DFP Submissions Guidelines

HOW TO SUBMIT:
All works must be finished prior to submission. [The only exceptions to finished manuscripts are series in progress, which are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.] When the submissions are open, the first step is for the author to fill out the Submission Query Form (a link will appear on this page). If the Submissions Editor requests to read more, have a full synopsis (outline in paragraph form) and a partial (chapters 1-3, plus prologue if applicable) ready to send in the appropriate file formatting (see below). Send all emails in plain text (i.e. non-HTML). Never send attachments without prior approval. Unsolicited files are deleted unread and SPAM is reported to the webhost. Please note that we work directly with authors and not through their agents.

CONTENT AND RATINGS:
All content must be suitable for a standard retail or library shelf. This means no graphic content that would mandate an adult R-rating (i.e. 18 or older). Young Adult (/Teen) books should be as close to a G-rating as possible, although most are rated PG. Adult Genre Fiction works should fall under a standard PG-rating, which means they are suitable for young teens and up to read.

CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS:
All authors must be USA citizens of eighteen years or older with valid USA social security numbers for tax purposes and royalty payment options. [See below for CONTRACT BASICS]

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
Authors retain full copyright to all contracted works and are required to provide proof of copyright with a copy of the initial application and then a copy of the registered copyright certificate. For copyright forms and information, see the U.S. Library of Congress at www.loc.gov and/or U.S. Copyright Office at: www.copyright.gov. | Read our COPYRIGHT article... |

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WORKS:
Previously published titles are accepted on a case-by-case basis. All print and digital book rights must be free to contract. Prior publication information must be submitted, including all former publishers, ISBNs, formats, reviews, and awards. Copies of all contractual releases and rights reversions must be included before new contracts can be issued.

NO SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS:
We do not read simultaneous submissions, i.e. works submitted to multiple publishers at the same time. Because we have a small staff working to fill a limited number of publication slots per year, we simply cannot afford to spend time and money on books under consideration elsewhere. Thanks!

UNDERSTANDING POD & EBOOKS:
Please do not submit manuscripts for contract consideration unless you understand the basics of POD and ebooks, from general sales distribution to online marketing. For more information, read these on-site articles: What is an eBook? | What is POD? |

We seek a limited number of genre fiction single author novels, novel series, and anthologies for the DFP Books label.

GENRES & SUB-GENRES:
* Science Fiction (SF), Fantasy, or SF/Fantasy combination [no Horror or Military Fiction]
* Science Fiction Romance [aka SFR: Futuristic (SF), Paranormal, Fantasy]
* Teen / Young Adult SF/Fantasy [Rated G to mild-PG for ages 12-18]

NOVEL LENGTH:
Novels should be 40,000 words minimum to 98,000 words maximum.

NOVEL SERIES:
Novel series are very popular in all combinations of Science Fiction and Fantasy for both adults and young adults. Due to the nature of writing ongoing series, we understand the need to contract forthcoming titles in a series by proposals. This is done on a case-by-case basis.

QUALITY:
All manuscripts must be finished and require only a light edit. We look for great stories with a strong writing style and good character construction.

RATINGS:
All genre fiction works must fall under a standard PG rating. [No R-rated materials]

TECHNIQUE:
Fiction novels should be written in simple past tense using either third person deep limited (i.e. one point-of-view character per scene) or first person. We do not take works written in floating viewpoint (i.e. head-hopping) or in unformatted mainstream (i.e. alternating tense and/or person).

