Welcome to Attica. We hope you enjoy browsing our titles; however please note that we are not currently accepting new submissions. If you’ve already submitted to us we will still be considering your work and will get back to you as soon as possible with an answer either way. Otherwise, thank you for considering Attica, and we’ll be sure to announce when we’re accepting submissions again.
Attica is an independent ebook-first publisher run by former publishing professionals and authors with extensive experience on both sides of a contract. We’ve worked for or been published by several of the Big Six and some smaller presses. We think publishers still have a lot to offer authors: proper editing and proof-reading, getting format, conversion and distribution right, selecting books as part of a list to be promoted together, an increased marketing reach, and providing an imprint which lets the reader know that this book was worth our time and money. We don’t think they should be using these services as an excuse for highway robbery.
What we offer you
Royalties based on net receipts (so whatever we get, we split with you) of 40% to 2000 copies, 50% thereafter, paid quarterly; approval of the cover; a contract drawn up with author input and agent consultation; proper formatting and typesetting of ebooks; marketing tailored to your book; publication of your backlist; distribution to all major and virtually all minor e-retailers (in the pipeline for December); prices the reader won’t baulk at.
What we won’t do
Change the title without asking you, try to twist the book to fit whatever market takes our fancy, lock you into contracts for ever, try to stop you writing anything else, sign you up to joint accounting, declare that your book is out of fashion, demand that you add more sex and violence.
Wit, whimsy and humour are welcome, as are great sweeping epics (and if the two can be combined, so much the better). We’re after books which are, above all, a joy to read. Things we probably aren’t the right place for include: vampires, werewolves, mean city streets, and anything which might be promoted as ‘brutal’, ‘violent’, ‘gritty’ or ‘unflinching’. Backlist and frontlist both welcome. Samples of two of our recent books (currently with some surplus html) FrozenLakeSPL and VesperaSPL.
Submissions to attica AT atticabooks DOT com, covering letter in body of email plus attached synopsis and 3 chapters or up to 10,000 words, in MS Word or compatible format.
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Mystery specs
Historical mysteries and cozies. Not only detective-solves-a-crime, we’re looking for any book with a mystery at the heart of it. An eclectic selection of some mystery authors whose books we like, to give you an idea – Lilian Jackson Braun, Alexander McCall Smith, Elizabeth Peters, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Elizabeth Kostova. If your books are more in the Patricia Cornwell or Val McDermid line, we’re probably not the best place.
NEW – Historical
Both mysteries and straight historicals with strong narrative, likeable characters, and some colour and vibrancy to them. The less stench and torture, the better. We like Gillian Bradshaw, Patrick O’Brian, Sharon Penman, Colleen McCullough, and wonder why so few adult books match up to the charm and joy of Rosemary Sutcliff or Cynthia Harnett.
Fantasy
Epic, historical, and science fantasy in particular, set in this world or any other you’d like to introduce us to. Some authors we like – again, not by any means an exhaustive list – Guy Gavriel Kay, Kristen Britain, Naomi Novik, Alison Sinclair. If your thing is more China Mieville or Joe Abercrombie, again, we’re not the best people for it.
Wit & whimsy
For light-hearted, quirky books of any genre allegiance or none, comedies of manners, books to make readers giggle or appeal to their sense of the ridiculous, and affectionate satire on anything under the sun. Jane Austen, Nancy Mitford, Alison Lurie, PG Wodehouse, Lois McMaster Bujold.
Submissions in electronic form (MS Word or compatible) to attica AT atticabooks DOT com, covering letter plus synopsis and 3 chapters or up to 10,000 words.