Damnation Books LLC Submissions Guidelines
Last updated: 09-06-09
We are currently closed for short story submissions due to high volume. If you already have something submitted please allow additional time for us to respond. We are still accepting submissions for novel and novela length works.
Who we are:
Damnation Books specializes in dark writing: horror, dark fantasy, thrillers, science fiction and erotica (in dark settings). We officially launch the company in September 2009 with twenty-five titles. After the initial opening, we will release twelve new titles every three months. This means our submissions are ongoing and not for specific time periods. All our books are available in ebook and digital formats. Novels and novellas also are released as trade paperbacks.
We accept unsolicited submissions. Multiple submissions are fine so long as you keep us informed of the book’s status and let us know immediately should it be sold elsewhere. Turnaround time is currently expected at four to six weeks. Please don’t inquire until that length of time has passed.
Word lengths:
- Short stories 5,000 to 10,000 words
- Novellas 10,001 to 60,000
- Novels 60,001 to 120,000
Our pay rate for short stories is three cents per word with a max length of 10,000 words. Novellas and novel length works are royalty based at 40% net. We are unable to pay advances at this time. We ask for worldwide electronic, worldwide digital and North American print rights for a five year period from the date of release. There will NEVER be any fees charged to authors for being published by us. Reprints are fine so long as the work is out of print in any format anywhere and you have full rights returned to you. Yes, we will ask for proof if we offer you a contract. A release letter or email will do at that time.
Our preferred method of payment is through PayPal. We pay quarterly.
Ebooks will be sold via our website and a number of ebook vendors in multiple formats.
What we want:
As our name implies, we like dark stories across all the genres we offer. If someone’s ever told you a story is too dark, we’d love to see it.
Horror:
Any story with horrific elements. Zombies, lycanthropes, vampires, mummies, demons, psychological. situational and dark comedy stories are welcome. Please no pedophilia. Gore, sex and violence should be important to the story, not just filler. Nothing is too extreme though we reserve judgment based upon whether the readership for a particular story is large enough to support sales.
Dark Fantasy:
Ancient themes, other worldly elements, magic (for good or ill), mythology, gothic themes. Any culture or unique worlds are good. No rainbows and unicorns here. If you have those things, elves, sprites or other fairy folk, we’re only interested if we’re seeing the dark sides to their nature. Although pinning them up against a tree will be perfectly fine.
Thrillers:
Action-packed, fast-paced stories. Serial murders, investigative, mysteries, stalkers, cults, espionage and spy stories work well.
Science Fiction:
Any science fiction story, though we lean to the dark side. Speculative fiction and surreal works, alternative perspectives, humorous too.
Erotica:
Erotica in the realms of horror, dark fantasy, science fiction and paranormals. We do NOT want pornography or snuff stories. Don’t send us those. We want believable, sexy characters who find loving in unusual circumstances or unique settings.
Paranormals:
First off: no paranormal romance. There’s plenty of publishers for that. Characters can be romantic or have romantic moments but not as the focus of the story. Think Poltergeist not Twilight. Creatures with mind powers, ghosts, mind control and extra-sensory perception. Characters with ‘sight’ or mental abilities are welcome. So are other-worldly stories, possession and religious experience (so long as it isn’t preachy).
What we don’t want:
No pedophilia, rape for titillation purposes, incest, racial intolerance. These can certainly be in a character’s background or as a story catalyst but we don’t want stories centering around those crimes. If in doubt, send it and we’ll let you know.
For writers:
Submission formats required:
- Times New Roman 12 pt Font
- 1.5 line spacing
- One inch margins all around
- Four asterisks **** between scene breaks. Center them on a separate line.
- Page break before every new chapter
- MS Word or Rich Text
- Be sure the manuscript title and your name are at the top of each page.
We provide
- Editorial services
- Cover art
- ISBN number
- All authors receive a pdf of their book prior to publication.
Email your submission to: Submissions@damnationbooks.com
Put the word Submission, the title name and author name in the subject line. If you skip this step, we cannot guarantee we’ll see your work.
Attach the manuscript as a word or rtf file. For short stories, please include the entire manuscript. For novellas and novels, send us the first two chapters and the last chapter only.
In the email body, type your cover letter, which should include the following:
- Name
- Pseudonym if you want one for this work.
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Snail mail address
- Webpage address
- Story word count and genre
- A short synopsis of the story
- A marketing plan for your book
- Bio and credits, if you have any.
We are adamant about authors being proactive in their book promotion. We will promote your books from our end but remember, we are representing many authors. No one can sell your book the way you can. Together we can be successful.
For artists:
For cover art used with short stories, we pay a flat $25.00. For novellas and novels, we pay a flat $50.00 . We ask for all image rights for a five year period. If the author renews their contract with us after five years, we will offer you a new contract for our paying rate at that time.
To submit, send us an email at Submissions@damnationbooks.com Please put the word Artist Submission and your name in the subject line.
In the email body, include:
- Your name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Snail mail address
- Website address
- Bio and credits, if you have any
You can include sample work as an attachment to the email or better yet, provide us to a link where we can see your art. The artist will received a pdf copy of the book we use their cover art for.
These guidelines are subject to change without notice.
Damnation Books LLC
PO Box 3931
Santa Rosa, CA 95402-9998
www.damnationbooks.com
