Submission windows
our submissions are currently closed while we read the manuscripts from our previous open window.
we hope to re-open again in early 2025.
Key information
We publish adult literary* fiction (novels and short story collections) and narrative non-fiction. We are not currently considering other genres (e.g., poetry, lifestyle, commercial fiction).
(*We regard the term ‘literary’ as covering a broad church; it can cover anything from fantasy to crime, the realist to the surreal – and what we really mean is that we like books that are very, very good, and enjoy form and language as much as story.)
Before submitting, please familiarise yourself with our list. When submission are open, in your covering letter, it will help if you can tell us which of our authors you have read and why you feel your work is suited to Galley Beggar Press. You can read some first chapters here, or better still, buy a book here.
You can also get a flavour of Galley Beggar Press by reading some of the past winners, as well as the past long- and shortlist writers, on our annual short story prize. Just head here.
Manuscripts should be submitted in full, with a covering letter/email. Synopses are welcome but not essential.
We welcome submissions from agented and non-agented writers – and actively encourage submissions from everyone, no matter who you are or where you come from.
You do not have to live in the UK to submit to us: we welcome submissions from across the world.
As much as we would like to, we cannot enter into correspondence on submissions, or individual work.*
We do not accept or return posted manuscripts.
Do subscribe to our newsletter, to get a feel for the company and keep updated on future submission windows.
If submissions are closed, please do not just submit anyway. We understand the temptation - but we’re closed for a reason! It will mean that we simply don’t have the capacity for reading any extra manuscripts or material.
* This is because we are a very small team: resources are at a premium, especially time. We value all submissions and we know how much effort it takes to write a book, and the courage it takes to send it in. But we can’t enter into correspondence about titles, offer feedback, or answer email inquiries. (We get 200+ emails a day, and as much as we’d like to give everyone time, we simply can’t. If we did, there would be nothing left for our writers, or publishing the kind of wonderful books that alerted you to us in the first place.)
If we have questions about your work, you will hear from us within six months. If you don’t – do please take heart and remember that we have a small list. We publish three to four titles a year – and there is, inevitably, some excellent work that we have to let go. We also have very particular tastes. An editor is first and foremost a reader – and what doesn’t work for one reader will often appeal to another. And don’t just submit to us: approach other publishers and literary agents. Keep writing, and good luck.