Strange Chemistry Unagented Open Submissions starting May 1 (2013)!

Debeucci · Apr 26, 2013

Get your scripts ready, peeps. Strange Chemistry is doing it again for 2013! This time though, it's running for 6(!!!!!) months.

http://strangechemistrybooks.com/2013/04/26/strange-chemistry-unagented-submissions-2013/

Netz · Apr 26, 2013

Thanks for the heads-up, Debeucci.

Moose · Apr 26, 2013

I didn't see any mention of it on the announcement post but on twitter they say they want the submission packages as attachments.

https://twitter.com/strangechem/status/327799229181468672

EMaree · Apr 27, 2013

Oooh. Good luck to all submitters!

SBibb · Apr 27, 2013

Thanks for sharing, this sounds exciting. I shall have to prepare a one-line pitch now. :-D

Undercover · Apr 28, 2013

Thanks for letting us know, this is great! Can't wait to submit May 1st! Good luck everyone!

Tromboli · Apr 28, 2013

Hmm they're taking more than just sci-fi/fantasy now. I'll have to think about it, and man, do I have plenty of time

lauralam · Apr 29, 2013

I got in through the Open Door in 2011, so if anyone has any questions, give me a shout

ryanthehansen · Apr 29, 2013

Thanks for the heads up, Debeucci! This is awesome.

I love this kind of stuff.

lauralam: When they ask us for the "social media outlets" on that first page, do they just want us to list what social media we currently frequent? Do you know if that social media presence plays into the actual acceptance of the manuscript? If I only frequent Facebook, for example, will that negatively affect my chances? Thanks for being available for my intense interrogation....lol

Debeucci · Apr 29, 2013

If you have zero presence online, it could be an issue. Being active in FB, twitter, goodreads...etc...is something they do check before an offer. Also, they do enough a background check to make sure you're not an A-hole too.

ryanthehansen · Apr 29, 2013

Debeucci said:
Also, they do enough a background check to make sure you're not an A-hole too.

Haha, yeah that makes sense. I'm not too worried about that part of things. I guess the social media presence would be more of an issue for me, since I don't have much of an online presence other than my Facebook. And even then, I don't spend too much time there. Yikes! Well, I'll submit regardless and hope the story has enough wow to overlook my lack of online presence.

Debeucci · Apr 29, 2013

You have six months to build it up. They don't expect a massive presence. They just want to know that you'll work on marketing your own book as well.

Undercover · Apr 29, 2013

Tromboli said:
Hmm they're taking more than just sci-fi/fantasy now. I'll have to think about it, and man, do I have plenty of time

Yeah, I see that too and I am super excited about that. My book falls under the thriller and contemporary YA. I wonder if taking these other genres is a new thing or what.

ryanthehansen · Apr 29, 2013

Thanks again, Debeucci. You've been a ton of help. I'll need to go out and start a Twitter and get more active on my Goodreads account. 6 months is a long time to get going on building up that platform.

ellewest · Apr 29, 2013

Debeucci said:
If you have zero presence online, it could be an issue. Being active in FB, twitter, goodreads...etc...is something they do check before an offer. Also, they do enough a background check to make sure you're not an A-hole too.

Omg, I loled at 'a-hole' and immediately after I panicked and tried to determine is I am an a-hole online.

Rhoda Nightingale · Apr 29, 2013

Ooh boy, a one-line pitch. I've never had to think up one of those before. Ironically, however, I did think of one for the YA horror/dark fantasy I've been revising lately. Now I know what I've been revising it for!

lauralam · Apr 29, 2013

I didn't have much of a social media presence at all when I submitted, though I had a GR and a personal FB. By the time I had my revision request, I'd made a Twitter and a blog. I also traveled down to Fantasycon to learn about the industry and also meet the publishers and show them I wasn't a crazy person (though perhaps travelling several hundred miles to meet them was a little crazy, in retrospect). After I signed, I made an author FB, got more active on Goodreads, and beefed up the blog.

