Submission policy

Libreon accepts both agented and un-agented submissions.

Un-agented submissions can come in through two paths:

Preferred: Guided Submission

Complete the Ember stage of the Libreon publishing journey on Libreon.net. This path is designed to help you refine your manuscript to a professional standard, and the milestones beyond Ember also go through everything needed to bring your work to the market.

Traditional: Direct Submission (for professionally edited manuscripts)

If your manuscript is already complete and has been professionally edited, you may submit it directly via email. Please include:

Subject line: [Submission] TITLE
A brief elevator pitch
The name of the editor who worked on your manuscript (and, ideally, a link to their website)

Note: Direct submissions are held to the same standards as manuscripts completed through the guided journey. If your work is not yet at a submission-ready level, you may be redirected to the Libreon path for further development.

If you have questions about which path is right for you, feel free to contact us via Libreon Chat or directly by email.

Genres

Libreon House Publishing accepts novels for all ages and in most genres. Foremost, we seek stories that readers want to read. This seems like an obvious statement, but some writers make the mistake of not putting themselves in the shoes of a potential reader.

We do not accept literary fiction, erotica, westerns, graphic horror, or picture book submissions.

For our wish list, we are especially interested in middle grade and YA novels with strong protagonists and unique voices in the Sci-Fi, Romance, Thriller and atmospheric horror genres.

Publishing Tiers

Libreon House operates with three publishing tiers. If your manuscript is accepted, your offer will specify the tier. Competition for any of the tiers is high, but don’t let that discourage you from submitting.

Traditional Tier

A full-service publishing model.

Libreon acquires the right to publish your work
We handle editing, production, distribution, and marketing
The title is published under a Libreon House imprint.

Compensation: Authors are paid a royalty on sales. Libreon may offer a signing bonus.

Publisher: Libreon House and its imprints.

Partnership Tier

A collaborative model combining author ownership with Libreon’s production and distribution systems.

You retain ownership of your intellectual property (story, characters, commissioned artwork, and the final print-ready files)
Libreon manages editing, production, layout, and distribution logistics
Interior formatting is handled using the Libreon Manuscript system (manuscript must meet the Libreon Markup Style Guide)
Libreon may assist with sourcing artists and coordinating additional production needs

Compensation: Libreon receives a fixed percentage of net revenue (typically ~5–10%). The remaining net profit is paid to the author.

Publisher: Libreon House and its imprints.

Support Tier

A service-based model for authors who want to publish independently with expert guidance.

You retain full ownership and control of your work, imprint, and publishing accounts (e.g., Ingram, Bowker, etc)
Your book is not published by Libreon
Libreon acts solely as a professional services partner, assisting with editing, production, and distribution setup as needed
You control all publishing decisions and timelines

Compensation: Libreon is paid an hourly or project-based rate for services rendered. You retain all publishing revenue.

Publisher: The author or another third party. Libreon provides guidance and support, but is not the publisher.

Self-published Titles

Self published titles will be considered for publication, in which case Libreon House will assume the rights for publication and distribution of the title. Authors may continue to sell any existing stock through direct sales, but due to ISBN constraints, Libreon House will handle all sales to bookstores and libraries, including through Amazon.

Rights

Libreon House publishes works under an agreement in which the author retains full copyright while granting Libreon House exclusive, worldwide rights to produce, distribute, and sell the work in all authorized formats, including print (hardcover and paperback), digital (ebook), and audio, in the original language. This grant of rights allows Libreon House to act as the sole publisher of the work within these formats and territories. In addition, Libreon House retains subsidiary and foreign rights, including but not limited to translation, film, television, audio, and merchandising licenses. Any revenue generated from the sale or licensing of these subsidiary rights will be shared equally, with 50% paid to the author.

Certification Program

Libreon House is also looking to establish a standard to help quality, human created stories stand out. If you have a published book you want to submit for this qualification, you can submit your book to Libreon House for review. Published books looking to be certified by Libreon’s quality seal should submit an epub or PDF and along with payment of $50 to cover costs of review. This payment includes a written review posted to Goodreads (if you approve it).