FROM MONDAY, 23 MARCH, WE WILL CLOSE SUBMISSIONS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. WE WILL CONSIDER SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED TO DATE IN THE USUAL WAY AND CONTINUE TO WORK ON FORTHCOMING RELEASES. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING AT THIS TIME AND HOPE TO REOPEN SUBMISSIONS IN SUMMER. SOCIAL MEDIA REMAINS ACTIVE. THANK YOU. STAY SAFE!
Submission Guidelines
We publish:
- Action and Adventure
- Children’s fiction (minimum word count 35K, no illustrations)
- Comedy
- Cosy mystery
- Crime
- Domestic drama
- Fantasy/Grimdark
- Horror
- Mystery
- New adult (NA)
- Paranormal (including paranormal romance)
- Satire
- Science fiction
- Thrillers (including murder mystery, psychological, spy)
- Women’s fiction (chick lit, romance, family sagas)
- Young adult (YA)
We do not publish:
- Erotica
- Non-fiction
- Poetry
- Scripts and screenplays
- Short stories (does not include competitions we run)
What we look for
We only accept finished manuscripts between 35,000-100,000 words but won’t quibble if a shorter or longer work catches our attention. (This does not apply to competition entries and compilations.)
Page-turning fiction guarantees a smile. With this in mind, we welcome bold writers – scribblers who deliver a knockout elevator pitch, tantalising hooks throughout a manuscript and a host of memorable places and characters. We love captivating writing that holds our attention. Of course, every story is different. What snares one reader may not grab another. Do we like diversity? Yes!
Do the legwork
Bringing your manuscript and supporting documents together is vital. Please, do your research. There are countless online articles to assist.
What we need from you
Before submitting, check your manuscript. Your work won’t relish squatting on the slush pile. Try reading the story aloud. Have a friend read it. Invite constructive criticism. An elevator pitch and a well-written synopsis should accompany your manuscript.
Your submission should look professional. The manuscript and related documents will receive attention if you’ve made an effort. Before emailing, check spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and consistency.
Following submission
We deal with a high volume of submissions, consider each one and publish 6-10 per year. On receipt of your submission, we send a confirmation email and aim to be in touch within eight to twelve weeks (depending on workload). We do not provide individual appraisals.
If you are successful
If your manuscript is acceptable, we email to confirm the next stage. If you are happy to proceed, we issue a Publishing Agreement.
We aspire to assist our authors. Working together, we will bring your manuscript to publishing standard. Our complimentary benefits will help shape a promotion and marketing plan. As well as our input, you should be proactive. Though not guaranteed, this could equate to more sales. In today’s crowded market, maximising your book’s potential is crucial. Success requires hard work, persistence, and dedication.
Are you ready?
We only accept electronic submissions – please, attach all documents to your introductory email. After all your hard work, don’t make the mistake of ignoring the guidelines. We will automatically reject any submission that doesn’t comply. Use the format stated below and send to submissions@whisperpublishing.co.uk (FAO ‘Submissions Team’) with the following:
- A query letter
- The first three chapters/25 pages of your manuscript (Times or Arial font, 12pt, justified, 1.5 or double spacing) in Microsoft Word format (.doc, .docx) Please, include a word count. (WE DO NOT ACCEPT PDF FILES.)
- An elevator pitch (25 words or fewer)
- A one-page synopsis (Times or Arial font, 12pt, justified, 1.5 or double spacing)
- A short biography. Include details of what inspires you to write and your writing history (include works published/competition wins etc)