SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Please note: Submissions will be closed from 17 June until 15 July.
Any submissions that come in during that time will not be responded to until after the 15th.

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Please read the following guidelines before preparing your submission.

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GENERAL INFORMATION

Are you open for submissions year-round?

Yes, we are now open to year-round submissions. We are closed for submissions through December but otherwise accept year-round submissions unless otherwise noted.

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Do I need an agent to submit to Tirgearr Publishing?

No. We welcome agented submissions, but they aren't required.

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What does Tirgearr Publishing publish?

Our primary focus is on adult genre fiction and are interested any genre as long as there is a strong story.

While we mainly publish fiction, we will consider other books that look interesting.

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Will Tirgearr Publishing consider young adult books or young adult romances?

As adult genre fiction generally includes some level of sex and/or violence, we are currently only publishing books suitable for those 18 years of age and older.

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Do all romances you publish need to have sex?

No. Romance is not synonymous with sex. Sex is just the physical representation of love. We want emotional stories and are interested in all heat levels, from no sex to full-on erotica.

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I've written a romance, but the hero/heroine dies at the end. May I still submit to Tirgearr Publishing?

We only publish romances with an HEA--Happily Ever After--or at least a 'happy for now' ending. Sometimes a protagonist must die during the story, but we'll consider books with this type of storyline as long as the remaining protagonist finds love by the end of the book. If the couple aren't together at the end it's not considered romance.

Erotica is slightly different in that the HEA means the main protagonist must be happy, whether or not he/she finds love.

Other non-romance genres are the exception, such as with crime/thriller, women's fiction, horror, etc.

If in doubt, give us a shout.

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I'm not quite finished with my manuscript. May I still send a submission?

Tirgearr Publishing does not consider unfinished manuscripts.

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I'm not sure if Tirgearr Publishing would like my book. May I send just a query?

If your book falls within our guidelines there's no reason to query rather then submit.

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What plot elements are unacceptable to Tirgearr Publishing?

Basically, if you have to ask, we probably don't accept it: pedophilia, bestiality, incest, rape, necrophilia, urolagnia, erotic asphyxiation, race/gender intolerance, etc. You get the drift.

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My manuscript was previously published. Will Tirgearr Publishing consider it for republication?

Absolutely. As long as you have your rights back and it fits under our guidelines, we'll be happy to take a look, though it does not guarantee a contract.

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I'm actively submitting my manuscript. Will you accept submissions made to other publishers?

Yes. We just ask that you let us know as soon as possible if it's accepted elsewhere and wish to withdraw it from consideration at Tirgearr Publishing.

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May I submit more than one book at a time to Tirgearr Publishing?

No. Please send us the book you consider your best and more presentable. Even if we don't offer a contract on it, we may like your voice and ask for something else. But please, one at a time.

• Please let us know if your submission is part of a series. If it is, please be sure to send the first book in the series.

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May I send the same submission simultaneously to different editors?

No. We do not accept multiple submissions. All submissions go into a central email address and are filtered from there. Authors who send multiple submissions will be automatically deleted.

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What are your word limits?

Tirgearr Publishing accepts submissions based on this guideline --

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*What is a blurb?

A blurb is what you find on the back of traditional print books to entice the reader to buy the book. They're also used as part of a book's marketing package. It's a short, one to three paragraph description of the most important elements of the story. If you're unsure how to write yours, pick up a few books to see how those are written.

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*What is a synopsis?

A synopsis is your book's summary. Depending on the length of the story, it can be anywhere from one to five or six single-spaced pages. Consider the synopsis as an expanded blurb. It introduces us to your protagonists in greater detail, and to some extent the most important secondary characters.

As well, it should give us a concise plot of the story, and if a romance, how your hero and heroine work together to the HEA at the end. And we must know the end . . . no cliffhangers.

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Do I still have to send a synopsis if I’m sending the full manuscript?

Yes.

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May I send an excerpt instead or a synopsis?

No. We ask for specific things in your submission for a reason. Sending exactly what we ask for not only gives us the best possible view of your work, but also tells us many things about a writer, including how well he/she pays attention, how well he/she follows instructions, how much care he/she puts into their work, how easily he/she will be to work with, etc. All of this also tells us how much he/she is dedicated to their work and their career.

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What formats do you accept for submission?

We prefer MS Word rtf of doc formats. If your book is being contracted, we will use MS Word with tracking controls for edits. If you do not have MS Word, your document program should have a 'save as' option to save as rtf or doc. If you cannot do this, contact us for an alternative format.

