Submission Guidelines

Full-Length Manuscript Submissions (Now Open Year-Round!)
Word Count 60,000 - 120,000

History Through Fiction, our traditional imprint, and HTF Publishing, our hybrid imprint, are interested in publishing high quality fiction rooted in historical research. We are looking for stories about real people and real events. Though fictionalized, our books include nonfiction elements such as footnotes, endnotes, a bibliography, or some form of transparency that allows reader to delve into the history upon which our stories are based. When submitting, consider whether your historical novel is informative and educational in addition to being a compelling fictional story.

All submissions must be made through our Duosuma Submission Platform. As a single file, please submit the following:

  1. A query letter with your word count (via Duosuma)

  2. A synopsis of 500 words or less (via Duosuma)

  3. The first 10-15 pages of your manuscript (as an attached file or Drive link)

We’ll carefully evaluate your submission, checking to see if it catches our interest, fits our niche, and merits a full evaluation. If it does, we’ll request the full manuscript.

After receiving your full manuscript, we’ll carefully evaluate it for overall craft, content, and quality. If we LOVE your story and believe it’s a great fit for our audience, we’ll extend to you either a traditional publishing contract with History Through Fiction or a hybrid publishing contract with HTF Publishing.

If we offer you a traditional publishing contract, it means that we consider your work to be an impeccable fit for our specialized market and that your story surpasses even the most exceptional historical manuscripts. Our traditional publishing contract includes a small advance on royalties and requires no financial investment from the author. If we offer you a hybrid publishing contract, we absolutely love your story and believe it will resonate with our audience, but we also believe we can use our expertise to assist you in enhancing it further. With a hybrid publishing contract, our aim is to collaborate with you to create a novel that, upon completion, closely resembles our traditionally published works. Our hybrid publishing contract requires a financial investment from the author.

History Through Fiction accepts multiple submissions and unsolicited manuscripts. We encourage first-time and experienced authors to submit. Writers who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, or as a member of other marginalized and traditionally underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to submit their work. Once you submit, please be patient for a response. If you have not heard back from us within three months, send us a polite follow up email.

*History Through Fiction and HTF Publishing will not accept submissions that have used Generative AI in any step of the writing process.

Short Story and Novel Excerpt Submissions - Open Year-round (One story published the first of each month)
Word Count 1,000 - 7,000

History Through Fiction accepts historical fiction short story and novel excerpt submissions that, if accepted, will be published in the member-only content area of our website. Stories and excerpts must be previously unpublished and should be 1,000 - 7,000 words long. HTF prefers stories that are based on real historical events and/or people. However, all stories (with the exception of those related to Nazi cruelty) with any kind of historical setting will be considered – this includes those with elements of fantasy and alternative history. Stories that are accepted will receive light editing before being scheduled for publication to our member-only content area. We will publish one new story on the first day of each month. Authors whose work is accepted for publication will receive a $30 honorarium for their work. History Through Fiction reserves first time rights for publication. This means, once an author’s story is accepted for publication, and a contract is signed, the author cannot publish it elsewhere until it has been published by History Through Fiction plus thirty days thereafter.

To submit, please complete all required information and upload your synopsis and short story as a single document via our Duosuma Submission Platform. Please allow up to eight weeks for a response to your short story submission. Due to the quantity of submissions, if your story is rejected, we will not be able to provide any specific feedback.

Starting immediately, we will be implementing a $5 submission fee for all short stories. This fee serves three important purposes:

Ensuring Serious Submissions: By introducing this nominal fee, we aim to filter out submissions from individuals who are genuinely committed to seeking publication. This helps us maintain a high standard of quality and dedication among our contributors.

Recognizing Our Esteemed Editor: The fee also enables us to compensate our esteemed editor for the valuable time and effort she invests in reviewing each submission meticulously. Her expertise ensures that only the best stories make it to our platform.

Supporting Our Published Authors: Lastly, the submission fee allows us to financially support our published authors by compensating them for the privilege of sharing their exceptional work with our readers. It's a way for us to acknowledge their talent and contribution to the literary community.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we implement this new policy. Your continued support is invaluable in helping us maintain the quality and integrity of our publication. Thank you!

Writers who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ, disabled, neuro-diverse or as a member of other marginalized and traditionally underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to submit their work.

*History Through Fiction will not accept submissions that have used Generative AI in any step of the writing process.