We are always happy to review new work. We handle full-length fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. (Not poetry or short stories, sorry.)
But... we receive huge numbers of speculative submissions. You need to make it easy for us to deal with what you send us. Creative presentation may seem like a good idea, but anything that distracts us from the words will often undermine your case.
Please do:
- send a covering letter with your contact details
- send a synopsis showing the structure of the completed work
- send the first three chapters, pages numbered, double-spaced, single-sided on A4 paper, typed
- send a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want to have your material back
Please note that we cannot accept responsibility for anything you send us. We will deal with it as it comes to hand. There's no system for logging or tracking unsolicited paper, other than to pile it up and read it as time becomes available.
Material will be returned only if sent with an adequately stamped and sized self-addressed envelope.
If return postage is not provided your material will be confidentially shredded.
We can alternatively accept electronic submissions: please ensure that you send the above only as a Word or PDF attachment that does not exceed 2Mb.
Don't put the work in the body of your e-mail. It makes it difficult to handle, and so will be automatically rejected.
Please don’t:
- send enquiry or query letters without a sample of the actual work
- send to multiple members of staff: Philip Patterson is the proper contact for all book enquiries
- send advertisements, qualifications, testimonials, or marketing ideas
- send handwritten or illegible submissions (if you cannot be read, you cannot be accepted)
- send elaborate bindings, folders, packaging or Royal Mail Special Delivery coupons
- send 'receipt confirmation' postcards
- deliver your submission personally
People do do all of those things, but they don't help you. Only the words matter. We will certainly tell you if we like them.
