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On Submission
The author of home invasion horror hit, Anybody Home?, brings murder to the publishing sphere in On Submission, where Scream meets Yellowface when an A-List agent’s top clients all end up dead.
Hotshot literary agent Henry Richmond Pendel knows how to find the next big thing and is even better at selling them. But a perfect career becomes increasingly disconcerting as he begins to feel like he’s being watched. There are rumors of a boogeyman in publishing, a rejected writer who has cracked and started killing off writers.
When Pendel’s star clients turn up brutally murdered and unsolicited queries become more and more frantic, Pendel must decide whether to act out of safety for himself and his clients or to capitalize on the attention. Is it worth a few more casualties if it means inking a few seven-figure deals?
Part slasher and part scream at the publishing industry, Michael J. Seidlinger, the master of psychological terror, offers a brutal new take on the relationship between art and commerce. On Submission is full of villains, where some harm with a pen and others with a knife.
Hotshot literary agent Henry Richmond Pendel knows how to find the next big thing and is even better at selling them. But a perfect career becomes increasingly disconcerting as he begins to feel like he’s being watched. There are rumors of a boogeyman in publishing, a rejected writer who has cracked and started killing off writers.
When Pendel’s star clients turn up brutally murdered and unsolicited queries become more and more frantic, Pendel must decide whether to act out of safety for himself and his clients or to capitalize on the attention. Is it worth a few more casualties if it means inking a few seven-figure deals?
Part slasher and part scream at the publishing industry, Michael J. Seidlinger, the master of psychological terror, offers a brutal new take on the relationship between art and commerce. On Submission is full of villains, where some harm with a pen and others with a knife.
- GenresHorror
264 pages, Paperback
Published October 7, 2025
4 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Michael J. Seidlinger
32 books456 followersMICHAEL J. SEIDLINGER is the Filipino American author of The Body Harvest, Anybody Home?, and other books. He has written for, among others, Wired, Buzzfeed, Thrillist, Goodreads, The Observer, Polygon, The Believer, and Publishers Weekly. He teaches at Portland State University and has led workshops at Catapult, Kettle Pond Writer's Conference, and Sarah Lawrence. You can find him at michaeljseidlinger.com.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 24, 2025
I’ve heard Seidlinger say he wrote this for writers, and yes, if you are one (at any stage), it’s a must-read. A premise this wild shouldn’t feel so believable, but it’s grounded in experience and, more importantly, Seidlinger’s intuitive understanding that creative people of all kinds are bound by the often-unattractive desire to be seen and recognized. But here’s the thing: even if you aren’t a writer or artist, the behind-the-scenes look at publishing here is easy to follow and cements quickly. From there, anyone who’s ever sought validation in any field will feel the gut punch of this book.
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October 7, 2025When I got the email containing the manuscript with the caption, "horror/slasher novel about the publishing industry," I, as the assigned copy/line editor, was already horrified. What followed was undoubtedly the most meta editing experience I've had thus far. Seidlinger's dissection of the publishing industry was illuminating and gruesome (extra emphasis on gruesome—seriously, I wasn't the only one making cuts in this book).
10/7/25: On publication day, I had the honor of reading one of the coolest acknowledgments I've received in my career thus far—"Angela Capovani for the skilled copy-editing and running a scalpel through some of the more gruesome scenes."
10/7/25: On publication day, I had the honor of reading one of the coolest acknowledgments I've received in my career thus far—"Angela Capovani for the skilled copy-editing and running a scalpel through some of the more gruesome scenes."
September 12, 2025
I kept going until the end as the premise was strong and the short chapters were a breeze, but ultimately this left me unsatisfied. There was just some intangible thing missing here that stopped me from loving it. Can’t place my finger on what that thing was, but it just didn’t click properly for me - a shame!
Submitting to agents and editors certainly sounds horrifying though…I might just stick to self publishing!
Submitting to agents and editors certainly sounds horrifying though…I might just stick to self publishing!
May 2, 2025
I found this on Netgalley, and the synopsis had me hooked.
Henry our MC has done as he always does, rejected another new up and coming writers manuscript, its part of his job, and someone has to do it, right ?
Not this time, this time its a little more serious, especially when his successful clients turn up dead.
