Submissions Are Opening

Everything You Need to Get Ready for Lemon Jelly Press

One of my favourite moments of the year is nearly here.

From 1st April to 26th June, Lemon Jelly Press will be opening its submissions window. That means we’ll be reading new voices, new stories, new ideas, and new worlds. And we cannot wait.

But more than that, we want this process to be empowering for writers.

We don’t just want to receive submissions. We want to help you send your work out into the world with confidence. We want you to feel proud of what you’re submitting. We want you to know that you’ve given your writing the very best chance not only with Lemon Jelly Press, but with any publisher you choose to approach in the future.

Our aim is not simply to accept work. It is to support writers in building strong, professional, resilient creative practices. To help you learn how to prepare your work properly. To help you trust your voice. To help you stand behind your stories.

By the time you press “send,” we want your confidence in your work to be high. We want you to feel: This is ready. This represents me. This is my best.

If you’ve been quietly working on something.
If you’ve been unsure whether it’s “ready.”
If you’ve been telling yourself “maybe next year.”

This is your sign.

Here is everything you need to know to get your submission in the best possible shape.

Step One: Polish Your Work

Start by editing carefully. Read your writing slowly, and if you can, read it out loud. This is one of the best ways to catch things your eyes skip over on the page. Listen for awkward sentences, repeated words, confusing sections, or moments where the pace feels a bit flat. Pay attention to typos and small grammar slips too. If something doesn’t quite feel right as you’re reading, trust that instinct. It usually means it needs a little more work.

Next, try to get some fresh eyes on it. We are all too close to our own writing to see it clearly. A trusted friend, another writer, a writing group, or a beta reader can often spot issues you’ve become blind to. When you ask for feedback, you’re not looking for praise. You’re looking for honesty. Where did they lose interest? Where were they confused? Which parts did they love and want more of? That kind of feedback is incredibly valuable and can make a real difference to your submission.

Once you’ve made changes, take time to fine-tune rather than over-fix. Editing is about clarity, not stripping away personality. We want to hear your voice, your rhythm, and your quirks. Don’t polish your work so much that it becomes flat or generic. What makes it different is often what makes it special.

If you’d like extra support at this stage, we also offer professional editing services through Lemon Jelly Press. These can help you strengthen your work, build confidence in your draft, and prepare it for submission whether to us or to other publishers. Sometimes a skilled, supportive editor is exactly what a piece needs to move from “nearly ready” to “truly ready.”

Giving your work this time and attention is one of the best gifts you can give yourself as a writer.

Step Two: Make Sure It’s Truly Submission-Ready

Once you’ve edited, gathered feedback, and fine-tuned your work, it’s time to take a step back and look at it as a whole.

Try to see it the way an editor or publisher will see it.

Ask yourself honestly: Is this the strongest opening I can offer right now? Does this show my writing at its best? Would I feel proud if this were shared publicly tomorrow?

If your answer is “almost,” that’s a good sign. It means you’re close. Often, one more careful read, one more small edit, or one more moment of reflection can make a big difference.

At this stage, it can help to leave your work alone for a few days if you’re able to. Come back to it with fresh eyes. You’ll often spot things you missed before, or suddenly see how to tighten a paragraph or strengthen a scene.

Pay attention to your opening in particular. For novels and non-fiction, those first 1,000 words matter a lot. They set the tone. They introduce your voice. They show us what kind of writer you are. Make sure they really represent the story you want to tell.

For poetry, think about the order of the poems you’re sending. Do they flow well together? Do they show different sides of your writing? Do they give a strong sense of your style and themes?

For picture books, read your manuscript as if you were a child hearing it for the first time. Does it flow? Does it feel engaging? Does it leave space for illustration and imagination?

Being “submission-ready” doesn’t mean being perfect. No piece of writing ever is. It means you’ve done the work. You’ve taken it seriously. You’ve respected your own talent enough to give it your best shot.

And when you reach that point, you’ll feel it.

There’s a quiet confidence that comes with knowing: This is ready. This is mine. This is good.

