Writer's Guidelines
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine seeks submissions from both new and established writers. We publish every kind of mystery short story: the psychological suspense tale, the deductive puzzle, the private-eye case—the gamut of crime and detection from the realistic to the more imaginative (including locked rooms and impossible crimes). We need hardboiled stories as well as cozies, and we are not interested in explicit sex or violence. In the tradition of the magazine’s 1941 mission, we encourage experimentation and ask that you submit your highest quality work.
It is a good idea for writers to read an issue of EQMM before making a submission. EQMM’s range in the mystery genre is extensive: Almost any story that involves crime or the threat of crime comes within our purview. However, like all magazines, EQMM has a distinctive tone and style and you can only get a sense of whether your work will suit us by reading an issue. You can subscribe here.
We are especially happy to review first stories by authors who have never before published fiction professionally. Please indicate in your cover letter if your submission is eligible for the Department of First Stories.
We also consider submissions of translations for our Passport to Crime department and nonfiction submissions of criticism, reviews, creative nonfiction, essays on relevant topics, and true crime.
EQMM uses stories of almost every length. 2,500-8,000 words is the preferred range. We are less likely to publish stories of less than 700 words or more than 20,000, but feel free to submit work outside that range if you think it’s a good fit.
Our rates for original stories are from 6 to 8 cents a word. Our rates for original poems are generally from $25 to $50 depending on the characteristics of the piece. Our rate for original nonfiction is 7 cents a word.
Please read the following guidelines carefully. Submissions that don’t follow the following guidelines cannot be processed and will be returned unread; we will ask that you try again. If you are unable to follow these guidelines due to technological or accessibility requirements or any other challenges, just let us know.
- Set your fiction and nonfiction work double-spaced and in an easily readable font, size 12. Poetry submissions do not need to be double-spaced, but should follow the rest of the formatting guidelines.
- Set in black and white; no color formatting.
- Include at the top of the front page your name, mailing address, email address, and word count.
- All submissions must be submitted in .doc or .docx format.
- Your submitted work must be previously unpublished in the United States.
- Submissions should be made electronically, here.
- Submit one story per file.
- Submit up to 5 poems or 10 pages of poetry per file.
After you have submitted your work, a tracking number will be displayed and an automated email confirmation containing this information will be sent to you. If you have not received this email within 24 hours and you have checked your spam folder, please notify us.
Response time is up to 3 months for fiction and 6 months for poetry and nonfiction.
We look forward to reading your work!
Quick reference:
Email us: elleryqueenmm@mustreadbookspublishing.com
Our submissions site: http://eqmm.magazinesubmissions.com/
To buy the magazine: https://elleryqueenmysterymagazine.com/order-now/