I enjoyed the idea a lot, but something about the story itself just did not hit for me, and I love thrillers, I read them regularly for fun.
It felt like instead of drawing a picture it was more forced and the story just didn't land like I had hoped.
What I did enjoy though was this wasn't like other thrillers where everything is wrapped up with a bow and black and white.
It was ugly and messy and real life, and those poor characters really reflected that.
That said this was by no means a bad one, very solid 3 star.
April 26, 2025
https://fanfiaddict.com/review-on-sub...
If I were to sum up Michael J Seidlinger “On Submission,” in a word, it would be unhinged. Full-blown, blood-in-the-margins, unhinged industry horror. A breakdown in book form. If I were to expand upon that I would say that “On Submission,” is a novel that revolves around the most unlikable, moral-lacking, ambitious and thus dangerous characters I’ve read in a while, and for those who work in publishing, they’re perhaps familiar ones. I am lucky enough to work with authors and publishers on occasion, but by every conceivable notion I am absolutely winging it. I’m really quite unfamiliar with the world of agents and editors and publisher’s marketplace. Let me tell you, “On Submission,” is a baptism by fire and ink. Were it not for Seidlinger’s stellar writing and insane plot mechanics, I’d perhaps wonder if this one was sold, edited and published under duress… Lane Heymont, blink twice if you need help. Short, sharp, bizarre and brilliant, “On Submission,” is a scathing autopsy of the publishing industry, and I delighted in it. It’s coming from Clash Books October 7th.
We follow a budding author named Alexander Moyer. He, like every author I suppose, wants success, acclaim, validation, and a seat at the table, and believes that his best shot lies in securing representation from Henry Richmond Pendel at Cooper Willis Endeavor. He queries, and receives the most generic of generic rejections. He becomes obsessed. E-mailing, dm-ing, you name it. Despite his relentless efforts, Moyer can’t seem to gain and retain Pendel’s attention, and decides to pursue other options. Bloodier options. Eliminatory options. J.D Church is Pendel’s golden goose, primary source of income, and an alleged sex offender, and neither him nor his completed manuscript are long for this world. Along with the rest of the industry Pendel is shocked by the news of Church’s brutal murder, but is quick to shift into deal-making mode and re-negotiate prices for any unpublished, posthumous works. Pendel, whilst desperately trying to take out a restraining order against Moyer, who is to say the least… unbalanced, must decide whether the safety of his clients is paramount, or whether he prefers the extra zeros on the deals he’s cutting.
Literature to me, as a reader, is full of heart and soul and life. It’s a source of entertainment, catharsis. It facilitates this wonderful community I’m a part of, and I love forcing great books down the throats of my unsuspecting friends. I was never quite as naive to believe that publishing is sunshine and rainbows, having heard quite the opposite from writer friends, but following “On Submission,” which (albeit somewhat satirically) showcases the industry at its most heartless and mercenary, my perspective has genuinely shifted some. Writing, in its essence, is a profession of vulnerability and heart, but the publishing machine as depicted in “On Submission,” is very much devoid of both.
Seidlinger does not offer us a glimpse of hope or redemption, beyond perhaps the implication that publishing is tough for almost every author out there. There is certainly no triumphant “write what you know,” epiphany or heart-felt acceptance letter though. Instead, with the clarity of someone who understands the nature of the industry they’re in, “On Submission,” posits that to write professionally is no longer simply a creative process, but an invitation for and endless dance with rejection, obscurity and self doubt. “On Submission,” represents writing not as lonely, but as commodified, procedural and shared. Agented. Edited. Hell, reviewed. Gone is your traditional tortured poet.
Michael J. Seidlinger’s “On Submission,” is a glimpse into a world in which success is less about talent than who you’re mates with, where humanity is impractical and sanded down in favour of sales, and thus, where naturally, ambition can rather easily metastasise into violence. Lots of violence. Like, so much violence. For me, as an observer rather than an inhabitant of the publishing industry, I felt like I was pressing my nose against the glass… although I have a hunch that those who write, or worse, submit, will find some solidarity amongst the horror.
