Thank you for your interest in Crimson Melodies Publishing! Below you will find a list of what we’re looking for and how to submit your work. Expect this page to be updated and check back for our most recent guidelines prior to submitting.

Failure to adhere to any of the submission guidelines outlined on this page may disqualify you and your work from current and future consideration for publication. Please read the relevant sections in full BEFORE contacting Crimson Melodies.

Our Projects

There are two projects we’re currently soliciting for. One is a short-story anthology to be published in 2012 in digital and print formats. The second is a monthly e-zine called Bloodtide that will be comprised of short fiction, serial shorts, and/or serialized novels/novellas.

Compensation is dependent on what you submit to us, so please see below for payment details. Authors should be aware we are seeking out stories prior to finalizing our publication schedule (which is largely dependent on having content to publish) but that both projects are slated for being, at minimum, digitally published during the 2012 calendar year.

more about the anthology || more about the ezine || what we’re buying || what you receive

How to Query

• We only handle electronic submissions. No mailed/paper submissions, please.  Your email should be directed to ( submissions [at] crimsonmelodies [dot] com ). In the event of any physical material being sent to us, it will not be returned to you. You can expect an email response within two-three weeks.
• Your query does not have to be addressed to anyone in particular. We’re a small shop and you can rest assured your email will be directed to the correct person. Addressing it to “The Crimson Melodies Team” would do just fine.
• Please, no multiple submissions. When you send us one submission, wait for a response before you send another one. This applies for multiple submissions to the same project, and to multiple submissions for different projects – please wait.
• No simultaneous queries. If you send us a story, and for some reason need to withdraw it before you receive a response, you must send us an email with the subject line “WITHDRAWN: [the title of your work]. Be aware that if our editor has already read, enjoyed, and wanted your story, this could effect how your future submissions are weighed. But we do understand that there can be extenuating circumstances, and things happen, so all we ask for is honest communication.
• Your email should include:
• the correct subject line so we know what project you are interested in
• your name or pen-name
• the approximate length in number of words
• a brief synopsis
• a (.doc) or (.rtf) file attachment with the appropriate contents for your query. Do not copy-paste your story into the body of the email.

What We’re NOT Soliciting

• Our interest in novels or novellas, or any longer length work, is solely for the potential of serializing them for inclusion in our e-zine.
• Erotica. We love our dalliances, both reading them and writing them, but we are not currently interested in publishing them. Crimson Melodies may have future publications where erotica is encouraged, but not at this time.
• Stories that rely primarily or exclusively on the elements of foul language, violence, gore, or sexual themes are strongly discouraged. We at Crimson Melodies don’t mind characters that possess such traits or tendencies, but they should not be the only attention-grabbing thing in the story and must be done well. Stories which touch on ideological sensitivities are not out of bounds, but we reserve the right to reject anything we determine would not be a proper fit for our publications.

What We ARE Currently Soliciting

For Our Anthology Project:

• Writing examples. We are seeking writers willing to pen a piece of original fiction for inclusion in the anthology due out in 2012. Further information will be made available to you after this step of querying. What we want to receive is a short example of your work. The sample should be about 5k in length, featuring something gritty, mysterious, darkly humorous, and centered around some sort of interaction with supernatural creatures in the modern day. Please be aware that if you include vampires or werewolves in any way, your portrayal of them should not be overly romantic. If you would like to write for our anthology, list “SUB: Anthology” as your email’s subject. For your synopsis, explain how the piece attached highlights a certain aspect of at least one of the outlined themes. Don’t worry, we won’t be keeping the attachment for our use in any manner. (If you want us to consider your writing sample for any other purpose, please send a separate query to us.)

• Stories, serial shorts, or longer fiction which can be used as serial fiction, for Bloodtide. Longer works must be able to be divided into 8k-15k word sections for use across several issues. Serial and short stories can be between 5k and 15k, but if you are querying to be one of our serial writers, you must have two stories ready for consideration. (This is the only exception to the multiple submission guideline outlined above, but should be presented as one email with two attachments.)
• Short story works of approximately 5k-10k words. Submissions can be less than 5k, but we ask that they not be more than 10k. Works for this e-zine should be from the following genres: Urban fantasy, paranormal romance, dark fantasy, supernatural thriller. Some forms of science fiction, science fantasy, and steampunk will be considered, but are not our primary interest. For short story submissions to our e-zine, list “SUB: Zine Short” as your email’s subject. (This is for one-shot stories only. For serial submissions, see below.)
• For serial short story submissions to our e-zine, list “SUB: Zine Serial” as your email’s subject. In your synopsis, please explain what the recurring theme is in your serial stories and how many stories you have available for consideration (or plan to complete). Please only send two examples, but send no less than two. We want to get a feel for how your serial would unfold. If we are interested in your serial, we will request further details and/or examples.
• For novel or longer work submissions to our e-zine, list “SUB: Zine Contained Serial” as your email’s subject. Your query doesn’t need to be different from any other novel query letter, but we ask that you send only the first three chapters in your file attachment. If we are interested, we will request the full manuscript.

Your Work

For any story being submitted for our consideration: You must hold all relevant copyrights in order to grant us permission for use.

What We’re Buying

• For the short story anthology: An original piece of fiction and six (6) months of digital rights. After that time, we retain non-exclusive rights to continue publishing it. When the period of exclusivity ends, you are free to publish the work elsewhere. (Some aspects of stories written for this particular anthology may contain characters or locations protected by Crimson Melodies’s own, or other author’s, copyrights. When published elsewhere, proper attribution will be required.)
  We will also retain the right to publish your story in a print edition, but do not claim exclusive print rights.
• For short story submissions to Bloodtide: Three (3) months of exclusive digital rights, and non-exclusive rights to continue. We reserve the option to offer your story in print publications, but do not require exclusive print rights.
• For serial story and novel, or any longer piece of fiction, rights to Bloodtide: Non-exclusive rights to publish your stories and segments in our e-zine. If your work is unpublished and you grant us six months exclusive rights, we will offer you additional compensation. We do not maintain any right toward print editions of your work, exclusive or non-exclusive, outside of the relevant, complete issue of Bloodtide in which it appears (unless permission is sought and negotiated otherwise).