Read these on-site articles: Articles Menu | Dialog Basics | Formatting Basics | Outline Basics | Seven Tips to Successful Submissions | What Genre Is it? | What Rating Is It? | Tips from the Editors |

EDITING:
Manuscript editing is performed digitally through RTF (Rich Text Format) manuscript files. The author must provide a clean digital file for editing purposes, and must be able to send and receive limited email file attachments during the editing process. Digital files are to be created according to the below formatting guidelines, using a word processor that handles resident RTF files in Times New Roman font size #12 (i.e. TNR-12). | Read our Formatting Basics article... |

FILE FORMATTING GUIDELINES
BRAND NAMES: Do not use brand names that require a registration (®) or trademark (™) superscript. Instead, either use generic terms or invent your own brand names. This is not negotiable.
CHAPTER BREAKS: Use hard page return between chapters.
CHAPTER HEADERS: Center chapter headers starting at line-4.
DASHES: Use two short dashes--with no spaces. They will be converted to em-dashes (long dashes) during editing.
DIALOG: Dialog tags and dialog punctuation must be properly formatted. See Dialog article
ELLIPSES: No spaces set inside sentences...four periods at end…. [as shown].
FILE DELIVERY: Email attachment (RTF) [3-MB maximum]
FILE TYPE: Resident RTF (Rich Text Format) DO NOT CONVERT
FONT FORMATS: Use plain text with Italics for emphasis, as needed. Do not use bold or underlines.
FONT TEXT: The body text should be set in Times New Roman font in size-12 (i.e. TNR-12). Make sure all text areas (including header and footer) are formatted in TNR-12. No other font is accepted.
HYPHENS: Use hyphens only in standard phrases, such as mother-in-law.
LINE INDENTS: Do not fiddle with the line indents. The left margin indents must be flush left on both upper and lower tabs. The right margin must be set to the full right. No hanging indent codes!
LINE SPACING: Use single line spacing for text body, as well as in the header and footer zones.
PAGE FOOTER: Set no page footer, but make sure its font is set to TNR-12 single-space.
PAGE HEADER: Put TITLE / Author on header left and Page # on right (TNR-12 single space).
PAGE MARGINS: Set page margins at 1.0" all around on a standard 8.5" x 11" page.
PAGE RIGHT: All body text must be justified. Center chapter headers and scene break asterisks.
POINT-OF-VIEW (POV): Use either third person restricted (i.e. one POV character per scene) or first person. Novels must be written in one POV style. Mixed POV styles are not allowed.
PUNCTUATION: Do not use ALL CAPS for word emphasis inside narrative or dialog. No semi-colons (;). No double punctuation (such as !? or ...?). No parentheses (*) or brackets [*]. Use colons (:) sparingly. See above for dashes and ellipses
SCENE BREAKS: Center three asterisks one space apart (* * *) below the last sentence in the scene. Skip one line. Then start the next scene flush-left with the first word in ALL CAPS.
SMART TAGS: Disable all smart tags.
STYLE CODES: Disable all style codes.
TABS: Set one Manual Tab at 1/2-inch (0.5"). Do not use Auto-Tabs.
VERB TENSE: Fiction novels should be written in simple past tense (i.e. ran, walked, saw). Mixed verb tense is not allowed.
WIDOW-ORPHAN CODE: Disable the paragraph widow-orphan setting. This is part of style-coding.

NOTE: If a manuscript RTF file is too riddled with macro and style code errors, our only choice is to "wash it" through Wordpad to strip the coding or (in worst case scenarios) reduce it to plain TXT using Notepad. While this does clean out unwanted code errors, it also removes necessary formatting, such as centering (for headers and scene breaks), page breaks, Italics, etc. Because we render the files into multiple formats (including paperback, hardback, and a host of ebook editions), the files must be pristine before production can be begin. If you cannot create a properly formatted submission file, then you need to find someone to create it for you as we just cannot provide such services for free. THANKS!

Our contract specifies worldwide publication rights for print editions, digital editions, and related synergy products. The author must verify legal ownership of the work in question. The copyright belongs to the author, who must provide a copy of the Library of Congress copyright registration. The contract term (length) is specified by beginning and end dates. All production costs are paid by the publisher, which means authors pay no fees. The author agrees to promote the work locally and on all author websites throughout the term of the contract. Authors are allowed to buy book stock at discount pricing. Royalties are paid directly to the author on a quarterly basis and include a detailed statement. Breach of contract clauses are included for both parties. Because we produce POD print editions and eBooks in various formats, we do not offer returns policies of any kind nor do we participate in print-run warehouse distribution. Please note that we do not offer advances on royalties nor do we work through agents.