Submissions

Quattro Books publishes novellas of literary fiction, and poetry. We are only able to consider unsolicited manuscripts from Canadian citizens living in Canada. We do not publish genre fiction, (sci-fi, historical, romance).

We will only consider unsolicited fiction manuscripts sent to us from January 1 to May 31, 2019 for possible publication in 2020. We will make our decisions by October, 2019.

At this time we are not accepting unsolicited poetry manuscripts.

Please see guidelines below for more details.

2019 Ken Klonsky Novella Prize Contest

The 2019 Ken Klonsky Novella Prize Contest opens on June 01, 2018 and runs until August 31, 2018. Quattro Books will publish the best novella manuscript by a Canadian author as part of their 2018 publishing list. The contest is open to Canadian writers who reside in Canada. You do not have to have any publication history. The novella manuscript should be completed, neatly typed, and not less than 20 000 words or more than 40 000 words. Note the number of words on the cover. Your name may appear in the manuscript’s header or footer.

Please take a look at the type of novellas Quattro publishes; we publish literary fiction and do not publish genre fiction (Science fiction or Romances.) You may send your manuscripts anytime between June 1, 2019 and August 31, 2019. Send your manuscript:

Quattro Books Inc
12 Concord Ave, 2nd floor, Toronto, Ontario, M6H 2P1

Tips for Submitting:

1. We are primarily a literary fiction contest. Please do not send genre fictions (i.e sci-fi, romance, mystery, teen fiction, thriller, detective etc).

2. Avoid sending a text which relies heavily on dialogue (generally a sign that the book is a re-worked play or film script).

3. What works for a novel, may not work for a novella. Please do not send a novel in digest form. Avoid stories with too many characters, plots and back stories.

4. Never make a back story more interesting than the main story. Stick to one or two main characters and focus story on one life-changing event.

5. Preference for novellas written in the present tense.

That being said, we thank all of the talented writers who submit and look forward to reading your wonderful work!

Please include your email address. Please note: Manuscripts will not be returned.

The Submitting Process:

As when submitting to any press, please review our publishing list before submitting. Take a look at some of the novellas we have previously published in order to see if we and your manuscript are a good fit. We publish an eclectic mix, but our editors favour the edgy, dark, and innovative.

If you are unsure if your story would fit well with us, please feel free to send an email query to info@quattrobooks.ca.

If you have taken a look at our books and have determined that what you have is in line with our publishing agenda, please adhere to the following guidelines when submitting.

Submission Guidelines:

Novellas must be between 20, 000 words and 40, 000 words.  They must be completed, typed manuscripts on 8.5 x 11 paper using proper margins and in 12 point font. We do not accept electronic submissions, and manuscripts will not be returned.

Writers must be Canadian citizens who reside in Canada.