Mundania Press

New Release & Guest Post: Bite Me by Lori T. Strongin

2012-02-01T11:35:00.008-05:00

The debut YA paranormal from Lori T. Strongin is now available in ebook and paperback! I asked Lori to talk about the inspiration behind today's release--read on for her comments, along with a chance to win a gift certificate!

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The Day I Got Bitten by a Vampire, or The Birth of Bite Me

It all started with a mezuzah, a lunar calendar, and a possibly-agnostic vampire.

One night at writing group, we got into a discussion about vampires and that whole ‘crosses will burn them’ myth. Me, being the spechul snowflake that I am, made a comment something along the lines of, “Well, what if my vampire is Jewish? Would, like, a mezuzah hurt him, since, you know, he wouldn’t believe in what the cross represents?”

Total. Silence.

…which often happens after I open my big mouth.

But the question kept teasing me, burrowing in my brain and not leaving me alone until I decided to give it the attention it so clearly wanted. That kernel of an idea gave birth to Becoming Jew-ish, a short story I published in Tales of the Talisman back in 2008, where a vampire is roommates with a werewolf who discovers lunar calendars and decides to convert to Judaism. And while the story basically was a reflection of every stereotype I had growing up in a Jewish household, it also gave birth to two of the most unique characters that have ever taken up residence in my brain: a Buddhist, vegetarian vampire and a surferboy, hyperactive werewolf.

What started off as me poking fun of genre tropes soon grew into something totally unexpected as I started to get letters from fans who’d read the story, loved the characters, and wanted more. And me, being the eager-to-please gal that I am, obliged. I wrote and published three more stories staring Julian St. James and Talbot Osbourne.

Then I got the proverbial mallet over the head that changed everything.

My writing mentor, author Marie Dees, who was unexpectedly a fan of my slightly-psychotic characters, one day said, “Why don’t you expand this world and write a novel about these two?”

So I did just that. I came up with an idea for a How They Met type of story, going back in these characters’ pasts to explore how two such very different people could develop an actual friendship without staking one another along the way. And because I’m an avid fan of YA fiction, I decided on the setting of a college campus, just after Julian and Talbot’s freshman year when they’re both nineteen, just testing out their newly-independent wings, yet still prone to making really stupid mistakes. Perfect cocktail for equal doses shenanigans and danger, if you ask me.

And because every good main character needs sidekicks worth their salt, Talbot inherited two best friends—a shapeshifter with ferret envy (because ferrets are awesome and who wouldn’t want to be one???) and a Marx-obsessed wizard-in-training whose only successful spell is making someone’s clothes disappear and describes his love life as, “Anything with a postal code.” Julian selected a bit wiser in his choice of friends and spends his free time with the lovely Nora Kavanagh, an Irish exchange student from a large family of banshees, who sometimes has unfortunate bouts of laryngitis, much to her embarrassment.

Again, me with the genre flipping.

So that’s the birth of Bite Me in a nutshell. Or nuthouse, take your pick. I truly hope you enjoy this novel as much as I’ve loved writing it. May Julian and Talbot make you laugh, want to pull your hair out, and occasionally want to shoot them with a silver bullet.

Bite Me - Lori T. Strongin

This summer at Hedgehill University: take one totally screwed werewolf, a vegetarian vampire, and the psycho who wants to kill them both.

Surfer-boy werewolf Talbot Osbourne is under pressure to get a summer job, find an apartment, and make up for the classes he failed last semester. The fur will fly when Talbot is forced to partner with Julian St. George on a class assignment. Unfortunately, the vegetarian vampire brings more than just a set of fangs to the table when a stalker takes special interest in the unlikely duo.

Time is running out for the ParaNorms of New York as they're picked off, one by one. Talbot and Julian will have to work together catch the ‘Slayer' before the psycho finds them. If they don't kill each other first, that is.

Throw in a shapeshifter with ferret envy, a wizard who makes people's clothes disappear, and an apartment with cannibalistic furniture and zombie squirrels, and these boys are in for the summer of their lives. Or deaths.

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Interested in winning a $5 GC to the Mundania store (which will get you any ebook, as ours are $4.99 and under)? Leave a comment here with your email address. I'll draw a random winner 12:01am on Saturday.

New Release & Guest Post: Spiders from Memory by Frances Pauli

2012-01-24T09:00:00.007-05:00

The third and final (or is it?) book in Frances Pauli's Changeling Race Trilogy is now available in print and various ebook formats. Read on for a few words from Ms. Pauli regarding the end of her first series.

The End?

I’m a big fan of short series. I realize that’s not necessarily a popular opinion, but I honestly don’t have the stamina as a reader anymore. It’s not that I’m afraid of commitment, exactly. I just can’t promise I’ll still be reading past say, book five. I probably shouldn’t admit that in public.

Certainly, I understand the appeal of length, of marathon series that stretch into double digits. I cut my reading teeth on Xanth ‘mumble-mumble’ years ago, and I read Horseclans well into its teen volumes. But these days, with life and kids and all the things that fill up time I might have to enjoy a good story, I prefer a nice, tidy trilogy.

Which is why I always swore The Changeling Race would stop at three. To be fair, the story has wrapped up neatly. I’ve settled accounts, tied up strings, and put everyone exactly where I want them—happily ever after.

But I may have fibbed a little.

Because standing here at the end and looking back gives one a whole different perspective, doesn’t it? The original story may be over, yes, but I can see corners that I haven’t peeked into. I find myself pondering characters that could easily wander off in another direction entirely. Not that I’m ready to dive back in tomorrow, but I can see the little doors I might open much more clearly from here.

Now, when the fairies have all tucked back through the gates, the gnomes have scampered off to their village, and the trolls trundled under their bridges for a nice, long nap, I realize one significant thing. I’m going to miss them.

Darn it all.

So while I’m off to explore other worlds, I’m still stealing backwards glances. I’m listening, even as I wander in another direction, just in case. Should the little ones show up again, whispering their secrets, I’ll be ready to follow them into that mushroom ring again. I never could resist the little demons.

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Spiders from Memory - Frances Pauli

The Seelie court is gone, and the Tower has fallen into darker hands. Now nightmare creatures terrorize the Fey races, and the whole Fey world turns to frost and shadow.

Liz Larson holds the last remnant of the Seelie Sidhe's power. The elves look to her for guidance, but all she has to offer them is the disturbing story of their origin, the final truth that will turn many of them against her. With her dwindling number of allies, Liz needs to reopen the borders, to find the missing Marcus Bramble, and to avoid the sudden, terrifying attention of the new Fey ruler, the Unseelie Speaker and new master of the Sidhe Tower.

While her friends in Mundanity race to pry open the gates, and Marcus searches for the answer to a puzzle that could save or damn them all, the Unseelie Speaker marches north, bringing his army and his wrath to focus on Elizabeth.

What can one, fairy-touched human do in the face of the Unseelie court's full fury? How can she fight when the enemy's anger is only partly blind, when she can see all too clearly the traces of justice behind it?

Book Three of The Changeling Race Trilogy

Catch up with Frances Pauli's other books

available at Mundania.com

Interested in winning a Frances Pauli book? Leave a comment on this blog post with your email address and you could win your choice of one of her Mundania Press backlist (Eligible books: A Moth in Darkness, The Fly in Paradise, The Dimensional Shift, or Aspect Ratio) in your choice of ebook format.

Contest closes Saturday morning at 12:01 am EST, where I'll draw a winner from the comments here. If you don't leave a way to contact you, I'll head to the next post.

Anniversary Sale

2011-08-05T18:27:00.003-04:00

We're celebrating our 9th anniversary with a special sale. Save 29% off every book (print and electronic, including gift certificates) during the month of August.

Enter the coupon code NINE when you check out.

Newest Releases

2011-08-03T16:08:00.003-04:00

Seeded - Adrienne Jones

Callum Doherty picks up a trinket from an odd jewelry dealer at a hippie music festival, "a good luck charm" the man tells him. But days after clasping the pendant around his neck, he discovers it can't be removed. After visiting every locksmith and jeweler in the city with no success, he reluctantly accepts he's stuck with the thing.

But when an overwhelming burst of success transforms him into a wealthy superstar overnight, he wonders what other sudden life changes are linked to the pendant--like the terrifying shape shifters he spies following him through the city, slinking around his property, and watching him while he sleeps.

Buy this book.

The Henge Betrayed: Quests - Janet Lane Walters

Though the now nine friends have found a refuge, as they begin to learn how to use their talents, they realize there are other things needed before they can confront the evil in their land.

The nine divide into three groups.

The first group sets out to find more of the gems that enhance their affinities for the elements. The three must face fears from the past and evade the dom's minions.

The second group sets out to find the remaining talismans and are led to the buried henge in Soutren. They must find a way into the structure beneath the desert sands and fight the vermin they find there.

The third group set out to find the remaining young adults with affinities to complete four quartets. During the search, they discover three of the heirs of the princedoms and stage rescues.

Will they succeed in their quests or will they fall prey to the evil Dom Senet and He Who Walks With Evil?

Book 3 of the The Henge Betrayed series

Buy this book.

Now available in print!

