We are open to novel submissions for our book line from November 1st until November 30th.

1. We are looking for dark science fiction novels.
2. Submissions must be between 50,000 and 100,000 words.
3. Use standard manuscript format
4. Please send a query letter in the body of your email, and attach the first three chapters and a 1-page synopsis of the book as .doc or .rtf files. All three chapters should be a single attachment, with the synopsis as a separate attachment. Submissions containing other file types will not be read.
5. Email submissions ONLY. Please send to apex.novels@gmail.com
6. No multiple submissions (i.e., only send us one query package at a time—don’t send the next until you hear back from us on the first).
7. Simultaneous submissions are okay.
8. Remember to include your contact information–including real name, pseudonym if applicable, email address, and phone number—in both your query letter and the manuscript.

Expected response times: We will endeavor to answer all queries within one month. If your full manuscript is requested, it may take up to three months for a decision. Some query letter tips:Keep it brief and to the point. Just introduce yourself, tell us the genre and word count, and sum up the most important aspects of the story in a sentence or two. Previous publishing credits are great, but not having any won’t hurt your chances. Compensation terms: We will be paying an advance as well as royalties against the advance.

PR – Apex Publications signs horror legend Gene O’Neill
Apex Books, A Division of Apex Publications
Contact: Jason Sizemore, Publisher
(859) 312-3974
jason@apexbookcompany.com

“Man, something must be wrong with me, big time, he thought. Maybe the Puerto Rican had bruised more than his brain the night of the championship. Scarred something deep inside, hurt his ability to feel much of anything. ”
–from “Bruised Soul”

From Stoker Finalist Gene O’Neill

A Taste of Tenderloin

Apex Publications brings together eight tales of the dark side of San Francisco’s ‘Loin sector in this collection by horror legend Gene O’Neill. Several of the short stories included have appeared in prestigious magazines such as Cemetery Dance Magazine, Dark Wisdom, and the anthologies Unnatural Selection, Horror Beyond II, and The Grand Struggle. The tale “Balance” was a Stoker Award Finalist.

The ‘Loin, Mr. O’Neill explains, is “a colorful section of [San Francisco], but rundown now like the famed Bowery used to be in NYC, hookers, pimps, junkies, all kinds of scam artists, but a certain kind of sleazy excitement in the foggy air at night […] Some of the characters in the various stories are composites of real people living in the ‘loin back then. E.g.: There is a description in “The Apotheosis of Nathan McKee” of an aging junkie playing classical music on a corner for hat money, a tawdry angel trying to flap her broken wings and fly up out of the sleazy muck.” The ‘Loin will also be described by one-time resident and Mr. O’Neill’s son, Gavin O’Neill, in the introduction to the collection.

Some of the tales included in this collection are “The Apotheosis of Nathan McKee,” about a man who discovers a very special ability after receiving a vicious beating; “Bruised Soul,” the story of an ex-boxer returning to the Tenderloin after a stay in a Sate Hospital, but still battling his own demons; and “Lost Patrol,” which follows a wounded vet after his return to the ‘loin after Vietnam, who is stalked by a supernatural presence. The collection also includes the original tale “Bushido.” The book will be approximately 200 pages long.

Publication date: August 2009

APEX PUBLICATIONS (www.apexbookcompany.com) is a small press dedicated to publishing exemplary works of dark science fiction and horror. Owned and operated by Jason B. Sizemore, Apex publishes the critically acclaimed Apex Science Fiction and Horror Magazine. In 2006, Apex Publishing branched into producing novellas, collections, and anthologies, earning a 2007 Bram Stoker Award nomination for the Aegri Somnia anthology.