Deadline: September 30th, 2023
Payment: Royalties
Theme: New Crystal Lake Entertainment imprint looking for Pulp and Extreme Horror novels and novellas.

The submission window will remain open from midnight EST August 1st, 2023 to midnight EST September 30th, 2023.
Only one submission per author at a time. Simultaneous subs (to other publishers) are allowed, but please inform us of that upon submission. Be sure to let us know if and when your book is accepted for publication elsewhere. No previously published works (this includes self-published titles). Your novel/novella needs to 100% written when you submit your first three chapters, in case we ask to see the entire manuscript. Do not resubmit the same title once it’s been rejected.
Email your submissions to [email protected] with the subject of “Torrid Waters Submission 2023.” In the body of the email, be sure to mention:
• The title of your book and the total word count of the finished manuscript.
• A one-sentence tagline that encapsulates your main plot.
• An author bio
• Optional: your writer’s CV, if you want to give a detailed summary of previous publications,
awards, etc.
Please attach the following to your submission:
• A one or two page, detailed synopsis (which includes any twists as well as the ending)
• The first three chapters of your novel or novella (no collections, short stories, or poetry at this
time). Series welcome. Please use the modern Shunn format for your manuscript.
Sim subs:
We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please inform us if you’ve subbed it elsewhere, and be sure to withdraw it in case it’s accepted elsewhere. Only one submission per author. Don’t send another submission until you receive an acceptance or rejection.

What we’re looking for:
Length: 30,000 to 95,000 words
Genre: Pulp Fiction and extreme horror. We’re interested in that same style we saw in the early pulps that defined sub-genre. Pulp fiction typically features some sort of crime or thriller element, so that tracks here too. But we also want to expand that umbrella for this imprint and cast a wide net. We like the weird, the gory, the disturbing—of course. Our interests range anywhere from the TV series like True Detective to Ash vs The Evil Dead to Kolchak, and everything in between and on the fringes. And to books like Koja’s The Cipher, Barker’s The Damnation Game, Ketchum’s Off Season, King’s Revival, Benchley’s Jaws, Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts, much of what is in Hendrix’s Paperbacks From Hell, Weird Tales, and even some elements from Lansdale’s Hap and Leonard series. We’re looking less for literary horror and more for the sort of horror that gets your heart racing. Our readers want to go on an emotional rollercoaster of fear, fright, sadness, joy, loss, and the beauty behind every character’s story. If you aren’t sure if it fits what we’re looking for, send it. You miss 100% of the chances you don’t take, and each and every one of you are welcome and encouraged to submit.

What we’re not looking for:

• Literary horror
• Romance/Erotica (although they can certainly be used in subplots)
• Anthology pitches
• Short stories
• Short story collections
• Poetry
• Screenplays
• Young Adult
Response Time:
Receipt of your submission will be acknowledged within 2 days of receiving it. We aim to get out a rejection or request for the rest of your manuscript within 4 weeks. Upon receiving the full manuscript, it’ll take an additional 3 months at the most for an answer.
Rights and payment:
We are looking for Worldwide English rights for paperback, eBook, and hardcover. Movie and audiobook rights are negotiable. Authors will be paid 40% royalties for net eBook sales and 20% on paperback sales. We ask for four years exclusivity, after which the rights return to the author. The Crystal Lake version of the book will, however, remain in print unless agreed upon by publisher and author. We have our own cover artist and in-house editors and proofreaders, and the author is not expected to pay for any of these services. Please note that we are a print-on-demand publisher. Our books will always remain in print, never run out of stock,  and always earn you money even after the rights have reverted to you.

Once again, email your submissions to [email protected] with the subject of “Torrid Waters Submission 2023.”

We look forward to reading your work.
Best of luck,
Kenneth W. Cain
Editor-in-Chief

Via: Crystal Lake Entertainment.