Aspect Ratio - Frances Pauli

Chloe Watson is just starting to get used to her inter-dimensionaly career, her covert relationship with the boss and her life as a cross dimensional traveler. Then a last minute promotion, a galaxy wide tournament and an unexpected stow-away manage to throw a wrench in her status quo.

Now she's left to sort out a string of parallel abductions, deal with an infestation of Lemurian bedbugs and get her local pet store associate back home before the woman blows the whistle on everything Chloe had going for her.

Just for fun, her relationship starts looking more than a little rocky, her job is on the line and her boyfriend/boss is keeping secrets that could cost them both a lot more than just their salaries.

An Awe-Struck Book

Book 2 of the Shift Happens series

Buy this book.

New Releases

2011-07-18T10:42:00.002-04:00

We have some new humorous SF/R, urban fantasy, and hilarious YA paranormal offerings!

The Dimensional Shift - Frances Pauli

Chloe came to the Three Lakes area for the peace and quiet. She happily abandoned the world of retail management, suits and promotions to work as a hotel maid catering to the local tourists. Until Andrew Paige showed up--a suit of the worst kind, the kind that makes her knees weak.

When Andrew offers her a job at his hotel, Chloe is hell bent on resisting, but the Dimensional Shift is no ordinary hotel, and Chloe is immediately tossed into the world of inter-dimensional tourists, their odd accommodations, and a string of thefts that threaten to ruin her chances at romance.

While learning the ropes, dealing with the Shift's unusual guests, and trying to determine if the boss' interest in her is strictly professional, Chloe uncovers a plot to steal the hotel's dimensional keys. With the help of the town gossip, her alien abductee neighbor, and her new invisible best friend, Chloe confronts an inter-dimensional crime ring and a host of complications that make romancing the boss look like the least of her troubles.

(Book One of the Shift Happens Series)

Buy this book.

Aspect Ratio - Frances Pauli

Chloe Watson is just starting to get used to her inter-dimensionaly career, her covert relationship with the boss and her life as a cross dimensional traveler. Then a last minute promotion, a galaxy wide tournament and an unexpected stow-away manage to throw a wrench in her status quo.

Just for fun, her relationship starts looking more than a little rocky, her job is on the line and her boyfriend/boss is keeping secrets that could cost them both a lot more than just their salaries.

(Book Two of the Shift Happens Series)

Buy this book.

Fate of the Fallen - Sharron Riddle

When all hell breaks loose in Chicago, Eva Dantanian, top agent for the Demonic Management Agency, is the first one called to help. The 700 year old daughter of a fallen angel enjoys working out her frustrations kicking demon ass ... until her mission puts her in a race to save a missing child.

When family becomes foe and foe becomes ally, deep secrets and betrayals rip her family apart. As the pieces fall into place, Eva is faced with the horrible truth. To save the innocents under her protection, she must kill one of her own kind.

Buy this book.

The Graveyard Gymnasium - Kelly Lougheed

It's difficult to be a rebel at an all-girls boarding school like Hawthorn, but Charity Hooper tries her hardest, smuggling food into the library and favoring CliffsNotes over boring volumes of literature. In fact, if Hawthorn weren't an all-girls school, she feels certain she would be having a tempestuous affair with a dangerous rogue who copied all his math homework answers from the back of the book.

When Hawthorn hosts a band of exchange students from Romania, Charity knows this is her shot at a tempestuous affair. But after she witnesses an exchange student slurping her roommate's blood one night, she realizes that the Romanians would be less interested in kissing her than in biting her head off. And the Romanians aren't the only vampires lurking on campus, either--according to an old inscription in the school gymnasium, a legion of vampires lie buried alive beneath it.

Does she dare confide in the English teacher she wishes were her BFF, Ms. Van Tessel, who mysteriously saved Charity's bitten roommate with a blood transfusion? But why did Ms. Van Tessel have blood in her mini-fridge in the first place? Can Charity even trust her?

Buy this book.

Awe-Struck Releases

2011-07-18T10:24:00.002-04:00

Enjoy some good old fashioned romance (and a touch of heat) in your novels? Several books from our sister imprint, Awe-Struck Publishing, are now available at Mundania.com!

Second Chances: Jack and Gillian - Judy Bagshaw

Everything was perfect in socialite Gillian Faraday’s charmed life until her father, Charles, died and left her destitute. Businessman Jack McLaren had his world under control until he took on the care of his troublesome preteen niece and nephew. Gillian needs a job. Jack needs help. The solution seems simple.

The problem is, Jack is the major creditor who got the bulk of Charles Faraday’s estate and Gillian is not impressed.

It takes overcoming a mountain of misunderstanding before Jack and Gillian come to understand that everyone deserves a second chance.

Buy this book.

Abby: Finding More Than Gold - Sharon Poppen

In 1897, Abby Barron, a young Irish-American girl, loses her cousin to a fire and with him the plans to escape Chicago to search for gold in the Yukon fields. A want-ad for a cook revives the plan and she soon hires on with Paddy and Tommy, a medicine-show man and his son.

Despite Abby's wanderlust and Tommy's desire to settle down, the two fall in love. But it's a long road to fulfill Abby’s dreams of reaching the Yukon--one that tests the bonds of love and uncovers long-held secrets of a family.

Buy this book.

Misdirection - Melinda Skye

In the fast-paced world of espionage, two partners must fight their way through a web of lies, misdirections, and red herrings in order to fight back against the terrorist plot that threatens the world.

Vivienne Holbrooke has been at the spy game for quite a while, but her new partner insists on treating her like a novice. But when terrorists threaten the country she's sworn to protect, they're going to have to learn to work together.

Alex Masterson had had it up to here with female agents. He didn't want a partner, he didn't need a partner, but he was stuck working this case with a little rich girl who wanted to play at being a spy. But when things get a little more complicated than they expect, he might find more than just backup in his partner.

Working together, the two partners tackle terrorists and false trails, eventually leading to a showdown that puts their country in danger ... and their hearts on the line. Can they save the world and fall in love?

Buy this book.

The Photograph - Regan Taylor

From the time Carrie Taylor discovered the magical worlds of romance novels, she has devoured them one right after the other. She not only thrilled to each new hero, one more dashing than the one before. Carrie clearly saw herself as each beautiful heroine waiting to be rescued by each daring hero. And then one day, she brought home a photograph. A very special photograph and suddenly her imaginary hero turned into a living and breathing man. Or did he?

At one time Black Eagle scoffed at the girls of his village wishing on a falling star. And yet his one great wish, that of a woman of his own, was never realized. And then one night, he wished upon a star. Can the love of a man from the past help a modern woman with her modern problems in a modern world?

Buy this book.

Rules of Conduct - Maggi Andersen

SHE IS A WOMAN OF SECRETS

After losing her memory, Viola knows only of her Classical education, and her love for the Duke of Vale. In her flight from danger, she has broken all the rules of conduct. As she falls further in disgrace and her choices narrow, she must fight for what is hers.

HE IS A MAN OF HONOR

The Duke of Vale is destined to marry the woman his parents have chosen for him. But he cannot forget the beautiful and mysterious woman he calls Viola.

Buy this book.

Perfect Score - Susan Roebuck

Feckless, exasperating Alex Finch is a rich, handsome and talented singer/songwriter who longs for two things: a career as a professional rock singer, and to have his love for Sam Barrowdale reciprocated. But drifter Sam's two aims are simply to earn enough money to pay his sister's medical bills and to hide from the world his reading/writing and speech disability. At this time the word "dyslexia" is generally unknown so to most people he's just a "retard". From the severe knocks life's dealt him, Sam's developed a tough outer coating and he has no time for a spoilt, selfish guitar player.

Despite his defects, Alex's love for Sam never wavers and when Sam unexpectedly disappears, Alex begins a somewhat bungling quest to find him, only to discover that Sam has a fearful enemy: Alex's powerful and influential yet sociopathic uncle.

As Alex spirals downwards towards alcoholism, many questions need answering. Just why did Alex's evil uncle adopt him at age eleven yet deny him any affection? And what's the mystery behind Alex's father's death?

Both seem to face unbeatable odds. Are they doomed to follow separate paths forever?

Buy this book.

Newest Releases

2011-05-02T20:37:00.002-04:00

Phantos Fire - Anne and Jeff Lambert

Nyla has problems. What happens when part of the planet you are on is alive, sentient, and you're killing it? Nyla--a g-e, or genetically engineered individual--takes this concern to the born humans. But Nyla is property, tied to a specific planet, and forever doing someone else's business, and no one is interested in listening.

Born human colonists gave up everything and gambled their lives and freedom to make the colony a success; they don't believe Nyla, nor does the head of the planet, her lover. If Nyla is right, they'll be no better off than she is: for the born humans, paying back the InterGalactic Mining Company would make indentured servants of them and their families for generations.

Nyla has problems and she's on her own. She only hopes she's smart enough and good enough to save them all.

Buy this book.

The Adventures of Dalton Quayle - Paul Kane

Re-join famous detectives, adventurers and general rum-goings-on putter-stopperers Dalton Quayle and his sidekick Dr. Humphrey Pemberton as they embark on some of their best, and most loved, investigations from the past decade.

