Fiction Submissions
We are not accepting new submissions at this time
Thank you for your interest!
Submission Guidelines for Chaosium Fiction
Currently, the Chaosium fiction line primarily features works centered on the Cthulhu Mythos. The Mythos was the line’s core when it launched in 1993 and it will be the core of our relaunched line starting in 2018. We may publish other types of work from time to time and may expand the line in the future, but for submission purposes, we’re considering Mythos works.
We welcome all takes on the Mythos, in any genre, and especially welcome submissions that approach the matter from outsider and non-Western vantages. We value the work of experienced, widely published professionals and previously unpublished or self-published authors.
We will consider original novels, anthologies, single-author collections, and non-fiction. Our target length for book releases is 90,000 to 100,000 words, though we will consider longer or shorter works if the content is compelling. Trilogies or series will be much harder to sell to us, but we know better than to say “never.”
We are not currently considering individual short stories; it is up to our anthologists to contract short fiction for their books.
For non-fiction, we are most interested in works that might appeal to a general audience or double as resources for players of our Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game. Please note that works published in the book line does not have to support or sync with the contents of the roleplaying game; our default agreement is for creator-owned works, not work-for-hire.
We will consider reprints, though be ready to let us know why you think a new edition would find an interested audience, particularly where copies of previous editions of the work are readily available, whether as ebooks or through used book marketplaces.
We are interested in translations of Mythos works or collections of Mythos works previously unavailable in English.
We will also consider unusual book projects, including art books and YA or children’s books, though, again, these are a harder sell. If art is an integral part of your project, please include examples with your submission.
We do not accept multiple submissions. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, so long as that is indicated in the query letter and you notify us promptly if you sell the work elsewhere.
A Note on the Cthulhu Mythos
Not all aspects of the Cthulhu Mythos are public domain. Before you submit, be certain that you have clear title to all the monsters and elements used in your work.
Rights and Payment
Chaosium is a professional fiction market, offering advances, royalties, and, for short fiction, a word rate in line with HWA and SFWA guidelines. In general, we contract world print rights and ebook rights in English, with options for subsidiary rights with authors sharing in all income. Payments and royalty reports are issued biannually.
Our operating model for the line is a partnership with the writers, editors, and artists we publish. We are always open to discussing the terms and shape of a publishing agreement.
Submission Content and Format
Submissions and queries to: fictionsubmissions@chaosium.com.
For all submissions include a 75- to 100-word description (think back cover copy) and a short cover letter sharing your publication credits, if any, and information about you or the book that you think we should know before looking at the content. For works where it is appropriate (novels, non-fiction books), include a chapter outline and the first three chapters.
For the manuscript file, please use standard manuscript formatting (12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced). Files should be in either Word DOC or RTF file format.
We will try to respond within sixty days, but we will aim for a much shorter time. Query only after sixty days.
No confidential relationship or other obligation of any kind is created or implied by Chaosium’s consideration of your submission. In submitting, you acknowledge that elements of your work may already exist coincidentally in either previous publications, unpublished drafts, or in the form of a work in progress at the time of this proposal. Chaosium agrees to consider your proposal as a possible step toward publication, and to maintain confidentiality about it, but makes no promise that publication can be expected or guaranteed.