Updated February 2025
CamCat Books is a small independent publisher that was founded in 2019.
They were founded by Sue Arroyo, an entrepreneur who sold her previous business, Trident Technologies, to start CamCat. In March 2024, Arroyo passed away following a fall, you can learn more about her passing here. The company is continuing on.
CamCat is reader orientated. Their covers are inconsistent. Some are great, some are awful (in my personal opinion, of course). They are distributed by IPG.
CamCat Books publishes novel-length genre fiction aimed at adults. They also publish work for young adults 16 or older, they consider any book featuring a character 15 years or younger, still middle grate, which is an unusual distinction to make. They’ll consider most works of fiction aimed at these age groups but they are most interested in publishing in the following genres:
- Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Romance
- Historical
- Paranormal
- Horror
- Adventure
- We’ll even look at Westerns
They also have a long list of what they won’t publish/look at on their website, so review that list also.
They have word count guidelines that vary depending on genre, but they are interested only in novel length fiction, which is to say they aren’t interested in anything shorter than 50,000 words in length.
Your manuscript must be formatted to meet standard guidelines. They do not consider simultaneously submitted work or previously published work. Agented submissions get priority consideration. Although based on the authors they’ve previously published and their FAQ, the majority of what is submitted to them is direct from authors.
All work must be submitted through their Submittable portal. It’s very important to note that it’s an extensive form and they won’t let you file it without various website links (for goodreads, etc) that they ask for at the end. Scan down and make sure you have those before you start the process.
To learn more, read their complete submission guidelines here.
They also have an extensive list of FAQ here.
Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2020 Guide to Manuscript Publishers.
She regularly teaches three acclaimed courses on writing and publishing at The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish.You can follow her on Facebook here.
