Open Submissions from Hodderscape!
By Anne Perry
Posted on March 9, 2015 in News with tags Open Submissions, Writing Advice
Well hello there! And welcome!
You may have read our exciting announcement(s) this morning – not just are we relaunching the website (if you seek our [new] monument, look around you…) but we’re also going to be hosting our very first open submissions period later this year!
As per the Bookseller, ‘Hodderscape will host its first open submission period from 3rd August to 16th August this year, looking for new voices in science fiction, fantasy and horror. More details on how to submit work will be released closer to the time.’
But here’s a little bit more information about our open submissions, to tide you over until then:
Beginning 12 am on the dot, GMT, of 3 August 2015 we will be accepting open submssions for new, hitherto unpublished novels. Please expect to send us a full synopsis of two or three pages, and the first three chapters of your manuscript. We’ll be looking for exciting new voices in science fiction, fantasy and horror. Submissions will close on Sunday 16 August at 11.59 pm GMT exactly.
We will provide more details about what we’re looking for and how to submit later this year, so watch this space – and get writing!
Ahoy! Do you have any plans to publish short stories?
Hello! We don’t have any plans to publish short stories yet but if and when we do we’ll shout about it to the skies!
Regarding sending first three chapters . . . if my style is to compose really short chapters, that would not give you a sufficient sample to show you what I can do. Would not a ballpark figure of words — e.g. 5000 — in lieu of three “regular-sized” chapters not be handy?
Hello! We haven’t decided upon all the details yet, so I’m afraid I can’t officially answer this question – it’s very likely we’ll ask for the first three chapters or 50 pages, whichever comes first. Please keep an eye on Hodderscape and we’ll be updating with the official submissions guidelines closer to the submissions date.
Hi! What do you class as unpublished? Would self-published on Kindle mean a first work is excluded?
Hi! We haven’t decided upon all the details yet, so I’m afraid I can’t answer this question. Yet! Please keep an eye out; we’ll update a little closer to the open submissions date.
So, my story is a trilogy. For the synopsis, do you want it about the whole story or just the first book?
Hello! We haven’t yet decided on all the submissions guidelines, so please check back – we’ll have answers for you soon!
Have the Submission guidelines been created yet? Time is getting closer and closer. I’m so excited!
Hi, Taylor – not yet, but soon!
You guys only have a month left!! I’m ready for it!
Who would retain the rights to the submission?
Hello! Unless we buy your book, all rights to the submission remain entirely yours.
Can I submit a novel which is not Fantasy, Science fiction or Horror?
Hello! Is this open to people in the States? Thanks!
Yes!
Do the usual categories apply e.g. juvenile, youth etc. I have a juvenile fantasy novel that I’d like to send you. Also, do you accept submissions directly from South African writers (no agent)?
As we mention in the submission guidelines, we will only accept YA if it is firmly crossover. We are not a children’s publisher and, if we feel the submission reads too young, we will stop reading it and send you a turn-down. ‘Crossover’ means it can be comfortably read by both teenagers and adults, like The Hunger Games.
Do you want spoilers in the synopsis? The book I am hoping you fall in love with has a twist at the end, do you want to know what it is?
Hi,
I have been published by Swannbooks. Would it be possible to submit my manuscript to you as well during this open submission period?
Hello,
It’s okay if you have been published in the past – we’re looking for unagented authors to submit unpublished books to us. So as long as you don’t have an agent and the manuscript hasn’t been published before, that’s fine!
I have my submission about ready.
When will you be posing the final details, please?
Everything you need to know about how and when to submit is in the article linked here. http://hodderscape.co.uk/open-submissions-the-guidelines/
I have just been told about this submission to you and missed the August deadline. My book is adult dystopian fantasy so is it still possible to send my manuscript to you and if not will there be another submission date later this year?
Unfortunately we are no longer accepting submissions, but we will hold another open submissions period but probably not until next year. Keep an eye on Hodderscape for updates! We’ll announce any news there and on Twitter.