Questions from authors
What genres do you publish?
Do I need an agent? Do I have to already be published?
Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
Why should I publish with Candlemark & Gleam?
Do you offer advances?
Will my manuscript be edited? Will there be a professional cover?
Will I be charged to publish with Candlemark & Gleam?

Questions from readers
What formats do you publish in?
What is DRM?
How do I read one of your books?
Why do I have to register to buy a Candlemark & Gleam book?
Do you accept returns?
What is a serial?
I missed subscribing to a serial. Can I still read it?

Questions from authors

What genres do you publish?
We concentrate on publishing speculative fiction of all kinds: new worlds, new realities, new ideas.

Cross-genre/interstitial and science fiction/fantasy hybrid works are fine, ones with mythic/historical echoes even better. Works that lend themselves to serial distribution are welcome. Please note that we want to see works for adults for adults (not YA or children’s fiction), though we will not consider works whose content is solely explicit erotica.

However, if you’re convinced you have a great story that doesn’t fit the description above, send it! We’re open to innovative new ideas and original visions. We want to see books whose universes, societies and characters are diverse in all or any respects, but originality of imagination and quality of craft are the paramount criteria. We’re not an “issues” press.

Do I need an agent? Do I have to already be published?
No! Candlemark & Gleam welcomes unagented submissions, and we revel in finding new authors and promoting strong new voices. All we ask is that you have a strong, well-written story.

Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
No.  Because evaluation is intensive and time-consuming and our crew tiny, we do not accept simultaneous submissions.

Why should I publish with Candlemark & Gleam?
Because you’re interested in the future of the book. Because you’re interested in the history of the book. Because you have a story that doesn’t lend itself well to the traditional publishing model, like a serial or interactive story. Because you want to have a say in the publishing process. Because you want to work with people who understand the value of a good story, and of telling that story to the world.

More practically speaking, because you’re interested in publishing with a quality-focused small press that will work with you to make the absolute most out of your story. We consider publishing to be a joint effort, a collaboration between author, editor, and other book professionals that creates a finely polished, intensely engaging work – one that will appeal to readers on every level possible. To that end, we want to work together with our authors, and we want our authors to take ownership of their story and its success.

While Candlemark & Gleam is a small, niche publisher, we have extensive experience in editing, design, and entrepreneurship. Within this tiny startup, we’re packing over eight years of professional publishing experience on the business side of the table, ranging from trade publishing to daily news to national-market journalism, along with professional editorial experience in niche fiction and academia. We also bring over a decade of art, design, and production experience. Beyond that, because we’ve been working with writers, both established professionals and emerging authors, for years, we understand where you’re coming from, and how important your stories are. That’s why it’s our mission to work with writers to craft, polish, and hone the best works of fiction possible, and to design beautiful, appealing editions.

Do you offer advances?
No. We believe that the royalty-only/revenue-sharing model is fairer to everyone, and helps make it possible to make a living as a writer and creative professional.

Will my manuscript be edited? Will there be a professional cover?
Yes, and yes. When your manuscript is accepted, it will go through the same rigorous editorial process as at any of the Big Six publishers – possibly even more so, as our editors will work closely with you to hone your manuscript. It will be laid out professionally, and a professional cover will be designed. We believe that reading is an experience to be cherished, no matter what format you’re reading in, and because of this, we believe in creating beautiful books at every step of the process.

Will I be charged to publish with Candlemark & Gleam?
No! While Candlemark & Gleam is a small, nontraditional press, we adhere to the traditional values of publishing – that authors should be paid for their work, and not the other way around. You will never be asked to pay for publication services with Candlemark & Gleam, and there are no hidden fees in the process.

Questions from readers

What formats do you publish in?
Currently, Candlemark & Gleam titles are available as trade paperbacks and in a number of DRM-free digital formats, including Adobe PDF and ePub. These formats can be read by most e-reader software or by the software that comes standard on your device of choice, including desktops, laptops, netbooks, and many phones.

What is DRM?
Digital Rights Management is a way to restrict files from being copied or shared between computers and other electronic devices. It’s intended to be a way to stop piracy – of music, video, eBooks, and more.

Candlemark & Gleam does not use DRM on its products when sold directly. We believe that restricting your ability to read the eBook you’ve purchased on any device you want doesn’t do much to stop piracy. Pirates will share books illegally no matter what; keeping you from reading a book you’ve paid for on your computer, your e-reader, and your iPhone just complicates matters for you, not for them.

We hope that our readers believe in the power of the story just as much as we do, and want authors to be fairly compensated for their work – so we trust that you won’t share your eBooks illegally. If you want to share with a friend, how about buying them a copy?

Don’t be a pirate. We hear it hurts to have a peg-leg installed, anyway.

How do I read one of your digital books?
It’s simple! Just purchase the title you’re interested in, and download the format of your choice. Open the file on your computer, e-reader, or handheld device, and enjoy!

The PDF format is the simplest; you can open it with Adobe Reader on any computer, and many handheld devices.

You can also use a number of e-reader applications with our books, especially those formatted in ePub. The free applications we like include Calibre, Stanza, Bookworm, and Adobe Digital Editions, although there are many others out there.

You can also use Calibre and Stanza to transfer ePub-formatted books to your handheld device, like a smartphone or iPhone; these programs also convert files for opening on a Kindle, or with your Kindle Reader program for your iPhone, iPad, or computer.

MobiPocket files will work on a Kindle or in Kindle’s apps for iPhone and iPad.

ePub books will work nicely on a number of electronic readers, such as the Nook, Sony Reader, and iLiad.

For other devices, check with your device manufacturer for details of what format will work best.

Why do I have to register to buy a Candlemark & Gleam book?
One reason we encourage readers to buy from Candlemark & Gleam directly, and to register on the site, is that we offer a Digital Bookshelf for your C&G titles. When you purchase a Candlemark & Gleam book, you’re given a download link to get the format of your choice. The book you’ve bought is also placed in your personal Bookshelf, so that you can download it again later. While you are responsible for maintaining your files, this offers a little assurance in case of computer catastrophe.

Plus, in the future, we’re hoping to offer neat little treats for our registered users. Keep checking back!

Do you accept returns?
Due to the unique nature of digital books and downloads, we can’t accept returns.

However, we understand that technical glitches do occur. If something went wrong during the download process, you can always try downloading again; if something has happened to your copy, you can download a fresh one from your Bookshelf. If you’re still having technical problems, just email morlocks AT candlemarkandgleam.com and we’ll do our best to assist you.

What is a serial?
Serial fiction is an old concept that reached its heyday in the Victorian era. Prominent authors, including novelists like Charles Dickens, would often sell stories to magazines; these stories would be published in pieces, approximately a chapter at a time. The best serials were cliffhangers, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the next installment – much like a great TV series today.

Candlemark & Gleam is bringing the serial format back, updated for the Digital Era. Our serial fiction is published one chapter at a time. The first two chapters of each serial are available to read online for free; if you want to keep reading the novel, you’ll have to purchase the following chapters.

However, there’s another option: You can become a serial subscriber. If you choose to buy a serial subscription, you will get each individual chapter as it’s released; when the novel is completed, you’ll get a link to download the full, formatted eBook, complete with cover art – something you don’t get if you buy chapters a la carte.

Becoming a serial subscriber has other advantages, too – if you subscribe within the first five chapters of the novel, you get a steep discount on the eBook price!

I missed subscribing to a serial. Can I still read it?
Of course! If you missed the serial period of one of our novels, you can still purchase the whole novel as an eBook from our store.