Killer Reads open submission
HarperCollins is launching a new digital-first crime and thriller list, which will begin publication with the best finds from an open submission held this summer. Killer Reads will invite unagented submissions from 29th August to 14th September, in all crime genres from police procedurals to high-concept thrillers. No submissions will be accepted before 29 August.
Sarah Hodgson, deputy publishing director, said the open submissions would be a good way to tap into undiscovered writing:
"Our Harper Impulse digital list has open submissions all year round, while the Borough Press held a limited open submission which it found really productive. This is something that will be a cross between the two, which we're hopeful will tap into a lot of new material, and if it's successful, it's something that we could do again. I think a lot of our audience is very engaged with our books, they're very intelligent and very knowledgable about the genre, and I imagine a lot of them write themselves. This is another route to publication that can sit alongside manuscripts coming the traditional way, through agents."
The imprint will look to put out around one or two new titles each month.
Killer Reads already exists as a promotional site and community for HarperCollins' crime list, with blogs and other content covering authors such as Agatha Christie and Stuart McBride, and selling e-books directly to consumers as well as giving links to retailers for physical purchases. Killer Reads has been online since 2009.
Our mission statement:
We are on the lookout for commercial crime and thrillers ranging from police procedurals, to psychological thrillers, to high-concept thrillers and beyond.
We are looking for fantastic writing that hooks us, making us want to turn the page and find out what happens next; and characters that stay with us long after we finish reading. We want to feel moved, compelled, shocked, and intrigued.
We want to give a voice to exciting emerging talent in the genre that may otherwise go unheard. If this sounds like you, we'd love to read your novel!
All authors must submit their full, completed manuscripts, written in English, and no shorter than 70,000 words.
