September 30th 2020: They are closed to general submissions due to COVID-19, but plan to reopen. Also they’ve held novella submissions during this time (You can learn more about that here), so the site is still worth checking.
Tor/Forge publishes science fiction and fantasy books. Run by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, Tor/Forge is an imprint of Macmillan, one of the big five publishers. Tor is one of the most established science fiction publishers and they have won the Locus Award for best SF publisher 26 years in a row. They offer advances.
Some of the most popular books they recently published include V.E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, Article 5 by Kristen Simmons, and The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley. Historically they have published many of the best known Science fiction and fantasy novels including Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, and The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson.
The are open to unsolicited submissions from authors without an agent. All submissions should be made through the mail. They do not respond to queries. They consider tens of thousands of projects every year, so the competition is fierce. However, every proposal is reviewed by at least one member of the editorial staff.
Submission packets must include the first three chapters of your book. This excerpt should be between 40-60 pages. The submission packet must also include a dated cover letter, a self addressed and stamped envelope, a synopsis of the entire book that includes all important plot elements. If you have written or plan to write a whole series, only propose the first book, not the series as a whole.
Make sure you read their complete submission guidelines before submitting.Tom Doherty Associates also considers books in other genres as long as you follow the same guidelines and alert the correct editor. Other genres they consider include women’s literature and children’s books (although not picture books).
It is important to note that if you do not receive a reply after six months, please resubmit.
Learn more by reading their submission guidelines here (scroll down – the submission guidelines are near the bottom of the page).