If I were to sum up Michael J Seidlinger “On Submission,” in a word, it would be unhinged. Full-blown, blood-in-the-margins, unhinged industry horror. A breakdown in book form. If I were to expand upon that I would say that “On Submission,” is a novel that revolves around the most unlikable, moral-lacking, ambitious and thus dangerous characters I’ve read in a while, and for those who work in publishing, they’re perhaps familiar ones. I am lucky enough to work with authors and publishers on occasion, but by every conceivable notion I am absolutely winging it. I’m really quite unfamiliar with the world of agents and editors and publisher’s marketplace. Let me tell you, “On Submission,” is a baptism by fire and ink. Were it not for Seidlinger’s stellar writing and insane plot mechanics, I’d perhaps wonder if this one was sold, edited and published under duress… Lane Heymont, blink twice if you need help. Short, sharp, bizarre and brilliant, “On Submission,” is a scathing autopsy of the publishing industry, and I delighted in it. It’s coming from Clash Books October 7th.
We follow a budding author named Alexander Moyer. He, like every author I suppose, wants success, acclaim, validation, and a seat at the table, and believes that his best shot lies in securing representation from Henry Richmond Pendel at Cooper Willis Endeavor. He queries, and receives the most generic of generic rejections. He becomes obsessed. E-mailing, dm-ing, you name it. Despite his relentless efforts, Moyer can’t seem to gain and retain Pendel’s attention, and decides to pursue other options. Bloodier options. Eliminatory options. J.D Church is Pendel’s golden goose, primary source of income, and an alleged sex offender, and neither him nor his completed manuscript are long for this world. Along with the rest of the industry Pendel is shocked by the news of Church’s brutal murder, but is quick to shift into deal-making mode and re-negotiate prices for any unpublished, posthumous works. Pendel, whilst desperately trying to take out a restraining order against Moyer, who is to say the least… unbalanced, must decide whether the safety of his clients is paramount, or whether he prefers the extra zeros on the deals he’s cutting.
Literature to me, as a reader, is full of heart and soul and life. It’s a source of entertainment, catharsis. It facilitates this wonderful community I’m a part of, and I love forcing great books down the throats of my unsuspecting friends. I was never quite as naive to believe that publishing is sunshine and rainbows, having heard quite the opposite from writer friends, but following “On Submission,” which (albeit somewhat satirically) showcases the industry at its most heartless and mercenary, my perspective has genuinely shifted some. Writing, in its essence, is a profession of vulnerability and heart, but the publishing machine as depicted in “On Submission,” is very much devoid of both.
Seidlinger does not offer us a glimpse of hope or redemption, beyond perhaps the implication that publishing is tough for almost every author out there. There is certainly no triumphant “write what you know,” epiphany or heart-felt acceptance letter though. Instead, with the clarity of someone who understands the nature of the industry they’re in, “On Submission,” posits that to write professionally is no longer simply a creative process, but an invitation for and endless dance with rejection, obscurity and self doubt. “On Submission,” represents writing not as lonely, but as commodified, procedural and shared. Agented. Edited. Hell, reviewed. Gone is your traditional tortured poet.
Michael J. Seidlinger’s “On Submission,” is a glimpse into a world in which success is less about talent than who you’re mates with, where humanity is impractical and sanded down in favour of sales, and thus, where naturally, ambition can rather easily metastasise into violence. Lots of violence. Like, so much violence. For me, as an observer rather than an inhabitant of the publishing industry, I felt like I was pressing my nose against the glass… although I have a hunch that those who write, or worse, submit, will find some solidarity amongst the horror.
October 9, 2025
This book was so dark (I say as I giggle to myself). I seriously think some of the people reviewing this book were taking it way too seriously. On the surface, it was a very American Psycho view of publishing, but I think people are forgetting IT’S FICTION. I think only people who know publishing can see how genuinely funny this book was, despite the gory parts. Can publishing be a little cutthroat? I guess in some sense, yes. Querying is a rough gig and sometimes it feels like it’s impossible to get your foot in the publishing door. It’s not just a matter of talent, it’s also a matter of luck and timing. Truly (I say as I’m editing a manuscript the final time before I go into my fourth round of querying). But what made it funny is all the CLEAR parallels to certain incidents in the writing world that got bloated to extreme proportions for this story. Writing Twitter, you know what I’m talking about! I’m pretty sure I know who Pendel is modeled after, and it’s truly the extreme version of all of them. And the name of his agency? I laughed out loud at that one, but for those who don’t know, it’s a play on a very well known and successful agency.
