Level Best Books See other projects related to this listing. About Founded in 2003, Level Best Books is the publisher of crime fiction novels and short story anthologies. Well-regarded by readers and reviewers, stories published by Level Best have won the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, Derringer, and Robert L. Fish Award for Best First Short Story presented at the Edgar® banquet. Level Best short stories have also been recognized as Best and Distinguished Mystery Stories by the editors of the Best American Mystery Stories series. Level Best Books is a traditional, royalty-paying publisher with world-wide distribution and in-house marketing support. Headquartered outside of Washington, DC in the historic city of Frederick, Maryland, Level Best also has offices in Boston, Massachusetts and London, England. Country of Publication & Year Established United States Established in 2003 Publication Media Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPrint Publication Print Publication AI Policy Unknown AI policy Fiction Open Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: Mystery/Crime Open to all/most Subgenres Suspense/Thriller Open to all/most SubgenresLengths: Novel: No specific word count limits known (our definition: more than 40000 words).Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream.Topics: Open to all/most Topics.Payment:Unknown advance + Unknown royalties Unknown advance. Unknown royalties.Submissions:Method: Online form. Reprints: Unknown.Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.Media: Text. Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary. Go to publisher's website Report: Submission/Query Correction/Update New Cover ArtSocial:Facebook FacebookInstagram @LevelBestBooks For the Editor(s): Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope Level Best Books 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. Filter: Category: Group by submission Include outliers Include related projects Accuracy We have received 2 reports from 2 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information. Pending 1 response is pending (42 days waiting). This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days Other Information The editors will try to make a decision within 120 days. (100.0 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 120 days.) Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 09:46 UTC (less than a minute ago). Work submitted here was also submitted to...This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!Members accepted here also had work accepted by...This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today! Your Submissions This section is available to subscribers only. Join today! Related ProjectsBest New England Crime Stories DNQBusted: Arresting Stories from the Beat CLOSEDCrime Before Our Time CLOSEDCrime Without Corpses Anthology NEW! Before SubmittingWe cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.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. DatesLast Updated: 02 Sep 2026We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year. Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only