We are currently closed for submissions to our Dragon Gems program, but look forward to receiving your submissions again in April 2023.
While you are waiting, please enjoy our Winter 2023 Edition!
Dragon Gems is our publishing program for your short fiction when a novel just won't do.
Submission Requirements
Your story:
- should be approximately 2,000 – 6,000 words in length.
- should be fantasy or science fiction (or at least contain fantastical elements).
- should not contain erotica, or excessive violence or gore.
- can be part of an ongoing series you might be writing.
- can have been previously published (with proof that you hold the current publishing rights).
- may be submitted simultaneously to other markets (but please let us know when you submit your story).
Please submit only one story per submission.
Note: While our program is called Dragon Gems, your story does not need to include a dragon.
Payment
Payment (upon publication) will be:
- $0.02 per word
- one (1) trade paperback contributor edition
- one (1) hardcover contributor edition
- access to ten (10) digital contributor copies
Manuscript Formats
Send us your complete, finished manuscripts in digital (.DOCx, .RTF, or .ODT) format to dragongems (at) waterdragonpublishing.com. Please use a standard manuscript format. If you're not sure what one is, here's a good source.
Include the following in your cover letter/email:
- Title of your story
- Your legal name
- Your preferred name or pseudonym (if different from your legal name)
- Your preferred email address
- Story genre
- Approximate word count
- Synopsis
If you're not sure if your story is something that we'd be interested in publishing, please feel free to query us at dragongems (at) waterdragonpublishing.com in advance of submitting your manuscript.
Contacting Us
Please check out our general Submissions FAQ if you have additional questions before contacting us.
Please don't contact us about the status of your manuscript unless at least 30 days have passed since we acknowledged receiving it. If you did not receive a acknowledgement within seven business days of submitting your manuscript to us, then please feel free to contact us.