SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

ABOUT DORCHESTER PUBLISHING Co., Inc.

Founded in 1971, Dorchester Publishing is the oldest independent mass market publisher in America. It is our goal to bring the best genre fiction to millions of fans. Although mostly known for romance, Dorchester also publishes world-class horror, thrillers and Westerns.

Our size and independence give us the opportunity to react quickly to the new interests of the reading public and find and develop fresh voices to appeal to today’s fans. In 1994, we created the Love Spell imprint to meet the demands of those who love time travel, futuristic, paranormal, contemporary and magical romances. In 1997 we increased the number of horror titles published each month. Our first hardcovers launched in 2001 to great critical acclaim. In 2003, we expanded our thriller line and developed the SMOOCH imprint for young adult readers. And in 2007, we developed Shomi, a cutting-edge line of action romances.

Above all, Dorchester is driven to bring you the best fiction at a good value. Our covers demonstrate the work of the most creative artists in the business, illustrating our determination to produce the highest quality overall product. To make it easy for you to be able to buy the Dorchester books you want, we offer book clubs for automatic, easy ordering.

Because of the many submissions we receive, we must strictly adhere to word-count requirements and the descriptions that follow. We are currently acquiring only the following: romance, horror, Westerns, and thrillers. Specific guidelines for each category follow, but generally:

·         Please query or submit synopsis and first three chapters only—no complete manuscripts unless specifically requested.

·         Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope (of sufficient size) for possible return of proposal or manuscript. No material will be returned without a SASE.

·         All material must be typed, using a legible double-spaced font, and unbound.

·         Name, address, phone number and e-mail of author, as well as the word count of the submission, should be on the first page of the manuscript, and a header for subsequent pages should contain the author’s last name and title. 

·         Retain a copy of all material sent in case the original gets lost in the mail.

·         Our review process typically takes 6–8 months.

The elements of a ROMANCE

All Romances should be approximately 80,000–100,000 words.

We are seeking sensual romances with intriguing plots, strong writing, and a pace that grabs readers’ attention from page one and holds it to the very end. We look for interesting, three-dimensional characters who are separated by emotional conflict or the twists and turns of the plot. And who in the end overcome the barriers keeping them apart and live happily ever after. We particularly enjoy humor where appropriate, and originality—either in plot, character, or writing style—that will differentiate the story from others of the genre without losing the distinct flavor of a romance.

We are currently acquiring the following categories of ROMANCE:

HISTORICAL ROMANCE: Historical background, details of costume, etc., should be accurate; however, we discourage long descriptions of battles, the political climate of the period, or a treatise on contemporary social history. Our readers are much more interested in the developing relationship between the heroine and hero.

We prefer historical romance to take place before 1900.

FUTURISTIC ROMANCE:  Futuristics contain all the elements of romance—beautiful heroine, dashing hero, some conflict that separates them, a happy ending, etc.—but they are set in lavish lands on distant worlds. Avoid long descriptions of science-fiction-type hardware, technology, etc.

TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE: A hero or heroine travels through time and falls in love.  For present-to-past time travel, traditional guidelines for historical romance apply. The challenge here is to maintain credibility during the transition between the present and the past. The fun is seeing another way of life through the eyes of someone from a different time. The conflict and resolution of the romance arise from the fact that the hero and heroine are from different eras, but should involve more than the secret that one comes from the future.

Beware of philosophizing about the meaning of time, and how the past affects the present. No time machines, please.

PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Either a historical or contemporary romance with magic, witches, ghosts, vampires, etc., as a subsidiary element. Must have a happy ending.

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE:  Fun and whimsical, these books should showcase your sense of humor and focus on a modern couple in a zany situation.

WESTERNS

Westerns are exciting novels set in the Old West (before 1900 and west of the Mississippi River) with three-dimensional characters and strong plots. Historical accuracy is important, but should not eclipse the story.  Finished Western manuscripts should be 75,000–95,000 words.

HORROR

Suspenseful, terrifying novels with dark atmosphere and chilling plots.  Contemporary settings are preferred, but historical settings are possible if well done.  Supernatural horrors (ghosts, vampires, demons, monsters, etc.) are strongly preferred. Please avoid science fiction, fantasy and mystery novels.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Please send non-returnable tearsheets to the attention of the Art Department. We do not accept e-mails or portfolio showings.

SUBMIT YOUR WORK TO:

Dorchester Publishing

200 Madison Avenue, Suite 2000

New York, NY 10016

Unless otherwise specified, your work can be addressed to the attention of the Editorial Assistant, who will make sure that it gets in the hands of the proper editor. Remember to include a SASE if you wish to have your materials returned. It might also be helpful for you to include a postcard that we can date and send back at the time your package is opened so that you know it arrived safely.

We do not accept submissions via e-mail or fax.

For more information on our current books, visit www.dorchesterpub.com or call

1-800-481-9191 for a free catalog.