June 2015 Query Stats

By Eileen Wiedbrauk.

Our second query-reading period of 2015 closed on June 30, and the numbers are (mostly) in. As per request (and, oh my, have we had requests for these stats on Twitter!), we're sharing some of the stats about the kind of submissions we received and the percentages receiving requests for full/partial manuscripts as well as those receiving personalized rejections. 

Queries received in total: 99
Length of query period: 30 days
Received as a result of an #SFFpit request: 10+
Received as a result of an #PitMad request: 5

During June, both WWP and our imprint Red Moon Romance were open to query letters. We've not counted the strictly-romance queries in the WWP stats we're sharing today; however, there was a substantial number of queries for sf-romance, fantasy-romance, or paranormal-romance, some of which came in directed to WWP and some to RMR, for that area of overlap, we've included the data in our shared stats. 

As a general note: any query that comes in to WWP or RMR comes into the same inbox, read by the same editors. This means if a query is on the borderline between what each imprint does, all editors from both imprints take a look. If we decide we want to publish that project, then the editor and the author have a conversation about which press/imprint would be best for the title, but that's a consideration that comes long after the slush pile.

Not everything adds up to 99. There are two considerations to note: First, some manuscripts fit into multiple categories among the following lists, so the categories when totaled may add up to more than 99; Conversely, some queries didn't tick any boxes in a sub-set. Second consideration, this is not a precise gathering of data, not by a long shot. 

All Queries

Sub-genre of Speculative Fiction

• Speculative fiction (as in, we couldn't specify further): 15
• Science fiction: 21
• Fantasy: 59
  • Primary-world fantasy (e.g. contemporary fantasy, alternate history, urban fantasy): 35
  • Second-world fantasy (e.g. high fantasy): 22
  • Dimension hopping (e.g. portals between primary-world and second-world): 2
• Science-fantasy: 1

Other Elements (as described by authors in the query letters)

• Steampunk: 6
• Mystery/thriller: 4
• Fairy tale: 4
• Romance: 10

This has been the season for kitsunes and other Asian-based mythological/folklore creatures -- we love it! Although we probably saw as many kitsune queries as we did zombie queries. Sorry, we just aren't into the whole zombie thing.

Audience

• Young adult: 23
• New adult: 9
• General adult (if not specified, general adult assumed): 67

About a half-dozen queries that tried to sell us on the idea that the story was for "all reading audiences" or "audiences of any age" or "readers age 15-100," to which we must ask where is the shelf labeled "age 15-100" at your local bookstore? When we ask what the intended audience is, we are asking whether it should be shelved with the young adult books or in the general (adult) genre shelves. Or on the occasion that there is a new adult section in the bookstore, if it should go there.

Form

• Novel: 69
• Novella: 22
• Collection: 7
• Anthology proposal: 2

Personalized Rejection Letters

• To date, approximately 19% of queries received personalized rejections

Editors tended to pen a few lines of feedback to those pitches they'd requested from #PitMad and #SFFpit that then came in as queries addressed to them specifically. Requested manuscripts always received some personalized feedback if/when they were declined. Other personalized feedback in letters declining queries was for reasons wholly personal to the editor who penned it.

Requested Manuscripts

Requested full and partial manuscripts in total: 16 (or 16% of all queries).

Among requested manuscripts appeared the following traits and quantities. The percentage next to each category represents the percentage of all such submissions that were requested. For example 3 science fiction manuscripts of 21 science fiction queries were requested, or 14%.

Sub-genre of Speculative Fiction

• Speculative fiction (as in, we couldn't specify further): 1 (6%)
• Science fiction: 3 (14%)
• Fantasy: 12 (37%)
  • Primary-world fantasy (e.g. contemporary fantasy, alternate history, urban fantasy): 8 (22%)
  • Second-world fantasy (e.g. high fantasy): 3 (13%)
  • Dimension hopping (e.g. portals between primary-world and second-world): 1 (50%)
• Science-fantasy: 1 (6%)

Other Elements (as described by authors in the query letters)

• Steampunk: 3 (50%)
• Mystery/thriller: 1 (25%)
• Fairy tale: 0 (0%)
• Romance: 4 (40%)

Audience

• Young adult: 4 (17%)
• New adult: 1 (11%)
• General adult (if not specified, general adult assumed): 11 (16%)

Form

• Novel: 14 (20%)
• Novella: 2 (9%)
• Collection: 0 (0%)
• Anthology proposal: 0 (0%)

Manuscripts Requested by Editor:

• Sarena Ulibarri: 6
• Laura Harvey: 6
• Cori Vidae: 3
• Trysh Thompson: 5
• Eileen Wiedbrauk: 0

Acceptances

None yet. Getting to the point where we've accepted a project for editing, finalized the contract terms with the author, and can announce the author and release of the book is a long process for us. For example, we recently announced author A. E. Decker and the October 2015 release of her novel The Falling of the Moon -- a project that she first queried us about in June of 2014. They don't all take that long . . . but some may take longer.

Next Chance to Submit

To query a novel, novella, short story collection, or propose an anthology, our next open submission periods are September 2015 and February 2016 (guidelines). 

We also have several upcoming anthology submission periods, including Sirens, the next anthology in Rhonda Parrish's Magical Menageries, August 15 - November 15, 2015, and Far Orbit Perigee, the third Far Orbit SF adventure anthology, opening January 1, 2016. 

Check back for new releases -- the best way to get to know what a publisher is producing is to read the works they publish. And oh look, here's a visual list of the books we publish with links to where you can buy them. Convenient, eh?