Samhain Publishing Ltd Weblog

Frequently Asked Questions Series: Installment One

Welcome to the first installment in our new series of Frequently Asked Questions!

Over several years of dealing with queries and submissions, we’ve found that some questions get asked more frequently than others. So, over the next few months, on every alternate Monday, we’re putting up two or three of these, together with (because we’re nice like that) their answers.
The comments section will be open for anyone who’d like to ask for clarification, and Samhain staff will be along to provide further details or answers to supplementary questions.
At the end of the series, all the questions and answers—together with any extra ones we’ve gathered along the way—will be put up on the Samhain site as a permanent resource.

Topic One: Submitting Your Manuscript to Samhain Publishing

1.1. Do I need an agent to submit to Samhain?
No. We welcome agented submissions, but we don’t require them. The only exception to this is during the rare periods when Samhain is temporarily closed to submissions. During these times we remain open only to authors who have received requests to submit manuscripts, current Samhain authors, and agented authors.

1.2. Does Samhain consider poetry/ recipe books/ autobiographies/ “how to” books?
No. We only handle fiction: romance, erotica and fantasy/science fiction/urban fantasy with strong romantic elements.

1.3. Does Samhain consider young adult romances?
Not at this point, although we may open to young adult submissions in the future, so keep an eye on us!

1.4. At Samhain, you’re only interested in erotic romances, aren’t you?
Absolutely not. Although we do require romantic elements in all our non-erotic books, we’re interested in all heat levels, from no on-page sex at all, to all-out erotica, plus all the levels in between. We publish inspirational romance and sweet romance and have editors who enjoy reading all heat levels.