Call for Submissions: Don't Overlook Quartet Press

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Quartet announced September 9, 2009 that it would cease operations. This post is being maintained for archival purposes only.

It’s easy to overlook a start-up book publisher when it hasn’t yet started up. Quartet Press, scheduled to launch this fall, is still actively acquiring product (i.e. your manuscript?). If you haven’t already heard about this new publisher either through their excellent social networking campaign, interviews on Dear Author, or missed them at RWA Nationals, click on over to their website to take a look.

I admit, for all their media presence, I keep forgetting they’re there. I can’t make up my mind whether it’s the logo or the website, neither of which shout “romance” to me. Until those first books hit the eBookstand, they will remain an unknown quantity with readers.

Taking a chance on a publisher that hasn’t put out its first book is taking a leap of faith that your book, if contracted, will be published. Balancing that is the opportunity to be one of the first authors a successful company publishes. The people involved in this start-up have presented themselves as so smart, savvy, and earnest in their commitment to publishing quality romance titles, that it’s difficult not to feel their excitement.

Below are the basic submission guidelines.

Quartet Press is currently accepting queries for all genres of romance fiction, including erotic romance. We will also consider other genre fiction, provided the story contains a strong romantic plot thread. At this time, we are particularly interested in queries for erotic romance and romantic suspense.

We are looking for strong, engrossing stories featuring great characters and solid plots. Trends come and go, but good novels live forever. Focus on storytelling, character development, and solid plotting. We’re interested in books that keep our readers up past their bedtime and leave them satisfied when they reach the final page. (Satisfied, yet wanting another great book to read!)

Please only query with new, previously unpublished material or previously published works for which the author has had all rights reverted (see information below regarding reprints).

• Full-length novels should range between 50,000 – 100,000 words.
• Short stories and novellas ranging from 10,000 – 30,000 words will be considered as well.
• If it falls somewhere in between, please limit your query to cover letter and synopsis.

For stories that fall into the “erotic romance” arena, sex scenes must be integral to the story. In any work, actually, the developing sexual relationship should be a natural extension of the story. Remember: quality, not quantity. Language should fit the story, characters, and author voice.

Only one manuscript per author will be considered.

If you are submitting simultaneously to other publishers, please indicate this in your cover letter. If the manuscript you are querying with is accepted by another house, please let us know as soon as possible.

Quartet’s Contracts, Royalties, and Payments

While visiting the Quartet site, don’t skip their FAQs page, where they answer questions about the royalties they offer, rights purchased, and marketing plans for their authors. As with most other publishers operating under the eBook business model, Quartet does not offer advances against royalties. Their royalties do appear to be in line with other publishers, though unlike Samhain and Ellora’s Cave, who pay authors monthly, royalties from Quartet will come on a quarterly basis.