Our very first query window opens from July 1 to July 14!
If you have a novella of 20-40K words that might fit our guidelines, please do consider submitting it during this period. As a reminder, the sub-genres I am looking for are Weird Fiction, New Weird, Eco-Speculative Fiction, Folk Horror, Surreal Fiction, and Literary Speculative Fiction.
When it opens on July 1, the form will include requests for the following:
A 1 paragraph pitch (i.e., how the blurb on the back might read).
The synopsis: 1 to 2 pages is perfect. Include spoilers: this should reveal all the important elements of your story.
The first 30 pages of your novella. If reaching the end of a chapter takes you a little over this, that’s okay!
A description of similar books and your ideal readers/target audience. These questions are both optional. If you have no idea, it’s perfectly okay to skip these.
A query letter: Tell me a little about yourself and the book. I’m especially interested in why you wrote this particular story and what it means to you. Was there a particular inspiration, or were you driven by wanting to explore a particular issue or concept? Does the story have some special personal meaning to you?
Above all, don’t worry about being perfect with your query. I ask for these details so you have the opportunity to get the full idea and flavor of your novella across in a concise way, but if you can’t answer something, or if your pitch or synopsis is not the exact size I ask for, that’s okay! Don’t sweat it.
We are excited to reveal the cover and announce the shortlist for ECO25: The Year’s Best Speculative Ecofiction! The cover art is by Marcela Bolívar, with cover design by Mikio Murakami at SilentQDesign. Our panel of judges read hundreds of ecofiction stories published in 2025 across more than 170 magazines, journals, and anthologies around the… Read more: ECO25 Shortlist & Cover Reveal!
Violet Lichen Books is excited to announce the acquisition of THEY CALL THE PLACE WILD by Rae Mariz. Pitched as Richard Powers’ THE OVERSTORY meets the Brothers Grimm and Slavic folklore, this novella is a lush dark fantasy about the stories we’re told and the stories we make for ourselves.
Violet Lichen Books is so excited to add a brilliant new book to its catalog today. Happy Book Release Day to THE CELLAR BELOW THE CELLAR by Ivy Grimes!
This gorgeous novella is a magical blend of the supernatural and the mundane, the beautiful and the weird. Ivy’s prose has a way of drawing you into her truly memorable characters, and the story constantly surprises, shifting seamlessly between weird and creepy to funny and surreal.
ECO: The Year’s Best Speculative Ecofiction is an annual showcase of some of the most compelling ecofiction published every year. If you published speculative ecofiction in 2025, you can now nominate your stories for consideration in ECO25!
Violet Lichen Books 
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