Submissions

Have a story you'd like to send us? Great! Please read the following before you submit.

How we decide what to publish

We are not an on-demand publisher or a self-publisher. Think of us like a traditional publisher, only cooler and with more shrimp. We pick works that we think have beautiful artwork and wonderful stories that fit our specific niche (see more below). Even if your work doesn't end up being a good fit for Shrimp Cult, that doesn't mean we don't like it! We will do our very best to get back to you with more information and feedback about your submission.

Niche

Shrimp Cult Press publishes 1) graphic novels and tabletop roleplaying (TTRPG) modules/games that are 2) light-hearted and maybe a little silly. If your work doesn't fit both categories, we probably won't publish it. If you're not sure, it's ok to ask!

Content

Here are some things we do not publish.

  • Anything that could be considered racist, homophobic, transphobic, or otherwise hateful. Works that are right on the edge of any of these categories won't be considered either.
  • Fan art for other media, or stories/illustrations that are based on a copyrighted or trademarked property. (D&D modules are the notable exception. There are content rules for writing 5e modules, and we can help you with this.)
  • Stories or artwork that have been generated - in part or in whole - by generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Midjourney. See our AI Art Policy and related blog post.

Works in Progress

We love finished works, but we also love works in progress. If you have a story you're working on or an idea you'd like to workshop, feel free to send what you have. But still read the next section on story.

Story

If you're writing a TTRPG module, you can skip this section!

Otherwise, there are a few points to consider about your story before you submit. Not all stories will follow these guidelines exactly, but they're good guidelines to follow.

Does your story have an adequate setup? Do we get to know the characters before things start happening? Do we have an idea of what their life is like?

What changes in their lives? Is it clear?

What happens after the change? Most of the time, this is where the meat of the story is. The setup and the change or tilt are important, but they usually take place at the beginning. This is where you get to play.

How does your story conclude? Is everything wrapped up nicely? Or does it end in a cliff hanger? And is it clear from reading the story which it is?

Do your characters speak and behave consistently with their personality throughout the story? Maybe they do or don't, but either choice should be intentional.

Setting Expectations

Submitting your work doesn't guarantee that we'll publish it. Likewise, we don't assume that your submission will be exclusive to Shrimp Cult Press.

If we decide your story is a good fit and you decide you want to publish with us, you'll get a contributor contract to sign that lays out all the details of how the relationship works. A few important notes about the contract:

  • You retain ownership of your intellectual property. Your characters, your story, your world, all remain yours. We license the right to publish one particular story for a certain number of years. This is to prevent people from letting us do all the layout/marketing work and then self-publishing or otherwise cutting us out of the part where money gets made.
  • You are paid royalties from the sale of your work according to the rates laid out in the contract.

Before you sign any contract (even ours!), we encourage you to find a lawyer to review the contract with you and make sure it meets your expectations. Lawyers can be expensive, but there are lawyers who work specifically with artists, some for free or at a reduced rate, and the peace of mind is usually worth it.

What to submit

We need a few things from you to fully consider your story.

  • A description of what you're writing (graphic novel? TTRPG module? comic?)
  • A summary of your story. This should include the main beats of your story, including how it starts and ends. If you don't have all of this yet but you want feedback, that's ok! Send what you have.
  • If you're an illustrator, please include a link to your portfolio.
  • If you're a writer looking for an illustrator, tell us what style you envision the art looking like. Examples of artwork that you think fits will help. We might be able to help you find someone!
  • If you have concept artwork of what the characters and environment will look like, that's great!
  • Links to past work. Don't feel bad if you don't have anything published - that's ok. A blog, a Cara account, an Instagram, a Tumblr (if that still exists) - you get the idea - are all fine.

If you've read all that and you're ready to submit, send all of the above to info@shrimpcultpress.ca, and we'll try to get back to you soon!