PROJECT MERCURY
Welcome to the submissions page for the very first publication from ECLOGUE PRESS! Here you can find all the submissions guidelines and the form to submit your manuscript to us, no query letters required!
We are calling this PROJECT MERCURY to pay homage to those first few heady days at NASA, when just putting a single man in space was still a untested challenge. We are embarking on our own test program with this first publication, seeking to prove the thoroughness of our business plan and our years of marketing experience by bringing a single novel to market—hopefully, yours!
What we look for
The stuff of dreams
So long as your work contains some element that is fantastical or speculative, we want to read it. We are looking for science fiction and fantasy that bleeds over into other genre fiction: adventure, romance, mystery, thriller, horror, historical, or otherwise.
Worldbuilding and storytelling have a symbiotic relationship in science fiction and fantasy: the worldbuilding provides the challenges, and the story tells us how those challenges could be overcome. We want good stories, but we also want worlds, both secondary and Earth-like, that have the depth to leave us daydreaming about them.
A quantity of quality
We are only considering novel-length works between 50,000 to 150,000 words at this time. Short-story collections and novellas will not be accepted. Incomplete manuscripts will not be accepted. We want a single story that captivates us and keeps us turning pages to the very end: no filler, please!
The new and original
We will only accept novels that have yet to be published as a complete work by anyone, including yourself. If you have posted snippets, partial previews, or incomplete drafts online, that is fine! If you published the work previously as a web serial, let us know in your submission and we will work with you on a case-by-case basis, but please know that we’re not opposed to a novelization. Importantly, the work must have entirely originated with you; influences are fine, but direct references to intellectual property you do not own are not.
Standing alone (for now)
We want works that stand alone from others: they can be read by themselves without any added exposition and they conclude nicely without too much of a cliffhanger. We will not be publishing any sequels to previous works.
Nonetheless, we are very interested in works that have the potential (or even plan) for a follow-on series: please let us know in your submission if you anticipate this work will start a series.
Stories, not sermons
We prefer stories which inspire virtue by either heroic or tragic example, not ones which ultimately bring their readers to despair. We also like stories that grapple with the big, meaty ideas in a way more meaningful than a monologue. We do not wish to be preached to—we are looking for works that entertain first, and maybe deftly teach a few lessons along the way.
No gratuity
We want works that everyone can enjoy. That does not mean yours has to be a G-rated children’s story, but it does mean we do not want to see any overly gratuitous or graphic depictions of violence, gore, sex, or profanity. If in doubt, err on the side of submitting to us: we will decide whether it meets our criteria.
100% human-made
We are committed to keeping the entire creative and publishing process 100% human-made. We are only partnering with authors who do not use generative AI in any fashion to dream, write, or edit their work for them. This policy does prohibit using AI for minor things too, including line edits. Please feel free to read more about our philosophy on AI here or contact us if you need any further clarification.
Just a sample
Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we request that you only submit your manuscript’s first 100 pages in a Word document in 12pt font, double-spaced. Cover pages are optional and do not count toward the 100-page limit. Please include the prologue if your work has one. We will not read any additional pages beyond the 100 we request.
What we offer
Full-service publishing
We are a full-service press, not a hybrid. There is no payment required by us to publish your work. Money will only ever flow one way: to you. We are at your service for everything including editing, layout, cover design, promotion, marketing, distribution, and more. We intend on going wide with distribution and will purchase the rights to publish your book in physical, ebook, and audiobook formats both in the United States and internationally. This way, you the author can focus on what you love—writing—while we handle the rest for you.
A committed partnership
The ideal author sees us as their partner in the enterprise of their work. We will collaborate closely with you throughout the entire publishing journey, even beyond just editing or cover design, providing you with regular updates and open transparency about everything we’re doing to ensure your work’s success.
Your work stays yours, forever
PROJECT MERCURY is a test program, and in many ways the future of ECLOGUE PRESS relies upon its success. However, you can be sure that no matter what happens you will always retain legal ownership over your own work. Should we shutter our doors or the term of our license from you lapse without renewal, the rights to publish your work will revert to you automatically, and you will be free to take your work elsewhere. We are doing everything in our power to give your work the best chance of success, but we also want to ensure that your work has a soft landing no matter where it ends up.
