Submissions Guidelines

Indies Unlimited is a site accessible to the wide public. It will be helpful to you to think of the site as having a PG-13 type rating. Language and images should be appropriate to that ethos. All work submitted should be clean and polished. IU staff may correct typos, but we will not do heavy editing of unpolished work. Submissions will be posted on our timeline and in accordance with our caseload. You will be notified when material you have submitted to IU is posted.

Guest Post Feature

This is an article written by a guest author and featured on the site with a picture (head shot) of the author and links to their website and/or social media pages. These features allow you to share your expertise and experience, or even just an opinion with others in the community of authors. You can see examples of the Guest Author Feature HERE and HERE.

The benefit of a guest post feature to you is that it provides a platform to a whole new and very wide audience of other authors, publishers, and readers. This exposure can pique interest in your writing in a way that a direct pitch about your books may not.

Guest Post Guidelines: Attach a Word document containing your article. Limit the length to no more than about 750 words. At the bottom of the document, include any links you want to run with the piece (website, blog, FB fan page, twitter, etc.), and a brief bio written in third person (1 paragraph in length). Separately, attach to the e-mail a headshot photo (JPG file) of yourself. The file size of the photo should be less than 1 megabyte. Please do not ‘embed’ photos in the email.

Appropriate topics for guest posts include, but are not limited to:

  • Top 10 lists (to do, not do, pet peeves, best giveaways, favorites in a specific genre, etc…)
  • Screenwriting/Playwriting
  • Pro or con on sticking with one genre
  • Dealing with writer’s block
  • How to find a qualified editor/proofreader/beta reader, etc.
  • How to write a cover blurb
  • How to pitch your book to a publisher or agent
  • Things to look for and beware of in a publisher’s contract offer
  • Interesting ways to get publicity for your work,
  • Use of foreshadowing
  • Essentials of writing in a specific genre (horror, suspense, mystery, adventure, fantasy, etc.)
  • Writing for children
  • Protecting your work
  • Writer’s Workshops (pro or con)
  • Your best day as a writer
  • Effective strategies for dealing with negative reviews

Guest post authors will have one book showcased in the IU store for one month.

Sneak-Peek Features

Sneak-Peek Features showcase an example of your published work. You can submit a sample excerpt or chapter (as you wish) to share with the readers. Sneak-Peeks do not include an author picture, but do include your book’s cover, and links so people can find out more about you and your book or even buy your book (depending on the links you provide). You can see examples of  Sneak-Peek features HERE and HERE.

Sneak-Peek Guidelines: Please query us about providing a Sneak Peek from your book by using the form on the contact page. Make sure to include a link to the book so we can take a look at how it’s presented and how it’s been received. Attach a Word document containing your sneak-peek. Limit the length to no more than about 500 words. At the bottom of the document, include any links you want to run with the piece (Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Print links, etc.), and attach to the e-mail a book cover photo (JPG file). Again, file size of the photo should be less than 1 megabyte. Authors submitting a sneak-peek will have that book showcased in the IU store for one month.

Announcement Features

Announcement Features are short blurbs in which you share notices of a new release, an award, a great review by a recognized review site or publication, an upcoming multi-city book tour, etc. They may include a picture, if appropriate, and links as desired. You can see examples of the Announcement Features HERE and HERE.   Authors submitting an announcement feature will have that book showcased in the IU store for one month.

Video Trailer Feature

If your book has a video trailer, we can feature that on the site as well. The Video Trailer Feature requires a 100 word book description to accompany the video. Include a link to YouTube so we can obtain the necessary HTML code. You can see an example HERE. Authors submitting a Video Trailer will have that book showcased in the IU store for one month.

Story Time Feature

Story Time is an opportunity for writers to showcase their short stories of 1200 words or less. Stories will be published late night on Indies Unlimited. On Sundays, there will be a poll so that readers may vote on their favorite Story Time story of the week. No prizes will be awarded.