Thrill as they face giant carnivorous worms and fiercely vicious monster sheep; marvel as they visit far-off lands such as the Island of Haintithot and the sandy dunes of Egypt, coming across magical stones which can summon demons and a Mummy out to take over the world; gasp in disbelief as our heroes set sail to find the legendary lost city of Matalantis -- by way of the fishy village of Outsmouth -- and get saddle-sore in the Wild West as they attempt to put a stop to a devilish time traveling scheme; then, witness the dead coming back to life as the pair tackle their most dangerous foes yet -- ones which simply cannot be killed!

Villains, monsters, twisted conundrums, they’re all in here: In the very finest Adventures of Dalton Quayle (as previously noted down on the memoirs of Dr. Pemberton and subsequently published in Strump magazine).

From the fevered imagination of award-winning author Paul Kane (FunnyBones, Arrowhead, The Lazarus Condition, The Hellraiser Films and their Legacy) comes a collection of stories that will make you laugh, cry (with laughter), then laugh some more. Humorous horrors to brighten the day of even the most discerning genre connoisseur.

Buy this book.

Cat's Curse - Kelley Heckart

Cardea, follower of the Great Goddess is cursed to live an eternity as a blood drinker. For centuries she has lived with hate hunting and feeding off humans.

Now she finds herself at the end of a sword blade held by the most handsome and arrogant man she has ever met. Aedan mac Gabrain, prince of Dal Riata and a Christian, trusts no one after suffering a curse that keeps him from touching any females or he will turn into a black cat like his brother. He especially distrusts this strange female who could be the one who cursed his clan since no one knows Cat Anna's true face.

Can two tortured souls find love while battling a dark goddess determined to destroy them?

Book 1 of the Dark Goddess series

Buy this book.

Beltaine's Song - Kelley Heckart

For each of them, spring's song has a different meaning.

Now king and queen of the powerful kingdom of Dal Riata, Aedan and Domelch have more than just Cailleach's wrath to contend with. Aedan struggles with being a king and being a husband. Domelch struggles with her beliefs, trying to be the Christian woman Aedan wed, but her heart still thrums with the voices of old gods. They must battle earthly foes—enemy kings and traitorous allies. For the first time, the arrival of spring heralds the sound of a harsh battle horn as their foes close in. Through all this turmoil, can their love survive?

Gartnait, the first-born son of Aedan and Domelch, has lived in secrecy most of his young life to escape Cailleach's wrath. Fostered in Fortriu, he has earned his first mark of manhood and on his way to becoming a formidable warrior. He grapples with the awakening of his true destiny and the meaning of the appearance of a beautiful maiden in spring only he can see. Does she mean to harm him? For him, spring brings with it the promise of new love and the thrilling sound of the battle horn, putting those he cares about in danger.

Book 2 of the Dark Goddess series

Buy this book.

Reef Runner - Pepper Smith

Patty O'Donnell has everything she could want in life--a loving husband, a job she enjoys, and a year-old daughter she adores. An enemy from the past needs to make a lot of money quickly and believes he can use Patty's skills and talents. Forced to choose between life as his slave and her daughter's safety, Patty sacrifices her own future to save her child.

Every step takes Patty deeper into a world of theft and deception. A scam on the Great Barrier Reef nets two very different results--financial gain, and the unexpected attention of a dangerous crime boss, who offers them both a choice. Serve him, or die.

Buy this book.

Bloodlines - Skyla Dawn Cameron
(Revised and expanded edition)

After three hundred years of unlife, vampire Zara Lain has seemingly done it all, and she's now making a living as a successful thief-turned-assassin. Her newest assignment seems simple enough--kill the aging leader of the O'Connor Coven and his only heir, and she'll have another ten million in the bank.

But in the dangerous world of the supernatural, few things are ever "simple."

When a massive assault decimates the continent's population of powerful witches and warlocks, and its orchestrator has vampires being hunted down and captured, Zara realizes the tables have turned and now she'll be playing the hero. Forced to join with a smart-mouthed fellow vampire, a demonologist who's also a fan of hers, a recently widowed--and frequently brooding--warlock, and her best friend's mom, Zara's grudgingly willing to do what she can to save the day.

If only people would stop ruining all her outfits...

Buy this book.

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between - J.A. Saare

One bad corpse can ruin your whole day.

No one knows that better than Rhiannon Murphy. She’s left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate and a fresh start. A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance, she’s managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her--until now.

The deliciously good-looking vampire Disco knows her secret, and when he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, she discovers he’s not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no. But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it’s only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market. Someone or something is killing vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn’t their first stroll around the undead block.

Buy this book.

New Releases

2011-02-02T17:06:00.002-05:00

Flame of Destiny - Colleen Helme

For Callista, joining the Elite Guard will give her the means to find the murderer who killed her family.

With the sword of her ancestors, she enters the Academy and soon discovers latent powers only heard of in legends. Her uncanny skills do not go unnoticed, and when her first assignment goes terribly wrong, she is saved by a man whose destiny becomes entwined with her own.

Soon, she is forced to re-consider who her enemies really are. As her power awakens, she is drawn into a web of deceit that will ultimately shake everything she believes in.

With a new sense of her identity, she must confront a dark evil hidden behind an unspeakable secret. This evil threatens to destroy her and the man she has come to love. Will she be strong enough to withstand this power, or will she become the very thing she has sworn to destroy?

Buy this book.

Bloodright - William Greenleaf

When a brilliant point of light appears in the southern sky, Nathan Oakes is finishing his early-morning run in Central Park, Kathy Stratton is preparing to give a speech in San Francisco, Nikki Jamison is dreaming peacefully in her home near Phoenix, and Oscar Villalobos is grappling with the guilt that fuels his nightmares. None are yet aware of how much that strange light in the sky will change their lives.

By the time it begins sending a digital signal, however, Kathy Stratton, science advisor to the president, knows that a turning point in the human story has been reached. Aliens have made contact.

Soon after they land on a rural stretch of road west of Phoenix, Nikki Jamison and Oscar Villalobos slip unnoticed into the tiny red spaceship and learn the hard way that Zeke and Simon aren’t the friendly back-slappers they pretend to be. Trapped in a weird, impossibly vast labyrinth inside the ship, knowing their chances for survival are slim, Nikki and Oscar discover the truth about the aliens. They also learn about the complex network of interaction between sentient species throughout the universe, and the elegantly simple system of law that holds it all together—and they learn that a partnership with Zeke and Simon will not bring riches to the human race. Instead, it will bring extinction.

Buy this book.

A Moth in Darkness - Frances Pauli

The boundaries between the worlds have fallen. Forced to integrate the creatures of fantasy into real life, humanity struggles against its disillusionment, prejudice and an inevitable feeling of inadequacy.

Once an agent for the embassy that mediates between the worlds, Elizabeth Larson has abandoned her past and slipped into a world of nostalgic addiction to fairy revels, dancing, and the dark lure of her own memories. But when Lockland Sheen, her former partner and lover, goes missing, she is pulled reluctantly back into service. She must venture once more across the borders, into the land that haunts her, facing a string of gruesome murders, the imposing Sidhe rulers and her own addiction in the process.

While the Embassy’s agents attempt to soothe tensions between the races, Liz and her new partner search the fairy realm for Lockland. Fighting the constant temptation of the revels, they piece together the trail of an unknown enemy. But the longer they follow it, the more it appears that the man they came to rescue is more villain than victim. And the more they rely on Elizabeth’s ties to the fairies, the closer she inches toward the madness that lurks behind her fantasies.

Buy this book.

Reasons for Rejections

2010-12-20T15:12:00.004-05:00

Last week and this week I've been going through submissions, trying to get as many replies out before Christmas as possible for two reasons. One: I don't want to wait until I have time at Christmas and send them then (usually rejections bum people out--to varying degrees--and I try very hard not to send them around the holidays). Two: I know I'll be inundated with inquiries between Christmas and New Year's because many people have some time off (and New Year's resolution time involves following up on things quite often), so I'd like to be preemptive.

This has it fresh in my mind why books get rejected. I want to talk in detail about a couple of them here.

Note that this is assuming you a) sent work in a genre the publisher IS, in fact, seeking, and b) followed the guidelines to the letter. Between half and two thirds of submissions are rejected (or ignored) for one of those two reasons. I state right on the submissions page that I may not reply to anything not following basic guidelines; if I have the time, I'll try to send a polite note back requesting people resubmit, but if it's a particularly busy day, I delete the submission.

Also note that this is assuming you weren't snarky or insulting in the cover letter. Honestly, if you have a total dislike of either editors in general or me in particular, simply don't submit. No one is going to accept a book by someone who shows nothing but contempt for who they're sending their work to.

For the rest, it comes down to one thing: the editor didn't love it. Now WHY they didn't love it is another story...

It's not right for our catalog.

I've seen a few that had polished cover letters and a good sense of their craft, but the book wasn't right for us or isn't something I thought would do well with us. In these instances, there's nothing the writer can do except keep submitting and find the right publisher.

But the main reason, however, is...

The book isn't ready yet.

Sometimes during review I don't even get to the point where I'm trying to decide if the book is right for us or not--the author has sent in a poor cover letter and unproofed manuscript, so the work is rejected without much more consideration.