Step Three: How to Submit Your Work

Once your writing feels ready, the final step is simply sending it in. This part is very straightforward, and following these guidelines helps us make sure every submission is read fairly and carefully.

Please submit your work by email.

Your Subject Line

In the subject line of your email, include your name and the title of your submission.

For example:
Jane Smith – The Silver Orchard

This helps us keep track of everything properly, especially when we’re reading a high volume of work.

Your Email Message

In the body of the email, include a short, friendly introduction to yourself.

You don’t need to write a long biography or sell yourself. Just let us know who you are. You might mention where you’re based, what you like to write, or why this project matters to you. A few sentences is absolutely enough.

Think of it as saying hello before you hand someone your work.

Your Attachment

Please attach your submission as a PDF file.

This helps us read your work easily and keeps formatting consistent. Try not to paste your writing into the body of the email, as attachments are much easier for us to manage.

Before sending, double-check that:

• The file opens properly

• It’s the correct version

• It’s clearly named

For example:
JaneSmith_TheSilverOrchard.pdf

A small detail like this makes a big difference.

What to Send

We accept the following types of submissions:

If you’re sending a novel, either for adults or children, please send the first 1,000 words.

If you’re submitting a poetry collection, send your first five poems.

If you’re submitting a children’s picture book, send the full manuscript.

If you’re submitting creative non-fiction, send the first 1,000 words.

Please send just one project per submissions window. This helps us give each piece the time and attention it deserves.

Before You Press Send

Take a final moment before you click “send.”

Check that your subject line is correct.
Check that your PDF is attached.
Check that your email includes a short introduction.
Check that you’re happy with what you’re sending.

What We’re Looking For

At Lemon Jelly Press, we’re always most excited by work that feels alive.

We love writing that takes risks. Writing that isn’t trying to copy what’s already popular. Writing that comes from a place of honesty, curiosity, and courage.

We are drawn to stories and poems that are a little strange, a little unexpected, and a little bold.

We love work that is off-beat.
That challenges assumptions.
That opens up difficult conversations.
That celebrates difference and diversity.
That makes us stop and think.
That makes us question what we thought we knew.
That lingers in the mind long after we’ve finished reading.

If your work explores identity, belonging, grief, joy, justice, mental health, family, power, love, loss, or the messy reality of being human, we want to see it.

If your writing doesn’t fit neatly into a genre box, that’s often a good sign. Some of the most exciting work lives in the spaces between categories.

We are especially passionate about championing voices that are underrepresented in publishing. Writers who haven’t always felt welcome. Writers who have been told their stories are “too much,” “too different,” or “not commercial enough.”

We believe those stories matter.

A Final Word (And a Little Encouragement)

If you’ve read this far, there’s a good chance you’re serious about your writing.

You care about it.
You want to do it well.
You want to grow.

That already tells me something important about you as a writer.

Preparing a submission takes courage. It means believing in your work enough to let someone else see it. It means trusting that your voice deserves space. It means saying, quietly but firmly: This matters to me.

And that matters to us.

We don’t expect perfection. We don’t expect polished, finished, flawless writers. We expect thoughtful, committed, curious creatives who are willing to learn, reflect, and keep going.

If that sounds like you, we would love to read your work.

Remember:

🗓 Submissions open: 1st April
🗓 Submissions close: 26th June

Put it in your diary. Set yourself a gentle deadline. Give yourself something to work towards.

And while you’re here, make sure you’re subscribed to this Substack so you don’t miss updates, reminders, and behind-the-scenes insights about submissions, publishing, and life at Lemon Jelly Press.

If you choose to become a paid subscriber, you’ll also unlock access to a growing library of in-depth articles, practical guides, and downloadable resources designed to support you at every stage of your writing journey. From editing checklists and submission templates to confidence-building tools and creative prompts, it’s all there to help you strengthen your work and believe in it.

Think of it as your quiet writing companion in your inbox.

We’re on your side.
We’re rooting for you.
And we cannot wait to see what you’ve been creating.