submissions
strangers in the Fog
We are pleased to announce that Strangers in the Fog, our sixth title in the In The Fog series, has been chosen.
Now accepting Strangers in the Fog Submissions
We want your poetry and prose to have a stranger as the focal point of the writing, but we want to see your take on Strangers:
Someone moving to a new place
Being cat-fished
A secret shared with a stranger in a confessional
Aliens
Fairies
Being a stranger in your own skin
We want to see creative takes on the theme.
Submission details
You can submit up to two entries per person with a maximum word count of 3,000 words per entry.
Prose and Poetry only.
The submission must use the theme of Stranger.
Atlantic Canadian content is preferred but not required. We will accept submissions with no specific setting or location.
We accept simultaneous submissions and reprints if the rights have reverted to the author.
Please do not include personal information in the submission document, as it is blind-read by the judges.
Deadline January 31, 2025
Strangers in the Fog Q&A
What genres do you accept?
- We are open to all genres.
Can I submit a comic or photos?
- No, poetry and prose only
What is the age restriction?
There is no age restriction, but if the author is not of legal age, a parent or guardian must sign any documentation.
Is this a paid submission?
- No. Each author gets a free copy of Strangers in the Fog and five copies at cost.
Does the story have to have Fog in it?
- No.
I just moved here. Can I submit a story to Strangers in the Fog?
- Yes, if you are currently living in/will be living in Atlantic Canada in 2025, you are eligible to submit.
When will I get a response?
- Response emails will be sent by mid-March 2024.
If I co-write the story with someone, does it count as one of my entries?
- Yes. The submission will count as one entry per author.
Is there an editing process if the submission is accepted?
- All submissions are edited.
When will Strangers in the Fog be released?
- Late 2025
Submit
For additional questions or to send your submission, please emailamanda@partridgeislandpublishing.ca
Please include in your submission email if you have ever been published before.
submissions
Submission Guidelines
Partridge Island Publishing is a community-minded, family-like company. Our greatest wish is to help get authors, particularly Canadian authors' stories, into readers' hands.
If we cannot accept your manuscript for whatever reason, we will give you an honest review on why and suggestions to help you get your story onto bookshelves.
We are interested in full-length Novels and Novellas.
We are not looking for stand-alone short stories, individual or multi-author short story collections, children's books, or non-fiction books. We are currently only taking solicited children's books and memoirs.
Submissions can be sent to Amanda@partridgeislandpublishing.ca
Please include a query letter telling us the details of your story including the genre and length of the story. We ask for the first 10 pages of your completed manuscript for a novel or novella.
submissions
Publisher vs. Printer vs. Vanity Press
Please note before submitting your manuscript to us that Partridge Island Publishing is a Publisher, not a Printer or a Vanity Press.
Publishers are companies where the money flows to the author in the form of royalties.
Publishers choose which manuscripts they will accept based on how well they believe the book will sell. They cover the costs to produce the book (editing, art, marketing, etc). The author will incur no costs and does not have to purchase a required number of copies.
A publisher acquires the rights to publish the books from the author.
Printers are companies that produce physical copies of any book or printed works. A printer will charge a per book or per project rate for as few as one book or project with no limit on the maximum number of books or projects printed. A printer does not work with the content of a book in any manner ie: editing and formatting.
A Vanity Press is a company that will accept any manuscript and print it similar to a printer, but they will include their company logo on the finished product. The vanity publisher either requires an upfront cost to print the book or an agreement to have a minimum number of books published.
Many Vanity Press companies will offer some variation of a publisher's bundle including cover art, editing, formatting, providing an ISBN etc at cost to the author.
GENRES
Genre breakdown
We are actively looking for:
- Middle-Grade novels
- Young Adults novels
Will accept:
- Literary Fiction
- Romance
- Horror
- Thriller / Suspense / Mystery
- Speculative Fiction
Solicited Only:
- Collections of short stories by a single author or group of authors.
Will not accept:
- Nonfiction
- Drama / Plays
- Inspirational/Religious
- Academic / Educational
- Biographies/Memoirs
- Children's Books
- Poetry
Exceptions:
- Nonfiction – Cookbooks
Examples of Genres:
Romance: Paranormal Romance, Cozy, Historical, Contemporary, Men in Uniform, LGBTQ2S+, Erotica, Romantic Comedy,
Fantasy: Epic or High Fantasy, Dark, Swords & Sorcery, Urban, Superhero, Transported to another world.
Science Fiction: Dystopian, Space Opera, Punk (steam, diesel, cyber solar, etc)
Literature: Classical, Chick Lit, Creative Realism, Action & Adventure
Speculative Fiction: Magical Realism, Paranormal, Alternative History, Hidden or Portal world, Supernatural
Children’s Books: Picture Books, YA, Middle-school, Colouring Books
Poetry: Chapbooks or individual poems outside of an open call
Fairy Tale: Translations, Re-tellings, Myths, Legends, Fables
Horror: Suspense, Thriller, Jumpscare, Psychological, Eldritch, Ghost stories
Humour: Joke books, Satire
History: Historical Events, Westerns, History textbooks, Eye-witness testimonials
Biographies: Biographies, Autobiographies, Memoirs, Journals
Anthologies: Collections of short stories, poems, songs, or plays by a single or multiple authors
Nonfiction: Documentaries, Sports, Travel, Pop-culture, Politics, Social Commentary, DIY
Mysteries: Cozy, Noir, Crime, Police Procedural, Spy, International, Terrorism, Cyber,
Religious/Inspirational: Self-help, Finding Religion, Religious point-of-view
GENRES
Expectations
What Partridge Island Publish will do to help you:
- If we cannot accept your manuscript, we will make suggestions to help you.
- We provide editing for any manuscript we accept for publication with Partridge Island Publishing.
- We will provide cover art and illustrations for any manuscripts we accept to publish with Partridge Island Publishing.
- We will try to help you connect with writers, editors, writing groups and beta readers in the Saint John area.
- We will try to provide information on government funding, schooling, and/or programs/workshops/events.
- We will work with you each step of the way with open and honest communication throughout the process.
- We will provide a quality book once we have taken on your manuscript.
- We will cover all of the costs of getting your manuscript to a printed book.
- We will work with anyone interested in any aspect of book publication so long as you prove to the head of that department what you are capable of. It may not be a paid position, but we will give recognition and reference letters to future employers. IE: editing, art, marketing, etc.
- We will make every step of this fun, even the stressful parts because when you publish with Partridge Island Publishing, you will not be a number; you will be part of the team.
What Partridge Island Publishing will not do to help you:
- We will not act as an agent or give you a good word with other publishers if we do not accept your manuscript.
- We do not offer services to assist you in creating your manuscript. IE typed dictated notes, taught story techniques or edited stories that we could not accept.
- We will not accept any payments from writers.
- We do not publish Graphic Novels or comics.
- We will not publish illegal content or content, including violence or graphic rape scenes.
- We will not assist with any government forms; we will only advise you of ones that we know you may be eligible for.
- We do not guarantee the quality or acceptance of any suggestions we make for other publishers, lectures, government assistance, classes, or workshops.
- We will not work with any parties that are physically or verbally abusive. If there is an issue at any stage of the publication, we reserve the right to withdraw our services and support.
