Wednesday Writer's Call: Submission Guidelines for JMS Books

Submission Guidelines

JMS Books LLC is a small electronic press specializing in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender fiction (including erotica, romance, and young adult), as well as general fiction, and non-fiction.

While our preference is for GLBT stories, we accept stories containing any and ALL sexualities, as well as fiction without a romantic subplot.

We do not pay advances. Authors earn 50% of net royalties on all electronic and print sales from our website and distributors. Royalties are paid quarterly no later than 60 days after the end of the quarter.

Publishing With Us:

Our contracts are for exclusive electronic and print rights. We DO NOT ACCEPT previously published or self-published work, or novel chapters as stand-alone stories. The one exception to this is if your story has only appeared in an anthology and was never available as a single e-book. If that's the case, you may submit the story to us.

ALL stories are published in e-book format. Any story over 30,000 words is eligible to be published in paperback if sales goals are met. Short stories and novellas under the 30k limit by the same author can also be compiled into a print anthology if sales goals are met. Print publication is not guaranteed, but print rights can revert back to the author after six months from the publication date of the e-book. All print books are published and distributed through CreateSpace.

Young adult submissions over 30,000 words in length will be published in paperback the same month as the e-book is published. No sales goals must be met first for this genre.

We are a non-subsidiary, non-vanity press. All books, electronic and print, are assigned an ISBN. A cover image is provided at no cost to the author. Before you submit a story, make sure it is well-written, free of errors, and checked for grammar. Submissions with extensive problems, including those of plot and character, will not be accepted. An editor is assigned to work with you before your story is published. Authors may not provide their own cover art.

What We Accept:

JMS Books LLC accepts queer, literary, and popular fiction, including erotica, romance, young adult, and stories without erotic, romantic, or queer content. Stories must be between 5,000 and 100,000 words in length. We do not accept stories outside of this range.

Beginning 2013, we no longer accept stories under 5,000 words in length.

Non-fiction submissions must be over 30,000 words in length. For non-fiction submissions, query first.

Stories don't need to contain graphic sex scenes or a romantic/sexual relationship between characters. If your story is erotic, there is no minimum sexual content requirement. Romance stories where sex is alluded to or described in literary terms are welcome. Stories without romantic or erotic content are also welcome.

We are looking for fresh, new voices in the following genres:
ACTION/ADVENTURE
BDSM
BISEXUAL
CONTEMPORARY
FANTASY
GAY
HETEROSEXUAL
HISTORICAL
HORROR
HUMOR
INTERRACIAL
LESBIAN
MENAGE A TROIS (OR MORE
MILITARY/WAR
MYSTERY/THRILLER
NON-FICTION
PARANORMAL
SCIENCE FICTION
TRANSGENDER
WESTERN
YOUNG ADULT

What We Don't Accept:

We publish what we like to read. Our tastes are broad, but we don't accept stories which portray GLBT characters or non-traditional sexualities negatively. We don't publish stories containing pedophilia, necrophilia, bestiality, incest, rape or nonconsensual sex, extreme fetishes, degradation, snuff, watersports, or scat.

We don't publish books with interior graphics, custom fonts, special formatting, or imbedded media. Stories cannot contain quoted song lyrics or quotes from movies or television shows. Any third-party quotes must be approved by JMS Books LLC and may be removed prior to publication if copyright infringement is suspected.

For young adult submissions, visit our YA imprint at Queerteen Press for detailed submission guidelines.

Submission Policy:

Electronic unsolicited submissions are accepted at any time. We don't accept multiple submissions (more than one story by the same author at the same time) or simultaneous submissions (the same story sent to several publishers at the same time). Such submissions will be immediately rejected.

Non-fiction submissions should include only a QUERY LETTER. This should be a detailed blurb of your book. Do not send an excerpt. If your book interests us, we will ask for one.

Submissions over 15,000 words in length should include three things: QUERY LETTER, SYNOPSIS, and EXCERPT. The Query Letter should be in the body of your e-mail. The Synopsis and Excerpt must be sent as attachments in RTF format.

The QUERY LETTER must contain the following information:
Your legal name and pen name, if applicable
The title of your story (include series information, if applicable)
Your writing credentials, if any
Word Count of total book or story (NOT page count)
Genre(s)
Blurb
The SYNOPSIS must provide an overall narrative summary of your story, including major characters, all plot points, climax, and conclusion. If your story is segregated into chapters or parts, provide a brief summary of each in the synopsis. DO NOT rehash the blurb and expect that to suffice. The ending of the story MUST be disclosed in the synopsis, along with any plot or character twists. If there is any content in your story that may be offensive (excessive violence or sex, BDSM, etc.), it must be mentioned in the synopsis. Please limit your synopsis to two single-spaced pages

The EXCERPT must be the first 2,000 words OR the first two chapters of your manuscript, whichever is longer. Do not choose an excerpt from the middle or end of the story.

Submissions under 15,000 words in length need only a QUERY LETTER and the FULL MANUSCRIPT.

Formatting Your Submission:

All attachments must be in RTF format only. If you use Word, choose "Save As ..." from the FILE menu and select "Rich Text Format" from the list. Any attachments in DOC, DOCX, HTML, PDF, TXT, WPD, or any other format will be rejected.

Format your submission as follows:
1 inch margins all around
Single line spacing
12 pt Arial font
First line of each paragraph indented (no tabs or spacing to create paragraphs)
Scene breaks should be four asterisks each centered on its own line
Title on first line, followed in parentheses by the word count
Author byline on the second line
No extra lines between paragraphs
Italics to indicate emphasis, thoughts, or foreign words
No underlining
No extra formatting, special or colored fonts, or special characters
Use smart quotes, ellipses, and em dashes where needed
All submissions must be spell-checked and self-edited. If the story is set in the United Kingdom or Commonwealth countries, UK English is acceptable. Stories set elsewhere must use US English. Regional words, slang, and dialect are acceptable. Stories must be well-written and free of grammatical errors. Do not send your first draft; send us your best.

Any submissions not formatted to our specifications will be rejected.

To Submit Your Story:

Send your submission via e-mail to submissions@jms-books.com with a subject line that reads: "SUBMISSION: Title of Story by Author's Name."

We respond to all submissions within 2 business days. If we like it, we may request the full manuscript. This is NOT a guarantee of acceptance. Depending on story length, the review time is between 1-2 weeks.

We DO NOT comment on rejected manuscripts.

All stories accepted for publication will require an exclusive contract for print and electronic rights, which will be sent and signed electronically. Our contracts are for an initial period of 2 years, after which they auto-renew. A sample contract is available upon request.

All U.S. citizens must agree to provide us with a completed W-9 upon contract execution.

Our submissions policy and guidelines are subject to change without notice.

J.M. Snyder, Owner
JMS Books LLC
Updated May 24, 2012