Just discovered that TOR Books accept unsolicited MS via snail mail through Tom Docherty Associates. Here's a copy and paste job of the submission guidelines.
Submissions guidelines
How do I submit writing to Tom Doherty Associates, LLC?
How do I submit writing to Tom Doherty Associates, LLC? We have an open submissions policy and consider tens of thousands of projects a year. Every proposal that reaches us is reviewed by at least one member of the editorial staff. We apologize in advance for replying primarily with form letters; unfortunately, there's no other way to handle responses in a timely manner.
Please read this entire section before submitting; following our guidelines will ensure you a fair hearing by our editorial staff.
Please note that these guidelines are intended for writers who do not have agents.
Your submissions packet should include:
- The first three chapters of your book, prepared in standard manuscript format on white paper. (If your chapters are really short or really long, or you don't use chapter breaks, you may send the first 40-60 pages of your book, provided you stay under 10,000 words.) The submitted text must be made up of consecutive pages and should end at the end of a paragraph, not in mid-sentence. Standard manuscript format means margins of at least 1 inch all the way around; indented paragraphs; double-spaced text; and Courier or Times Roman in 10 or 12 pitch. Please use one side of the page only and do not justify the text. Do not bind the manuscript in any way. Make sure the header of the ms. includes either your name or the title of the book and the page number (on every page).
- A synopsis of the entire book. The synopsis should include all important plot elements, especially the end of the story, as well as aspects of character development for your main characters. The synopsis should run between three and ten pages in standard manuscript format.
- A dated cover letter that includes your name and contact information and the title of the submitted work. Briefly tell us what genre or subgenre the submission falls into and mention any qualifications you have that pertain to the work. Please list any previous publications in paying markets.
- A self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope for our reply letter. Unfortunately, it's no longer possible for us to return submissions due to a change in postal service policy that requires packages weighing more than a pound be mailed at a post office. Since we use a company mailroom rather than a post office, when we try to return submissions, they are sent back to us by the postal service or disappear in transit. We recycle your proposals. (That's not a euphemism for being tossed in a wastebasket--we recycle all white paper.) If you live outside the United States, please go to http://www.usps.com/onlinepostage to see internet postage options. If you do not include an SASE, you will not receive a reply at all.
Please send only one proposal in each submissions packet. If you have written a series, send a proposal for the first book only. If we like what we see, we'll ask for the rest.
Many people include postcards for us to return when the proposal reaches us. Unfortunately, we don't open submissions until we're ready to read them, so you'll likely get the "I got it" postcard the same day you receive our response to your project.
If you want to be sure that your manuscript was delivered to our offices, please ask for a return receipt or a signature confirmation when you post it.
Don't stop reading! Here are some tips to help the whole process work smoothly:
- Don't send a query letter. It's practically impossible to judge a project from a query. We'd rather see your proposal.
- Don't send submissions or inquiries by email or fax. We do not respond to emailed or faxed submissions, queries, or inquiries about the status of submissions.
- Don't send disks. We want to read words in black type on white paper. And it's not that we don't trust you, but your system might have viruses you don't know about.
- Don't send us the only copy of anything. Things get lost in transit.
- Don't send interior or cover art or an author photo. There's time for that later, if we like your project.
- Don't send jewelry, food, toys, 3-dimensional representations of anything, or anything that might be construed as a bribe. Over the years, we've seen all of the following and more: handmade bracelets and earrings, anatomical models, home-baked cookies, fine fabrics, fancy bookmarks, cocoanuts, fancy manuscript boxes . . ..None of this has any impact on our consideration of your work. The work has to sink or swim on its own merits.
Thanks! Send submissions to:
Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Address submissions as follows:
- Paranormal Romance: Acquisitions Editor, Paranormal Romance
- Science fiction and fantasy: Acquisitions Editor, Science Fiction and Fantasy
- General fiction of all types including mysteries, thrillers, mainstream fiction, women's fiction, and horror: Acquisitions Editor, Fiction
- Children's and Young Adult: Acquisitions Editor, Children's and Young Adult Division Note: We publish books for chapter book, middle grade, and young adult audiences. We do not publish picture books.
Generally we respond to unsolicited submissions within 4-6 months. Unfortunately, your manuscripts and our replies sometimes go astray in transit. Because of the volume of submissions, it's not possible for us to track down any individual project; please don't call for a status report. If you have not heard back from us after six months, please resubmit.
