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Klingon Hamlet

Pyr are looking at any and all sci-fi and urban fantasy novels

Opening the Floodgates... Pyr Now Accepting Unagented Submissions

Posted by Lou Anders
If you look at our Contact Us page, you will notice a change to the Pyr Submission Guidelines. As I have been hinting at for a few months, the Very Big News is that we are now accepting unagented submissions! That's right - we are joining the ranks of those few publishers fool enough to accept unagented, unsolicited material.

Now, right off - let me say that we are only accepting them if they follow our guidelines, and we are accepting them only in certain subgenres. Before you holler: This is not to say that Pyr will only be publishing in these subgenres, only that the amount of agented submissions we already receive in other subgenres is sufficient to our current needs. (We're still publishing science fiction, don't worry!) Read into this only that we are experimenting with casting a wider net in certain areas.

So, back to the Very Big News. How is this possible, you ask? Aren't you up to your eyeballs as it is without accepting unagented submissions? Well, yes, eyeballs and then some. Which is why last week we hired an editorial assistant slash slush reader. I'm very pleased to announce that starting immediately, Rene (pronounced Renee) Sears will be the official slush reader for unagented submissions. Rene is an avid sf&f reader who has already read a sizable portion of the Pyr catalog and has a good idea of what it is I look for. So she'll be the one drowning under the flood of submissions sifting through the chaff and passing the wheat on to my desk. Note that this is a new experiment, and if it doesn't produce the expected results, our guidelines could change again in future. And note, also and again, that you must follow our guidelines. Unsolicted submissions sent to my Facebook, Twitter and Personal Webpage are going to go on being ignored! (I have to have some kind of life, after all.)

So, without further ado, I'm hereby declaring the floodgates open.

Pyr® publishes only science fiction and fantasy novels. We are not currently looking for short story collections, anthologies, novellas or nonfiction. We prefer novels in the 100,000 to 130,000 word range. For science fiction, we do not consider material under 85,000 words in length. For fantasy, we do not consider material under 95,000 words in length.


There are two required methods of submission, depending on whether or not you have agent representation:


Unagented submissions: Email submissions ONLY—and ONLY in the subgenres of epic fantasy, sword & sorcery, and contemporary/urban fantasy. No horror, science fiction, or slipstream. Only full manuscripts accepted—no partials or outlines. Please send an email which includes your name, address, telephone number, and a one to three paragraph synopsis of your work, along with the manuscript attached as a Word doc or RTF file, to RSears at prometheusbooks dot com. Note that due to the volume of submissions a detailed reply in the case of a rejection may not be possible (and is unlikely).


Agented submissions: Email submissions strongly preferred! Please query first with an email to Editorial Director, Lou Anders (Landers at prometheusbooks dot com). The email should include a one to three paragraph synopsis of the project in question in the body of the email. Please do NOT include the manuscript or sample chapters with the initial query. Our needs are specific enough, and the volume of submissions we receive high enough, that we can save everyone time in this manner. Again—only agented submissions at this address.