Flame Tree Fiction Submissions Policy

We are happy to receive submissions for our fiction publications, including our Flame Tree Press imprint & a range of our short story anthologies.

The Flame Tree Press imprint is the author-led, trade imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. The Press list focuses on speculative fiction. For further details see below.

We publish many short story anthologies, in a range of series which include: Gothic Fantasy, Beyond & Within, Myths, Gods & Immortals, Romantic Fantasy, and more. Find out which submissions are open here.

We do not take submissions for our illustrated non-fiction book publishing list. Occasionally we accept ideas from illustrators or licensors for our calendar programme, our journals/notebooks and jigsaw puzzles. If you think your artwork is suitable for our calendars, journals or book covers, please send your portfolio link to Art Submission.

For our full range of publications please take a look at flametreepublishing.com. We are a global publisher and sell through all major wholesalers, retailers, and online outlets. We sell foreign language co-editions and translation rights to publishers in many countries around the world, including France, Germany, China and Brazil, and attend all major book fairs including Frankfurt, Beijing, London and the American Booksellers Association.

1. Flame Tree Press

We are a trade-publishing house (that is, we publish books for general readers which are made available through all channels in the book trade). We are generally interested in science fiction, fantasy, horror and suspense, supernatural.

We are looking for novels in the range of 70,000 to 120,000 words.

Please note that our preference is for completely new novels, previously unpublished in any form; however, generally we do not accept books previously self-published because the book will be available already, and the essential publicity value is therefore greatly reduced.

2. General Submission Guidelines

It is an advantage, but not essential, to show that you have published work in magazines, websites or other online publications which are relevant to your area of interest or expertise.

It is not necessary to use a literary agent.

Please email your work to submissions@flametreepublishing.com, and include:

A synopsis of no more than 3 paragraphs.

The word count.

The whole manuscript, in .doc, .docx or .rtf formats.

Please include your name and email address on the manuscript itself.

A writer’s CV with a summary of previous publications/awards, recognition for your work by institutions or other parties.

To avoid any conflict of interest, please tell us if you have also sent your manuscript elsewhere.

Response times: We will acknowledge receipt within four working weeks. We hope to make a judgement about publication within two months, depending on the season and number of titles submitted overall. Our editorial board tries to make regular contact with our community of writers, even if the publication of an individual manuscript has not been agreed. We try to be positive and encourage writers as much as possible, especially new authors.

Generally speaking, we expect to publish simultaneous hardcover, paperback and ebook editions to the trade market, online and retail stores, and library markets. We cannot guarantee levels of sales but will work hard to promote and advocate for the books we publish.

We use industry-standard royalty contracts, with a reasonable view on electronic rights. We do not pay generous advances but expect to work with the author to market their work effectively.

3. Anthologies & Short Story Collections

We accept short stories for anthologies which are announced on our website, our blog, via our newsletter, and through our social media channels (@FlameTreePress). Submission details also appear on such sites as Duotrope, Horror Tree and on our Substack.

We open submissions regularly throughout the year, looking for work to feature in a range of our print titles. These are professional, paid opportunities (at SFWA rates) for writers worldwide, whether new or established. Our anthologies are printed in beautiful, foiled hardbacks & distributed globally.

You can sign up to our newsletter where we offer advance notice on all submission windows so you never miss a thing! See the Flame Tree blog for all guidelines and details.

3. Flame Tree Fiction Newsletter

As a subscriber to the Flame Tree Fiction mailing list, you not only receive advance notice on all submission windows, but also a monthly newsletter which includes two flash fiction stories ranging from Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy.

Each month we announce a new theme for writers to submit flash fiction. The two chosen will be digitally distributed in the newsletter at the beginning of the month and shared on our website. Read all previous newsletters here: https://www.flametreepress.com/category/newsletter-categories/all-newsletters/

You will also receive offers on our fiction titles, from the Flame Tree Press novels to the Gothic Fantasy collections, as well as news on our Myth & Fiction Podcast, mentorship events, and more opportunities.

Sign up here and become a member of the Flame Tree community!

4. Contact

Our full contact details can be found on our website (flametreepublishing.com). If you’d like to keep up to date with our news and special offers, please use the sign-up forms online.

Please send queries and manuscripts to submissions@flametreepublishing.com.