Killer Reads - Open Submissions ; How To Submit and #Giveaway

Killer Reads, the crime and thriller digital-first imprint at HarperCollins, has reopened their Killer Reads inbox this January 2016, for un-agented submissions.

Specifications for submissions for Open Submission at Killer Reads

Mission statement for Killer Reads 

"We are on the lookout for commercial crime and thrillers ranging from police procedurals, to psychological thrillers, to high-concept thrillers and beyond.

We are looking for fantastic writing that hooks us, making us want to turn the page and find out what happens next; and characters that stay with us long after we finish reading. We want to feel moved, compelled, shocked and intrigued. 

We want to give a voice to exciting, emerging talent in the genre that may otherwise go unheard.

If this sounds like you, we'd love to read your novel." 

Aspiring crime and thriller writers can send their manuscripts, along with a detailed synopsis and author biog to :  killerreads.submissions@harpercollins.co.uk 

Please check out the entry rules on the Killer Read webpage http://www.killerreads.com/open-submissions/

Editor Lucy Dauman, who will be acquiring authors for the Killer Reads list, shares her top tips for aspiring writers here

Killer Reads landed their first Sunday Times bestseller with After Anna by Alex Lake. Already a number one ebook bestseller, After Anna stormed into the physical chart in early December 2015.

Acquired by editor Kate Stephenson as a Killer Reads digital-first title in March 2015, After Anna is a chilling psychological thriller that deals with the kidnapping of a young girl, but in a unique way ~ After Anna asks the question; what if the real nightmare starts when the child is returned?   The ebook published on 31 July and has sold 75,000 copies to date. Given its success in ebook (both in terms of sales and the wealth of amazing reviews online), HarperFiction transitioned it to paperback. Following its first full week on sale has hit the paperback charts at number 8. 

Kate Stephenson says: 'It has been fantastic working with Alex on After Anna. The book has been an absolute gift to publish - and it shows what can be achieved with the digital-first model. Killer Reads is about identifying new talent, and being agile enough to respond quickly to market trends. Being part of HarperCollins means that we have the ability to transition swiftly to print when the demand is there.' 

I have five copies of one of the digital-first debut novels: For Reasons Unknown by Michael Wood ~ entry is simple; fill out the competition widget at the end of this post. UK entries only please.   Good luck!

Two murders. Twenty years. Now the killer is back for more.

A darkly compelling debut crime novel. The start of a brilliant series, perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Val McDermid, and James Oswald.

DCI Matilda Darke has returned to work after a nine-month absence. A shadow of her former self, she is tasked with re-opening a cold case; the terrifying brutal murders of Miranda and Stefan Harkness. The only witness was their eleven-year-old son, Jonathan, who was too deeply traumatised to speak a word.

Then a dead body is discovered, and the investigation leads back to Matilda's case. Suddenly the past and present converge, and it seems a killer may have come back for more ....  

 Michael Wood is a proofreader and former journalist in Sheffield. His first novel For Reasons Unknown was released in ebook format by Killer Reads in October 2015. It is the first in a series of crime fiction novels set in Sheffield featuring DCI Matilda Darke.

Killer Reads Giveaway ** For Reasons Unknown by Michael Wood **


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