Submissions
First of all: We’re all adults here. We’re here because we enjoy adult literature and art. We recognize that love and pleasure can take many forms between consenting adults. That’s why you’re here; that’s why we’re here.
We’re pretty much open to everything and anything. We’re not about pushing any particular social or political agendas. We’re here to help you get your book published. That said, we are most interested in classy erotic tales in:
- fiction
- non-fiction
- poetry
- self-help
- art
- photography
However, if you have a story that doesn’t fit into one of these categories, and believe that there’s a market for it, let’s see if it’s something that we might be able to get excited about as well.
Please refer to Acceptable Content for additional guidelines on what we do (and don’t) want to see.
Manuscript Formats
Send us your complete, finished manuscripts in digital (.DOCX, .RTF, or .ODT) format to submissions (at) zarraknightleypublishing.com. Please use a standard manuscript format. If you’re not sure what one is, here’s a good source.
Include the following in your cover letter/email:
- Title of your book
- Your real name
- Your physical mail address
- Your preferred email address
- Approximate word count
- Synopsis
Acceptable Content
We’re pretty much open to publishing everything and anything. However, there are some kinds of stories that we will not accept (listed in no particular order):
- Bestiality
- Non-consensual rape
- Killing or “snuff”
- Non-consensual torture
- Incest
- Child pornography
If you’re not sure if it’s something we would be interested in publishing, please feel free to query us at submissions (at) zarraknightleypublishing.com in advance of submitting your manuscript.
Contacting Us
Please don’t contact us about the status of your manuscript unless at least 30 days have passed since we acknowledged receiving it. If you did not receive a acknowledgement within seven business days of submitting your manuscript to us, then please feel free to contact us.
Submissions FAQ
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions that our authors ask. Please read through these before contacting us. Please.
When do you accept submissions?
How long will it be before I receive an answer?
Short answer
We acknowledge receipt of your manuscript within 3 business days and whether we’re interested in publishing your work within 30 days.
Longer answer
We usually try to acknowledge receipt of your manuscript within 3 business days. We’ll also try to let you know whether or not we’re interested in publishing your book within 30 days after that. Both of these periods may vary, though, depending on the number of manuscripts we’ve received during that time.
How long does my book have to be?
Short answer
However long it takes for you to tell your story.
Longer answer
We’re open to books pretty much of any length, but really prefer that they be at least as long as a novella. This makes pricing and managing other costs much easier. In terms of a standard, we use these guidelines for word count.
How long will it take to get my book published?
Short answer
Our goal is to have your book available for sale within two months after you deliver your final manuscript to us.
Longer answer
There a lot of moving parts to the process and, as we all know, life happens and sometimes it may take longer than two months. It’s really up to you, though. This is a partnership and you will need to fulfill your commitments to us in a timely manner as much as we need to keep ours to you.
What kind of support can I expect when my book is released?
Short answer
In addition to announcements through our regular promotional and social media channels, you will be provided with a promotional toolkit of items that you can use to help you promote and sell your book.
Longer answer
In addition to being displayed in our online catalog, your book will also be added to any promotional materials that we are developing for the next event where we will be promoting our books. We will provide you with banners that you can use on the major social media platforms, promotional business cards, and a fact sheet for your book. (All of these items are also available — at no cost to you — to use at any events at which you might arrange an appearance.) Your book will be available for sale at events where it is an appropriate fit for the expected audience. Other events and promotional opportunities will be arranged for you and your book as they become available. If you need an alternate online persona created to help you promote your books, we can help you with that too.
How much can I expect to be paid for my book?
Short answer
It depends on how many copies of it we sell.
Longer answer
We don’t pay advances and we don’t charge you anything up front. Instead, we invest our time and resources to help you successfully launch your book. The more successfully we work as a team, the more copies of your book we’re likely to sell, which means we’ll all make more money. Each contract we have with our authors is different, depending on the skills and resources that they bring to the table, so there’s not a “one size fits all” answer to this question.
What if I already self-published or with another publisher?
Short answer
As long as you own the rights, we would love to look at your manuscript.
Longer answer
Things happen in life. You might want to expand your audience, or you’re are currently working with a publisher that isn’t a good fit for you (or has gone out of business). We’re completely open to work that you’ve previously published — as long as you own the publication rights for it.
Aren’t you just some kind of “vanity press”?
Short answer
No, we are not.
Longer answer
We do not charge you to publish your book. We do not charge a reading fee. We do not charge you to use our promotional materials. We are a very small, but growing, press, so we can’t afford to pay advances on royalties up front. So, we try to compensate for this by offering our authors a higher per-sale royalty than you’re likely to get with traditional — or other smaller — publishers.