All of this to say, I truly loved this book. It was actually a fantastic break from revising and doing my own agent research. The characters were all unlikeable, but I don’t think this story would have worked otherwise. It’s supposed to be extreme, and I think the author killed it with this rendition. Pun absolutely intended. It really did have American Psycho vibes. My honest opinion after reading this? I’ll definitely be reading more from this author in the future. This book was amazing, gory, and funny to those who know publishing.
Huge thanks to CLASH Books and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!
All of this to say, I truly loved this book. It was actually a fantastic break from revising and doing my own agent research. The characters were all unlikeable, but I don’t think this story would have worked otherwise. It’s supposed to be extreme, and I think the author killed it with this rendition. Pun absolutely intended. It really did have American Psycho vibes. My honest opinion after reading this? I’ll definitely be reading more from this author in the future. This book was amazing, gory, and funny to those who know publishing.
Huge thanks to CLASH Books and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!
May 13, 2025
Okay. So. On Submission by Michael J. Seidlinger is completely unhinged in the best possible way. Imagine the publishing world as a horror movie—bloody, chaotic, weirdly funny—and then crank it up to eleven. That’s this book.
It follows Alexander Moyer, a struggling author who just wants an agent to believe in him. Relatable, right? But then he gets a super generic rejection from a fancy agent named Henry Pendel, and instead of moving on like a normal person… he snaps. Fully. Starts stalking. Obsessing. And then goes full murder mystery mode. I’m talking actual crime.
And the wild part? The publishing industry reacts not with panic or horror but with dollar signs. Moyer’s target, J.D. Church, was a bestselling author with a shady reputation, and once he’s gone, everyone scrambles to cash in on his posthumous work. It’s dark. It’s ridiculous. It’s kinda genius.
I don’t really live in the publishing world, but I peek in from time to time. And reading this felt like I’d stumbled into a party I wasn’t invited to, where everyone’s pretending everything’s fine while the house is on fire. Honestly? Loved every second.
Seidlinger’s writing is sharp, fast, and just the right amount of chaotic. There are no heartwarming moments, no “follow your dreams” speeches. Just a whole lot of ambition, ego, blood, and biting commentary on how messy and heartless the industry can be.
It’s short. It’s wild. It’s weird. And I couldn’t stop reading. If you like books that feel a little unhinged and a lot smart, this one’s for you.
It follows Alexander Moyer, a struggling author who just wants an agent to believe in him. Relatable, right? But then he gets a super generic rejection from a fancy agent named Henry Pendel, and instead of moving on like a normal person… he snaps. Fully. Starts stalking. Obsessing. And then goes full murder mystery mode. I’m talking actual crime.
And the wild part? The publishing industry reacts not with panic or horror but with dollar signs. Moyer’s target, J.D. Church, was a bestselling author with a shady reputation, and once he’s gone, everyone scrambles to cash in on his posthumous work. It’s dark. It’s ridiculous. It’s kinda genius.
I don’t really live in the publishing world, but I peek in from time to time. And reading this felt like I’d stumbled into a party I wasn’t invited to, where everyone’s pretending everything’s fine while the house is on fire. Honestly? Loved every second.
Seidlinger’s writing is sharp, fast, and just the right amount of chaotic. There are no heartwarming moments, no “follow your dreams” speeches. Just a whole lot of ambition, ego, blood, and biting commentary on how messy and heartless the industry can be.
It’s short. It’s wild. It’s weird. And I couldn’t stop reading. If you like books that feel a little unhinged and a lot smart, this one’s for you.
