Thank you for considering Inspired Quill to submit your work. Unfortunately, submissions are currently closed until November 2026.

(Submissions are currently closed, but everything below still applies, so have a read and get your manuscript ready.) If you have any questions you can get in touch via our Contact Page.

Although we’re a tiny independent publishing house, Inspired Quill accepts unsolicited manuscripts. This means that if you have a completed work you’d like to submit (when our window is open!), you don’t need to ask an agent to contact us on your behalf.

It’s a good idea to spend ten minutes getting feel for who we are as a publisher – our ethos, the fantastic authors we already work with, and the books we publish. Before reading the guidelines below, you should make sure that you think we’d be a great fit for one another, especially as Inspired Quill are committed to working with our authors long-term.

If you’ve written something in any of our accepted genres, then you should feel free to submit your novel. This includes previously self-published work. Across all of them, for Adult and YA (15+). Previously self-published work is welcome. LGBTQ+, feminist, and lived experience stories within those genres are actively wanted.

One thing we care about: we publish books where readers can see themselves on the page, whatever their race, gender, age, disability, sexuality, or class. That’s not a diversity checklist, and it doesn’t mean every book has to contain everyone. It means we can tell when a writer is being mindful about their characters… and when they’re not. Write non-tokenistically and you’re speaking our language.

What actually makes us sit up is a book with something to say: stories that take a side, champion something, and aren’t afraid of a bit of spine (pun 100% intended!) We aim to publish fiction that does more than pass the time.

Inspired Quill loves to work with folks who are determined to jump in head first, aren’t afraid of hard work (we promise to pull our weight, too!) and want to learn the ins and outs of the industry and digital marketing. You’ll get bespoke 1-on-1 mentoring… but only if you take it seriously.

We don’t work well with egos, either. If you truly believe that your novel doesn’t need any form of editing, then we’re sorry but Inspired Quill is not the publisher for you. However, there are bonus points up for grabs if you’re interested in social inclusion and/or ethical publishing.

Important Note: To be absolutely clear (even though it shouldn’t need saying, but here we are) – ANYONE who meets the above criteria is welcomed at Inspired Quill, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, disability, or background. What goes for the characters in our books goes for the people who write them. No exceptions.

P.P.S. (If you identify as a TERF, we’re not the press for you either.)

For more, see our Publishing Diversity Pledge.

Any submissions that do not follow our guidelines will be deleted. We’re not being mean – we  read a lot of submissions during our open seasons, and not following the guidelines tell us that you don’t care enough to check. Both your work and our time deserve better.

A Note on AI

We don’t consider work written partially or wholly by AI (including AI translation). Submit it and you’ll be banned from submitting to us again. For the record: we don’t feed anything you send us into AI either (and we have specific sections in our contracts for this).

Word Count: 30,000 – 110,000 words (non-negotiable)
Document Format: Microsoft Word Only (Not PDF, not a Google Docs link, not Pages.)

Send To: (We’ll give the email address when our novel submissions are open again)
Subject Line: Novel Submission: Title – [Genre] – [Word Count].

Example: Novel Submission: Greaveburn – Steampunk – 98,500 words

Include:

1. Cover Letter (in the email body)
2. First 2 Chapters (Prologue counts as a Chapter) or 15 pages if no chapters (as attachment)
3. Synopsis (500 words max) (as attachment)

Cover Letter Should Include:

• Title of Work / Word Count / Genre
• Why you chose to submit your novel to Inspired Quill specifically

Cover Letter Should Not Include:

• Author Name / Age or Age Markers (e.g. ‘I retired X years ago’ or similar)
• Website / Social Media Info

Why the anonymising?We want to choose the best submissions, and we’re working hard to remove any sneaky subconscious biases that might hinder that outcome.

Before You Hit Send (Use This Quick Checklist)

• Finished MS sitting at 30k–110k words?
• Word document (not PDF)?
• Cover letter in the email body, with no name, age markers, or links?
• First 2 chapters (or 15 pages) attached?
• Synopsis attached: 500 words, full plot?
• Subject line formatted correctly?

All ticked? Send it!

It may take up to 2 calendar months for us to reply to your initial submission. If you haven't received a response after that time, feel free to contact us again for an update. If you have any queries before you submit your work to us, you can get in contact using the contact form to the right hand side of this text. We look forward to hearing from you!