We are currently open for submissions.
What We’re Looking For
Currently, our catalogue is full through 2011 with science fiction and fantasy, so at this time we aren’t looking for either of those genres.
Presently, we are actively looking for unpublished quality manuscripts in the genres of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, horror, and steampunk only. We will consider young adult books as long as they’re in one of the genres we’re looking for.
At a minimum, books must be 30,000 words in length. At a maximum, no more than 120,000. We strongly prefer books around 60-80,000 words. Anything under 60,000 words will be released in ebook format only.
We are no longer accepting short stories.
Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, however please inform us immediately if your work is contracted elsewhere. Multiple submissions from a single author are also acceptable, though we ask that one novel is sent per email.
Please query if you wish to submit previously published work. In your query letter, please tell us the name of the publisher, when it was published, and have proof of your reversion of rights. The manuscript must not still be in print anywhere or we cannot consider it. Be upfront—don’t send in a previously published manuscript without querying first, even if you’ve rewritten it. It will be rejected. For more information, please read this post.
We only accept electronic submissions.
Submitting
At the top of your email cover letter, please include the following information:
- Your real name
- Your pen name (if applicable)
- Your manuscript title
- Genre and sub-genres
- Approximate number of words (can use MS Word's count)
- Your snail mail address, phone number, and good, RELIABLE email address
Keep cover letters simple. It’s not necessary to give us your life story. If you have some previous publishing credits, some ideas on how you’d help promote your work, or anything else that is relevant, feel free to make mention of it. Brief is best.
In the body of your email, please include the short book blurb/jacket copy (a paragraph or two about your novel designed to entice readers) and a full synopsis (a one to two page summary of your novel, written in present tense, and you must include the ending).
Attach your full manuscript to the email. Manuscript must be in RTF format.
Submissions must be sent to submissions@mundania.com Do not send them to other staff members—any submissions sent to any other address will not be read nor answered. Please make your subject line Submission: Title of Your Book.
Please don’t send us your idea for cover art. If your manuscript is contracted, we have a talented art department that will speak to you then about your cover. There must not be any other attachment with your cover letter.
We receive several hundred submissions every time we open. If a submission is sent not following our basic guidelines, it will be deleted without being read and no reply will be given. If you are unclear about something, please send an inquiry.
Manuscript Formatting Guidelines:
Manuscripts should be sent in a common font (ie. Times New Roman) with 1” margins and either double or 1.5 spacing (this is for ease of reading for our editors). Please make the first page a cover page and include your name, manuscript title, word count, and genre. Italics used for italicized text, NO bold or underlined text. Scene breaks should be **** on a single centered line, with a blank line above and below.
Mundania Press is based in the U.S. and much of our market is American. Please Americanize your spelling, formatting, and style.
Files MUST be in RTF format. Any other format cannot be used. We ask for RTF because not all of our readers can open docx, wps, etc. Any word processor can save as RTF. Please note that simply putting “RTF” in the file name does NOT make it an RTF file.
Please name the manuscript file LastNameFirstName_TitleofBook.rtf. This assists our editors with the review process.
Approximate waiting time is 90 – 120 days, although we aim for less. You are invited to send an inquiry about your submission status after that time. Please use the address inquiry@mundania.com. That address copies the relevant parties. Please do NOT send your inquiries to the submissions address or any other staff member.
For more tips, you’re strongly encouraged to visit our blog for articles on acquisitions: http://mundaniapress.blogspot.com/search/label/acquisitions%20tips
Manuscript Check List
Here are some things to consider before you submit:
- Always present your best work. Your manuscript should be as polished as you can possibly make it. Your cover email should give us the information we ask for, and nothing more.
- Is this the first draft of your novel? If so, don’t send it to us. You have one chance to make a good first impression. No one writes a perfect first draft—wait before sending, and make sure it’s as good as it can be. Rewrite and edit a few times.
- Is this your first novel? Everyone gets excited about his or her first novel. Most of the time, it’s not going to be an author’s best effort, however. Consider putting the first one aside for awhile, write some more, then come back to it later.
- Has someone other than you read your novel? If you’re a first time writer, it’s very important that you get feedback from other people experienced with writing who can be objective about your work. This doesn’t include your mom, teacher, or best friend. Look for workshops, contests that give feedback, and critique groups.
- Have you checked your book for things like head hopping (or rapid point-of-view shifts) and other problems? We’re looking for manuscripts with believable characters, interesting premises, crisp dialogue, and fast paced action. Technical skill is critical. Please also be sure to spell check your work and use proper grammar. We immediately reject work with excessive errors in the first few pages. Although we have a team of skilled editors on staff, their job is to help polish books, not correct mistakes the author should have fixed in the first place.
- Have you followed the guidelines? Re-read our guidelines before submitting. We need submissions.