May 8, 2025
To write is to create, to read is to submit to someone's idea. This book is a meta commentary on the publishing industry, specifically the relationship between author and agent. The main characters are Pendel, the agent, and Alex, the author. Pendel is a greedy person who is cutthroat when it comes to authors; all he cares about is the money. Alex is an author who is willing to do anything to become successful. There are both evils in the industry, and through the book, we see they treat others as pieces in their life but not as a person. Alex is a unique antagonist in the story, of how manipulative he is to others. He always talks so badly about other ideas, writing, and making them weak, but at the same time, he plagiarizes other people's stories. He is, though, kinda a genius as you see this story progress. Gore-wise wise there is some, I think, though some readers might genuinely be bothered by one of them. The horror aspect to me is more of the unsettling, disturbing side, which is my cup of tea, and I would recommend who do you like those unsettling stories. It's not slow when it comes to what you get from the first chapter, and it does it well. I would say at some point it straight goes to madness and chaos, and it is written amazingly through that descent. Overall, a unique horror story that makes you think.
Thank you, Netgally and Clash, for an ARC copy.
Thank you, Netgally and Clash, for an ARC copy.
May 16, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I perhaps expected something a little bit more extreme horror than what this book offered when I read the blurb on NetGalley. There were certainly lashings of extreme horror within it, but not enough to plant it firmly in the genre.
I think that I didn’t connect with this book because I simply didn’t feel much for the story. It was a sordid look into the publishing industry, sure, and it was certainly interesting. The characters were awful people, which made sense, but I just found that there wasn’t that much to connect with for me.
I did enjoy parts of this book, and there were some interesting elements to the story, but unfortunately it wasn’t as much for me as I would hope. It certainly reeked of the desperation that the author was trying to put across for the main character, and it was written well, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
I perhaps expected something a little bit more extreme horror than what this book offered when I read the blurb on NetGalley. There were certainly lashings of extreme horror within it, but not enough to plant it firmly in the genre.
I think that I didn’t connect with this book because I simply didn’t feel much for the story. It was a sordid look into the publishing industry, sure, and it was certainly interesting. The characters were awful people, which made sense, but I just found that there wasn’t that much to connect with for me.
I did enjoy parts of this book, and there were some interesting elements to the story, but unfortunately it wasn’t as much for me as I would hope. It certainly reeked of the desperation that the author was trying to put across for the main character, and it was written well, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
June 13, 2025
Thank you to Net Galley and Michael J. Seidlinger for an ARC of the upcoming release, “On Submission”.
An aspiring author, Alex decides to take his career into his own hands after getting rejected by a top publishing agent he so desperately wants to be represented by. So much so, that when his letter doesn’t get the response he is looking for, he snaps.
He snaps in such a way that he doesn’t go directly after the agent himself but instead goes after the authors he represents. It all becomes a sort of twisted revenge horror game for Alex. He will do whatever it takes to be noticed even if it means going down for murder.
“I will become infamous, both in name and the body of work accumulated over so many kills.”
This is my first Seidlinger read and it did not disappoint. It’s twisty and a little gory with a side of unhinged.
An aspiring author, Alex decides to take his career into his own hands after getting rejected by a top publishing agent he so desperately wants to be represented by. So much so, that when his letter doesn’t get the response he is looking for, he snaps.
He snaps in such a way that he doesn’t go directly after the agent himself but instead goes after the authors he represents. It all becomes a sort of twisted revenge horror game for Alex. He will do whatever it takes to be noticed even if it means going down for murder.
“I will become infamous, both in name and the body of work accumulated over so many kills.”
This is my first Seidlinger read and it did not disappoint. It’s twisty and a little gory with a side of unhinged.
Read
April 25, 2025First I wish to thank Netgalley and Author Michael J. Seidlinger for providing me with an advanced e-copy of On Submission.
Initially, I was excited to read this, as I am a fan of Yellowface and stories surrounding the publishing world. I appreciate the way the author beings forward the struggle of the industry, but also gives life to the characters and how their life actually is. The characters are well written, especially the relationship between the two main characters!
However, this was not a hit for me, and I believe that the book need to have a page for trigger warnings, especially for the scenes in section two. This is what threw me off the most, leaving me to give the rating I did. I believe there is potential for improvement on this front.
Initially, I was excited to read this, as I am a fan of Yellowface and stories surrounding the publishing world. I appreciate the way the author beings forward the struggle of the industry, but also gives life to the characters and how their life actually is. The characters are well written, especially the relationship between the two main characters!
However, this was not a hit for me, and I believe that the book need to have a page for trigger warnings, especially for the scenes in section two. This is what threw me off the most, leaving me to give the rating I did. I believe there is potential for improvement on this front.
