In the early stages of our programmed titles we are seeking only commissioned work or responses to call outs for inclusion in anthologies. Keep an eye on our posts for new call outs.

We will start considering unsolicited work from April 2013 (it was going to be the end but we are getting so many enquiries its simpler to bring it forward), for publication in 2015. We will consider novels, poetry, short story collections, and young adult/ older children’s fiction titles. Submissions will only be considered until the end of MAY 2013. Please do not send us anything after this date unless you are responding to a specific call out.

We will not under any circumstances publish erotica, and we aren’t keen on horror.  Other than that we will consider most genres provided they are beautifully written and have narrative substance and persuasive characterisation, it would be a REALLY good idea to explore the information on this website – there are video and audio extracts and descriptions of what we’ve already published dotted about all over the place, so have a dig about and get a feel for what makes us send single word email responses that say – Yes. (some of our authors can vouch for this, we really do do it).

There might be the possibility of picture books, but they would have to be truly exceptional to be considered, due to the costs involved in producing them.

We cannot afford to pay advances (yet) , but will pay royalties.

We don’t want to see first drafts! Third draft, maybe! If you don’t think it’s ready don’t send it, there are agencies who will give you feedback on your first draft, they charge.

If you are planning on sending a collection, we would like it to be a collection, not just everything you’ve ever written held together with an elastic band. If you discover a theme in what you’ve written, then exclude things that don’t fit, and think about an order for your stories. We want to read what you think is your best work, not the things you rushed off over a cup of coffee.

In the first instance contact us to see if we would potentially be interested. If we  want to read more, we will contact you and tell you how to send and what.

We will confirm receipt, after that you will dwell in silence and darkness until we have something to say, please don’t make enquiries, we can’t start reading until May because of existing commitments, we’ll be as quick as we can.

One of the things we do at Arachne Press is treat authors (and potential authors) how we’d like to be treated ourselves. This doesn’t mean we will read all 1200 pages of your epic if we don’t like the first three chapters, life is too short. It does mean that if we reject your work you will be given feedback. It will be honest. If you’d rather we didn’t give you feedback tell us so. Personally, we’d rather someone told us we were wasting our time, or what was so awful about it, than a polite no thank you; but it is up to you.