Novel/Novella Submissions
We’re always interested in finding amazing new novels to publish. At the present time, we’re CLOSED for submissions of original novels or novellas.
The guidelines below will apply when we resume accepting queries.
Though we don’t limit ourselves on the basis of genre and you’re free to pitch us anything you think might be our cup of tea, we’re particularly interested in horror, dark fantasy, crime, thriller, science fiction, and other related genres and subgenres.
Successful pitches will offer something we haven’t seen a million times before and will often have some kind of intellectual element. Cross-genre works (such as horror westerns or science fiction mysteries) are always welcome. Experimental formats will be a tough sell.
At this time, we do not accept unsolicited full-length manuscripts, but gladly welcome unsolicited (including un-agented) pitches or queries. To submit, please send us an email to editor@polymathpress.com with a brief description of yourself and your background and publication history (if any—first-time authors are always welcome here) as well an approximately one-page description of your book. Be sure to let us know whether the manuscript is finished or, if not, when it will be (tip: we strongly prefer queries regarding completed manuscripts). Also be sure to tell us how long the manuscript is. Please include all of this in the body of your email. Attachments will be deleted unread.
Format your subject line as follows: “POLYMATH PRESS – Novel query – [title and your name]”
In the alternative, if you (like us) still appreciate doing things the old-fashioned way, you’re welcome to send the same via postal mail to
Polymath Press
P.O. Box 461870
Aurora, CO 80046-1870
If you choose to inquire via mail, please either include your email address or a SASE for a response.
Reprints: Feel free to inquire, but these will be a tough sell. Your odds will improve if you have an established following and/or the book in question has been out of print for at least several years.
Series: We welcome you to pitch us a new series (be sure to tell us how many books you expect to write in the series). New volumes in a series whose first volumes have already been published elsewhere will be an almost impossible sell unless we’re bringing the entire series back into print.
Multiple submissions: Feel free to submit under multiple categories simultaneously (for example, you might submit a query regarding a novel as well as a short story to one of our anthologies). Submit only one book query at a time unless invited to send more.
Simultaneous submissions: Okay. While we would love to be the only publisher to review your book, we understand that’s not always feasible. Just be sure to let us know if it’s under consideration elsewhere and be sure to tell us promptly if you sell it to someone else.
Follow-up inquiries: Response times vary depending on the volume of submissions we receive. Please feel free to inquire if you haven’t heard from us within one month of your pitch or query.