Our Current Publishing Needs for February 2022
CHICAGO, February 1, 2022 — In 2022, Grey Matter Press celebrates its 10-year anniversary publishing exceptional dark psychological fiction. Established in 2012 with a focus on producing only the highest quality volumes, work from our Chicago-based independent press has been embraced by readers and lauded by critics worldwide. Our submission windows are limited and do not open that frequently, but we’re thrilled to announce a few of our publishing needs for the remainder of the year.
This submission window closes on February 20, 2022.
Seeking Fiction in the Suspense/Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Crime/Noir, Science Fiction and Transgressive Genres
In an effort to complete our publishing schedule for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024, we are currently looking for submissions of exceptional long-format fiction in the novel and novella categories that comfortably fit within the suspense/thriller, dark fantasy/grimdark (as opposed to high fantasy which we are not seeking), horror, crime/noir, science fiction (including speculative fiction) and transgressive fiction genres.
As a publisher that has established itself as a leader in the dark fiction category, we are seeking manuscripts containing themes/topics/elements generally considered disturbing but are not requesting splatterpunk and/or extreme horror. We have nothing against these genres; we just believe there are other, more viable publishers that specialize in this sphere.
Authors interested in submitting manuscripts for our recently launched Emergent Expressions Signature Series imprint are very welcome as we are looking to fill the 2023 Series Selections as early as possible this year. More information about Emergent Expressions is available here.
We are only looking for work that has not been previously published anywhere via any venue whatsoever. We are unable to accept queries for reprints of any kind.
NOVELLAS: Word count for novellas should be within the 25,000-40,000 range. Unfortunately we cannot accept novellas with word counts less than 20,000.
NOVELS: Word count for novels is a bit more flexible but should be within the 60,000-100,000 range.
We are not accepting short stories at this time.
How to Submit Your Fiction
- Write a synopsis (500 words or less) that effectively outlines your manuscript and provides us with a full grasp of your story’s plot from start to finish.
- Provide us with your publishing history (if any) that includes previous publications, recognitions or awards.
- Supply us with a PARTIAL manuscript in either .doc, .docx or .txt formats (2MB limit). Partial novella manuscripts should be approximately 25% of the total piece. Partial novel manuscripts should consist of the first 3-5 chapters.
- Inform us if the submission is currently, or is planned to be, under consideration by another publisher.
- Use the SUBMISSIONS form to send us all the above before the February 20 submission deadline.
What to Expect After Submitting Your Fiction
- We will confirm receipt of your manuscript within 5-7 days of submission. (If you do not receive a confirmation, feel free to contact us.)
- As the review process is likely to be lengthy, we will make every attempt to make a decision on your submission within 180 days (3 months).
- If your manuscript is selected for publication, under most circumstances it will be released in both paperback and electronic formats.
- Our author advance and royalty structures are determined on a case-by-case basis and are comparable to other professional small press publishers.
- All of our publications are contracted and contain clauses highly beneficial to our authors and the security of their work.
- Small press publishing is an ongoing team effort, and as a Grey Matter Press author you can rest assured that we will work with you as partners dedicated to achieving success for your work.
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ABOUT GREY MATTER PRESS
Grey Matter Press is a Chicago-based publisher whose mission it is to discover and cultivate the best voices working in the dark fiction genre. The company is committed to producing only the finest quality volumes of literary fiction containing exceptional tales of horror, fantasy, science fiction and speculative fiction. More information about Grey Matter Press is available at greymatterpress.com.
Grey Matter Press has been publishing exceptional dark psychological fiction for nearly a decade. Established in 2012 with a focus on producing only the highest quality volumes, work from our Chicago-based independent press has been embraced by readers and lauded by critics worldwide.
Our Emergent Expressions imprint is intended to give rise to authors by offering a viable, collaborative and professional publishing venue for these ascendant voices of modern fiction. It’s our goal to help advance the careers of authors by highlighting their talents and generating greater awareness for their work under the banner of Grey Matter Press.
Numerous Grey Matter Press full-length titles—as well as short fiction contributed to our anthologies and single-author collections—have been honored for their literary excellence by distinguished international professional organizations, including some of the most influential publishing thought leaders in our industry: the Bram Stoker Award and Aurealis Award juries. Our books have been recognized by—and our authors and editors featured in—an array of global entertainment media outlets that include Rue Morgue, Fangoria, Booked, This is Horror, Ink Heist and more.
Now, ten years later, we remain committed to publishing extraordinary volumes of outstanding fiction that highlight the limitless imagination of authors creating their own histories in the suspense thriller, crime noir, dark fantasy, literary fiction, modern horror, and speculative genres.
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