A Heads Up About Panverse Publishing. They're Open to Submissions!

If you're looking for an author friendly publisher for your manuscript, Panverse Publishing has just opened its submission window for the next three weeks, August 1st to August 21. They work with both agented and unagented authors, and offer an innovative, more partnership-like contract and royalty rate with their authors.

Panverse started out as an anthology publisher and is about to launch their novel list (Books start releasing in September). Since Panverse One, an anthology of five original science fiction/fantasy novellas in 2009, Panverse Publishing’s fiction has received excellent critical reviews in Asimov's, Locus, and other venues. Stories from the Panverse anthology series have won the 2010 Sidewise Award for Alternate History and been nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, and Sturgeon Awards.

If you have a great story that just isn't fitting in anywhere, you might want to check them out. They're looking for stories that defy category.

Here's some info (shamelessly pulled from their website)

Panverse Publishing is a small but rapidly growing independent publisher. They publish novels and nonfiction books in both print and digital formats. Since its founding in 2009 as a novella anthology publisher, Panverse is now expanding across genres with six new titles in 2013 and a further 8-12 planned for 2014.

Panverse’s philosophy is unconventional. They publish selectively, always putting story first; books that carry the reader away and which resonate long after the last word is read. They give each of their authors their full attention and backing, instead of chasing the "long tail" by publishing as many books as possible.

Panverse Publishing is particularly interested in discovering new voices and in breaking the rigid barriers of category and genre. In the current industry climate, many excellent novels by both new and established authors are unable to find a publisher, especially if the work doesn't pigeonhole neatly into a rigid category or genre. This situation not only prevents the reading public from discovering fresh talents and bold, unusual work, but is also deeply unfair to authors.

WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR

Panverse is seeking novels in the 65,000-130,000 word range (they strongly prefer under 115k). They're only interested in work that tells a story, i.e., compelling, character-driven genre novels. Please be aware that publication slots are few and they are extremely selective.

They welcome thrillers, mystery/suspense, historical fiction, crime, non-traditional romance (show them something new, suspenseful, or set in an unusual period or culture), and humorous novels. They will also consider science fiction and fantasy. They are very receptive to writing that doesn’t easily categorize or fully conform to a single, easily-defined genre.

WHAT THEY DON'T WANT

Strongly literary fiction, which they define as fiction in which story and plot are subordinate to the “inner story” of the character. In other words, stories where little actually happens outside the character's head.

Likewise the corollary, i.e., plot-driven novels where character is either secondary to plot events or limited to tired stereotypes (think generic hi-tech thriller). They love plot, but it needs to be driven by character.

YA and MG fiction; Christian fiction; erotica; high fantasy, sword and sorcery, RPG, superhero, or shared-universe stuff; Steampunk; vampire, werewolf and zombie tales, and paranormal romance containing any of these; and horror that relies primarily on gore and violence for its effect.