FAQ with the publisher

As the publisher/editor of Wild Hunt Books, I get lots of questions about submitting and general housekeeping. Some of this information might only be relevant to our publishing house, but generally, these answers can be applied to most agents and editors.

• I haven't finished my book. Can I send a partial or proposal?

  Sadly, in most cases, the answer is no. Editors and agents expect you to have a completed manuscript. Even if we are only requesting the initial first 3 chapters, 10,000 words, etc, your book should be finished. If we then request a full manuscript, we expect the entire completed book sent our way and if it's not, we'll pass. We don't publish non-fiction at the moment so we don't accept proposal pitches. We don't accept proposals/any books on spec unless we've specifically reached out for a commission.

• Is my query letter important?

  YES! Honestly, most agents and editors won't read past a query letter if it isn't grabbing them (myself included). We have so many resources on our blog about crafting standout submission packages, I'm shocked that I still receive one sentence query letters.

• Can I send you my trilogy, duology, series?

  I'm generally not keen on series and right now am focused on acquiring standalone novels.

• Can I send you my self-published novel?

  I'm only seeking to acquire original fiction that hasn't been published anywhere else.

• Can I send you my manuscript outside of the submission period?

  No. Only agents can submit throughout the year.

• Can I email you my submission instead of using the form?

  No.

• Will I receive feedback on my submission?

  Because of the amount of submissions received during our open calls, I can really only provide feedback to the few manuscripts that make my short list.

• If my manuscript is accepted will I have to edit it?

  You bet. You'll receive an editorial schedule with expectations. The editorial process involves many rounds of editing (both macro and micro). This can take several months to complete. You will also need to review copy edits.

• How do I know what you're looking for?

  You can follow our Twitter and Instagram accounts but I often post what I'm currently looking for on our blog. Also, look at the books we publish.

• How do I know what you aren't looking for?

  I try to include this on any call, but Wild Hunt Books doesn't publish young adult (YA) or children's fiction. We are a publisher of literary fiction. Even though we are keen to see manuscripts that play with genre and experimental forms, we're not a good home for genres like high fantasy, science fiction or erotica.