Violet Lichen open to novella queries

It has been a truly wonderful few months reading all of the delightfully weird, creepy, and imaginative queries we received this summer. Almost all queries from our initial opening have been responded to. If I requested a full manuscript from you and you still haven’t heard back, your novella is still in consideration!

Our mid-winter query window is currently open and will remain so until at least January 10. If you have a complete or near complete novella ready, please check out our submission guidelines and follow the link below.

Submission Guidelines

We are seeking novellas of 20-40K words in the following sub-genres: Weird Fiction, New Weird, Eco-Speculative Fiction, Folk Horror, Surreal Fiction, and Literary Speculative Fiction. In particular, we’re interested in stories with unusual settings, distinctive characters, and a lot of atmosphere, especially of the unsettling variety.

I have a special love for stories that intertwine nature, animals, and other non-human life into stories about human relationships and community. If a natural setting or non-humans play a big role in your story, or if you have written something that is weird, mind-bending, or unsettling, I’d love to see your pitch!

Please send your submission via Query Manager and include the following:

A concise one-paragraph pitch
The synopsis: 1 to 2 pages is perfect. Please DO include spoilers: this should give me a bird’s eye view of all the important elements of your story.
The first 30 pages of your novella. If that brings you close to the end of a chapter, no need to cut it off.
A description of similar books and your ideal readers/target audience. These two questions are optional. Not all authors write with an audience in mind, and that is perfectly OK! Don’t sweat it.
A query letter: Tell me a little about yourself and the book. I’m especially interested in why you wrote this particular story or character, and what it means to you. Was it inspired by an experience you lived, or did you follow your curiosity to somewhere you always wanted to explore? Does this story have some special personal meaning to you?

Thank you to everyone who has sent us your stories! You are such a talented bunch of people, and it’s been a real joy to read your works.

I hope you all enjoy a lovely cozy winter solstice with lots of quiet reading and writing time. Or, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, I wish you lots of fine weather, beautiful bird-song, and bright creative energy.