GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Appalachian authors – this is a wide area both geographically and by definition. “Most broadly, it refers to the entire mountain range with its surrounding hills and the dissected plateau region,” (ala Wikipedia) and we agree. Furthermore, if you were born and raised in Appalachia or currently call Appalachia home, then you qualify to submit to Mountain Gap Books. This does not mean, however, that your story needs to be set in Appalachia. Actually, we’re looking for diverse stories from Appalachian authors, not just stories set in Appalachia. We don’t care who you are, your history, if you’ve published or not, your faith, whether you’re a POC or not, if you’re LGBT+, alien, a mountain spirit, or what have you— if you were born or currently reside in Appalachia, you can submit as long your work fits our guidelines.

We’re specifically looking for submissions in the following areas:

• Adult Fiction to include general, Suspense, Thriller, Humor, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Crime, Thriller, Action, Romance, Women’s, and Realistic genres (no Dystopian novels, please)

• YA and New Adult fiction to include general, Suspense, Thriller, Humor, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Crime, Thriller, Action, Romance, Women’s, and Realistic genres (no Dystopian novels, please)

• Children’s fiction/ nonfiction – must include both interior illustrations and text (see expectations under submission guidelines)

• You may query about adult nonfiction, but unless it’s something new and different, chances are we won’t accept. (exception – special calls)

As a publisher, we celebrate diversity in all its forms and encourage diverse submissions from across Appalachia.

Our response time is 60-90 days unless otherwise noted. After that, feel free to inquire at publisher @mountaingapbooks. com

WHAT WE’RE NOT LOOKING FOR/ ACCEPTING

1. Romance, horror, or erotica.

2. Poetry unless a special call has been issued, no reprints unless all rights have reverted to the original author and no children’s stories unless the artwork is included (see below for details)

3. Stories where the female characters, be they major or minor, are relegated to barkeeps and bedroom ornaments. Appalachian women are strong and proud. Mountain Gap Books is a woman-run company. You do the math.

4. Common media Appalachian Stereotypes. If we wanted this we’d watch The Beverly Hillbillies or Deliverance.

5. The basic no-nos of a stable society to include gratuitous violence, child abuse, rape for titillation, dubious sex, sexism…

6. Faith-based stories. We are not a faith-based publisher and, as such, do not accept faith-based submissions of any sort. We do recognize, however, that faith has long played a part in Appalachian life and are will accept stories with faith interwoven into the storyline. The story, however, must not rely on faith/religion as its main plotline.

7. Novellas, novelettes, memoir, biography, or autobiography submissions. If and when we’re ready for such submissions, we’ll post a call.

8. Short stories are accepted by anthology call only. (see top of page)

OTHER INFORMATION

Simultaneous submissions are accepted as long as you notify us that you’re doing so. But we also expect you to let us know if you’ve been accepted elsewhere. Thanks.

Reprints: We consider reprints that are completely and totally out of all publication and are back in full control of the original author.

Our contract is generous. 10% of net print sales (if produced in print). 35% of net ebook sales (if produced in ebook format), and a three-year exclusive first rights contract with nonexclusive thereafter if requested. Also, while we’d certainly like to see your next work if you’ve published with us, you will be under no obligation to send it our direction.

Other: Professional artwork, formatting, editing, proofreading, and ad design at publisher cost. Worldwide distribution via major online outlets while under contract. Ads sent to you for use at your discretion. Initial author copies upon release and discounted copies of your work while under contract.

COOL! HOW DO I SUBMIT?

1. Our submissions address is publisher @ mountaingapbooks . com (remove spaces for full address)

2. Format your email subject line to read Submission Story Title Author Name (Example: Submission My Appalachian Story Jane Doe) Please follow this so your submission can be separated from the others and reach the appropriate editor

3. Your cover letter should be in the body of the email and should include the following: Your ties to Appalachia, your publication history (if any), and a brief, one-two paragraph overview of your submission (this is often called a blurb). Remember to include your contact information and any required attachments as detailed below. And by all means, proofread your cover letter!

4. Please read the manuscript formatting requirements below before you submit.

MANUSCRIPT FORMATTING

Adult, YA, and New Adult fiction submission files should be formatted as follows:

• Lucinda Bright size 14 font (our submissions editor is low vision) with no changes in font throughout the manuscript

• Double-spaced, black text (set in the word processor, not done manually)

• There should be a page break at the end of each chapter and after the title page

• 1-inch margins all around.

• Five space indents at the beginning of each paragraph with a hard return at the end of each paragraph (do not use tab indents)

• one space between each sentence

• scene breaks inside chapters should be marked by a *** centered on the line that separates each scene

• On the title page of the submission, the author’s name and contact information including full name, pen name (if applicable), contact information including email address and word count should appear in the top left corner in that order.

• The manuscript should include the Author’s last name, the title of the manuscript, and the page number in the header – all set to the right

• No images should be included with an Adult, YA, or New Adult fiction submission

Children’s Book Formatting:

(note: one book will require a cover letter and two separate files for proper submission)

• The text should be in one file following the adult, YA, and New Adult fiction guidelines. No images should be included in this file. This should be submitted in DOCX or RTF format.

• A copy of the book’s proposed interior layout including illustrations, in PDF format should be submitted (please note: we do not provide illustrators so you must provide an illustrator or a designer who knows how to properly work with images including copyrighted images. All image submissions will be carefully scrutinized for their source and availability). We will work with you concerning cover design if you are accepted for publication.

• Do not include image attachments with your email submission. They will be asked for if the book is accepted for publication. When asked for the images should be in PNG format, though we might be able to work with JPG images as well. All images must be at least 300 DPI.

Questions about your submission? Ask us at publisher @ mountain gapbooks.com!

Thank you for your interest in Mountain Gap Books.