This *is* an area a writer can control. I'm going to break it down into a few points:

Mechanics

Your cover letter shouldn't have grammar errors and spelling mistakes. I know typos happen and I'm fairly forgiving of them, but if your cover letter shows you don't know how to use a semicolon, I'm not even going to open the manuscript to glance through. And when I get to the manuscript and find serious misspellings and errors in the opening paragraph? Reject.

Yes, every publisher (by which I mean legit ones--let's not even get into the others) has editors on staff to work with you on your manuscript, and no book goes out without at least three rounds of edits, but it's not their job to teach you even a medium level grasp of the English language, let alone a basic one. It's not the editor's job to hold your hand. They will point out weaknesses, flaws, and help you polish the book, but they shouldn't have to teach you how to properly use punctuation.

I'm not going to suggest writing books because they aren't necessary. Go to your local library and check out half a dozen current novels close to the genre you write in. Read them with the distance of a writer. How is punctuation treated within dialogue? Can you find a pattern with how commas are used? What about the flow of the sentences? Open your document next and compare. How do YOU treat punctuation? Is there any rhyme or reason behind your comma usage? How do your sentences read? If you do this and feel totally lost, it's really, really not the time to be submitting your manuscript.

Your job as a writer is to communicate the story. It's not enough to just put words on a page: those words have to come together in a way that both makes sense and is clear to others. The only way to compose words in a pleasing fashion--to communicate your message effectively--is to learn more about the craft of writing, usually through reading and practice.

Story

By the same token, communication involves presenting the story in a way that will grab and entertain your reader right off the bat.

The reader's time is valuable. You, the writer, are competing with many other forms of entertainment for your reader's time. The opening of your story needs to make her the promise that the time she spends with you will be worth it, and then you need to follow through and keep that promise by entertaining her for the whole book.

Perhaps because we deal with speculative fiction so much--which involves a large amount of specific world-building--but I see a lot of books where nothing is happening in the opening chapters. The only promise the reader is given is that she'll be bored. Examples of nothing happening:

There's a prologue. Please don't comment back with examples of good, working prologues--yes, I know there are some. But the odds that your book needs one is slim to none. The prologue typically takes place outside of the main story...*why* would you want to start that way? I've finished writing seventeen novels and I had prologues exactly twice: my first and second written novels, which have never--and will never--see the light of day. Ninety-nine percent of the time, you don't need a prologue.

Info-dump. You know how in just about any episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer there's an exposition scene where Giles figures out what's going on and then has to tell the rest of the Scoobies/viewers? There's a reason those scenes fall in the latter half of an episode rather than the beginning.

If readers "need" backstory, it's your job to find an appropriate time to give it to them. I know you've done a lot of work inventing your world and the plot, but there are ways of crafting your story so that the information is fed slowly over time when it's relevant. Too often I see books where chapter one might as well be a prologue because it's nothing but a long monologue telling me about how different the world is now (this is common with post-apocalyptic books). Don't tell; show. Start with a character doing something in the world. Context will give me clues as to the changes between their world and mine; trust me to put two and two together.

Again, go back to those half dozen novels you took out of the library. Look at their opening pages--look at their opening lines. Look at how immediately the author grounds you in the character and in the world.

Then look at how the author followed through with the promise to entertain in the opening pages, because even polished first chapters can fall apart quickly. How?

The stakes aren't high enough. A story is a character with a goal and obstacles between her and said goal. What happens if she doesn't achieve her goal? Does it matter to her? Will it matter to the reader?

As yourself "so what?" as often as possible. If there's no sense of a ticking clock, if there's no compelling reason for her to achieve her goal, why would the reader keep reading? This isn't to say that "high stakes" must equal "end of the world." But the stakes must be appropriate for the genre and the characters. If the police officer doesn't catch the killer, more people will die--possibly someone the police officer loves. If the heroine doesn't track down the evil wizard in twenty-four hours, she'll die of some horrible magic spell. Yes, both of those are overused tropes, but they became popular for a reason: high stakes. You have to find your own.

The main character isn't compelling. Characters need flaws. They also need virtues. A balance is necessary. Too flawed and no one will like him. Too virtuous and he won't be realistic. You can have the most unique, interesting plot in the world, but if your characters fall flat, your reader won't stick around. Character is the reader's window into your world. Readers don't identify with that tree over there or the long history of vampires vs. humans. Readers identify with other people.

There are dozens of other reasons--development of relationships, plot resolution, number and quality of supporting characters, etc--but those are the biggest reasons I don't get past a few pages or even the synopsis.

So how do I know why I was rejected if you don't tell me?

The sad thing, folks, is that I have another hundred and fifty manuscripts to go through and can't conceivably give custom rejection letters.

Sending off a form letter takes two minutes (reply, copy & paste letter, write author name, hit send). Sending a custom letter is very time consuming and it's not my job to be a critique partner for hundreds of people. That's why I try to have as many informative blog posts as possible here and chat about slush on Twitter--the hope is that some time addressing issues I see over and over will be useful to a lot of people rather than spending hours and hours writing individual letters. I know it sucks. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful. The odd time I've sent a custom rejection letter I've either been ignored (a thanks for the feedback might've been nice) or yelled at (or been in the process of trying to write a tactful one when I got yelled at for not responding yet) so I've had to give up the practice in all cases.

I can offer a few general suggestions to lessen the odds that you're rejected for any reason other than the book not being right for the publisher:

1. It's probably not a good idea to send in your first novel. It's one thing if you've written a lot of fiction before, but if you haven't, put away that first novel and work on something new. Yes, that first one might be brilliant: you'll know in six months to a year when you open the book again and re-read it. The publishing industry is NOT going to collapse in the mean time, so just wait. Keep writing, keep practicing.

2. It's probably not a good idea to self-publish your early efforts. At the risk of getting hate mail over this, I'm saying it anyway. I'm seeing a LOT of books in slush now by writers who self-published earlier work with the claim they got great feedback, but what they sent in just isn't up to par. I've been trying to figure out why--correlation isn't causation by any means, and this really deserves its own blog post, but I suspect it's because writers who write and get rejected over and over but keep with it will eventually really hone their craft, whereas the ease of self-publishing has led to people publishing before they're ready instead of using that time to polish their writing. Of course there are exceptions and a lot of self-publishers work extremely hard; anecdotally, however, this is what I'm seeing in my slush pile. I think caution is usually the way to go.

3. It's probably a good idea to ensure you have quality beta readers over quantity. It's really a good idea to have an extra set of eyes on your work...but I see a lot of people who assure me their work has been read by great critique partners, yet the work has glaring errors. Not all beta readers are equal. Not all opinions are equal. The goal of a beta reader must be to make the book better, not stroke your ego because he or she is afraid of hurting your feelings--or worse, because he or she doesn't know any better. I feel the same about critique groups; the right one can be invaluable, but some do more harm than good. Caution, caution, caution.

4. It's probably a good idea to read more books than Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Da Vinci Code. Does this really need more of an explanation?

I know it's frustrating to be in a position where you want your work to be better but aren't sure of what you can do to make it all it can be. Those awful agents and editors won't just tell you what you're doing wrong, you're getting conflicting advice, and it sucks. It's a horrible, murky part of being a writer where you have to find your way on your own...but everyone does it. It's part of the job. There is a wealth of information out there if you just look, and combining knowledge with time and practice will get you through to the other side.

If you'd like further reading, I have a guest blog interview up at Amanda Devine's blog right here. We talk about submissions, the mechanics of writing, and other stuff.

New Releases

2010-12-20T14:52:00.002-05:00

Cads and Cadavers - Kelly Lougheed

When Velma's dead boyfriend Leroy appears to her in the school biology lab one night, it's awkward because (a) she happens to be dissecting his body for a science fair project, and (b) she never figured out how to break up with him after her roommate informed her that leaving a Post-It note on his dorm room door suggesting they never see each other again was cold and heartless.

Leroy tells her a sob story about the vampire who drained his blood and annoyingly demands that Velma, despite the insane amount of math homework she has, avenge his murder.

But the only local vampire Velma knows is the chivalrous, dashing Dennis she ran into in the graveyard one night when she was digging up Leroy's body. His mere presence makes her hyperventilate and compulsively smooth down her hair, the signs of true amour. In one of their intimate graveyard chats, Dennis assures her that he sucks only the blood of rodents...

But is he just lying to win her heart?

Or does another vampire walk hidden among Velma's peers?

But this book.

An Anthem for the Battle Lands - Michelle Scott

Desperate to maintain their superiority, Magicians are fighting to keep machinery and inventions out of the hands of their serving class, the commons. To this end, the Magicians have waged a war - a terribly destructive, magical war - against any and all who dare to allow the unmagical commons to improve their lives through mechanical means.In the midst of this terrible battle, a small group of commons struggles to survive. They make their living by serving the dead, charging five cents to dig a grave, sew a shroud, and ring a peal. And in a land decimated by war, plague, and famine, they have plenty of work.

When the group meets a charismatic man by the name of William Rufflit and learns that he is working to build a militia of commons armed with his terrifying new invention - the fyrestick - they feel something they haven't experienced in a long time: hope. But what they don't realize is that Rufflit may not be their savior after all. He may, in fact, be an enemy even more fearsome than the one they are already facing.

