Fiction submissions:
(For non-fiction submissions please see the Academia Lunare page.)
We only publish Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy (and their sub-genres).
For our purposes, speculative fiction deals with elements that are nonexistent in reality, covering various themes in the context of science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternate history, utopian and dystopian fiction, and supernatural fiction, as well as combinations thereof (e.g. science fantasy).
For a little insight into how we choose our MS, you can watch this mini video on our YouTube channel: The Success of a Submission.
Please remember that rejection by us does not mean your work is not publishable - there are many factors that influence the choice of what we consider. Perseverance is the key!
Use of “AI” writing tools such as ChatGPT:
We will not consider any submissions written or developed by these tools.
Below are the Open Submission Windows scheduled for 2023:
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Open Window for Novels and Collections: 16-17-18 June 2023
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Special Open Fiction Submission: 6-7-8 October 2023
See below for exact details.
More 2023 dates may be added later.
The dates for 2024 will be posted here in November 2023.
Submissions for 2023
Novels & Collections:
SFF & Their Sub-genres
16-17-18 June 2023
Read these guidelines if you are submitting a novel:
Who: All writers, all levels welcome (unpublished, published, solo or agented).
What to submit: Novels, original and not previously published anywhere. Must be standalone and not part of a series/trilogy. If you are considering a series/trilogy, etc., then this submission is not for you.
Genre: If you are submitting to Luna, you know what type of books we publish, right? SFF only, no gardening books please! On a more serious note, we are not looking for humour, or erotica.
Audience: General Trade (No Children/YA/Teen).
When to submit: On the 16th, 17th, and 18th of June 2023 only.
Times: Submit between 12:00AM of the 16 June to 11:59PM of the 18th of June, UK time.
Email Title: Please state Novel Submission - "Your Surname" when submitting.
If you are worried about how to structure your cover letter/email, don't be! Take a look at this very short video/example on our YouTube channel on 'How to write a cover letter'. The main things is to add the info below.
What to include in the main body of the email:
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A brief author bio, with particular focus on your writing - and don't panic if it's your first submission!
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Title of the Novel.
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Genre of the Novel
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Word Count (from 50,000 and up)
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Pitch (up to 300 words or so). Watch our video 'How to write an elevator pitch' if you are unsure.
What to attach to the email:
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One Word document with the first three chapters - your best, final version only, no drafts. This is super important.
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Clear font of your choice.
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1.5 or 2 for spacing.
If we request the rest of the manuscript, you will also need to send in:
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A full synopsis of the book (No cliff hangers - this isn't a cover blurb and we need to know how the story ends).
Email to lunasubmissions [at] outlook [dot] com during the submission days only.
Submissions which ignore the guidelines will not be considered and may not receive a reply.
We always reply to acknowledge receipt of a submission, also stating when you will be hearing from us with an answer - if you haven't received an acknowledgment email within 24 hours from the submission, please get in touch.
Read these guidelines if you are submitting a collection:
Who: All writers, all levels welcome (unpublished, published, solo or agented).
What to submit: You can submit either of the following:
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fully original collection of short stories, previously unpublished
OR
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a collection for The Harvester Series. This series contains about 35-40% of original, unpublished stories, while the rest are stories which have appeared in established outlets. This series also includes a bonus material end-section - be creative!
Genre: Please take a look at the books already published in the Harvester Series.
Audience: General Trade (No Children/YA/Teen).
When to submit: On the 16th, 17th, and 18th of June 2023 only.
Times: 12:00AM of the 16 June to 11:59PM of the 18th of June, UK time.
Email Title: Please state Collection Submission - "Your Surname" when submitting.
If you are worried about how to structure your cover letter/email, don't be! Take a look at this very short video/example on our YouTube channel on 'How to write a cover letter'. The main things is to add the info below.
What to include in the main body of the email:
-
A brief author bio, with particular focus on your writing - and don't panic if it's your first submission!
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Title of the Collection
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Genre of the Collection
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Theme of the collection
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Word Count (from 50,000 to 85,000 is ideal).
What to attach to the email:
1. If you are submitting an original collection, attach one Word document containing
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4 stories - your best, final version only, no drafts. This is super important.
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A list of the titles of the remaining stories.
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Clear font of your choice.
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1.5 or 2 for spacing.
2. If you are submitting for the Harvester Series, attach one Word document containing
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4 stories, at least one of which should be original - your best, final version only, no drafts. This is super important.
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A list of the titles of the remaining stories, specifying if they are original to collection, or if not where they have appeared and when.
Email to lunasubmissions [at] outlook [dot] com during the submission days only.
Submissions which ignore the guidelines will not be considered and may not receive a reply.
We always reply to acknowledge receipt of a submission, also stating when you will be hearing from us with an answer - if you haven't received an acknowledgment email within 24 hours, please get in touch.
WE: Special Open Submission
Short Stories:
The Utopia of Us
6-7-8 October 2023
Read the blog post explaining the details about this anthology.
Who: All writers, all levels welcome (unpublished, published, solo or agented).
What to submit: An original short story, word count between 2000-6000 words written in the English language. (The word count is somewhat flexible, but anything over 6k words will be a hard sell.)
Genre: Science fiction.
Audience: General Trade (No Children/YA/Teen).
When to submit: On the 6th, 7th, and 8th of October 2023 only.
Times: Submit between 12.00 AM of the 6th October to 11.59 PM of the 8th October, UK time.
Email Title: Please state We Anthology Submission – “Your Surname" when submitting.
What to include in the main body of the email:
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A line or two introducing yourself
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The title of your short story and its word count
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A one/two line blurb of your story, and how it is inspired by the novel, We
What to attach to the email:
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One Word document with the whole story included
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Clear font of your choice
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Double line spacing and numbered pages preferably
Email to teika [at] teikamarijasmits [dot] com during the submission days only.
Submissions which ignore the guidelines will not be considered and may not receive a reply. I will acknowledge receipt of your submission and aim to make my final decisions within 3 months of the submission window closing.