55 Fathoms Publishing

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Permanently Closed: This project is permanently closed to submissions (January 2025). We provide the following information as an archive.

About

The precipice is where we choose to live. It is a place of intelligence and indulgence, where writers refuse to allow their imaginations and talent to be hamstrung by the tastes of the mass market. 55 Fathoms is a place for authors who are too imaginative for literary, and too literary for genre. We don’t want just a story, we want an exploration into ideas and topics that most of the literary establishment ignores. We like tension, and nuance, and deep subtext. We like to be challenged by a story, not coddled. What’s in a Name? 55 Fathoms is the depth to which an Orca can dive.

Voluntary Fees: This project accepts voluntary fees for "tip jar" submissions.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2021

Publication Media

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Print Publication Print Publication

Collapse section Fiction Closed

We are particularly interested in books that exist on the boundary between literary and speculative—books of profound imagination and exquisite writing.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Novel: 40,000 - 120,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Semi-pro advance (US$200-1999) + >= 15% royalties Semi-pro advance. ≥ 15% royalties. Details: USD $500 advance, 20% royalties on additional net revenues.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Closed

Topics of interest include current social and political events, science, nature, environment, history, mathematics, and true crime. A collection of essays is also welcome. We will also consider memoir, but your story needs to be much more interesting than a family history. Send a query letter, a table of contents, and the first 10 pages. Although agents and larger publishers often prefer to work with writers to craft a work of nonfiction to the market, we are not staffed for that task, and prefer your book to be completed or near completion.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Book: 40,000 - 120,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream, Personal.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
History.
Mathematics.
Memoir.
Nature/Environment: General, Environmental issues, Nature.
Politics/Political Science.
Science.
Society/Culture: Crime, Current events, Social issues, See guidelines.

Payment:

Semi-pro advance (US$200-1999) + >= 15% royalties Semi-pro advance. ≥ 15% royalties. Details: USD $500 advance, 20% royalties on additional net revenues.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

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55 Fathoms Publishing Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

This listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

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Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
For book publishers, it is standard to submit a cover letter, synopsis, and sample instead of the full manuscript. Do this unless otherwise instructed.
Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026