Buy this book.

New Release

2010-12-01T12:07:00.002-05:00

Shades of War - Sarah-Jane Lehoux

Sometimes the past can't be forgotten. Sometimes the truth refuses to be buried. And sometimes the dead won't stay dead.

It began as a simple request: Journey to the Northern Jungles and bring a wayward son back to the safety of his farm and family before the racial tension that is building between humans and dark elves erupts into civil war. But life is never simple for Sevy, and she soon finds herself entangled in a bloody battle of good versus evil, love versus hate.

Old friends and enemies reunite, familial bonds are broken, and loyalty is tested. And in the midst of the steamy, sultry jungles, the ghosts of a serial killer's victims come out to play. Sevy, as petulant and irascible as ever, must overcome her personal demons in order to expose a madman and bring peace back to the kingdom. But just how much of her sanity must she sacrifice to help her friends? And how can she save anyone when she can't even save her own soul?

Sequel to Thief.

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New Releases

2010-11-26T12:05:00.002-05:00

Sinful - Sara Dailey and Staci Weber

After the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Carrington is starting over. In a new city, at a new school, and with a dad she hardly knows, it isn’t going to be easy. Trying desperately to find her way and cope with her unceasing grief, she finds herself surrounded by a force so compelling, so comforting, so captivating that she can’t deny its presence and soon fears that if it were to leave her, she might lose her very self. But is it all really happening or has her wavering sanity finally found its breaking point?

Michael’s role in this world has been the same for centuries, but now something is different. He is inexplicably drawn to an intriguing stranger so alluring that he can’t force himself to resist her. Is he willing to risk everything to be with her, even falling?

A dark force, hell bent on destroying any chance of happiness for his arch nemesis Michael, is lurking in League City, TX, and there is no limit to his need for vengeance. How far will he go to seek revenge for his sworn enemy’s betrayal?

Caught in a clash of good versus evil, Elizabeth soon finds herself in the crosshairs of a battle that has been brewing since long before she was even born.

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The Wolf that Was - Michelle L. Levigne

Tirian grew up knowing she would inherit her mother's duties as village wise woman, but without inheriting her mother's magical gifts. It didn't help that her mother insisted Tirian herself was magic. When an enemy wizard killed her mother, she despaired of ever finding an answer to that puzzle.

Then she met Bran, a man cursed by that same wizard: a wolf by day and a man only by light of the waning moon. Forced to choose between her new friend and the villagers who would never truly love her, Tirian decided it was time to seek answers for them both. Their journey took them to Stonemount, where King Fallon feared his new queen conspired to steal his throne, and a lonely child waited to grow into the most powerful enchanter in the world.

Their search united them, but their answers could tear them apart forever. Could a wolf that was a man at heart, and the maiden with a wolf in her soul ever find a world that would let them simply be, much less be together?

Book 3 of the The Emerald Necklace series

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New Releases

2010-10-29T16:28:00.003-04:00

Rio Star - Pepper Smith

Patty O’Donnell, pregnant wife of an Irish jockey and a trainer in her own right, finds both her career and her baby’s life in jeopardy when she’s abducted and forced by a pair of con men to help in a racing scam in Argentina. Patty wants nothing to do with it—until she understands the reason for it, and the quest becomes her own.

At stake is a million dollar bet and long-delayed revenge. The con men's target is a dangerous man who has killed in the past and wouldn’t hesitate to kill again. A man from whom no one is safe, either in the crowded city of Buenos Aires or on the vast sweep of the Argentine pampas.

Book 2 of the Patty O'Donnell series

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Dead Lawyers - Debra Tash

Antinous Maricus Philippus, once distinguished Roman advocate, cursed by the goddess Justitia and quite dead for a very long time, must win one case before he can go onto the Elysian Fields.

Among the more notable cases he's been given to defend since being dead are two of Henry the Eighth's wives (the two who were beheaded), and Joan of Arc always comes to mind.

So when he is assigned waitress, Kate Wender’s straight-forward small claims suit to reclaim her refrigerator from her no good, chiropractor ex-boyfriend, Antinous believes the cosmos has finally given him a deserved break--that is, until Kate’s ex-boyfriend is shot dead.

After Kate is framed by the Las Vegas mob for the murder, Antinous must clear his seemingly scatterbrained client of the crime before she’s sent off across the River Styx by the same thugs who dispatched her former squeeze.

From the card tables of 1970s Las Vegas to the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Antinous must discover who’s responsible for a pile of dirty dealings or be forever trapped between life and death.

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The Henge Betrayed: Refuge - Janet Lane Walters

The adventure begun in Flight continues. Ash, Bran, Ky, and Jay, led by the mysterious birds they believe are their parents, find refuge with a doma while they await the arrival of their friend, Zand.

The doma plans to take them to safety in the highlands but news of the capture of two friends by "He who walks with evil" sends them on a rescue mission.

They soon realize their powers are not strong enough to defeat the evil dom, but they must find a way to succeed, or risk seeing their friends corrupted forever.

Book 2 of the The Henge Betrayed series

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Moonset - Louise Cooper

"I stand before you in this place, and I walk towards you on this way. The way is old but the way is long, and the way is the way of power. Hear me — hear me, and let the seal be broken!"

The words of an ancient ritual, summoning a devastating power which could destroy the Chaos Gate itself. If First Magus Vordegh's insanity was to be stopped, the heretics knew that they must gain control of that power.

This was the final gamble, and the odds against them were monstrous. But the rebels had a new ally in the heart of Chaos's own stronghold. One man, driven by one goad - the craving for revenge. And for revenge's sake, he was ready to unleash an apocalypse that even the gods could not withstand…

Book 3 of the Star Shadow Trilogy series

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New Releases

2010-09-30T12:25:00.004-04:00

Invisible Path - Marilyn Meredith

The next Tempe Crabtree mystery is here!

A popular young Indian man is found near the recovery center at the far end of the Bear Creek Reservation. While investigating, Deputy Tempe Crabtree learns the victim wasn't quite what he seemed, and crosses paths with a militant para-military group who pique her curiosity and end up being a threat.

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Songbird - Colleen Helme

Teya is desperate. Caught by the King and held for her magical singing abilities, she is ready to do anything to escape, or die trying. When her own plans fail, an ambassador from another country unexpectedly offers her a chance at freedom. All she must do is take him to her homeland. It sounds too good to be true, and she realizes she might only be exchanging one prison for another.

When she challenges the ambassador, Bran, to remove her kundar, the hated collar that keeps her magic in check, he hesitates. She is a beautiful, exotic creature, but from the rumors he’s heard, the collar is the only thing that will keep her from turning on him, and he needs her help to find the elixir sym, that threatens to destroy his country.

A precarious alliance forms between them, and their journey begins. But it quickly becomes filled with treachery and deceit. Teya must learn who she really is, for if she fails, her people and the magic they weld are lost forever. Now, as she nears the completion of her journey, she realizes the path she is destined to take will also tear her from the man she loves. Can she give up everything she is for him?

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Through All Eternity - Judy Bagshaw

On the verge of death...

Two seemingly unrelated women meet as both face the prospect of death. Hanna, in her late seventies and in the advanced stages of cancer, has many regrets from the choices she has made as a mother and wife over the years. Karen, a divorced mother of two in her thirties, longs for the happiness she had for a brief time in her teens with the love of her life.

Between this world and the next...

While Karen has vivid dreams of her bittersweet past, Hanna finds herself having strange "episodes" where she seems to visit an idyllic otherworldly place. Her own youth and happiness aren’t all she finds there: a young man named Bobby joins her. Is Bobby merely a guide, a delusion, or something more?

It’s never too late for redemption...

With little time left, Hanna is determined to right a lifetime of wrongs. Family secrets rise to the surface and tragedy threatens to claim both women as they attempt to discover if love can last through all eternity.

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The Vampire Lord Unmasked - William Veselik

Prof. Alfred Rhys Smythe returns home to Victorian London after years abroad only to discover that a blood-thirsty cult of vampires is stalking the city’s theatre district. In the final installment of My Soul to Take: Part III, The Vampire Lord Unmasked, Smyth and Scotland Yard Inspector Arthur Jenkins close in on the leader of the vampire cult and prepare destroy the vile creature.

With a rag-tag group of vampire hunters in tow, Smythe and Jenkins track the vampire master to his lair in hopes of saving Smythe’s new love, a young actress, and Smythe’s own mother, both of whom are being held hostage. The hunters finally confront the vampire master in the depths of an ancient crypt dating from Roman times. The crypt bears the remains of centuries of the most powerful vampires that have ever roamed the British Isles, which the vampire master plans to revive unless he can be stopped.

In The Vampire Lord Unmasked, author William A. Veselik weaves a tale of mystery and edge-of-your-seat terror inspired by the eerie atmosphere and vivid action of the classic Hammer Horror films starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

Book 3 of the My Soul to Take series

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Newest Releases

2010-09-29T13:59:00.002-04:00

Glorious - Patricia Snodgrass

Emily Prudhomme is terrified of her stepfather, and for good reason. A man who was raised by an abusive father and uncle, he is convinced that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is talking to him personally through a radio he keeps in his office.