May 31, 2025
If Yellowface was a slasher then On Submission is it. I loved Yellowface and I am a huge fan of slashers yet something didn’t gel with me. I wasn’t hooked whilst reading and it took quite a while to get through.
The book does get gory and the first murder description came as a shock in comparison to the chapters before it. I’m not complaining though. Alexander’s chapters kept my interest a lot more than Pendels but I do think the book could benefit from trigger warnings. Some chapters border on extreme horror.
There were a lot of characters to get my head around with various roles involved in creating a book (publisher, editor etc). I found it difficult to remember who was who.
Overall 3 stars. I think this would appeal to many people but it just wasn’t for me.
The book does get gory and the first murder description came as a shock in comparison to the chapters before it. I’m not complaining though. Alexander’s chapters kept my interest a lot more than Pendels but I do think the book could benefit from trigger warnings. Some chapters border on extreme horror.
There were a lot of characters to get my head around with various roles involved in creating a book (publisher, editor etc). I found it difficult to remember who was who.
Overall 3 stars. I think this would appeal to many people but it just wasn’t for me.
July 12, 2025
Super fun, psychological piece of metafiction about an author who will do anything to get published. Reminded me of Misery and the Killer Inside Me, with little hints of Stephen King’s On Writing. It’s fast-paced (I read it in 3 sittings) and I couldn’t stop turning pages. Works just as well as a psychological thriller as it does horror. And you can really feel the desperation that writers must have when their work isn’t getting the attention they feel it deserves. The business part of the art really rears its ugly head in this one. Lots to like in this one, especially if you’re a writer or deep enough in the writing community.
October 27, 2025
When I found this on Netgalley I really just had to read it. This is essentially the story of an aspiring author who, after countless rejections from a publishing agent, has decided to take matters into his own hands. However, instead of going after the agent, they go after the agent's clients. This has classic horror movie vibes, but I think the constant changing of the point of views between chapters is going to be confusing and/or jarring for a lot of people.
I couldn't read this book fast enough, but it wasn't quite a 5 star read for me, so 4.5 stars
I couldn't read this book fast enough, but it wasn't quite a 5 star read for me, so 4.5 stars
April 11, 2025
It should come as no surprise that Michael Seidlinger absolutely hit this one out of the park! Revenge, obsession, fucked up relationships with extensive dashes of sadism all centered within the book world. What is not to love? There was one specific scene for me that absolutely made my skin crawl!
May 22, 2025
After rejecting the query of hopeful young writer Alexander Moyer, senior literary agent Henry Richmond Pendel finds himself the target of a one-man stalking and harassment campaign. He knows it's Moyer, but he's used to the obsessive behavior of jilted authors. Telling his assistant to not interact with Moyer and contacting his lawyer about getting him a restraining order, then going back to intimidating editors into settling on six-figure deals. And then his top-selling author, J.D. Church, is found murdered in his Manhattan hotel room. Told between Pendel's third-person and Alex's first-person perspectives, 'On Submission' chronicles the relationship between an abrasive jackal of a literary agent and his obsessive and murderous stalker.
I'm not really into the thriller genre, so a lot of my qualms with 'On Submission' resemble Michael Bluth being disappointed that there was, in fact, a dead dove in the thoroughly labeled bag. The murders are gratuitous, but that's par for the course, and it's not really the principle of side characters being killed off graphically every other chapter that's a turnoff for me. What -is- is the very detailed sexual assault of the second and third victims... I guess credit for the equal opportunity of having both a female and male sexual assault victim, but do really need the focus on the dead woman's vagina and how Alex can tell she was sexually assaulted by her brother previously? I get that both of these murders are supposed to reflect the novels that the authors had written, and while Seidlinger's writing doesn't feel overly fetishistic it does add a flavor too serious in what is an almost campy murder spree.
Moyer's MO reflects the rise of generative AI--he gets an author's manuscript, makes gratuitous cuts to both the author and the art, then publishes the shortened massacre of their writing under his own name. Maybe it says a lot about me that I found his plagiarism to be a much worse crime than the murders, and one that didn't get addressed much (since apparently his actual writing was decent?). I was sort of hoping, with how much Seidlinger draws from internet fan culture, that Moyer would get James Somerton'd.
