How to Publish a Novella: A Step-by-Step Submission Guide

To publish a novella, polish the manuscript to 17,500 to 40,000 words, choose a route (small press, digital-first imprint, contest or self-publishing), prepare a submission package with a query letter and synopsis, submit to publishers that accept novellas, and either sign an offer or publish independently. The full journey runs from a few weeks to about two years depending on the route.

That summary holds the whole process in one place. The sections below walk through each stage in order, and each stage links to a dedicated guide where you need more detail.

Step 1: Finish and Polish the Manuscript

Publication starts with a manuscript that sits inside the novella range of 17,500 to 40,000 words and reads cleanly from first page to last. Before you submit anything, complete a structural pass to confirm the central conflict carries the whole book, then a line edit for clarity and rhythm, then a proofread.

Presentation matters at this stage. Standard formatting means a serif body font at 12 point, double spacing, one-inch margins and a header carrying your surname, title and page number. A clean file signals a professional writer before an editor reads a single line.

Step 2: Choose Your Publishing Route

Four routes lead a novella to readers, and each suits a different goal.

Route	Timeline	Royalty	Best for
Small press	9 to 18 months	15% to 50%	Editorial partnership and credibility
Digital-first imprint	6 to 12 months	25% to 50%	Genre fiction and series work
Contest publication	Annual cycle	Prize plus royalty	Literary novellas with a distinct voice
Self-publishing	8 to 16 weeks	Around 70%	Speed, control and margin

 

The traditional agent route remains open, though most novella authors reach print faster through small presses that accept direct submissions. Choose the route that matches what you want the book to achieve rather than the one that sounds most prestigious.

Step 3: Build the Submission Package

Publishers that read submissions expect a consistent set of materials. A complete package includes:

• A query letter of around 300 words that introduces the book, the hook, and your credentials
• A one-page synopsis covering the full arc, including the ending
• The manuscript, or the sample the guidelines request, formatted to standard
• A short author bio with any relevant publication history

The query letter carries the most weight, since it decides whether an editor opens the manuscript at all. Our guide to the novella query letter includes a full template you can adapt.

Step 4: Submit to the Right Publishers

Target presses that publish novellas actively rather than sending the manuscript widely and hoping. Read recent titles from each publisher, confirm your word count fits their stated range, and follow every submission instruction exactly. Editors read guideline compliance as a proxy for how easy an author will be to work with.

Track your submissions in a simple spreadsheet: publisher, date sent, expected response time, and outcome. Many presses accept simultaneous submissions, which lets you keep several routes open at once.

For a vetted starting point, see our submission-ready list of publishers that accept novellas.

Step 5: Handle the Response, or Publish Independently

Responses fall into three groups. An offer moves you into contract review, where the key terms are rights granted, royalty rate, advance, and the publication timeline. A revise-and-resubmit invites another attempt after specific changes, which counts as genuine encouragement. A pass frees you to send the manuscript to the next publisher on your list.

If you prefer to keep control and reach readers sooner, the self-publishing route puts the book in your hands within weeks. Our guide to self-publishing a novella covers the costs, timeline, and platforms in full.

How Long the Whole Process Takes

Timelines vary widely by route. Self-publishing can move from finished manuscript to live listing in eight to sixteen weeks. A small press typically runs nine to eighteen months from acceptance to release. The traditional agent-then-publisher route often reaches close to two years from signing to shelf date.

For a stage-by-stage breakdown of where the months go, read how long it takes to get a novella published.

And for the exact ordered walkthrough of the submission process itself, our complete step-by-step process for publishing a novella expands each stage above into a checklist you can follow.

Ready to Start Your Submission?

The Novella Publishers editorial team will polish your manuscript, build your submission package, and map the route that fits your goal.Finish and polish the manuscript, choose a route, build a submission package with a query letter and synopsis, submit to publishers that accept novellas, then sign an offer or publish independently.Many small presses accept direct submissions, so an agent is optional for that route. Large trade houses generally require one.Yes. Self-publishing platforms accept novellas on standard terms and return roughly 70% of list price within the main pricing bands.Yes. Small presses, digital-first imprints, and contest publishers accept them regularly. Large trade houses accept them more selectively.