HarperVoyager Open Call

The Bluestocking

The Bluestocking

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For any Chronners who have MSS in the genres stated below that are ready for submission:

Come back here (HarperVoyagerSubmissions.com) on November 2nd at Noon Eastern Time to start submitting for this Fall’s open call!

While we’re always on the lookout for full-length fantasy, science fiction, and horror, we’re really in the market right now for Urban Fantasy and Military Sci-Fi. And be sure to check back throughout the year—we’ll be doing other calls for different genres as well!

Keep in mind we are looking for full length manuscripts between 60,000 and 90,000 words. The submission window closes on November 6th so get your manuscripts ready!

Here's the submission link: http://harpervoyagersubmissions.com/
 
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60K ... above Novella, fine I suppose
but 90K is a little low?
I'd have thought 45K to 150K was more reasonable range, but what do I know? I'm not a publisher.
I have one 80K, one just under 50K, one 28K (forget that one) and three over 90K (trilogy) that maybe I can cut back easily. So I can submit one easily, perhaps 1st of trilogy, though not much time. Not sure there is time to stretch the 49K to 60K.

I thought I saw another thread on this. I have a new Editor (the last one evaporated, not anyone known here). But he will be about another month organising himself. Perhaps some help for Angry Robots submission.
 
Ray McCarthy said:
60K ... above Novella, fine I suppose
but 90K is a little low?
I'd have thought 45K to 150K was more reasonable range, but what do I know? I'm not a publisher.
I have one 80K, one just under 50K, one 28K (forget that one) and three over 90K (trilogy) that maybe I can cut back easily. So I can submit one easily, perhaps 1st of trilogy, though not much time. Not sure there is time to stretch the 49K to 60K.

I thought I saw another thread on this. I have a new Editor (the last one evaporated, not anyone known here). But he will be about another month organising himself. Perhaps some help for Angry Robots submission.
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I just cut and paste the text in the link here. 60,000 - 90,000 did strike me as a little low on the word count for Fantasy though maybe 90,000 is about right for Urban Fantasy and 60,000 - 70,000-ish is about right for YA Urban Fantasy?
 
Harper Collins Impulse is I believe Harper Collins' ebook imprint so the word count is in line with most major ebook imprints
 
The Bluestocking said:
60,000 - 70,000-ish is about right for YA Urban Fantasy
Click to expand...
I'm sure much is under 60K too... Darran Shan Circus Freaks, Maybe some Eoin Golfer. Lemony Snicket Unfortunate Events, Spiderwick Chronicles. Though while YA and Fantasy and probably under 60K, it's not Urban fantasy, but I think there is plenty of Urban Fantasy above 90K.

Of course YA is now a nearly meaningless marketing category.
 
Susan Boulton said:
word count is in line with most major ebook imprints
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Really? Word count is surely less relevant to eBook, word count of eBooks is only relevant to target audience. (Younger Kids and Mills & Boone Romance seem to be shorter, anything else is 45K to 200K+).
With physical books it's usually obvious in bookshop how much reading is in them. Longer ones cost more to print. With eBooks only the fine print of listing (if you lucky!) tells you word count and it has no effect on costs at all, other than edit/proof/layout which is often per word than book.

Perhaps you are 100% correct, but I never suspected such an idea as most eBooks from established publishers are copies of the print versions and self published books can be any size.

I look forward to five things:
1) All printed books include a free eBook copy.
2) All out-of-print back catalogue available as eBooks and POD.
3) Publishers having EVERY book in Print on paper and every item they ever published as eBook available direct to purchase from their own website. With paper POD for every out of print title. Createspace can Print ONE copy under $5. Even from USA, 10 different books from you own PDF including postage is cheaper than printing yourself or typical retail titles not in Supermarket stocks.
4) No DRM on eBooks.
5) Bookshops having eBook browsing with WiFi, SD card, USB stick etc downloads and larger bookshops entire back catalogue every publisher as paper POD (with pre-order online like Argos pickup, saves postage).

It seems to me that otherwise Amazon will wipe out traditional publishers and bookshops. Eventually, not any time soon.
 
Ray, it's just over the years I have noticed that ebook imprints seem to have a lower word count, starting about 60K with a max of about 90K.

It never really bothered me, just another part of the submission guidelines. Either I have something that fits, or can be edited to fit or I don't.

I don't over think things anymore, not worth the stress or effort. I would ather save my strength for writing and doing stuff I want to do, rather than worrying about things I can't change.
 
Hmm. This overlaps with the Angry Robot Open Door. Are people going to try submitting to both, or just one and, if just one, how will you choose?

[Not that I'm saying lots of open doors are a bad thing, of course].
 
Ooohhhh exciting. I may need to consider this, though not sure I have anything I can call those specific two genres. I sure as hell wouldn't think of submitting a draft. That only gets you slushed and annoys the poor person reading it.
 
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I am hoping to get Hand of Glory down to 90,000 words for this, but it is hard going. Still a useful task, testing my editing skills.
 
This being a US imprint I doubt non-US set Urban Fantasy will get a look in.
 
Full details for submissions are up. Only open until the 6th! Got Hand of Glory down to under 90,000 words. Just got to finish my final read through and check I have it in the format they want. Aim to submit on the 5th. Anyway even if it doen't make it, this version is nice and tight, so will use it again.
 
ratsy said:
Good luck Susan! I know your hard work will pay off on HOG one day :)
Click to expand...

I hope so, this one means a lot to me, always had. It has come so close so many times, with fulls requested and held for months, but finally being turned down.
 
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