Welcome to Buzz Books! We publish compelling, entertaining stories in fiction and creative non-fiction. Check out our books page and author page to see who and what we have published and plan to publish. We’re excited about our list and line-up. 

Submissions are currently CLOSED but will re-open in July, 2013 for the following projects and categories listed below. Any contracts made in 2013 will be for summer and fall releases in 2014 unless it’s a Stinger (short fiction or non-fiction). Please read the submission guidelines, carefully.

Please include in all queries:

• Your pitch and contact information in the body of your email.
• A subject line that clearly states the intention of your submission, as detailed in the submission guidelines.
• Your social media credentials, including your Facebook author page, Goodreads account, Twitter handle and/or blog or website URL. We want to know how social you are on the web (but it’s not a deal breaker if you’re not).
• Your submission, which varies by the project as listed below, should be included in a double-spaced attachment (either Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF). A synopsis should be included in the body of your email.

Compensation will vary by author and by project and will be outlined in the offer letter. Please note that if we are interested in the writer’s work or love the voice, we will likely work with a writer until we are fully satisfied with the piece before acceptance. This may entail editing—from minor to major—and the editing process will happen both before and after acceptance. We have a minimum of two editors review the project before acceptance and may include our early readers for feedback during the revision process, once the project has been contracted.

A few more tips about our Hive:

• We want originality. Characters with feeling and emotion that draw us into their story, cause us to become invested in their outcome.
• Have a political or religious angle? That’s fine but we are not seeking far left- or right-leaning politics or religious-focused fiction.
• First-timers and seasoned writers are welcome to submit. The only experience you need is what you have.
• Agents are always welcome! If you have an agent and feel your work might be a fit at Buzz, please ask your agent to put us on the list. Starting 10/12, our new contracts are 50/50 net royalties.
• Be open to feedback. If we are going to seriously consider your work, we are going to read it and edit it and send it back to you for revisions. You may not agree with our criticism and you are free to dispute something you feel strongly about. But be aware that in the writing and editing process, there is the potential for criticism.
• If we don’t accept your submission, it could just mean that it’s not right for us. So don’t give up.
• Please send us material that YOU OWN THE RIGHTS TO. If you are pitching us the second or third book in the series, you must have rights to the others before we will consider publishing one or all of them.

Justification of rejection is not guaranteed and please know a rejection does not mean your project may not be a great fit somewhere else.

Thanks for looking!

 

Introducing Honey, Buzz’ Romance Line- we’re looking for well-written sweet and spicy stories ranging from 20K (novella) to 80K (novel) length fiction. Honey is big on story – a “hook” that will set your story apart in the marketplace and a fresh voice. If your story sounds generic or “me-too” please revise it until you’ve found the hook and then pitch it. We want different. Let us know in your pitch if your story is sweet or spicy. We are accepting all sub-genres except for inspirational and erotica. The Honey line will be ebook only and our aim is to grow our authors. We will be creating a Honeybees blog just for our authors as well as a Facebook group for our Honey readers and authors. We prefer series submissions, so if you have a series with at least the first manuscript written and books two and three outlined, we want to see them! Please only submit if your manuscript is complete. Acquisitions editor is Kathy L. Wheeler. FOR THIS LINE ONLY, submit to Kathy: editor.klwheeler@gmail.com
Maximum: 80,000 words Minimum: 20,000 words.

Submit the query letter, one-page synopsis and the first three chapters IN ONE ATTACHMENT ONLY. In subject heading, put HONEY.

SWARM, Suspense Line (mystery/thriller/horror) - If it makes our heart race with action and suspense, we want to see it. Looking for well-written page turners, past or present, all sub-genres considered, from 20K (novella) to 75K (novel) length fiction. We’re seeking ORIGINAL and different. What spin can you put on the genre? What setting, character and plot makes your story unique?

Minimum: 20,000 words

Maximum: 80,000 words

Submit the query letter, one-page synopsis and a partial of at least three double-spaced pages to buzzbookseditor AT gmail DOT com. IN ONE ATTACHMENT ONLY. In subject heading, put SWARM. Note: Our first Swarm release is DISTORTION by Lucie Smoker, Nov. 2012 and our second release is CHICAGO FELL FIRST, a zombie horror novel by Aaron Smith to be released in late 2013.