Emily, alienated by her stepfather’s bizarre behavior, is befriended by Glorious, an African-American girl with beautiful amber-colored eyes and the ability to see the thoughts of others. Outcast because of their differences, the girls become fast friends.

When a tragic accident occurs on the banks of the Little Missouri river leaving one girl dead and the other hopelessly maimed for life, rage and revenge creates a firestorm that not only destroys a town but the lives of two families.

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Ties That Bind - Anne Patrick

FBI profiler Jo McDaniels has an unusual gift. As with most profilers, they are able to take the evidence, background of the victims and crime scene photos and reenact in their minds what took place between the killer and the victim. But what if there are no crime scenes and the victims have been decapitated in order to hide their identity? This is where Jo’s unusual gift comes into play. Unlike most profilers in her field, she is able to go a step further. Using her psychic ability she is able to sense exactly what the victim felt prior to their death. Her ability allows her to get to know the victims better than anyone else. She not only feels their emotions; she feels their pain.

Sheriff Austin Garrett doesn’t quite know what to think of the sassy and beautiful profiler that is able to tell him more about the victim after a few minutes with her than the coroner knows. But he’s willing to try anything to catch the serial killer plaguing his community. In all his years in law enforcement, nothing has prepared him for the monster he is up against now. A killer so cruel and calculating that it leaves him no choice but to turn to Jo and her unique gift.

Jo knows the risk she’s taking by using her psychic abilities. The last time she relied on it, it almost cost her career as well as her sanity. As the case progresses and the body count rises they soon realize that Jo’s sanity isn’t all that is at risk. She has become the killer’s ultimate kill.

Buy This Book (Also available from Awe-Struck Publishing)

The Hunter and the Marked - John Beachem

The Storms of Vengeance are upon you. The end is here. The last words of a dead man haunt the people of Terne, driving some to despair while others convince themselves nothing is amiss and cling to an increasingly desperate dream of peace. Captain Toren, nursing injuries both physical and emotional, buries himself in his work, delving deeper into the assassination of Relex Unara, and the mystery of who is behind the unfolding events. As the countdown to the day of reckoning continues, his search leads him and those he holds dear deeper and deeper into a web of deceit and betrayal more dangerous than he can imagine.

Far to the north, unknown to those in Terne, a far different series of events is unfolding. Separated from their homes by the waters of the Karees River, Calton Relanas and his friends are devastated and nearly broken by the losses they have suffered and hardships they have faced. Still, they remain convinced they may be the only ones standing between their homeland and total destruction. Turning to the north, they brave the horrors of the jungle and its monstrous inhabitants in the hope that it holds the key to their kingdom’s salvation.

Calton and his friends battle their way through lands more perilous than any battlefield, fighting both the dangers of the jungle and their own growing suspicions and misgivings about one another. As if the jungle itself were not enough, something or someone stalks them from the shadows of the trees. It watches their every move and studies their every choice; but is it someone hunting the same distant mark, ready to aid them in their quest; or is it someone who has an entirely different target in mind -- one much, much closer at hand.

Book 2 of the Lorradda Stone series

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PSA: The Publisher/Author "Marriage"

2010-08-26T15:21:00.006-04:00

Just a random thought.

Being an unpublished author is an awful lot like being single. You see all those happy couples around and wonder, "Why not me? Do I smell? Do I need another job? Does Cupid hate me? What gives?" Writers are taught that they have one goal to reach for: publication. Just like singles are pressured to think that they MUST get married.

But after a few boyfriends and girlfriends or, god help us, a bad marriage (or two), you know what single people realize? It's better to be unmarried than with the wrong person.

Publishing works the same way, folks. It's better to remain unpublished than to put yourself in a legally binding contract with the wrong publisher.

Just like how two perfectly nice people don't fit all the time, sometimes a nice author and a nice publisher don't fit. So do your homework as a writer. Figure out what your expectations are, figure out what your potential publisher's expectations are, look at what you both have to offer one another. And if it's not the right fit? Keep looking.

The right home for your book is out there somewhere.

New Releases

2010-07-14T18:00:00.000-04:00

Our Lady of the Absolute - Resa Nelson

At first glance, Meres' life seems perfect. She has a loving and devoted husband. A caring community. A "glamour" job as the only civilian allowed to work inside the temple of Isis, Our Lady of the Absolute. But there's one thing Meres doesn't have: a child. And being childless is enough to make any woman feel worthless in the White Walled City, the royal city of the Black Land, a modern-day society based on ancient Egypt.

When Meres learns her beloved sister-in-law Pu is pregnant with a foreigner's child, everything changes. As a member of the Pharaoh's harem, Pu is bound by law to be faithful to him, but she's unintentionally broken that law and committed treason, a crime punishable by death. Now, only Meres and Pu know her secret. As a loyal citizen, Meres is bound by law to turn Pu over to the authorities. But how can she do that to someone who didn't mean to do anything wrong--especially someone she loves?

Suddenly, the life Meres cherishes turns into a nightmare. Torn between love and envy, family and country, duty and faith, Meres risks rejecting the hard and fast rules of her religion in order to help the people she loves. She plunges into a dangerous journey that will lead her to uncover the truth about herself, her life, and the realization that nothing is absolute.

Buy this book.

Daughter of Snow - Elaine Corvidae

Although the Faerie War has ended, the battle rages on for faelings Alexandreya and Pook. Despite the decree of the Faerie King, rogue fae who prey on humans still haunt the night, and it's up to Alex and Pook to protect the mortals of their city.

Between hunting the fae and attending university, Alex has more than enough to worry about. But her life is about to be upended by the appearance of fae from her homeland, which seem determined to drive her back to the place she risked her life to escape. And when a figure from Alex's past returns, she and Pook discover that the strength of their hearts will be tested in ways they never imagined.

Book 4 of the Shadow Fae series

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Marisol Bean, Dragon Queen - Elisabeth & Ian Arbuckle

Whenever a princess of Dissany turns seventeen, she is sent away from her home to foster with one of the other races in the land. This is called the Tine, and the humans have been paying it for centuries.

On her seventeenth birthday, Marisol Bean is scheduled to go to the stone people of the North, who are every bit as dull as the chunks of granite they resemble. Thirsting for adventure, Marisol switches places with her twin sister, Meredith, who is heading off to live with the great dragons of the South.

Much more than adventure awaits Marisol in the land of the dragons. Forced to serve the brash king of dragons as a maid, she witnesses a plot to assassinate her master. He avoids death, but an enemy magician manages to wound him deeply...by turning him into a human. Now, with her humbled king in tow, Marisol must pursue the would-be killers across the continent. When they finally catch up to their quarry, the things that Marisol learns about the plot, her king, and herself will change her world forever.

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Heartstone - Lynda K. Scott

Eric d'Ebrur is out of time. He must find the legendary Heartstone and fulfill the ancient Gar'Ja bond he shares with the Stonebearer. But when he finds her, he discovers that love can be more dangerous than the Gawan threat. Eric can defeat the mind-controlling Gawan but will it cost him the woman he loves?

After terrifying episodes of hypersensitivity, Keriam Norton thinks she's losing her mind. When handsome shapeshifter Eric d'Ebrur saves her from the monstrous Gawan, she's sure of it. But insane or not, she'll find the Heartstone and, if she's lucky, a love to last a lifetime.

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Sacrament of Night - Louise Cooper

They’ve been visiting the human world for centuries, the strange, frail, totally colorless denizens of the Twilight Dimension. Lured by the color, the brightness, the sheer vitality of mankind’s world, they mean no harm--but few of them ever return home.

Foss Agate, well-to-do physician and dabbler in the 'supernatural sciences', has a burning ambition: to break the secret of the gateway between the worlds by capturing a living twilight creature. But his captive is no ordinary twilight dweller, Charn in an emissary of his queen, sent on a mission to discover the fate of her son and heir, who vanished years ago within the human world.

Torn by loyalty to Foss and compassion for his victim is his daughter, Calliope--a young girl who cannot help but fall prey to Charn’s spell and who holds the key to a long-hidden secret. But before she can unlock the door to the past she must overcome the fear that threatens to destroy her. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the Sacrament of Night...

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Newest Releases

2010-06-30T14:19:00.000-04:00

Trust Walk - C. S. Fuqua

Descend into a world of dark and light, a world in which karma is real.

In "Walking After Midnight," a Year's Best Horror Stories selection, a man sinks in self-pity as he drives home in a snowstorm after a long day's work, his wife recently deceased, his son a casualty of war decades before. In the swirling snow, he swerves to avoid a man at the edge of the road. The truck flips and fatally injures the driver, but he won't die alone.

In "Contrition," a car strikes an aged Japanese man, slamming him to the ground, but he shakes off the impact as though nothing's happened. Weary of cheating death, he meets a woman at a war shrine honoring men he knew and fought with. She looks familiar, and she should. She died with countless others, tortured to death under his unit's command. Now she's come for him.

In "Mama's Boy," another Year's Best Horror Stories selection, screams in the night lead a young boy to a house where he discovers a young man crippled by battle injuries and trapped in the tormenting care of his aged, dying mother.

In the title story, "Trust Walk," a college student, depressed over the loss of her lover, participates in a class activity designed to explore faith and security but learns that the only ones completely trustworthy are dead.

