Manuscript Submissions

Submit
Your Work

Iron Vein Publishing is an independent press seeking fiction that refuses to look away. We publish dark, literary, character-driven stories with something real at their core.

What We Publish

We are drawn to work that takes its darkness seriously — stories where the horror, the threat, or the collapse of the world is earned, not decorative. Voice and character matter above all else.

  • Dark Thriller
  • Horror
  • Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
  • Horror Thriller Hybrids
  • Literary Dark Fiction

We are not currently seeking: fantasy, science fiction without a horror or thriller grounding, romance, young adult, or non-fiction.

Before You Submit

Read our catalog. If your work sits alongside The 12th Exposure — cinematic, character-driven, unsparing — you may be a fit. If it doesn't, that's fine, but this likely isn't the right home for it.

We are a small press. We read everything we receive, but response times reflect that. Please do not follow up before the stated window has passed.

Manuscript Requirements

  • Word count: 70,000–130,000 words for novels; shorter work considered on a case-by-case basis
  • Format: Standard manuscript format — 12pt Times New Roman or Courier, double-spaced, 1-inch margins
  • File types accepted: .docx or .pdf only
  • Language: English only at this time
  • Status: Completed manuscripts only — no works in progress
  • Simultaneous submissions: Accepted, but notify us immediately if the work is accepted elsewhere

What to Send

  • A query letter (one page) — who you are, what the book is, why Iron Vein
  • A one-page synopsis covering the full arc of the story, including the ending
  • The first 50 pages of the manuscript (in the same document as the synopsis)

Send everything as a single PDF or Word document, with your name and title in the file name.

How to Submit

Email your submission to submissions@ironveinpublishing.com with the subject line: SUBMISSION — [Title] — [Genre]

We aim to respond within 10–14 weeks. If you have not heard from us after 16 weeks, you may assume a pass and submit elsewhere.

A Note on Fit

We publish what we love, not what we think we should. A book that fits our aesthetic exactly has a better chance than a technically accomplished manuscript that doesn't feel like Iron Vein. Write us a letter that shows you understand the difference.