Open Submissions
We accept Open Submissions twice per year during the months of January and August, from the 1st to the 31st.
We do accept Multiple and Simultaneous Submissions with some conditions.
Complete details of the Whats, Hows, and Wheres are on the Open Submission Guidelines page.
Note: all correspondence will come from DarkAgePress.com.
Agented Submissions
We accept Agented Submissions year-round. Contact Publisher@DarkAgePress.com to start that process.
How Our Process Works
What we are looking for
We are looking for well written novels that grab and hold the attention of the reader. Your manuscript should be a finished work, which includes being well edited and crafted. Stories do not have to be unique, but they should be gripping cannot-put-it-down stories.
Science fiction and fantasy novels need to be unified tales that have character development, solid plot structure, dynamic interplay, no deus ex machina, proper world building, a believable magic system, and believable science and technology. Science fiction novels can be either hard science or soft science. Fantasy novels should have well rounded races that are believable and understandable. The typical races are fine as well as new ones.
Literary fiction is a category all its own. There should be symbolism as well as social analysis in the novel. Social issues can be current or historical, although we are not looking for a history lesson. Literary fiction must offer language precision and composition structure that moves beyond mere words. The unfolding of a compact language synthesizing ideas and concepts driven by underlying theory constitutes the essence of sound literary fiction.
What we are not looking for
We are not looking for picture books, children’s books, or works focused on themes for Young Adult (YA), religious, horror, or erotica.
Author Responsibilities
Your manuscript should be complete and edited before submitting.
Authors are responsible for properly following the submission procedure. This is detailed on the Open Submission Guidelines page. All authors wishing to submit should read these guidelines. Many rejections occur by not following these guidelines.
Authors not following the procedures will not be considered. Authors must also be able to accept phone calls from Dark Age Press staff as well as receive emails and respond in a timely manner.
What Dark Age Press Does
Upon receiving a submission, the Director of Submissions begins the process of reading and selecting the best works. This process takes a long time. He may contact the author for additional chapters. The author and the Director of Submissions will work out the details should this occur.
When a work is deemed sufficient, the Director of Submissions sends it over to our editing department for full evaluation. It is at this time that the full manuscript is requested. Editors review the complete manuscript, making edits and notes along the way. The Editors then forward all novels that still show promise to the Publisher. The Publisher reviews all of the novels and makes the final decision, contacting the Author at this point to initiate discussions regarding publication. The Author will be given an Editing Contract for editing services by Dark Age Press and a Publishing Agreement. The Author may sign one or both. If the Author only signs the Editing Contract, then the remunration for editing services stipulated in the contract will be paid before providing the edits. Signing the Publishing Agreement negates any remunration services under the Editing Contract, the edits are sent to the Author, and the Publisher and Editing Staff begin working with the Author to craft the final version. After this concludes and everyone is satisfied, then begins the process of publishing the book. Dark Age Press encourages Author input for the cover art, but the ultimate decision for its design resides with Dark Age Press. Filing for Copyright is the final step before the actual printing begins.