Alibi Syndicate
A Syndicate of Independent Authors
Curated for Readers
Submitting to Alibi Syndicate Press
A Different Kind of Press
A Different Kind of Submission Process
At Alibi Syndicate Press, we do things a little differently.
We’re a modern publisher focused on partnership, professionalism, and story-driven publishing, and that means we’re selective about who we work with and how submissions happen.
Right now, we're not open to unsolicited submissions.
If you have received an invitation to submit your novel or if you are submitting a short story for an upcoming anthology, you are welcome to submit your work.
*Only one submission per author. If your submitting a novel, please let us know if your book is a part of a series, and we can discuss options if we accept your manuscript.
Join the Author email list to be considered for future submission calls!
Novel submissions
are open to invitations only.
Novels can be stand-alones or a part of a series.
Read all of the submission guidelines on this page, and be sure to keep an eye on your emails for notifications.
How to Submit
When submission windows open, please follow all posted guidelines carefully. It’s not just about following rules, instead it’s about showing you can work professionally, respect deadlines, and pay attention to detail.
We require submissions to use Shunn Standard Manuscript Format (the industry standard).
That means:
- Double-spaced, 12-point readable font (Times New Roman or Courier)
- Standard margins and header with your name, title, and page number
- Indented paragraphs (no extra line spaces)
Following these instructions is just as important as having a great story. We’ve seen more manuscripts rejected for formatting sloppiness than for weak plots. Questions?
Here's a step by step guide to using the Shunn method
- Please edit your manuscript before submitting, or have it edited. We do not need a fully polished manuscript, but we do expect the plot and characters to be strong, and a decent grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Not error free, but we don't want to see your first draft.
- See the note below about AI usage. We recommend that you NOT use AI to substantially edit your manuscript. There is an AI voice, and we can "hear" it when we read your materials. Have questions about our stance on AI? Check out the section and the post below.
- Fill out the submission form completely. That form contains information we need to make informed choices about publishing your work. Incomplete forms will result in manuscript rejections, and we don't want that to be the reason we didn't publish your story.
- You do not need an agent to submit to Alibi Syndicate Press. However, if we are not currently open to public submissions, we may be willing to talk to your agent about a specific work you want to offer us.
- Send us your best work. Not your second best, or something you just don't think you want to publish yourself. We'll only accept titles we know we can market and sell. If you have gotten your rights back from another publisher, and you want us to reprint your work, that is fine, but please disclose that up front.
- And those are the rules! Happy submitting!
A Note About AI
We encourage authors to use AI tools responsibly — for brainstorming, editing assistance, or admin work like metadata, blurbs, and marketing copy.
However, our AI policy is clear:
- Manuscripts must not be more than 25% AI-generated text.
- We rely on the honor system — we trust our authors to be transparent.
- Any book exceeding that limit cannot be copyrighted under current law and will be ineligible for publication with us.
In other words: AI can help you polish, but it can’t replace your voice. The Syndicate is built on authentic storytelling — and that means your story should come from you.
Questions: Click on the button below to review our stance on AI.
What We’re Looking For
We’re drawn to:
- Strong characters and emotional arcs
- Distinct voices with something to say
- Tight pacing and clean, professional prose
- Stories that bend genre conventions — mystery, noir, thriller, speculative, and literary with edge
We value both fresh ideas and skilled execution. If you can deliver both, we’ll be all ears.
Our Promise
When you submit to Alibi Syndicate Press, you’re not just sending a manuscript into the void.
We’re a small but responsive press. We’ll treat your work — and your time — with respect.
We can’t accept every story, but we do read every one we receive during open calls. And if we invite you to publish with us, you can expect transparency, fair contracts, and real support — not just a release date.
A Quick note on Discrimination
At Alibi Syndicate press, we don't descriminate based on age, gender, religion, sexual identity, or any other criterial other than how great your story is. We hope we get stories from those in all walks of life, but just like we won't reject a story based on any of the identifiers listed here, we also won't accept stories based on those criteria. Everyone, and every story is welcomd here, and your story matters. With a limited number of releases a year, it's inevitable that most of the submissions we recieve will not be accepted. But no acceptance or rejection of a story is in any way personal. What we accept must fit our brand, our current needs, our quality standards, and must be something we can proudly market under our brand name. That's it.
No discrimination, ever. But no special favors either. Everyone gets the same shot at an alibi. We hope you're one of the successful ones.