Welcome!
At Stag Beetle Books we publish excellent young adult speculative fiction. Fantasy and science fiction are our passion, including dystopian, post-apocalyptic, horror, and paranormal.
We are a white-glove boutique publishing house with high royalties for authors but we do not offer advances.
We know that fiction matters. It influences, instructs, enlightens, and entertains.
We believe young adult fiction is for readers of all ages, but carries with it the expectation that it will not contain material that would be above a PG-13 rating as it plays on the screen of your brain.
If your story features more mature content we may decide to market it as a New Adult novel rather than a Young Adult novel.
What Makes Us Different:
- We are looking to cultivate long-term relationships with our authors. We don't just publish your book. When you join our publishing family, it's our intention to stick with you for the duration of your writing career. We want you to write at your speed, whether that's one book every four years or three books a year, as long as it's fantastic quality.
- As a publisher of Young Adult Fiction, we know the importance of having young adults interested in our stories. That's why we have young adults working with our main acquisitions editor. That's right, we share your submissions with young adults (aged 12-18) who tell us which ones grab their attention. Each submission is read by the acquisitions editor and at least two young adults, because we don't think 30-50 year old's should be determining what makes great young adult fiction. (If you are/have a teenager interested in being a Young Adult Acquisitions Consultant, please contact us.)
-We personally reply to every submission we receive within 14-20 days of receipt. You won't get a vague "publishing is a very subjective business, etc." email from us 6 months later.
-We respond to solicited full-manuscript submissions within 30 days.
We are a white-glove boutique publishing house with high royalties for authors but we do not offer advances.
We know that fiction matters. It influences, instructs, enlightens, and entertains.
We believe young adult fiction is for readers of all ages, but carries with it the expectation that it will not contain material that would be above a PG-13 rating as it plays on the screen of your brain.
If your story features more mature content we may decide to market it as a New Adult novel rather than a Young Adult novel.
What Makes Us Different:
- We are looking to cultivate long-term relationships with our authors. We don't just publish your book. When you join our publishing family, it's our intention to stick with you for the duration of your writing career. We want you to write at your speed, whether that's one book every four years or three books a year, as long as it's fantastic quality.
- As a publisher of Young Adult Fiction, we know the importance of having young adults interested in our stories. That's why we have young adults working with our main acquisitions editor. That's right, we share your submissions with young adults (aged 12-18) who tell us which ones grab their attention. Each submission is read by the acquisitions editor and at least two young adults, because we don't think 30-50 year old's should be determining what makes great young adult fiction. (If you are/have a teenager interested in being a Young Adult Acquisitions Consultant, please contact us.)
-We personally reply to every submission we receive within 14-20 days of receipt. You won't get a vague "publishing is a very subjective business, etc." email from us 6 months later.
-We respond to solicited full-manuscript submissions within 30 days.
Laura, a.k.a. L. Blaise Hues
Owner
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Laura has an MFA in Creative Writing from National University. She also has a BA in International Cultural Studies (emphasis in Cultural Anthropology) and a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Certificate from Brigham Young University-Hawaii.
Laura has written screenplays, young adult fiction, middle-grade fiction, and scripts for commercials for companies such as Dove and Intuit. She has also provided private English language lessons to students in 12 countries. She moonlights as a creative consultant for medium- and high-revenue clients/companies in food, telecom, music industries, etc. on a variety of projects from revising, proofing, drafting and pitching concepts, and product naming. The first book in her trilogy, Legacy of Debris, was a finalist for the prestigious Whitney Award. Previous recipients for the Whitney Award include Brandon Sanderson, Stephanie Meyer, Brandon Mull, James Dashner, Dan Wells, and Ally Condie. Laura is a wife, mom, BJJ athlete and coach, and believer that speculative fiction changes lives and has real power and magic. laura@stagbeetlebooks(dot)com |
Matt
Executive Assistant
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Matt holds a Master of International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins SAIS and an MA in Intelligence Studies from American Military University. He holds a BS in Arabic/Spanish from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he also minored in Terrorism Studies.
Matt has a wide range of interests that include languages, security cooperation, and diplomacy. He is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian), and multiple dialects of Arabic. He is conversational in multiple other languages. Matt listens to audiobooks every day and advises high-ranking military officials, which includes speechwriting and official correspondence. His background in international diplomacy gives us a leg-up as he does marketing outreach--calling bookstores and arranging tours, signings, school visits, etc. Matt has published a non-fiction book entitled War With the Remnant, as well as multiple articles, op-eds, and speculative fiction works. contact@stagbeetlebooks(dot)com |
Kevin
Managing Editor
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Kevin loves to write short stories inspired by 80’s comic books, The Twilight Zone, and a helpful heaping of Alfred Hitchcock, under the pen name Jack Kardiac. When he isn’t writing, he’s dreaming up new stories and editing like a maniac. As much as he loves writing, he finds polishing other people’s writing exceptionally satisfying.
