GENERAL SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
About Linden Bay:
Linden Bay Romance is a publishing company offering romance and cross-genre romance books in electronic formats and trade paperback. We are a royalty paying publisher with no fees paid by authors, and are included on the Romance Writers of America's list of non-Vanity, non-Subsidy publishers. Extensive editing and proofreading services are provided on each accepted manuscript. We also offer professional cover art, an ISBN number, distribution to sales and review sites, and support on author involvement in promotion. We typically pay royalties of 37% of gross proceeds on every e-book sale and 25% of net proceeds on every print sale. Authors will receive a formal contract upon acceptance.
What are we looking for in a manuscript?
We are currently accepting submissions of previously unpublished works ranging from 40,000 - 65,000 words in the following sub-genres:
Non-traditional relationships (multiple partner, older female/younger male, etc.)
Gay romance, all sub-genres
Anthologies of 3 themed short stories for our Trilogy Collection
Contemporaries: sensual, edgy (light bondage, etc) with heroes involved in action/adventure careers (police, firemen, spies, cowboys, race car drivers, etc)
Science Fiction/Urban Fantasy, particularly shapeshifters
Cross-genre Historicals: highly sensual; of particular interest if set during unusual time periods and/or unusual places, i.e. Medieval, Regency, Westerns, Civil War
We publish strictly romance. We do not publish dramas or comedies whose main focus is not on the relationship of the main characters. A
series in any of the above sub-genres is of particular interest. All works should remain lighter in tone; extremely dark plotlines are not encouraged.
As a US company, we require US spelling and grammatical standards for all novels. The Chicago Manual of Style is the punctuation and grammar standard that is used by our editing staff.
Novels should focus on the developing relationship between the central adult characters as they discover their attraction to each other. Passion is paramount, and stories that contain a high level of unresolved sexual tension are given particular attention. Sex scenes can range from mildly erotic to very erotic, and can be as graphic as the story and the author's style deem appropriate.
Please note: Sex between consenting adults only. We do not accept any submissions containing sex with minors (under 18 years).
We are most interested in fast-paced, escapist stories and require that all have an HEA (happily ever after) or HFN (happy for now) ending. Whether a light contemporary with comedic elements or a serious historical filled with drama, all manuscripts should conclude on a positive note. The hero(es) should be admirable enough for the reader to fall in love with as the story unfolds, but flawed enough to feel authentic. The heroine should be a woman the reader can relate to as she struggles with her own inner conflicts and, like the hero(es), learns to overcome her personal challenges.
The Submissions Process:
As an internet based publisher, all our submissions are handled electronically, so please do not send a hard copy submission as it will not be processed. An initial submission email query should be sent to: submissions@lindenbayromance.com with the subject line: NEW SUBMISSION
The following should be included in the body of the e-mail.
1. A paragraph giving an overview of your writing background with a list of any previous published works including dates of publication and publisher. Please give basic personal details: full legal name, pseudonym, home address, and telephone.
2. An outline of the promotional efforts you intend to make for this book.
3. A synopsis of sufficient length to explain the story. Should be a minimum of 2 pages and include how the story ends. Please indicate word count within the synopsis, and the heat level you would rate the book based on the LBR heat scale found on the bottom of our home page.
4. The first three chapters. If this novel is one you would rate a 3 or higher, please be sure to also include the first scene in the book where the hero and heroine are physically intimate, and indicate where this occurs in the storyline (starts at 16,758 or 51,500 words -or- page 43 of 186 pages).
The submissions process normally takes 6-8 weeks, but can vary based on current volume. You will receive an acknowledgment of receipt within one business day. If we feel the story will fit well with our catalogue, you will be contacted and asked to send the entire manuscript for review. In this case, please review our formatting requirements and prepare your manuscript accordingly. They are outlined in our Manuscript Preparation Guide. The guide also offers tips on what our editors look for when prepping a manuscript.
Thank you for considering Linden Bay for publication of your work. We look forward to hearing from you!
Barbara Perfetti
Chief Publisher and Managing Editor
Linden Bay Romance, LLC
Please do not send an attachment of any kind;
unsolicited attachments will be deleted unopened.
