There are NO start-up fees required of our authors. The author retains editorial control over their work. We publish book-length quality fiction (Science Fiction, Classics, Romance and Children's) books.

Submissions Notice: We will no longer accept submissions that don't adhere to our guidelines.  They will be returned or deleted.  Work should be finished, that is edited and proof-read.  We have a much quicker turnaround time than traditional publishers and if we're interested in your work, we don't want to wait for you to finish it.  Work should be in standard manuscript format but SINGLE-SPACED with ONE SPACE BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS and NO INDENTATIONS.  Also do not use underline in your works, use Italic instead and no page numbering, no headers & footers. Please include a contents page.  Books can be any length, preferably 60,000 to 120,000 words, but we'll consider longer or shorter works if they interest us.

Simultaneous submissions are permitted if you inform us in your cover letter.  Writers previously unpublished in book length work please submit a synopsis and first three chapters along with a cover letter.  The cover letter should briefly describe the story, genre (and sub-genre if appropriate), word length, and include your writing related background. It should also include your email address, home address and phone number.  Writers published in book length work may submit a synopsis and either three chapters or the complete manuscript. Please include your previous publishing credits in your cover letter.

We prefer work to be sent on disk or emailed as an attachment--NOT in the body of the email. Chapters should all be in one file, not one file per chapter. If your book is too long for one disk, break it into two parts and label them. Proposals may also be on paper, but full manuscripts MUST be on disk or emailed.   Mailed submissions should include a SAE or the work won't be returned. Email or disk submissions should be saved in RTF format (preferred) or WordPerfect (up to version 7), or Word (up to version 7). If you can't save in these formats, please email first to see if we can use the format you have. Email submissions to:- submit@applebookshop.co.uk.  If you need to send a disk with your work, please email to this same address to make arrangements.  If you email the work, or include an email address with your submission, we'll send an email acknowledgement of receipt.  Check with us if you haven't heard within 7 days after sending your email--we may not have received your submission.

Procedure

Your submission will be forwarded to a free-lance Reader who will sort out the good from the bad, the wheat from the chaff. The Reader will make a short report on each submission for our Sub Editor's attention.  If you do not hear from us within 10 weeks, then we are not interested in your work. The work is either of poor quality or is of no interest to our readers.  If we think your work is good but not the type of work we are looking for, then we will let you know.

If our Sub Editor is interested in your work, you will be contacted for a copy of the full manuscript. Our senior editorial staff will read your work and  decide whether they would like to publish your work. A contract will be offered. Once the contract has been agreed and signed by both parties, then publication on the Internet follows some two months later.

Finally if you feel (and are confident in the merit of your work), that it has been over-looked by "the system",  you can request that your manuscript is read by a senior member of the editorial staff.   This will involve a reader's fee of £100 and does not mean that your work will get preferential treatment.

Good luck with your writing and enjoy yourself.  Whether you write for love or money, we really want you to be successful.