Submission Policy
Last updated: January 25, 2026
AI-generated content
Ciolna Press does not accept manuscripts that include content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, Sudowrite or Gemini. This comprises written text, illustrations, book covers and any other creative content you submit.
This policy also covers use of AI rewriting or rephrasing tools like the Copilot add-in in Microsoft Office.
We reserve the right to reject any submission that, in our sole judgment, contains AI-generated material.
What we’re looking for
We want stories that are bold, fresh and, above all, fun to read.
We like books that blur the lines between genres (sci-fantasy, romantic thrillers, supernatural mysteries, etc.) and authors who find new and creative ways to work with conventional tropes.
We welcome agented and unagented submissions.
Ciolna Press publishes fiction that falls within one or more of the following categories:
- Sci-fi & fantasy
- Queer fiction (all genres welcome!)
- Romance
- Thrillers
- Contemporary fiction
- Comedy
- Slice of life
While Ciolna Press welcomes submissions from authors worldwide, we particularly want to uplift and amplify stories from outside the North-American/Western European bubble.
What we’re not looking for
Ciolna Press currently doesn’t publish the following:
- Literary or experimental fiction
- Non-fiction
- Religious or spiritual books
- Poetry
- Graphic novels
- Children’s books
- Screenplays and stage plays
For legal reasons, we can’t accept fanfiction, derivative works (retellings, sequels, prequels or spinoffs of existing media), and real-people fiction (RPF).
We evaluate books that were previously published on a case-by-case basis.
As a Canadian-based global press founded by an immigrant author, we’re extremely selective with works that center US politics and/or US current events. We believe American issues already receive a vast amount of global coverage and choose to prioritize non-US events and perspective.
Word count
We accept works between 60,000 and 100,000 words. Due to printing, translation and audiobook production costs, this is a hard limit.
Minimum quality standards
Before you submit your work, make sure that it meets all of the criteria below:
- There are no placeholders, tracked changes or editorial comments.
- Your manuscript uses a legible font, with clearly marked chapter titles and headings.
- You’ve done a thorough spelling and grammar check.
- You use standard English punctuation for paragraphs and dialogue and avoid non-standard punctuation like ???, ……, two spaces after a period, etc.
- You don’t overuse em-dashes (—), ellipses (…), ALL CAPS, bold or italic formatting.
- You use dialogue tags correctly (see Dialogue Tag Mistakes — 5 of the Most Common to Avoid).
- Names are consistent and fit the genre, setting and period.
- Story beats flow logically.