Kevin holds a degree in English Education from John Brown University. He’s worked as a creative writing teacher for almost 10 years and currently lives in Arkansas. kevin(at)stagbeetlebooks(dot)com |
Cheyenne
In-House Editor and Head of Street Team
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Cheyenne has been an avid reader and writer from an early age, which led her to earn a BA in English, emphasis in Creative Writing, from Northern Kentucky University. She is an avid supporter of storytelling and providing reactionary comments that authors thrive on receiving while still providing constructive feedback. She can usually be found either in a bookstore, adding more titles to her forever-expanding TBR list, or at home playing video games with her fiancé, two cats, and her dog. Cheyenne falls in love with characters with fleshed-out personalities and stories that make her think, cry, and hold her breath. chey(at)stagbeetlebooks(dot)com |
Katie
Administrative Director and Acquisitions Editor
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Katie is currently an executive director in the private security industry. She has a Bachelor's degree in Biological Anthropology and a Master’s degree in International Relations and Conflict Resolution, with an Emphasis in Comparative and Security Issues focusing on the Korean Peninsula. Her career has spanned industries like law enforcement, TV and film, culinary arts, and research technology.
Her career and education have instilled in her attention to detail and an annoyingly incessant need to edit, review, and then edit again. This comes in handy when reviewing and editing manuscripts. She truly loves editing for continuity and story. Katie wants readers to lose themselves in another world, suspend belief, forget reality if just for a moment, and let their imagination run free. Relatable characters allow readers to feel seen and help process their own thoughts and feelings. She fondly looks at the spaghetti stains and crinkles in her books from reading at the dinner table and knows all too well what it's like to drop a book on her face because she just couldn’t put it down to sleep. Katie wants to do her best to get more books with dynamic characters and fantastic worlds into the hands of readers! katie(at)stagbeetlebooks(dot)com |
We also collaborate with talented voice actors to bring stories to life through narration and work with skilled illustrators and graphic designers to create striking book covers that draw readers in.
A Note From the Team:
We won’t pretend to know every nuance of the ever-evolving publishing world. But what we do know—deeply—is writing and publishing. With over 12 years of experience working alongside various publishers, we understand what it takes to bring a book to life.
As writers and readers ourselves, we know the passion, dedication, and countless hours poured into a manuscript before entrusting it to a publisher. We also know what writers truly seek:
- A publisher who believes in their work enough to invest in transforming their vision into a beautifully crafted book—one to hold, sign, and cherish.
- Readers who connect with their stories—the kind who stay up too late turning pages, gasp at unexpected twists, or hurl the book across the room in frustration, only to pick it up again, desperate for more.
We can’t promise the world, but we can share your world with readers who will love it.
Our mission is simple: to make your story shine and place it in the hands of eager readers everywhere.
- The Stag Beetle Books Team
As writers and readers ourselves, we know the passion, dedication, and countless hours poured into a manuscript before entrusting it to a publisher. We also know what writers truly seek:
- A publisher who believes in their work enough to invest in transforming their vision into a beautifully crafted book—one to hold, sign, and cherish.
- Readers who connect with their stories—the kind who stay up too late turning pages, gasp at unexpected twists, or hurl the book across the room in frustration, only to pick it up again, desperate for more.
We can’t promise the world, but we can share your world with readers who will love it.
Our mission is simple: to make your story shine and place it in the hands of eager readers everywhere.
- The Stag Beetle Books Team
Have a question? We’re here to help!
Submissions & Queries
For information about submissions and queries, click here.
[email protected]
General Inquiries
Email us anytime at contact@stagbeetlebooks(dot)com.
We aim to respond within 7 business days.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Submissions & Queries
For information about submissions and queries, click here.
[email protected]
General Inquiries
Email us anytime at contact@stagbeetlebooks(dot)com.
We aim to respond within 7 business days.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Due to the fact that our Young Adult Consultants are in between the ages of 11-18, we will not share their personal information here.
If you or someone you know is interested in being an Young Adult Acquisitions Consultant and can read and give feedback on queries within a week, please contact us!