YA Short Stories for the Mythology High Series – this new series will release one short story per month, all branded under Mythology High. Please only send ONE story at this time. If you have more, please mention it in your query letter, but only send the partial of the one you feel is strongest. The story should be set in modern times, contemporary fantasy in a high school setting. The story should be an updated version of a mythological tale but not use the precise mythological names EXCEPT in a short paragraph describing the original mythology. Please send us your source of the tale as we will research it. Think Grimm and Once Upon a Time, but without the back and forth between past and present. Should be PG-13 regarding violence, intimacy and leave the reader with a feeling of a satisfactory conclusion at the end. The TWIST on the original is what should make it original as well as being extremely well-written. Fast-paced, dialogue over too much inner dialogue, theme-heavy and the feeling of “wow, that was a great ride,” when my eyes read the last word. Humor is encouraged. Dark is fine as long as it doesn’t feel depressing. Provide a working title, but know that it will likely change to fit in with the series. Once we feel we have enough short stories, we will combine them into a print book. (Could be one year later, for example.) Would love for guys to read these, too, so consider that when writing. Mythology can be Greek, Norse, etc. just let us know in your description.

Minimum 3,000 words. Maximum 4,500 words.

Submit the query letter, one-page synopsis and a partial of at least three double-spaced pages to buzzbookseditor AT gmail DOT com. IN ONE ATTACHMENT ONLY. In subject heading, put MYTHOLOGY. Note: We have three authors contracted in this series and two published so far: Jammie Kern, UK author Magda Knight, and Diana Rodriguez Wallach.

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Buzz Books Stinger – compelling essays, short stories and creative non-fiction

Short works. Big story. These “singles” can be anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 words in length in ebook formats. Journalists, niche experts and thought leaders are encouraged to submit. For fiction, the short stories can be literary or genre; young adult and adult. No children’s books or middle readers, please. No poetry. If you are an existing author, this is a great way to promote your style and gain new readership.

Submit the query letter, one-page synopsis and a partial of at least three double-spaced pages to buzzbookseditor AT gmail DOT com. IN ONE ATTACHMENT ONLY. In subject heading, put STINGER. As of 10/12, Buzz has published several Stingers: Two Mythology High short stories, “TMI Mom Bites the Big Apple” travel essays by Heather Davis, “The Pool Boy” by Malena Lott and “Bra Wars,” by Peggy Chambers and “Retribution” by Lucie Smoker. In November 2012, we added a rom com novelette, “Next Left” by Dani Stone, who first wrote for Buzz in our Sleigh Ride anthology. Stingers are also used as promotional tools for longer works to introduce readers to our authors. Typically they are priced at .99 and $1.99 and include some free days.

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Genre Series or Trilogy, Open

No, this isn’t an “everything else” category, but very specifically if you have a trilogy that has been critiqued by others, maybe even won awards at conferences or writing contests, then we want to hear about it. Have you been told (in a rejection) that the house, “just has too many XYZ stories on their plate” and it almost made the cut? We want to see your “so close” stories. We would love if book two was nearly done, and all three need to be plotted, because if we like book one, you can be sure we’re going to immediately ask to see book two.

50-85,000 but nothing much longer, please. ebook, print TBD, audiobook TBD

Submit the query letter, one-page synopsis and a partial of at least three double-spaced pages and one page on books two and three to buzzbookseditor AT gmail DOT com. IN ONE ATTACHMENT ONLY. In subject heading, put GENRE.

Note: Buzz has signed two multi-book deals: one YA series with Cara Brookins and a mom essay series, TMI Mom, with Heather Davis.

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Small Business Book for the LITTLE BRAND series

Buzz Books launched a new imprint, Buzz Books Biz, and we’d love to see expertise in all areas of running a small business. The series kicked off with Cyndy Hoenig’s LITTLE BRAND: PR ROCK STAR by former Hollywood publicist Cyndy Hoenig. The next book in 2013 will be THE LITTLE BRAND THAT COULD by  brand strategist and author Malena Lott, about branding your business. Therefore we are NOT seeking a PR or BRANDING book.  A “little brand” is another way of saying small business. Every business has a brand. We are looking for NICHE business books that help a small business find success and persevere. Must be engaging, witty or conversational, informational and highly marketable. If you and your idea has the “wow factor” we want to hear from you!

ebook and print (likely as guidebooks)

20-25,000 words

Submit the query letter, full proposal (link on how to do a killer proposal here) and the first chapter to buzzbookseditor AT gmail DOT com. IN ONE ATTACHMENT ONLY. In subject heading, put BIZ.

Good luck writing, friends! Keep on rat-a-tat-tapping. Please pass this along to your writers groups and writerly pals.