Queerteen Press publishes YA titles appealing to queer teens as well as their parents, teachers, and librarians. Books are available in electronic and print formats. A handful of titles are already available through QT Press, with several more scheduled for release in the early part of 2012.
We accept short stories, collections, and novel-length books in all genres of queer, literary, and genre fiction suitable for a young adult audience. This means books whose main characters are between the ages of 12 and 21.
SUBMISSION POLICY:
- Electronic unsolicited submissions are accepted at any time.
- We do not accept multiple or simultaneous submissions.
- Submissions should include a QUERY LETTER, full SYNOPSIS, and 2,000 word EXCERPT in RTF format.
- Submissions are acknowledged within 2 business days.
- If we like your submission, we will request a copy of the full manuscript for review. Manuscripts must be in electronic format only. The review time is between 1-3 weeks.
Contract Terms:
Authors earn 50% net royalties on all sales (e-book and paperback) from all distributors. Contracts are for a period of 2 years and auto-renew annually. We require exclusive electronic and print rights, but can negotiate if the story has been published in an anthology or collection.
FULL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Queerteen Press is the young adult imprint of JMS Books LLC, a small press specializing in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender fiction as well as general fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. We electronically publish stories of all lengths, with any story over 30k also qualifying for print publication.
We do not pay advances. Authors earn 50% of the net proceeds on all electronic and print sales from our website and our distributors. Royalties are paid by check on a quarterly basis no later than 60 days after the end of the quarter.
PUBLISHING WITH US:
Our contracts are for exclusive electronic and print rights. We DO NOT ACCEPT previously published or self-published work, or novel chapters as stand-alone stories.
Single stories are available electronically. Any book over 30,000 words will also be available in print. Short stories and novellas under the 30k limit can be compiled into single-author print anthologies. Print books are published and distributed through CreateSpace.
All books, both electronic and print, will be assigned an ISBN. A cover image will be created for all books at no cost to the author. Before you submit a story to us, make sure it is well-written, free of errors, and checked for grammar. Submissions with extensive problems, including those of plot and character, will not be accepted. An editor will be assigned to work with you.
WHAT WE ACCEPT:
Queerteen Press accepts all genres of queer, literary, and genre fiction suitable for a young adult audience. This means books whose main characters are between the ages of 12 and 21. Stories from new authors must be at least 30,000 words and no longer than 100,000 words in length.
While we publish YA romance and understand sexual exploration is a part of growing up, we cannot accept any books with explicit sexual content for our Queerteen Press line. If you wish to submit an erotic story containing adult characters (over 18 years of age), please visit our parent site at JMS Books LLC for our submission guidelines.
We are looking for fresh, new voices in the following fiction YA genres:
- CONTEMPORARY - stories set in modern day without any fantastical or paranormal elements
- FANTASY - all subgenres, including urban fantasy, high fantasy, epics, magic, superhero, mythology, fairy tales, legends, etc.
- HISTORICAL - stories set in any era before Stonewall
- HORROR - stories intended to scare, unsettle, or horrify (no vampires, werewolves, or shifters)
- HUMOR – stories in any subgenre with humorous elements which are the driving focus of the plot
- INTERRACIAL - stories with characters of different races in a relationship
- MILITARY/WAR – stories in any subgenre with military characters or set during wartime
- PARANORMAL - stories in any subgenre featuring paranormal activity (but no vampires!)
- SCIENCE FICTION - all subgenres, including futuristic, space opera, time travel, alternate reality / history, utopia or dystopia, etc.
- WESTERN - stories set in any era featuring cowboys, ranch or rural life, or outlaws
While it isn't imperative that your story contain gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender characters, please realize our target audience is queer teens as well as parents, teachers, and librarians of such. If your YA book doesn't contain queer content, publishing with us may not allow it to reach the widest audience possible.
WHAT WE DON'T ACCEPT:
We publish what we like to read. We do not accept stories which portray GLBT characters or their sexuality negatively. We also do not publish any stories containing explicit sexual relationships, either between underage characters or between adults and children. At this point in time, we are not looking for poetry or non-fiction submissions for our YA line.
SUBMISSION POLICY:
Electronic unsolicited submissions are accepted at any time. We do not accept multiple submissions (more than one story submitted by the same author at the same time) or simultaneous submissions (the same story being sent to several publishers at the same time). Please read the following instructions in their entirety.
Submissions should only include three things: QUERY LETTER, SYNOPSIS, and EXCERPT. The Query Letter must be in the body of your submission e-mail. The Synopsis and Excerpt must be sent as attachments in RTF format.
The QUERY LETTER must contain the following information:
- Your legal name and pen name, if applicable
- The title of your story (include series information, if applicable)
- Your writing credentials, if any
- Word Count
- Genre(s)
- Blurb
The SYNOPSIS must provide an overall narrative summary of your story, including major characters, all plot points, climax, and conclusion. If your story is segregated into chapters or parts, provide a brief summary of each in the synopsis. DO NOT rehash the blurb and expect that to suffice. The ending of the story MUST be disclosed in the synopsis, along with any plot or character twists. Please limit your synopsis to two double-spaced pages.
The EXCERPT must be the first 2,000 words OR the first two chapters of your manuscript, whichever is longer. Do not choose an excerpt from the middle or end of the story.
FORMATTING YOUR SUBMISSION:
All attachments must be in RTF format only. If you use Word, choose "Save As ..." from the FILE menu and select "Rich Text Format" from the list. Any attachments in DOC, DOCX, HTML, PDF, TXT, or any other format will be deleted unread.
- 1 inch margins all around
- Double line spacing
- 12 pt Arial font preferred
- First line of each paragraph indented (no tabs or spacing to create paragraphs)
- Scene breaks should be four asterisks with a space between each centered on its own line (* * * *)
- Title on first line, followed in parentheses by the word count of the story
- Author byline on the second line
- Add an extra line between the author name and the beginning of synopsis or excerpt
- No extra lines between paragraphs
- Use italics to indicate emphasis, thoughts, or foreign words.
- Do not use bold or underline formatting, small or all capital letters, or any special characters unless they are part of a foreign word.
Download templates for the SYNOPSIS or the EXCERPT (right-click on the links to save the files to your computer). You don't have to use these but they give you an idea of the formatting we require.
All submissions must be spell-checked and self-edited. If the story is set in the United Kingdom or Commonwealth countries, UK English is acceptable. Stories set elsewhere must use US English. Regional words, slang, and dialect are acceptable. Historical stories must be written using the grammar and language conventions of the era in which they are set. Stories must be well-written and free of grammatical errors. Do not send your first draft; send us your best.
Any submissions that are not formatted to our specifications will be deleted without a response.
TO SUBMIT YOUR STORY:
Send your submission via e-mail to submissions@jms-books.com with a subject line that reads: "YA SUBMISSION: Title of Story by Author's Name."
We respond to all submissions within 2 business days. If we like your submission, we will request a copy of the full manuscript for review. This request is NOT a guarantee of acceptance. Depending on story length, the review time is between 1-3 weeks. Once we have read the complete story, we may choose to extend the offer of a contract for publication. All contracts are sent and signed electronically and remain in effect for a period of 2 years. A sample contract is available upon request.
If your story is accepted for publication, you must agree to provide us with a completed W-9 or W-8BEN form, whichever applies.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For inquiries: submissions@jms-books.com
For submissions: submissions@jms-books.com
Website: http://www.queerteen-press.com
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