Submission Guidelines
Submissions are CURRENTLY OPEN. You do not need an agent to query us.
Under no circumstances will we accept books created in whole or in part with generative AI or AI book software programs.
Adamo Press is currently seeking well-written and completed books by human authors in the United States primarily in the following genres:
- thrillers, suspense, mystery
- young adult (YA)
- middle grade fiction (MG)
- illustrated children's books
- women's fiction
- sci-fi
- fantasy
- clean romance
- literary fiction
- book series in the above genres are welcome (submit the first book only but do state how many books in the series are complete)
There are some exceptions to the above. For example, we may consider select narrative nonfiction, motivational, and/or self-help books if you have a platform and dazzle us with your brilliant marketing plan.
Make sure the page count falls within the normal range for your genre.
We will NOT accept the following submissions:
- textbooks
- technical books
- short story collections
- poetry
- horror
- erotica
- memoir
- nonfiction
- religious books
- essay collections
- anthologies from multiple authors
- cookbooks
- historical fiction
- graphic novels
- music books
- books primarily written in a language other than English
- photography books
- fan-fiction
- books written with the use of generative AI
Please note that although Adamo Press does not pay royalty advances, we are a traditional small press and we will never charge authors money for publication. Our authors retain negotiated rights and the royalties we pay meet or exceed industry-standard rates.
We seek to publish books that represent all of us. We encourage all authors, including those who identify as BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+, to submit.
WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR QUERY LETTER
Tell us about your book. Hook us. Make your description so engaging that we stay up late reading your sample pages. Also, let us know that your book is complete, the final word count, the specific genre, and a couple of comparative titles.
Include your contact information and briefly tell us about yourself, as well as any publishing credits you have. In other words, why are you best person to write this book? Do you have an established platform (you don't need a million followers)? A marketing plan? Tell us who you are.
If you need help writing query letters, there are resources available online. Publishing professionals such as Jane Friedman offer tips and samples and are great sources of information.
WHY YOU SHOULD WRITE YOUR OWN QUERY LETTER INSTEAD OF HAVING AI WRITE IT FOR YOU
Hardly anyone enjoys writing query letters. That's a lot of pressure and you want it to be as good as possible. However, a query letter should capture your personal voice, your writing style, and the tone of your writing. When we read your submission, the writing in the query letter should be similar to the writing in your story. A computer system can't replicate you. We have been getting an influx of AI written query letters. We prefer reading letters written by human authors.
HOW TO SEND YOUR SUBMISSION
Adamo Press only accepts emailed submissions. Any queries sent to us via postal mail will not be read and will be destroyed. Any unsolicited manuscripts, whether mailed or emailed to us, will not be read and will be destroyed.
- Send us a one-page query letter along with the first twenty pages of your manuscript in the email. For children's books, send the entire story. Insert the pages into your email.
- Do not send sample pages as a separate attachment. Attachments and links will not be opened.
- Send your query to: query@adamopress.com.
- In the subject line, write: "Query," the title of your manuscript, the genre, and your full name. For example, your subject line may read: Query - YA fantasy "Best Book Title Here" by Jane Smith
IMPORTANT: By emailing us a query letter, you are confirming that you are an adult human author residing in the United States and that the manuscript was written entirely by you without the use of generative AI.
RESPONSE TIME
Because of resource constraints, Adamo Press may not be able to respond to every query. Thank you for your understanding. If you haven't heard back from us within eight weeks, assume we are passing. If we are excited to see more, we will request your full manuscript and a completed two-page synopsis.
We wish you the best of luck in your writing journey!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Article 1: Understand Your Publishing Options: Traditional, Hybrid, or Self-Publishing
Article 2: Realistic Author Expectations
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