The 35 stories collected here explore the motivations of the human spirit, the qualities that lead us into temptation as well as deliverance, that make even the most ordinary among us extraordinary.

Buy this book.

The Hoax - Adrienne Jones

Bored accountant, Joey Duvaine, needed a career change. World domination seemed like a fun gig.

Allowing himself to become a puppet in his genius friend’s religious con, Joey plays his part in a fraudulent miracle devised by a private special effects team. As the media and the public are divided on whether he’s a modern prophet or a clever scam artist, an FBI agent becomes interested in Joey’s financial transactions, possible terrorist motives, and the overnight popularity of his new cult.

But the agent’s investigation leads him down a

path he’s unprepared for, as Joey’s benefactors have barbarous motives beyond the smokescreen of the hoax, and for them, humanity is merely a disguise.

New Revised Edition!

Buy this book.

Thief - Sarah-Jane Lehoux

In the crum

bling city of Eloria, there is one indisputable fact: everyone has a price. Protestations of morality and better judgment have little meaning when confronted with the chance to obtain the unobtainable. The only question remaining is just how much a person is willing to sacrifice in order to win their heart’s desire.

Sevy has always been a quick study in the wicked ways of Eloria. She has no qualms about taking what she wants, and when the love of her life is mysteriously murdered, Sevy will stop at nothing to get him back. Elvish black magic, necromancy and demonic pacts are of little consequence if it means she can once again have her beloved at her side. But is she willing to murder her only friend to get the job done?

Buy this book.

Bad-Ass Faeries: In All Their Glory

Think all faeries spend their days picking flowers and dancing in circles? Think again!

We bring you tales of urban conflict, of lurking assassins, of defenders of the home front. Eternal battles…between good and evil, right and wrong, Seelie and Unseelie…fought by timeless warriors whose battle cries echo throughout both history and legend.

Discover fae fighting the good fight with every turned page.

A WAC pilot and her leprechaun guardian get a bit of their own back in L. Jagi Lamplighter’s A Not-So-Silent Night.

Refugee recruits from Daemor defend the base camp from gators and mongers in Patrick Thomas’s The Size of the Fight in the Solider.

Elaine Corvidae treats us to a new glimpse of the realm of the Shadow Fae as an assassin stalks Pook, the Unseelie king on the Seelie throne, in Field of Honor.

And in David Sherman’s The Price of Friendship a simple Nix gives Viking warriors a lesson in unconventional warfare.

Each story in this collection follows a fine warrior—and fae—tradition. Protect your own, avenge your fallen, and put the bullies in their place. So get ready to declare your allegiance, because…

By Land, Air, or Sea, the battle lines are drawn…Which side are you on?

Buy this book.

New Releases

2010-05-05T15:55:00.000-04:00

Eva Russo is a tough and wise mobster's daughter who wants nothing more than to get herself, and her family, out of the business. But when her father, Joe Russo, a reputed gangster and half owner of the flailing Las Vegas casino The Oasis ends up murdered, Eva knows it was his captain, Dave 'The Sheik' DeSantis who made the hit.

Now that Dave's on the verge of claiming everything her father built, Eva has to go all in and immerse herself in the business while calling upon her blood family to help her wrestle control of her father's empire away from Dave.

But Dave DeSantis isn't ready to fold his hand. Loyalties sway and the stakes are raised as the battle between families heats up.

Buy this book.

On the world of Terra Set, where the night is twice as long as the day and the moon more powerful than the sun, live the Star Mages. Essential to supporting the crops that feed the masses, they are protected men, revered, yet still mistrusted.

An ancient myth tells of a female mage born at the Silver Minute. She holds a magic that, shared with a mate, will be unequaled. Riena is that mage.

A ruthless king will stop at nothing to force Riena to take his son as mate. Her life and freedom depend on one challenge—hide as a man.

Buy this book.

When Patty O’Donnell married her Irish sweetheart and moved from America to her husband’s small home town on the Irish seacoast, the most dangerous things she had to deal with were the half-ton racehorses in her father-in-law’s stables. But when she and her husband return from a late night out to find their house being searched, she discovers there are far worse things lurking in her bucolic surroundings than temperamental Thoroughbreds.

The teenage son of a late family friend brings proof of a long forgotten debt owed by the O’Donnells, part of a cargo lost in a shipwreck over a century and a half ago. He wants the cargo salvaged, and quickly, so he can help his mother free herself from her abusive second husband. The O’Donnells are willing, but the search and salvage mission puts them square in the sights of modern-day pirates, who want the salvage for themselves.

Suddenly, Patty finds herself hunted and in a fight for her life, where yielding to panic means a swift and ugly death.

Buy this book.

When American diplomat Sylvester Mercedes flew to Turkey on what was supposed to be a routine business trip, he mysteriously vanished from his hotel room.

Prominent socialite Lois Mercedes turns to P.I. Frank Johnson to track down her missing husband. Frank manages to track the kidnappers to a maze of tunnels in the ancient troglodytes’ subterranean cities. And that's when things really get exciting!

This book is part 4 of the P.I. Frank Johnson series

Buy this book.

And...We're Still Closed to Submissions

2010-03-01T12:58:00.001-05:00

Typically we open for subs in March and April, however we looked at our current workload and decided to re-open for a few months this summer instead. With staff members off sick (seriously, is the plague going around this winter?), me frequently on limited office hours due to a repetitive stress injury, and integrating our newly acquired imprint Hard Shell into the mix, it didn't make sense (and wasn't fair) to open for subs that may not get looked at for months. As well, my acquisitions department is quite busy finishing up with submissions from the last open period.

My apologies to those who had been planning to submit at this point, but we'll only be considering manuscripts from our in-house authors at this time, and will re-open to unsolicited manuscripts in June. Thank you very much for understanding.

Also, I'm aware that we're listed on various sites as being open at this time, however please remember that if any information out there contradicts the submissions page, please go with what the submissions page says. That is where you'll find up to date information (as well as on the blog). Unsolicited submissions sent at this time will not be read or replied to.

New Releases

2010-02-06T16:02:00.001-05:00

Would you like to know when a new book is released? Our fantastic webmaster has a feed set up: click here to subscribe.

Now available, a great fantasy novel for YA/MG readers!

Talismen: The Knightmare Knife - Steven Philip Jones

Colin Sinclair, Reggie Sinclair, Ollie Steele, and Timmy Shannon have never had a dream in their lives, but on their twelfth birthday they share the same nightmare about a vicious dragon and a mysterious orange-haired girl.

The next day strange things begin happening to the boys. Monsters appear in school water fountains. A hellhound prowls city streets. And a green man dressed in gold stalks the boys. Danger is suddenly everywhere and it is closing in all around them. Fast.

With beautiful illustrations by co-creator and co-plotter Barb Jacobs, Talismen: The Knightmare Knife is a fantasy for people of all ages who are young in heart and ready for action!

Author Checklist

2010-02-06T12:50:00.000-05:00

Our guidelines for submissions include a little checklist for your manuscripts. Useful stuff to ensure your book doesn't suck by looking at point of view, characters and dialogue, etc. You can find lots of those checklists all over.

But what about a checklist for authors? You can have the most brilliant book in the world, but that doesn't mean we'd be a good team.

So here's my "Don't submit IF..." list. This is compiled from the experiences of various editors I know and dealings we've all had.

