Frequently Asked Questions
- Help, I can't log in to my bookshelf!
- How do I get notified of new books and news from DFP?
- What genres does DFP publish?
- What word count definitions does DFP use?
- What do you mean by relationship types?
- Did you find a typo while reading one of our releases?
- What ebook formats does DFP provide?
- What's a zip file?
- How do I access the ebooks I've purchased from DFP?
- What if I need the ebook I purchased in a different format because I switched readers or had a computer crash?
- What payment methods does DFP accept?
- What is digital rights management? Does Dancing Fools Press use DRM?
- What is DFP's policy on fanfic?
- How do I submit my story to DFP?
- What needs to be included in my submission?
- What's DFP's submission address?
- Why don't you require a cover letter with my submission?
Have a question not addressed here? Please contact us.
Q. Help, I can't log in to my bookshelf! [ top ]
A. Please check your spam filter for the activation email. We've had reports that Gmail is sending all emails from dancingfoolspress.com directly to the spam box, so please check there for your activation email. Adding our email address (store [at] dancing fools press [dot] com) to your address book may help as well.
If the activation email isn't there (it will have a subject line that says "Activate your DancingFoolsPress.com account"), your email address may have been entered incorrectly, so let us know you're having problems logging in or getting your account activated. Please be sure to include the email address you signed up with in your note.
Q. How do I get notified of new books and news from DFP? [ top ]
A. You can sign up to receive our newsletter, add our RSS feed to your feed reader, or join us on Dreamwidth, LiveJournal, or Facebook.
Q. What genres does DFP publish? [ top ]
A. We do publish:
- Novel-length fiction for adults
- Romance anthologies
- Novellas and short stories
- Genres include, but are not limited to: action/adventure, contemporary, fantasy, historical, mystery, paranormal, romance, science fiction, steampunk, suspense/thriller, western, and any combination of the above.
We don't publish:
- Children's books
- Derivative works (fanfiction with the serial numbers filed off)
- Devotional or inspirational books
- Graphic horror
- Non-fiction
- Poetry
- Pornography
- Young adult books
Q. What word count definitions does DFP use? [ top ]
A. We define the various story format lengths as:
- Novel: 60,000+ words
- Novella: 20,000-60,000 words
- Short story: 5,000-20,000 words
Please note that short stories are only allowed to be submitted for anthologies.
We do accept single-author collections as novel submissions, provided:
- The aggregate word count of the stories meets the minimum requirement for a novel (60,000+ words).
- The stories are interrelated, e.g. they're all about the same characters/world, like P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster stories or Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.
Q. What do you mean by relationship types? [ top ]
A. We mean what type of romantic relationship exists in the story (e.g. male/female, male/male, female/female), even if it's not the main focus of the story. General submissions do not require romantic relationships, but our themed anthologies do. Please check the specific call for submissions for details.
Q. Did you find a typo while reading one of our releases? [ top ]
A. Please let us know so we can fix it right now.
Q. What ebook formats does DFP provide? [ top ]
A. When you order an ebook from DFP, you'll have access to the ebook in all of these formats:
HTML: All of DFP's HTML ebook files are valid XHTML and CSS. They should display in any browser.
ePub: ePub is quickly becoming the standard format for ebook delivery. The following are some of the programs that display ePub files: Adobe Digital Editions, Calibre.
PDF: Adobe's portable document format is now readable by many different programs, including Adobe Reader.
RTF: Rich text files are text documents, readable by programs such as OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Word.
Is there a non-DRM format not found on this list that you would like to be able purchase from DFP? Please let us know and we'll do our best to accommodate you.
Q. What's a zip file? [ top ]
A. Most of our ebook files are zipped to force browsers to download the books and to save space. You'll need to unzip the file you downloaded before trying to read it, using a program like 7Zip. After unzipping the file, you should have a file that you can read.
Q. How do I access the ebooks I've purchased from DFP? [ top ]
A. To access your ebooks, you will need to:
- Read DFP's policies and terms of use. (They're really short, we promise.)
- Register for an account.
- Place your order and pay for it. (If you're using a different email for PayPal than the one you used to register for an account with DFP, please be sure to include your DFP account email in the "DFP account email" field when you pay so we can be sure the payment gets attached to the correct account.)
- Wait just a little bit for the payment to clear and the order to show up on your account. (The wait will be less than twenty-four hours. In most cases, the ebook will show up on your bookshelf within just a few minutes.)
- Visit your bookshelf.
- Download and enjoy!
Q. What if I need the ebook I purchased in a different format because I switched readers or had a computer crash? [ top ]
A. When you purchase an ebook directly from DFP, you will be able to download it in any format you would like and as many times as you need from your bookshelf, for as long as you remain subscribed to our updates list with a valid email address. If you choose not to be a newsletter subscriber, you will be able to download the ebook in any format for thirty days after purchase.
Q. What payment methods does DFP accept? [ top ]
A. We accept credit cards, PayPal, checks, and money orders. Funds must be in U.S. dollars.
If you would like to purchase a book directly from us on this website using a method other than a credit card, you may certainly do so. To purchase a hard copy to be sent outside of the US, or to use a personal check (US only) or money order, please use the contact form. Include the ISBN(s) of the book(s) you would like to purchase, the quantity, and your mailing information. We'll figure out the shipping costs and email you back with the total. Please do not send a payment until we've replied to your order to ensure that your ordered products are in stock.
Orders paid for by check or money order will be held for five days while the payment clears.
Q. What is digital rights management? Does Dancing Fools Press use DRM? [ top ]
A. Please refer to the philosophy page.
Q. What is DFP's policy on fanfic? [ top ]
A. Please refer to the philosophy page.
Q. How do I submit my story to DFP? [ top ]
A. Please refer to the submission instructions.
Q. What needs to be included in my submission? [ top ]
A. Please refer to the submission instructions.
Q. What's DFP's submission address? [ top ]
A. On the submission page, click on the "submission email" link under the story type you are submitting. JavaScript must be turned on for the link to work correctly.
Q. Why don't you require a cover letter with my submission? [ top ]
A. When you submit your work to DFP, we'll read your first chapter and synopsis, then decide if we want to go forward based on your writing, not on the strength of a submission letter.