Queen of Swords Press – Currently Closed to Submissions
Novels: we are now CLOSED for SUBMISSIONS. Please subscribe to our newsletter for updates. We’re evaluating how we handle submissions and will update when we have a process in place.
- Query with novel synopsis and first three chapters in standard manuscript format.
- Full manuscripts only upon request. Seriously. We’ll tell you if we want to see the whole thing.
Query for Minis – CLOSED – see above. Our Mini series includes linked short stories, set in the same fantastical world, with characters that appear in all the stories, or novella length manuscripts, of around 40k words. See The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper and Unfinished Business for examples. To query for these, please submit a synopsis and the first 3500-5000 words of the story. Reading period is the same as noted above. Full manuscript only upon request.
Submissions: CLOSED for now.
Things to be aware of: We are a very small press and cannot pay advances at this time. No, this is not currently open to discussion. We pay quarterly royalties for print and ebook sales and we distribute wide. Sample contract available upon request.
Things we would like to read:
- LGBTQ+ and/or POC and/or older female and/or nonbinary/genderqueer protagonists having swashbuckling adventures in fantastical or science fictional settings with historical elements. We like swords and think people who use them well are cool and more coordinated than we generally are and would be delighted to read some fantasy involving swordspersons.
- Mannerpunk/comedy of manners fantasy or science fiction (bonus points if they are set somewhere other than Europe).
- Historical fantasies or science fiction with historical elements (bonus points if not set in fantastical Europe).
- Gothic ghost stories.
- Mysteries with science fictional or fantastical elements.
- Weird westerns and/or steampunk (bonus points if not set in Victorian England) and/or dieselpunk and/or punk we haven’t heard of before.
- Hopepunk, climate fiction, solarpunk – we like our science fiction with an optimistic outlook.
Things that are not a great fit for us at this time:
Romances without fantastical content. Pure romances are going to be a hard sell, even with fantastical content. Also not interested in YA, Middle Grade, children’s books, literary fiction, nonfiction, mysteries without fantastical content, grimdark fantasies about “blokes in cloaks,” hard science fiction, erotica, poetry and probably other things that we will think of later.
Things we never want to read again/or ever:
- Absolutely no AI-assisted writing.
Rape, sexualized violence and/or abuse as character motivation. - Tragic queers who exist only to motivate straight characters, red-shirted characters of color, female characters who exist to be props and/or hero motivation, egregious stereotypes.
- Graphic horror/serial killers.
If you have a question about whether or not we might want to see your synopsis when we do reopen, feel free to ask. Do not self-reject. Authors of color, queer authors and international authors encouraged to submit!