So, you are ready to submit
your manuscript. Then, we're ready to see it! But like any other publisher, we do
have certain criteria and guidelines that we have to adhere to (though, given my experience, I like to think these guidelines make more sense than many).
General Guidelines for Submission
The following general guidelines provide basic information about submitting to The Gay Publishing Company:
- A submission "piece" is defined, for these purposes, as an entire short story, an entire "flash" story, one scene from a play, or a chapter of a larger edited work—roughly 1,500 to 2,500 words or so (though no more than 5,000 words), though this definition can be stretched or negotiated in certain instances.
- If a novel is to be considered for publication, it is preferred that the entire manuscript be edited prior to the publication of installments; however, this preference can be negotiated.
- The Gay Publishing Company does not expect submissions to be in perfect condition; however, please be professional and attempt to make your piece as error free as possible. In particular, try to eliminate obvious mistakes in spelling, punctuation, and grammar before submitting. If tending to these attrbutes is just not your strong point, though, an inhouse freelance editor will work with you to save you the embarrassment of an imperfect publication.
- As stated elsewhere, pieces
- All submissions must be in English, must not violate copyright laws, and must be original and previously unpublished in a formally copyrighted way. Submissions are accepted year-round.
- By definition, literary pieces should revolve around well-written stories with solid plots, well-developed and believable settings, and fully developed, engaging characters. In general, literary topics would not include
- descriptive sexual situations between adults and "children" under the age of eighteen; though such situations may be alluded to or referenced if they are important to the story
- indepth descriptions of violent rape; again, such situations may be included when they are an integral part of a story
- details of necrophilia, or sex with a dead body
- details of bestiality, or sex with animals (this exclusion would not necessarily include activity or descriptions between fantasy characters or mystical or alien beings)
Also, in general, literary pieces would not contain unnecessary violence of any kind or derogatory, racist, or sexist language. All decisions will rest with theGayEditor and the advisory board of The Gay Publishing Company.
- No query letter, synopsis, outline, table of contents, or other manipulated treatment of the piece need be submitted.
- If a pseudonym, or pen name or "nom de plume," is used, the writer must still reveal his or her real name to The Gay Publishing Company, which will hold the name in confidence.
- The first page of a submitted manuscript should contain at least
- the full title of the work and a note as to whether it is a stand-alone piece or part of a larger project,
- the author's full name with full contact information, and
- the date of creation.
Author Information
Out of basic curiousity, readers often like to know "something" about the author of a piece. As a result, authors should consider providing responses to at least some of the following questions:
- What inspired you to write this particular piece?
- What experiences and influences make up your writing background?
- What affects do your “day job” and your real life have on your writing?
- What else might readers find interesting about your life or this particular work?
- What are your future writing plans?
Responses to other questions will be eagerly entertained; though, no information is required. Note that information provided may—with the author's knowledge and permission—be used in publicizing the piece and/or The Gay Publishing Company.
Whenever possible, audio or even video files may be placed online to provide this information.
The Final Step
Once you have addressed the guidelines above, you should be ready to actually submit your material. We prefer, and encourage, electronic submissions, as electronic files allow a quicker turnaround time and an easier workflow between the editors, the reviewers, and the publisher. Nonetheless, we do, however, still accept manual submissions. Regardless of how you submit, please contact us in advance to initiate a flow of communication.
For our actual submission procedure, follow this link.
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