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Mystery and crime publishers accepting unagented submissions

Publishers that read crime, mystery and thriller novels straight from authors, no agent needed, plus well-known houses that were closed when we checked.

Updated Nov 3, 2026. Every entry below was checked by hand against the organizer’s own page on the date shown. Deadlines, fees and terms change, so always confirm on the official page before you submit or pay anything.

Publishers taking unagented crime, mystery and thriller manuscripts

• Blue Beech Press – Murder Mysteries (official page) (Blue Beech Press): open anytime; no entry fee; Royalty share, no advance; length: 50,000–115,000. Any type of murder mystery, original and unpublished. Shunn format; DOC/DOCX/RTF. Takes first North American print and ebook rights for 5 years. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
• Bookouture – Crime, Thriller & Cozy (official page) (Bookouture (Hachette UK)): open anytime; no entry fee; Digital-first royalties; length: Full-length. Online form; genres include Crime & Thriller and Cozy Crime. Unagented OK. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
• Close To The Bone – Press (official page) (Close To The Bone): open anytime; no entry fee; Case-by-case contracts; length: Novels, novellas, collections. Crime noir only. Send synopsis, first three chapters and bio. The magazine is currently closed; the press is open. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
• Crimson Gate Books – Crime Novel Submissions (official page) (Crimson Gate Books): open anytime; no entry fee; Terms on offer; length: 50,000–100,000 (ideally 60,000–75,000), complete. Crime, mystery, suspense or thriller; no cozy or paranormal; no AI-written or AI-rewritten work; author must control all rights. Submit via the site's form. Checked Oct 27, 2026.
• Crooked Lane Books (official page) (Crooked Lane Books): open anytime; no entry fee; Advance + royalties (terms not published); length: 60,000–100,000. Agented and unagented crime fiction, all subgenres. Query via QueryTracker. They reply within two weeks only if interested. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
• Down & Out Books (official page) (Down & Out Books): open anytime; no entry fee; Terms on offer; length: 50,000+ (send first 10,000). Dark, raw, existential noir. No cozies, YA, domestic thrillers or standard procedurals. Email downandoutsubmissions@gmail.com. Response 6–12 weeks. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
• Dundurn Press – Mystery & Thriller (official page) (Dundurn Press): open anytime; no entry fee; Terms on offer; length: Full manuscript (no partials for fiction). Prioritizes Canadian authors and those eligible for Canadian citizenship. Email submissions@dundurn.com with intro email, full manuscript, literary CV and 1-page synopsis. Checked Oct 27, 2026.
• Harlequin Intrigue (official page) (Harlequin (HarperCollins)): open anytime; no entry fee; Advance + royalties (category romance contract); length: 55,000–60,000. Crime-driven romantic suspense: high-stakes thrillers and procedurals with a central romance and a resolved crime. Unagented submissions accepted via Submittable; full manuscript + 3–7 page synopsis. No cozies. Checked Oct 27, 2026.
• Hera Books (official page) (Hera Books (sister of Canelo)): open anytime; no entry fee; Royalties on net receipts; length: 80,000+. Mystery and thriller (plus romance, sagas, horror). Underrepresented authors especially encouraged. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
• Inkubator Books (official page) (Inkubator Books): open anytime; no entry fee; 45% of net receipts; length: Full-length. Crime, mystery, thriller, suspense, especially psychological/domestic, procedurals and legal thrillers. Unagented welcome. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
• Joffe Books (official page) (Joffe Books): open anytime; no entry fee; Terms on offer; length: Minimum 60,000. UK indie publisher of commercial crime and mystery. Email full MS, synopsis and bio. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
• Level Best Books – Novel Submissions (official page) (Level Best Books): open anytime; no entry fee; Royalties (terms not published); length: 70,000–90,000. Agented and unagented. Traditional, procedural, cozy, noir and other crime. Response within ~6 months. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
• Love Inspired Suspense (official page) (Harlequin (HarperCollins)): open anytime; no entry fee; Advance + royalties (category contract); length: 55,000. Inspirational romantic suspense with a mandatory Christian faith element; suspense introduced in chapter one; no graphic violence. Series lines accept unagented submissions; full manuscript + synopsis. Checked Oct 27, 2026.
• Lyrical Press (Kensington) (official page) (Kensington Publishing): open anytime; no entry fee; Terms on offer; length: Mysteries 75,000–100,000. Cozy mysteries, psychological suspense and thrillers, among others. Email a query plus synopsis to ONE editor. No reply means no. Allow 3+ months. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
• Severn House (Joffe Books imprint) (official page) (Severn House / Joffe Books): open anytime; no entry fee; Terms on offer; length: Minimum 60,000. Commercial fiction, especially crime and mystery. Email full MS, 3-paragraph synopsis and 100-word bio to submissions@joffebooks.com. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
• Storm Publishing – Crime, Thriller & Mystery (official page) (Storm Publishing): open anytime; no entry fee; No advance; 50% of net digital receipts; length: Full-length. Agented or unagented via online form. Crime, psychological thrillers, mystery and more. They say they reply within two weeks. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
• The Wild Rose Press – Crimson Rose (mystery & thriller) (official page) (The Wild Rose Press): open anytime; no entry fee; Royalties (no fees to authors); length: 15,000–100,000 (45,000+ for print). Crimson Rose line: murder, mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, cozy mystery, action/adventure. Email query with synopsis and first pages per the query instructions. Checked Oct 27, 2026.

Publishers that charge a fee to submit

Reputable traditional publishers rarely charge authors to read a manuscript. Weigh any reading fee carefully.

• Thriller Magazine Press (official page) (Thriller Media LLC): open anytime; fee: $9.99 (includes personalized feedback); $300 advance + 33% net royalties; length: Novels 50,000–90,000; novellas 25,000–50,000. Unagented OK. Crime, psychological, mystery, domestic, noir thrillers. No supernatural monster stories. Response 4–6 weeks. Checked Oct 28, 2026.

Novel competitions that lead to a contract

The no-fee Minotaur Books / MWA First Crime Novel Competition and Minotaur Books / Malice Domestic competition both award a publishing contract. More on the no-fee contests guide.

Closed to unagented submissions when checked (Oct 27, 2026)

These publish crime fiction but were not open to new unagented manuscripts on the date we checked:

• Bloodhound Books: page says submissions are closed until the next window.
• Canelo: submissions inbox closed (sister imprint Hera Books is open).
• Hobeck Books: currently closed to submissions.
• Poisoned Pen Press: Submittable shows no open calls.
• Verve Books: temporarily closed.
• Encircle Publications: says its publishing slate is full.
• Oceanview Publishing: takes agented, previously traditionally published or invited authors only.

Questions writers ask

Which mystery publishers accept unagented submissions?

This page lists 18 publishers that were taking crime, mystery or thriller manuscripts directly from authors when checked, including Bookouture, Joffe Books, Severn House, Hera Books, Storm Publishing, Inkubator Books, Crooked Lane Books, Level Best Books and Harlequin Intrigue.

Do I need an agent to publish a crime novel?

No. Many digital-first and independent crime publishers read unagented manuscripts, and the Minotaur Books first-novel competitions accept unagented entries. Some publishers, such as Oceanview, only take agented or previously published authors.

Should a publisher charge me to submit?

Most publishers listed here charge nothing to submit. If a publisher asks for a reading fee or for you to pay for publication, read the terms closely before going ahead.

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