Writers' Guidelines

  • Renard's Menagerie publishes original fiction involving anthropomorphic creatures. By this we mean animals with a human component. This can be as subtle as a talking creature or as significant as beast-men and centaurs. Mermaids, werewolves, talking cats. Teddy-bear aliens and telepathic dragons.

  • The anthropomorphic elements should also be a significant element to the story - if the extent of the anthropomorphic content is that the witch's familiar announces he's going out for a night on the prowl, we're not interested. The anthropomorphic element need not be central, however.

  • We are looking for anthropomorphic fiction of all kinds: science fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy, urban fantasy and everything that may fall through the cracks.

  • This is not an adult publication. Please keep any sex behind the curtain and no violence worse that what you would find on prime-time television.

  • Blatantly including the author as a character is discouraged, as is a character that is clearly the author in an animalistic form. In other words, please refrain from self-insertion stories.

  • We do not accept fan-fiction. Your stories must be set in your own worlds and involve your own characters, not those of another author (excepting works in the public domain).

  • Grammar and spelling count.

  • We do not accept simultaneous submissions. We also do not accept multiple submissions from a single author.

  • We accept both electronic and non-electronic submissions. Please insure that your manuscript is double spaced, with one inch margins and using a Courier or equivalent font. Your name and the title of the story must be on the top of every page. Please underline those areas in the manuscript that are to be italicized upon printing.

  • Electronic submissions must be in Microsoft Word format (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf). For non-electronic submissions please enclose a self addressed stamped envelope.

  • For more information on correct manuscript formatting you can visit the SFWA web site. The articles you will need are under "Resources", "Craft of Writing" and then "Manuscript Preparation".

  • Payment is 1 cent per a word, in US dollars, upon acceptance. We buy first North American and foreign serial rights. All other rights are retained by the author.

  • Recommended story length is 2,000 to 10,000 words.

  • All columns and non-fiction articles are assigned in house, and we do not accept submissions in those areas.

  • Renard's Menagerie uses very little art: four covers a year with some minor interior artwork. if you are interested in submitting art to us please see our Artist's Guidelines.

  • Send story submissions or queries to submissions @ RenardsMenagerie.com, or:
    Submissions:
    Renard's Menagerie
    P.O. Box 6212
    Bellevue, WA 98008-0212