As of October 2024, we are open for submissions.
To learn more about submitting a manuscript, please scroll down.
Submitting a novel to us is easy, but there are a few things you need to know.
​
We're a publisher of fiction. We don't publish memoirs, biographies, textbooks, etc.
​
We'll consider novels in most fiction genres and cross-genre books that don't fit neatly in a pigeonhole. What we don't publish: erotica, young adult, middle grade, cartoons, children's books, or screenplays.
​
If we choose to publish your book, it's because we believe in it and are willing to invest in its success. You will never be charged any fees by us. However, you must be prepared to invest time and energy to promote yourself and your book. The days of handing a book over to a publisher and then kicking back to collect royalty checks are gone with the wind, as the saying goes.
​
We are more likely to be interested in your book if it's well-edited and proofread. We highly encourage you to get beta readers or join a beta reading group, so that you receive plenty of feedback and are able to send us the best possible version of your work.
​
A book has to be marketable for us to take it on. This generally means a word count in the 70,000-110,000 range, and either a clearly defined genre or a target reader whom you can describe in convincing detail.
​
We respond to every query that follows our submission guidelines. It typically takes us 6-8 weeks to reply.
We don’t require submissions to be exclusive to us. After sending us a manuscript, please let us know if you decide to go with another publisher.
​
Please review our submission requirements carefully below. We can only respond to submissions that comply with them.
Submission Guidelines for Novels:
Send us a one-page query letter within the body of an email (not as an attachment) to submissions@LakeEerieBooks.com.
​
-
Put the following in the subject line of your email: "Query", the name of the book in CAPS, and your name.
-
Be sure to include the following in the body of the email: a log line if you have one (the one sentence "sales pitch"), the wordcount, your intended genre or target reader, and a brief description of the story.
-
We like books with strong themes - in other words, fiction with a deeper meaning, not just a sequence of plot points. For instance, if you have a fantasy novel that's ultimately about learning to face your fears, we want to know that!
-
If you have any previous publications (self-published or otherwise), a social media following/presence, or other things you want us to know, do mention them in the query letter.
​
Attach the following documents to your email as Word or .pdf files:
​
-
The first few chapters, up to 35 pages.
-
A synopsis (1,000 words or less) that lays out the whole plot, including any spoilers.
​
Please don't send us the whole manuscript at this point. We won't respond to queries that exceed the 35 page limit.
​
The fine print: You must be the original author and rights-holder of anything you send us. We do not accept submissions of works written by others or by AI software. The book cannot have been previously published, including self-published. If there are any potential issues with ownership or rights (for instance, photos, illustrations, lyrics, etc.), you must let us know in your query letter.
We look forward to hearing from you!
