).* A market analysis of the potential readership for your book, including a comparison to similar books.* Author biography and credentials.* A self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return of materials.

What are Vanity Presses?

A vanity press or vanity publisher is a term describing a publishing house in which authors pay to have their books published.

Simon & Schuster has launched a new portal designed to take advantage of the self-publishing phenomenon that produced this year’s publishing story of the year (50 Shades of Grey and related sequels, by EL James) by providing authors tools to edit, design and market their work, while reassuring them that this doesn’t mean that they’re, you know, actually being published by Simon & Schuster.The new offshoot is called Archway and is actually a partnership between Simon & Schuster and Author Solutions, a self-publishing company purchased by Penguin parent company Pearson earlier this year. It describes itself as offering “a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience” by making available “the highest quality design, formatting, editorial, and marketing services provided by a team of specialists” using guidelines provided by Simon & Schuster. The publisher has also provided “certain unique self-publishing services [and] packages tailored to meet specific author objectives” as well as guidance in the development of the program.

Of course, such services don’t come cheap. Archway is offering four specific “packages” targeted at different types of books – Fiction, Non-Fiction, Business and Children’s – with each of those packages being available in multiple formats with increasing prices dependent on the services being offered. Basic packages (or “Foundation” packages, as they’re called by Archway) start at $1,999, with authors receiving paperback and digital copies of their work in addition to copy reviews, ISBN and Library of Congress number registration and distribution to booksellers, but authors could opt for more expensive packages like the “Visibility” package ($5,999, and offering “author reception at Book Expo America”) or the top-of-the-range “Connection” package ($14,999), which includes social media promotion and book trailer video.Archway’s FAQs are very clear that it is neither an imprint of Simon & Schuster, nor does it mean that you would be published via Simon & Schuster. That doesn’t mean that there’s no value for the publisher in setting up the line in the first place, however; Simon & Schuster is described by Archway as “keep[ing] an eye out for titles that perform well in the marketplace,” noting that “Simon & Schuster is always on the lookout for fresh, new voices and they recognize a wealth of talent in Archway authors.” Translation: If you sign up for our services, you’ll become much more visible for a real publisher like Simon & Schuster. Whether that’ll be enough to convince newcomers to spend thousands of dollars, however, remains to be seen.

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