OPEN TO SUBMISSIONS

Deadset Press are happy to announce that during September, we will be accepting submissions of speculative fiction novellas, with a goal to publish up to four over the next eighteen months.

Submissions are open to authors from Australia and New Zealand, and we encourage everyone – especially LGBTIQ, neurodiverse, and BIPOC authors – to send through their stories. As a publisher, we want to provide opportunities to voices that have been ignored or underrepresented, and celebrate the diversity of the Australian and New Zealand speculative fiction community. If you identify as a LGBTI, BIPOC or disabled / ND author, please mention this in your email. We would prefer to publish stories which feature Indigenous characters or address LGBTI themes, for example, by authors whose stories they are to tell.

The novellas must be speculative in nature, as per this definition:

“Speculative fiction is an umbrella genre encompassing narrative fiction with supernatural or futuristic elements. This includes, but not limited to, science fiction, fantasy, superhero fiction, science fantasy, horror, utopian and dystopian fiction, supernatural fiction as well as combinations thereof.”

Payment: Each successful author will receive a payment of $200 upon publication, plus 50% royalties of ebook sales and 40% royalties of paperbacks.

Word limit: Between 30,000 and 40,000 words.

Stories must be written by Australian or Kiwi authors.

Submissions will close at 11:59PM on Sunday the 2nd of October 2022.

Please only submit if your novella is completed and you’ve polished it up to a standard that you’re satisfied with.

Stories must be in .doc/docx format, double spaced and in 12 point font, in an easy-to-read font like Arial or Times New Roman. Please use double quotation marks for dialogue.

Email a synopsis along with your completed manuscript with title and ‘NOVELLA’ in the subject line to deadsetpressenquiries@gmail.com. If you require clarification on what a synopsis is, or how to write one, there is an excellent article here.

Simultaneous submissions are allowed, just notify us immediately if your story is accepted elsewhere.

Allow three months for a response.