MUSA SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- With your submission to Musa, please send the following AND ONLY the following to submissions@musapublishing.com :
- A query letter, including a synopsis of your story and your publication history if applicable;
- a full synopsis of your story and the first twenty pages of your manuscript EMBEDDED IN THE EMAIL.
- We will reject you if you do not follow our submission guidelines. Most writers don't realize that this instruction is your first test with any publication. We thought we'd make it easier for you and let you know up front. We will not open any attachments in your query email. Ever.
- If we like what we see, we will request your entire story in standard electronic manuscript format (1 inch margins-top, bottom, and sides; 12 pt Times New Roman font, NO BOLDING, double spaced, non-justified right margin).
- SPECIAL NOTICE: The Euterpe YA imprint and the Urania speculative fiction imprint are closed to submissions from
- April 15-June 15.
- WHAT MUSA IS LOOKING FOR
- Musa is a royalty-paying small publisher. Musa does not charge fees for set up, printing, or anything else. Money flows to the author, not the other way around. Musa Publishing has a zero tolerance policy toward plagiarism. This includes fan fiction of any sort--disguised or not.
- Musa absolutely will not publish any stories that include the following:
- Pedophilia
- Incest (unless a historical set in an ancient setting like Egypt or some fantasy stories)
- Necrophilia (this doesn't apply to the Undead—like vampires)
- Gratuitous rape or rape intended to titillate (rape as necessary for the plot and presented in a non-titillating fashion will be considered)
- Snuff
- Scat or golden showers
- Bestiality (shapeshifters in human form is okay)
- Material that discriminates or displays extreme prejudice against another race, gender or sexual orientation
- Musa will consider submissions from 5,000 words to epic novel for all imprints.
- Aurora Regency--this line is for traditional Regency romances ONLY. No stories with sexual content will be published under the Aurora banner. Think Georgette Heyer, Barbara Cartland, and, of course, Jane Austen.
- Calliope—our romance imprint. We are looking for all sorts of contemporary, historical, paranormal, or speculative fiction m/f romances, including erotic and sweet romances. This imprint will have an adult-only website. All heat levels are accepted, but we do ask that any sexual content is warranted by the plot of the story and not gratuitous. We will not compel an author to add sexual content to a story. Ever.
- Head Editor--Jeanne De Vita
- Clio—our historical fiction imprint. We have particular interest in classical Rome and Greece, ancient Egypt. Westerns, medieval and Renaissance, French Revolution, Victorian, and Edwardian stories. The one unbreakable rule? We insist upon absolute historical accuracy, and Clio manuscripts will go through an additional level of editing solely for fact-checking. Historical romances will be sold under the Clio and Calliope imprints, and all historical romances must meet the same fact-checking standards as the regular historicals.
- Erato—our GLBT imprint. Beneath the Erato banner, we are seeking romance, erotic romance, and contemporary fiction, as well as speculative fiction or paranormals. GLBT YA will be sold under the PAN imprint, which is now actively seeking submissions. We are very interested in any GLBT non-romance titles. At Erato, we have a commitment to provide gay literature for every reader's tastes. Head Editor--Elizabeth Silver.
- Euterpe—our all-YA imprint. We are seeking MG and YA literature in all genres including: historical, romance, contemporary fiction, paranormal, adventure, mystery/suspense, fantasy, science fiction, and horror. The Euterpe site will accept no heat level beyond sweet. This imprint will have a separate sub-domain and shopping system. Head editor- Kathy Teel.
- Melpomene—our Mystery/Suspense/Thriller imprint. We are seeking tales of mystery or suspense. We're looking for the mystery that's not easily solved, but one that makes you remember all the little clues at the end. We're looking for suspense and thrillers that actually live up to their names.
- Polyhymnia—our collections and special projects imprint. Books accepted for Polyhymnia are short story collections, anthologies, and trade publishing reissues.
- Terpsichore—our Contemporary Fiction imprint. We're looking for stories of modern literature: women's fiction, humor, action and adventure, and nostalgic tales not quite old enough to qualify as a historical.
- Thalia—our Paranormals and horror imprint. Thalia is where anything goes. Paranormal romances are sold under the Calliope banner, not Thalia. Thalia is for REAL vampires, shapeshifters, and other paranormal-type folks. If your vampires or shapeshifters are NOT the good guys, if your zombies rot and there's no such thing as happily ever after, then the horror side of the imprint is for you. What's the catch, you ask? We don't want the same, tired old stories. If you're writing about vampires, they'd better not be Bram's or Anne's or Stephenie's. They need to be yours. Revamped (pardon the pun) fan fiction will be rejected—ruthlessly.
- Urania—our Speculative Fiction imprint. This imprint plays host to science fiction and fantasy—and all the various subgenres under the SF umbrella. Steampunk? Dystopian? Urban Fantasy? Yep—we want it all. What we don't want is erotic content—that goes to Calliope; romance is okay as a subplot, but the SF genre must drive the story. We are particularly interested in series work. Here, too, if your story is a refashioned Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or Narnia, it will be rejected—ruthlessly. Head Editor--Dr. Matt Teel.
MUSA IMPRINTS
