Submissions

Update 05/2022: Submissions are now closed. Due to an influx of special projects, we anticipate submissions continuing to be closed for at least another year. We will announce on our mailing list and social media when submissions will open again.

Thank you for your interest in Brain Lag. Submissions are currently closed. If you have a speculative fiction novel you would like us to consider, please review our guidelines below.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• Fantasy (epic, urban, dark, futuristic, etc.)
• Science fiction (near- or far-future, cyberpunk, space opera, military, etc.)
• Post-apocalyptic (with speculative elements)
• Weird (paranormal, superheroes, monsters, etc.)
• Steampunk (dieselpunk, gaslamp fantasy, etc.)
• A great story first and foremost
• Classic stories as well as envelope-pushing
• Any age range from middle grade up
• Length: from 50,000 words up (except for younger audiences)

WHAT WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR:

• Horror*
• Zombie apocalypse*
• Romance*
• Anything not speculative fiction

WHAT WE ARE MOST INTERESTED IN:

• Canadian authors or content
• Stories by or featuring women or minorities (BIPOC, LGBTQ, neurodiverse, disabled/spoonie, etc.)
• Genre-bending, difficult to classify, or 'tough sale' stories

Unagented submissions are welcome. Debut authors are encouraged. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but you must inform us if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

If your work falls under one of the categories above (or if it doesn't but you think we might enjoy it anyway), please follow these instructions to submit your work for consideration. We are only accepting digital submissions at this time.

1. E-mail: Include your full name, pen name if desired, the title of your novel, the target age range of the work, and the total word count. The subject line of the message should be "SUBMISSION".
2. Query letter: Tell us about yourself and why you think your novel would be a good fit for Brain Lag. If you have any publishing credits, include them here, but they are not required for consideration. You may also include a blurb for your novel if you have one.
3. Synopsis: We are looking for a complete outline of the characters and story, beginning, middle, and end. This isn't a blurb. Don't leave any surprise endings unsaid.
4. Sample: Include the first 10,000 words of your novel.

All attachments should be in Microsoft Word (.docx, .rtf, .odt) format. Please keep formatting to a minimum. When you have all the pieces of your submission ready, e-mail them to publishing@brain-lag.com.

*** Ensure that publishing@brain-lag.com is added to your approved sender list in your e-mail client so that replies do not get spam-filtered. ***

If you have any questions on submissions or submission requirements, do not hesitate to ask us. We look forward to seeing your work.