Big 5 publishing house
Tor Publishing Group
Fiction, Fantasy and Sci-Fi, Horror
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About Tor
Tor is closed to submissions today. Its submission portal for Tor and Tor Teen shows no open window, and the last one listed ran in October 2021. The novella program is closed too. Watch the portal for a new window or work with a literary agent.
Tor Publishing Group is the science fiction, fantasy and horror arm of Macmillan, founded in 1980. Its mission is to be the home for genre fiction, and its imprints split the field: Tor Books for flagship genre fiction, Forge for commercial reads, Nightfire for horror, Bramble for romance, Tor Teen and Starscape for young readers, and Tordotcom for experimental fiction and novellas.
People often search for the Tor publishing house because it has run short open windows for writers without agents. The last Tor and Tor Teen window shown on its portal ran from October 10 to 13, 2021. Tor publishers have not announced a new date, so the portal stays closed for now.
What Tor is looking for
- Science fiction and fantasy
- Horror (Nightfire)
- Romance (Bramble)
- Speculative fiction for teens and young readers (Tor Teen and Starscape)
- Novella-length science fiction, fantasy and horror (Tordotcom)
Publishes
- Fantasy and Sci-Fi
- Fiction
- Horror
- Middle grade
- Romance
- Young adult
Readers
- Adult
- Middle grade
- Young adult
How to submit to Tor
From its own guidelines- Check the Tor submission portal for an announced open window.
- If a window opens, prepare the full manuscript and a cover letter with a short pitch and author bio.
- Upload through the portal during the window; past windows promised a reply within six months.
- Outside windows, query literary agents who sell science fiction and fantasy.
Is Tor right for your book?
A good fit if
Genre novelists with a finished, polished book who can wait for an open window or who already have an agent.
Look elsewhere if
Authors who want to send work now, writers of unagented middle grade (not taken even during past windows) and anyone planning to send several novels at once.
Tor imprints
Which take submissions| Imprint | Direct submissions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tor Books | Not stated | Flagship. Moksha portal: 'Tor/Tor Teen is currently Closed to Submissions.' Last window shown: Oct 10-13, 2021. |
| Tor Teen / Starscape | Not stated | Shares Tor/Tor Teen Moksha portal, currently closed. Portal: no unagented Middle Grade. |
| Tordotcom Publishing | Not stated | Novella Program on Moksha 'currently closed to submissions'; past windows only. |
| Forge Books | Not stated | No submissions info on official pages fetched. |
| Nightfire | Not stated | Horror imprint; no current submissions info found on official pages. |
| Bramble | Not stated | Romance imprint; no submissions info found. |
Questions about Tor
Is Tor accepting submissions right now?
No. The Tor and Tor Teen submission portal says it is closed, and the last window it lists ran from October 10 to 13, 2021. The Tordotcom novella program is closed as well. Neither page gives a reopen date, so check the portal now and then, or reach Tor through a literary agent.
Did Tor take unagented manuscripts in past windows?
Yes, during its short open windows Tor read novels sent through its portal without an agent, except middle grade. Authors uploaded a full manuscript with a cover letter, a pitch and a short bio, and Tor said it would reply within six months. It asked writers not to send more than one novel at a time.
Can I submit to Tor and other publishers at the same time?
Tor prefers that you do not send the same book to other publishers while it is reading, and it asks you to withdraw if the book is accepted elsewhere. It does not allow multiple submissions, meaning more than one manuscript at once. Plan your submissions so you can respect both rules.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
