You wouldn’t expect it but more often than not, I receive manuscripts that are so strangely formatted that they are just about unreadable. And if that’s the case with yours, it’s a disservice to all the hard work and passion you’ve put into your book. It’s easy to format your manuscript to industry-standard (and don’t think that being kooky with your font choices or adding pictures will grab the attention of an editor; it won’t or it will for the wrong reasons). Go ahead and write your drafts however way you like! But when you’ve finalise edits and are ready to send it off for publishing consideration, it’s best to follow these guidelines.

Querying your book can be extremely stressful but as an editor for more than ten years, I often see messy submission packages more than I receive strong, engaging ones. These are a few tips to make you shine and standout.

It’s been a real pleasure to see Bear Season out in the wild and receiving so much love! If you still haven’t ordered your copy, you can purchase directly from us in the UK or your favourite local bookshop. If you’re outside the UK, you can order from your favourite online retailer in ebook or paperback.

Bear Season tells the story of Jade Hunter, a PhD student from Manchester, who goes missing in the Alaskan wilderness. Suspicion immediately falls on the reclusive survivalist Ursula Smith, who is swiftly arrested and convicted of Jade’s murder – even though a body has not been found.

Publishing 29 February 2024; Paperback (also available as an ebook); ISBN 9781739458003; £9.99; Jade Hunter, a PhD student from Manchester, goes missing in Alaska in 2016 and all suspicion turns to reclusive survivalist Ursula Smith. No body has been found but Ursula is convicted of murder, nonetheless.

Wild Hunt Books are happy to report that we have e-ARCS* ready for bloggers and reviewers! If you are interested in receiving one and/or interviewing the author, please let us know here.

The dreaded synopsis! How can you possibly sum up the entirety of your book in one single-spaced page? There are so many ways to write a compelling synopsis but getting there can be hard. We personally like to read clear, thrilling and spoiler-filled ones.

When reading for Wild Hunt Books, the first thing we look at is the query letter. It’s your way to introduce yourself to us and also your work. We have a fondness for succinct and clear queries that keep it to one page max but writing the letter can be so hard!

We are open for new submissions during the month of December. We request your query letter, synopsis and full manuscript. For our second list, we are expanding into novels of maximum 85,000 words (but we are still looking for novellas, so don’t fret). More information will be available on the Submissions page closer to December, but for now, we’re sharing our manuscript wish list.

Amy Douglas is the digital marketing assistant for Wild Hunt Books. She recommends a variety of witchy reads to flavour your reading list for autumn and well into winter.

Yesterday, there was a kerfuffle on Twitter over a US-based small independent publisher, who shall not be named. They withdrew a publishing offer from an emerging author and then proceeded to post bizarre statements on their personal account that included identifying information about the author. Besides reneging on their offer, there were so many parts of the story that didn’t sit right with the Wild Hunt Books team.

Gemma Fairclough is a writer living in Manchester. A range of unsettling influences, including horror films, surrealist art, and folklore inspire her writing, which frequently centres upon experiences of alienation, grief, and aberrant desire. Her novella, Bear Season, a dark fairytale set between the United Kingdom and Alaska, is scheduled to publish next year with Wild Hunt Books.