Guidelines:

Use the contact form to query the Indies Unlimited staff about participating. Provide your email address, genre, word count, and a one sentence summary of your story. All stories must be suitable for a PG-13 audience. Do not submit more than one story per inquiry. You will be asked to provide your story in a word document, as well as a head/shoulders portrait in an attached jpg no larger than 500kb, and links to your website and Amazon.com author’s page. You should NOT submit stories which have not been polished (edited and proofread) – Indies Unlimited will not accept rough drafts. This is not a venue for critiquing – this is your opportunity to show the public your “writing chops.” Indies Unlimited will reject stories that are not appropriately edited. You must have free and clear rights to the story. Previously published stories are acceptable with full disclosure of when and where they appeared. (see FAQ page, Item #21)

Rhyme or Reason

This is our regular poetry feature. Use the contact form to query the Indies Unlimited staff about participating. Provide your email address, the  type of poem you would like to submit, and the title of the work from which it comes. Poems must be no longer than 30 lines. All poems must be suitable for a PG-13 audience. You will be contacted in follow-up and asked to provide your poem and a three sentence biography by e-mail in a word document. Attach a head/shoulders portrait jpg no larger than 500kb, and links to your website and Amazon.com author’s page. Poems will be featured in the 11 PM Mountain Standard Time slot up to three times a week, depending on the volume of submissions.

Airing of Grievances

This is a humor feature (up to 500 words) in which guests place a snarky or witty spin on something that bothers them, in the world of writing or the world at large. Feature will run with a picture of the author and a link to the author’s website or blog. Use the contact form to query the Indies Unlimited staff about participating. You will be contacted in follow-up and asked to provide your story and a three sentence biography by e-mail in a word document. Attach a head/shoulders portrait jpg no larger than 500kb, and links to your website and Amazon.com author’s page. Grievances will be featured in the 11 PM Mountain Standard Time slot up to three times a week, depending on the volume of submissions.

Freebie Fridays

Freebie Fridays gives authors the potential for two opportunities to receive exposure for their free eBooks! Early each Thursday,there will be a post calling for anyone who has a book to give away for FREE to list it in the comment section below of that post. (Example here.) The only information to be posted should be: 1. Book title; 2. Author name; 3. A one sentence blurb; and 4. A link to download the book. The book must be free to anyone who clicks over to the link – not just Amazon Prime or other “club” members. Entries which do not follow the rules will not be considered for Friday’s feature post and may be deleted. On Friday morning, we will randomly select five of these titles to post in the Freebie Friday morning column, which will include book cover, link and blurb. (Example here.)

Indies Unlimited’s Weekly Flash Fiction Contest

Each Saturday morning, Indies Unlimited provides a writing prompt along with a photograph. Participants write a flash fiction piece of 250 words or less in the comments section. (Example here.) The deadline to submit a contribution is 5 p.m. on Tuesday (Arizona time). The 250 word rule will be strictly enforced. Each following Wednesday morning, a poll will be posted so entries may be voted upon. (Example here.) Participants are encouraged to vote and to spread the word. The voting polls will close on Thursday at 5 p.m. (Arizona time). The story with the most votes will be featured on Friday morning in an announcement post (Example here) and will be published at year end with full credit in an anthology e-book. By participating in the exercise, contestants agree to the rules and conditions posted on the weekly challenge.

The Interview Feature Article

IU will e-mail you a list of questions, which you answer and return. Our staff then prepares a feature article on you based upon your answers. The interviews on Indies Unlimited are presented as a feature article. Quotes from you are pulled from the information you provide. We may not use all the information you provide, but expansive answers are helpful in crafting an interesting article. At the very bottom, please provide a brief standard bio written in third person (1 paragraph in length). For this type feature, Include any links you want to run with the piece (website, blog, book, etc.). Attach (DO NOT EMBED) a JPEG headshot picture of you and one of your book cover (file sizes less than 1 megabyte). Authors interviewed for our Meet the Author feature will have one book showcased in the IU store for one month.

You can see examples of this type of feature HERE and HERE.

If you are interested in making a submission, please query first by using the form on the contact page. Select the appropriate department from the drop down menu, and let us know how you’d like to participate. We look forward to hearing from you.