Mainly, because they don't have a huge marketing budget, they want to know you're savvy enough to do at least a little bit of marketing of you as an author and your work.

Cjiadon · Apr 29, 2013

Thanks for posting. I think I am going to pitch the fantasy booked I have outlined. Even if I dont finish it by the deadline, having a goal to work towards will help me be more productive.

amschilling · Apr 30, 2013

Aaaauuugh. I was afraid of this. I've been waiting and waiting for the open sub period, and I JUST got 4 freaking full requests from agents. And all of them are known for being 6+ month responders. Dang it. I'd hate to shoot myself in the foot w/ an agent, but I so want to sub to them.... *sigh* First world problems, I know.

At least the window is long. Maybe I'll get lucky and hear back before it closes.

Netz · Apr 30, 2013

You could always sub to them anyway. If you progress through the stages, you'll be able to nudge the agents with that encouraging news in the hope they'd then be keen to represent you (if they're not already!). And I think you can withdraw from the submission at any point if you want (if you do get an offer for rep in the meantime). Win win?

Plus - congrats on the requests!

Becca C. · Apr 30, 2013

OMG. Open to contemp now?! I'm so subbing. I'm working on another revision of A BRAVER THING, and that book *could* potentially be up their alley. Stoked!

Tromboli · Apr 30, 2013

amschilling said:
Aaaauuugh. I was afraid of this. I've been waiting and waiting for the open sub period, and I JUST got 4 freaking full requests from agents. And all of them are known for being 6+ month responders. Dang it. I'd hate to shoot myself in the foot w/ an agent, but I so want to sub to them.... *sigh* First world problems, I know.

At least the window is long. Maybe I'll get lucky and hear back before it closes.

Yeah, I don't really see the problem. You can still sub both right? I didn't think there was a rule about that. If you get an agent they can submit to Strange Chemistry anyway, and then some.

So 4 agents who, if they offer representation, can submit to this publisher and more, anyway, doesn't seem like a *snaps fingers* "DRAT" moment to me. And that's not even assuming you can submit to SC anyway. If you get an offer from SC AND an agent, they will often negotiate that contract for you. Worst case scenario is you pull the sub and send to other (probably bigger) publishers.

Guess it's up to you if you just really don't want to do both, but either way I think the agent route is the better one in this case.

amschilling · Apr 30, 2013

Okay, now I feel dumb.

I just figured since it was an unagented call, they wouldn't want an agent coming in and negotiating if they liked it. I've been talking to someone who's still in the running for the Amazon breakthrough novel contest, so I've been reading lots of fine, tricky print along those lines there, lol.

Guess I'll be working on a one line pitch. And tweeking my synopsis to get it to the right # of pages. It's close, but a teeny bit too long.

Tromboli · Apr 30, 2013

Haha. Yeah, some are picky about agents. But not all.

Most of the time publisher open doors are for fresh blood, not cheap authors (although sometimes...) so they don't mind an agent jumping in.

sarahdalton · May 1, 2013

I have a partial but I'm not sure it'll be ready in time. I've got to write my final 'Blemished' book first. Hmmm. And I'm not sure if it's SFF enough, it's more of a supernatural gothic mystery thing -- see I don't even know the genre, haha!

Strange Chemistry Unagented Open Submissions starting May 1 (2013)!

Debeucci

Netz

Freshly caught writing bug lives!

Moose

EMaree

a demon for tea

SBibb

Undercover

I got it covered

Tromboli

Hopelessly Hopeful

lauralam

Moonshade

ryanthehansen

Debeucci

ryanthehansen

Debeucci

Undercover

I got it covered

ryanthehansen

ellewest

Rhoda Nightingale

Vampire Junkie

lauralam

Moonshade

Cjiadon

amschilling

Netz

Freshly caught writing bug lives!

Becca C.

Tromboli

Hopelessly Hopeful

amschilling

Tromboli

Hopelessly Hopeful

sarahdalton