Samhain Publishing Ltd Weblog

Frequently Asked Questions Series: Installment Five

Welcome to the fifth 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.
If you’d like to view our full collection of FAQs, go here. At the end of this series, any extra questions and answers will be added to our current FAQ page and kept as a permanent resource.

(click here to view installment one)
(click here to view installment two)
(click here to view installment three)
(click here to view installment four)

Topic Two (continued): Formatting and Submission Requirements

2.6. Samhain asks for three sample chapters. May I send chapters one, six and eleven?
No. We want the first three chapters. Non-consecutive chapters are too confusing. But if you’re particularly proud of chapters six and eleven, by all means do send us the whole manuscript.

2.7. I sent my manuscript as a WordPerfect file/ a .docx file. Why do I have to resend it in a different format?
Samhain has several different editors, based in different states and even different countries. All their computers can read Microsoft Word documents and rich text files. Not all of them can read WordPerfect files, or files saved in Word 2007 (the .docx format). If you send your manuscript as a .doc or .rtf file, everyone can read it.

2.8. I can’t work out how to put my manuscript in rich text format or Microsoft Word format. Is it okay if I paste it straight into an email?
No, please don’t! Reading even three chapters in an email is wearing for our editors, and no one wants to read a whole novel that way. Also, different email programs format differently, and your manuscript may not reach us looking the way you want it to.
In addition, if your manuscript is accepted by Samhain, it will have to go through a full editing process, which requires being put into a Microsoft Word document and emailed between the author, editor and other staff members. If you can’t operate MS Word, you’re not going to be able to manage the editing process.