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Finding new authors is a great pleasure for all of us here, and we look
forward to reading the fiction you send us. Since we do read all
submissions, there is no need to query first; please send the entire
story. You don't need an agent.
Because this is a mystery magazine, the stories we buy must fall
into that genre in some sense or another. We are interested in nearly
every kind of mystery: stories of detection of the classic kind, police
procedurals, private eye tales, suspense, courtroom dramas, stories of
espionage, and so on. We ask only that the story be about a crime (or
the threat or fear of one). We sometimes accept ghost stories or
supernatural tales, but those also should involve a crime.
You might find it useful to read one or more issues of AHMM; that
should give you an idea of the kind of fiction we buy. For a sample
copy, send a check made out to AHMM for $5.00 to 475 Park Avenue South
11th Floor
New York, NY 10016.
Style. We prefer that stories not be longer than 12,000 words;
most of the stories in the magazine are considerably shorter than that.
They should, of course, be well written. We are looking for stories
that have not been previously published elsewhere, and among them for
those that are fresh, well told, and absorbing. They should be entirely
fiction: please do not send us stories based on actual crimes, for
instance, or other real-life events.
Manuscript preparation. Manuscripts should be typed on plain
white paper (not erasable paper) and double-spaced (not
space-and-a-half), with your name and address at the top of the first
page. The title of the story as well as the byline you want to use
should be on the first page of the story also. (We prefer that there
not be a separate title page.)
Please do not justify the right-hand margin. The number of lines per
page should be uniform. Indicate line breaks with a single line and a
centered pound sign (#).
Every page of the story should be numbered, preferably in the upper
right-hand corner. If you number the pages by hand, be sure before you
start that no page has been omitted.
Do not use the italic, large-size, or boldface characters some
computers are capable of generating. Underline words to indicate
italics.
Indent for each paragraph. Do not leave 1-line spaces between paragraphs.
Stories should be mailed to us flat, with the pages bound together
by a paper clip only-not stapled or enclosed in a binder. A cover
letter isn't necessary. If you want the manuscript returned in the
event we cannot use it, you must include a self-addressed stamped
envelope; contributors outside the U.S.A. should send prepaid
International Reply Coupons in lieu of stamps. If you have sent us a
photocopy and do not want it back, please advise us of that and enclose
a smaller SASE for our response. Please keep a copy of any material
submitted, since we cannot be responsible for lost or misdelivered
mail.
If you would like acknowledgement of receipt of your story, include a
self-addressed stamped postcard in your original mailing that will be
returned to you when your submission is opened.
We do not accept electronic submissions. Please do not send disks or e-mail attachments unless we specifically ask you to.
Revisions. Revised versions of a story should be submitted only
on our request, as a rule. At the very least, tell us in a cover letter
that the story has been submitted before but has been revised, and
explain how.
NOTE: Stories submitted to AHMM are not also considered by or for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, though we share the same address. Submissions to EQMM must be made separately.
We do not accept simultaneous submissions.
Querying the status of your submission.We give each submission
thorough consideration before responding. Our reply may take three to
five months. When querying the status of your story, include your name,
the title of the work, and the date you sent it in an e-mail to
alfredhitchcock AT dellmagazines.com. Manuscripts are filed by week of
receipt, so the more precise your query, the faster we will be able to
locate your story.
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