Overall, not a bad novel, but definitely not for me.
I'm not really into the thriller genre, so a lot of my qualms with 'On Submission' resemble Michael Bluth being disappointed that there was, in fact, a dead dove in the thoroughly labeled bag. The murders are gratuitous, but that's par for the course, and it's not really the principle of side characters being killed off graphically every other chapter that's a turnoff for me. What -is- is the very detailed sexual assault of the second and third victims... I guess credit for the equal opportunity of having both a female and male sexual assault victim, but do really need the focus on the dead woman's vagina and how Alex can tell she was sexually assaulted by her brother previously? I get that both of these murders are supposed to reflect the novels that the authors had written, and while Seidlinger's writing doesn't feel overly fetishistic it does add a flavor too serious in what is an almost campy murder spree.
Moyer's MO reflects the rise of generative AI--he gets an author's manuscript, makes gratuitous cuts to both the author and the art, then publishes the shortened massacre of their writing under his own name. Maybe it says a lot about me that I found his plagiarism to be a much worse crime than the murders, and one that didn't get addressed much (since apparently his actual writing was decent?). I was sort of hoping, with how much Seidlinger draws from internet fan culture, that Moyer would get James Somerton'd.
Overall, not a bad novel, but definitely not for me.
May 22, 2025
slasher/ thriller - a good read for summer.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy
It's an slasher thriller novel that revolves around publishing industry. It's blood soaked, weird and unhinged at lot of the times. If you like thriller with lot of slasher/ murder elements in it, I think you would like this book. It's a solid three ⭐ read for me.
Intriguing: 1
Unsettling: 1
Scariness: 1
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy
It's an slasher thriller novel that revolves around publishing industry. It's blood soaked, weird and unhinged at lot of the times. If you like thriller with lot of slasher/ murder elements in it, I think you would like this book. It's a solid three ⭐ read for me.
Intriguing: 1
Unsettling: 1
Scariness: 1
September 29, 2025
After having his book, Anybody Home? forever alter my DNA, I needed to check out this upcoming release by Michael J Seidlinger
A twisted look into the publishing industry, On Submission follows a big time literary agent, Henry Pendel, as he is being stalked by an aspiring rejected author. The author forces himself into Pendel's world by taking out his client list one my one in increasingly violent ways.
This book was a very clear critique of a world where publishers, editors and agents turn writing, an artistic expression and turn it into a commodity. All this is wrapped up in some bloody visceral kills that were more than a bit creative like a classic slasher movie. On Submission was a very fun ride and a but informative as to the ins and outs of the publishing word on top of that.
(Thank you CLASH Books for the eARC via NetGalley, all opinions are my own)
A twisted look into the publishing industry, On Submission follows a big time literary agent, Henry Pendel, as he is being stalked by an aspiring rejected author. The author forces himself into Pendel's world by taking out his client list one my one in increasingly violent ways.
This book was a very clear critique of a world where publishers, editors and agents turn writing, an artistic expression and turn it into a commodity. All this is wrapped up in some bloody visceral kills that were more than a bit creative like a classic slasher movie. On Submission was a very fun ride and a but informative as to the ins and outs of the publishing word on top of that.
(Thank you CLASH Books for the eARC via NetGalley, all opinions are my own)
September 29, 2025
Imagine SCREAM, only set in publishing and with zero likeable characters to root for. The violence isn’t described in great detail, though it does get pretty dark. Short chapters, quick read.
June 18, 2025
To be published October 7th, 2025
Fast-paced, gory thriller. It's a great concept and I'm sure many people will love this but it didn't quite work for me. Alex and Pendel having different POVs in their chapters was a little disorienting, and I didn't care for the "murder/torture as story editing" bit. Also nitpicky but why didn't Marina recognize Alex/say anything when she walked in on him and Pendel together? She'd just gone on a date with him the night before.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Fast-paced, gory thriller. It's a great concept and I'm sure many people will love this but it didn't quite work for me. Alex and Pendel having different POVs in their chapters was a little disorienting, and I didn't care for the "murder/torture as story editing" bit. Also nitpicky but why didn't Marina recognize Alex/say anything when she walked in on him and Pendel together? She'd just gone on a date with him the night before.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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