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Kelp Books

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A project of Kelp Journal (see other related projects).

About

6 members set this publisher as a Favorite.

Kelp Books is an independent press located in Pebble Beach, California. The press seeks to discover new talents and publish brave, off-beat, and adventurous fiction, craft based non-fiction, and poetry.
We're the home of surf noir. We are looking for novel submissions of literary, crime, thriller, and mystery. A sense of place is important to us, and while no place is excluded from our appetite, we strongly prefer coastal themes, West Coast locales, surfing, and works that embody travel and adventure.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions. The fee is USD $5.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Media

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication 
Print Publication Print Publication 

Fiction Open Fee-based
Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General.

Mystery/Crime. Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Noir.

Suspense/Thriller. Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Noir.

Lengths:
Fiction CollectionNo specific word count limits known.
Novel70,000 - 120,000 words.
Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics, including....
Place/Regions: General, Specific region.
Travel: See guidelines.

Payment:

Unknown advance + Unknown royalties Unknown advance. Unknown royalties.

Submissions:

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

Nonfiction Temp Closed
Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:
Nonfiction CollectionNo specific word count limits known.
BookNo specific word count limits known.
Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics, including....
Place/Regions: General, Specific region.
Travel: See guidelines.

Payment:

Unknown advance + Unknown royalties Unknown advance. Unknown royalties.

Submissions:

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

Poetry Temp Closed
Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General.

Mystery/Crime. Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Noir.

Suspense/Thriller. Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Noir.

Lengths:
Poetry CollectionNo page limits known.
Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics, including....
Place/Regions: General, Specific region.
Travel: See guidelines.

Payment:

Unknown advance + Unknown royalties Unknown advance. Unknown royalties.

Submissions:

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

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

Kelp Books Submission Statistics — Free Preview!

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.
AccuracyWe have received 2 reports from 2 different members within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 11 Oct 2024.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 16 Apr 2024.

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Your Submissions

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Kelp Journal
Ocean Poetry Anthology CLOSED Charges fees for all submissions
Surf Noir Anthology Series
The Wave

Dates

Last Updated: 30 Mar 2025
Last Audited: 30 Mar 2025. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 11 Aug 2022

Before Submitting

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  • 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.