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Can I send my submission through the regular mail?

No. We're a digital book publisher and everything is handled electronically. Welcome to the 21st century.

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How long is Tirgearr Publishing's response time?

It depends on workload, but we aim for about 30 days. If you do not hear from us within that time, please feel free to send a follow-up. Be sure to give us the book title and the date you sent it to us.

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I submitted this same manuscript to Tirgearr Publishing and it was rejected. May I submit it again?

One of three things may happen when we reject manuscripts--

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CONTRACTS

Will I have to pay Tirgearr Publishing to publish my book?

No. Tirgearr Publishing is not a vanity press or self-publisher. Any books our team published under our brand undergo the same rigorous editing as anyone else.

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What are your contract terms?

We contract books for five years and require full rights.

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May I review the contract?

Contracts are available for review when we offer to contract your book.

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I've written a series. If Tirgearr Publishing contracts the first book, does this mean you will automatically offer a contract on the rest of the series?

No. We usually contract books on a book-by-book basis. However, if you submit the first book in your series and we contract it, obviously we would be interested in the series and would ask you give us first right of refusal before submitting to another publisher. As you can understand, it's most beneficial for both author and publisher to have the full series under one publishing roof, and if your first book is contracted by us, it's probable that the rest of the series will be too, as long as subsequent books are as well written. But that is not guaranteed.

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I've written the book that's the first in a series. If Tirgearr Publishing contracts the first book, will you offer a contract on unwritten sequels?

No, as above.

Also, we do not offer contracts at all on unwritten books, nor will we offer contracts on books only partially finished. All submissions must be for completed books.

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PUBLICATION

How soon after acceptance will my book be released?

A publication date will not automatically be given on contract. Publication date will be determined on a number of factors, one of which includes how quickly edits can be done and how much work a book needs. Our editors work one-on-one with authors on a project-by-project basis, which means quicker turnarounds. The editor assigned to your book will dedicate themselves to your book, and we hope you will as well so that we can get your book published on a timely basis. We aim for publication within six months of contract. But once we get into edits, it can be anywhere from three to nine months. Another determining factor is the length of your story. Short stories and novelettes take less time to edit than novellas and novels. Keep in mind these are estimates and do not include extenuating circumstances.

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Will my book be published as a print book as well as a digital book?

At this time, Tirgearr Publishing focuses strictly on digital publishing. For long novellas, novels and supernovels that sell exceptionally well, we may look into printing only those titles.

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COVER ART

May I provide my own cover art?

Tirgearr Publishing has an art department who work hard to design a unique cover for your book, and one that is identifiable as a Tirgearr Publishing book. Covers designed in-house are part of your contract agreement for publication.

If you're an author with design skills or have worked with another designer in the past, we would be happy to work with you or your design to ensure your cover design falls within our guidelines.

•• All final covers must fall under our guidelines and meet our approval before acceptance.
•• Keep in mind that should you employ your own artist or design the cover yourself, you are responsible for any fees incurred.

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MONEY

Does Tirgearr Publishing pay advances?

No. We are a royalty paying publisher, but we do not offer advances at this time.

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How are royalties paid?

Tirgearr Publishing pays royalties on a quarterly basis -- April, July, October, January -- under contract terms.

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MARKETING

What will Tirgearr Publishing do to promote my book?

Tirgearr Publishing offers full-circle services, working with authors on a one-on-one basis to ensure each book we publish is of the highest quality. We work side-by-side with our authors to develop effective marketing plans and promotional programs, advising on career choices and forward career planning, and assist in setting up the author's overall image.

Part of this plan includes helping authors set up virtual blog tours and submitting books for review. When possible, we will try to get pre-publishing reviews so that we can add them to the cover art.

We encourage authors to do as much self-promotion as possible and will work side-by-side with each author to guide them through all phases of book self-promotion. This includes advising authors to set up social networking sites where possible, design an effective and attractive website, and join other Yahoo! Groups and reader circles to meet new readers.

We ask our authors to send us copies of reviews for their books published with us so we can add blurbs to the book's page on our website.

Additionally, Tirgearr Publishing maintains several social media sites -- Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Good Reads, LinkedIn, YouTube Channel, Tumblr, and an RSS Feed. Each new release is advertised on these media sites, and we encourage authors to use these sites as well.

Finally, for our romance authors, we also maintain a RomanceWiki page.

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We hope this has given you some insight into Tirgearr Publishing. If you have any questions not discussed here, please contact us.