Are you high maintenance? I am very happy to answer newbie questions. I value communication and I like my authors to be informed about the whole publication process. What I don't have time for is handholding. Remember my previous post about the inner wheels of publishing always turning and how we can't slow it down? That means I can't give a status update once a week. For example, if I say a book is in the queue for an editor, it's in the queue for an editor. Until the editor is available for an assignment, my answer of "it's in the queue" will not change. It didn't get "lost" if I was the one to contract it; I get a little possessive over the authors and books I contract out of slush and I always know where they are in the publication process. It's impossible for me to lose you guys because I adore you ever so much. It's also common for me to get a couple hundred emails a day; since I work normal business hours, this means it can take me at least three days to answer even higher priority messages. Six emails to me in twelve hours about something non-priority will not result in a faster answer from me. The more times I have to repeat myself, the more I twitch, and a twitchy senior editor is a cranky senior editor.
Do you think rules don't apply to you/you should get special treatment? When you sell five bazillion books, you can be afforded a little rule breaking. But you know what? The top selling authors I know are all the loveliest people to work with. If you think rules don't apply to you, you'll more than likely not get through slush as I'm militant about guidelines. But no one around here gets special treatment--I don't even get special treatment and I'm running most of the day to day operations. This means no cutting in line and no trying to bypass any step of the process.
Do you hate ebooks/want nothing to do with them? I didn't say you have to loooooove ebooks. But I won't lie: a huge part of our market is the ebook reading one. And our romance imprint, Awe-Struck, is mostly e (we consider print if e sales justify it). If you're submitting to one of the imprints I oversee, I have the expectation that a) you're going to do a bit to help promote your book, and b) you're going to have a web presence to help reach that e-reading audience. If you refuse to have even a simple website and have never read an ebook in your life, WHY would you submit to an e-publisher? It's a waste of time and money for both of us. You will help your own career immensely, even if you're with a major mass market publisher, by learning the basics about ebook formats, e-reading devices, and the changes in that market.
Are you lazy and/or are your words "golden"? Some writers write their book and think the work is done. I don't care if you did seventeen drafts--the work isn't done. I run a rigorous editing department because quality is of utmost importance to me. This means even the best books need some revising and polishing. Our editors have a single goal, and that's to help the author tell their story in the clearest, most concise way possible. Nothing is changed without the author's approval and we always strive to work with authors and not against them, but my editors--while reasonable and happy to defer to your suggestions--are thorough. The books we contract deserve the best attention we can give them because our readers deserve the best books possible. But that requires work on your part as an author. Please do not submit to me if you aren't willing to work with an editor and/or you can't accept criticism.
Are you impatient? I book the MP schedule 15-18 months in advance. Yes, that seems like a long time, but I don't rush things and I like a cushion of time before release to ensure all the files are in order so that there aren't last minute delays. A-S is more like 9-12 months at this point, as the books are released electronically first and therefore skip the typesetting stage. I have, however, had writers complain that their book wouldn't be out within six months of acceptance. Folks, please see above where I mentioned quality. I don't rush edits and the art department doesn't rush covers. Sometimes a few rounds of edits can be done within a month or two. Other times, it ends up being three or four. If you want your book out as soon as you've written it, go ahead and self publish the damn thing--just don't bring it to me later wanting "greater distribution." Because that also makes me twitch.
Do you have a problem with the people running things? Reading up on the staff members should give you a sense of our personalities. And for me, I don't own the company, but oversee general book production prior to publication. I do think I have a lovely sense of humor and I can be wonderful to work with...however, if you've followed my posts here, you should get the sense that I do not play games and I'm very rigid about how things operate. I don't appreciate people going over my head when it's my department and I don't appreciate being called names when I'm simply being clear and upfront about something. If you're the type of person who isn't comfortable working with someone of my age and gender (note, this is RARE, but it happens), or with another primary staff member, we may not make a good team. We're all looking to get along with one another to make books successful.
Are you insane? We're all a little loony and that's cool. Mad pride and all. But it's important to be functionally loony. Flakiness, flighty attitudes, and diva behavior cannot be excused with, "Oh, but I'm an artist." I don't care that there are people in your brain that only you can hear whispering their stories, I don't care that you're battling crippling depression and cradling a bottle of absinthe while listening to emo music, and I don't care if the muse packed her bags and took off for Mexico without you. If you want to work as a professional writer, "suffering artist" isn't going to cut it. Suffer on your own time; be functional while you're working with us on your book.
Did you write one book with no plans for more? Maybe this isn't a huge turn off, but it's something to keep in mind. We're interested in working with writers in this for the long haul. If you're not working on other books while you're busy submitting the polished version of your first one, I have to wonder how serious you are about this job (and yes, writing for publication is a job). Flogging one book for the next ten years isn't going to build your readership. Writing and publishing half a dozen books in that time will. You will also become a better writer the more you write; you'll learn things with every book you complete. And I sincerely hope "become a better writer" is one of your goals as a novelist...
Do you think the publishing staff is there to work for you? Unless you did the hiring, the staff isn't your hired help. They shouldn't be ordered around as such. My editors work for me; they work with you. I work for the company; I work with you. There is a distinct difference there. If you're submitting to a commercial publishing house, you're not hiring them--you're seeking to form a business partnership. The phrase "See that it gets done" should never enter your correspondence with any of us.

If you fit any of the above, please think long and hard before submitting to us. If you're an insane, high maintenance diva, you could very well get a book picked up elsewhere. There are plenty of editors who have other priorities and see things differently from me. And that's okay. But for the year + before your contracted book is published, all of your dealings--from submissions to editing to scheduling, and everything but cover art--will be with yours truly. That publishing machine works best when we're all on the same page and if you're the type who would send me three emails a day complaining about edits and calling me names, that's going to mess up the machine and it's not fair to the other authors.

Publishing a book means you enter in a business agreement with someone for at least three or four years. It runs so much more smoothly if both parties are clear on their expectations for one another. In romantic relationships, it's better to remain single than be with someone you don't gel with; in publishing, it's better to remain unpublished and keep looking for the right fit than be in a legally binding relationship with people you don't gel with. And if we do gel? Magic happens, boys and girls, and you bet I want us to work together on making your book a success.

So here's a task for you, gentle writer. What is your publisher checklist? Or your agent checklist? What are your expectations, and what are you looking for philosophy-wise when it comes to entering a business relationship? Sit down and make your list. Keep it next to your computer and see what publisher websites and blogs tell you about the people you'll potentially be working with. This will help ensure YOU find the right home for your work.

Patience, Trust, and the Publication Process

2010-01-21T14:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday, folks!

Today, rather than talk about the submissions/acquisitionsy stuff (YES, "acquisitionsy" is a word...because I say so), we're going to look at something important for contracted authors to remember during the publication process.

Patience is vital and you can't expect everyone to hold your hand or pat you reassuringly on the head.

Publishing a book is a long process that requires a lot of different people all working at the same time and juggling other books. It's a machine with lots of cogs and wheels and parts that you, as the author, never get to see.

And it's frustrating as hell sometimes as a writer because you can't see all the parts and inner workings. All there is for you is you and your book. I understand this because I was an author for this company long before I joined the staff. My first book came out two full years after I signed the contract for it, but it didn't bother me too much because I spent that time writing other books and building an online fanbase. But now that I can actually see all the inner workings of the machine? Folks, you'd be astonished at what's going on behind the scenes on any given day.

Here's the thing that you, gentle author, need to keep in mind about publishers: it's in their best interest to release your book in a timely manner. Even before that book is contracted, time and money went into having a panel of editors evaluate it. After a book is contracted, time and money is going into producing cover art, paying editors, paying proofreaders, paying typesetters... The publisher needs that book to be released to the book buying public so that they see a return on the investment.

But delays happen. Titles get shuffled on the schedule, a freelance editor is hired and flakes out, an artist's harddrive is fried and covers must be re-done, writers fight an editor constantly on a manuscript, a senior staff member suffers an illness or death in the family, people decide to take a few days off for Christmas (yes, folks, publishing peeps are allowed to have Christmas, and typically it DOESN'T actually affect our work), an author covers her galley in red pen and expects massive changes to be made last minute. Communication can be slow--at least half of the emails I receive require me to check in with another staff member (and they are all also quite busy), or review notes with my editorial boad when it comes to slush inquiries.

I firmly believe in keeping authors informed as much as possible, but a whole lot of the time we can't. We can't stop the machine to notify a hundred people about one little cog being off and we can't give you confidential information about what's going on behind the scenes with other authors and staff members.

But you, dear writer, need to have not only patience for this big machine called publishing, but also trust. You need to trust that we are doing everything in our power to ensure your book is the best it can be and ready for people to purchase it. You need to trust that we haven't forgotten about you, even if we're not checking in with you once a week with a status update. You need to trust that we want your book to be released, because then we all get paid more and money makes everyone happy.

This isn't to say there aren't shady, fly by night tiny e-pubs out there. There are, and an author has to pay attention. But 99% of the other editors I know at various small and epublishing houses are working damn hard, 40 - 50 hrs a week, on publishing good books.

If you can't trust that the publisher you're in business with is working hard on producing books...if you need constant reassurance that you're still in the queue...if you can't find anything better to do with your time than nag the staff...folks, I think you need to step back and question what you're doing. I wouldn't want to work with someone I didn't trust. Why would you?

On Synopses & Surprises

2009-11-17T14:50:00.000-05:00

It is a truth universally acknowledged that an author of great skill must be in want of a synopsis writing helper.

I've yet to meet a writer who doesn't hate writing a synopsis. (I just finished one myself, somehow without the benefit of alcohol, and now I'm ignoring it because I know I have to fix it.) They make us whine and moan. How do we condense our eighty thousand word masterpiece into a page or two?

We all have to do it because editors and agents NEED that full synopsis. They're busy and they need that snapshot of the story so they know if it's worth their time or not.

A lot of writers either leave the ending out of their synopsis to force us to read the manuscript (it doesn't work) or beg us not to in the cover letter because the effect of the book will be ruined if we know the ending. In fact, I've been flat out TOLD in cover letters before by the author that he is intentionally leaving out the synopsis because I have to read it to understand it, and he doesn't have time for those people who can't be bothered spending six hours reading his book to find out what it's about. (Guess who got rejected pretty quickly.) Writers often seem to have the sense that some of the magic will be gone if we know how the book ends.

That is categorically, unequivocally, untrue.

Good writing and a compelling story are not ruined by the editor knowing the ending.

I just finished the round of edits on a book I contracted out of slush last year--Thief by Sarah-Jane Lehoux. When the book came to me back then, I read the synopsis. Complete with the ending. And I loved it. So I read the book. I still loved it. I completed the edits last night, at four o'clock in the morning, and bawled my eyes out because the ending was so beautiful and bittersweet (Ms. Lehoux wins the Joss Whedon Award for making you love it when she tears your heart out).

Similarly, a few months ago I was editing Sacrament of Night by Louise Cooper for re-release. I'd read the book before, so I knew how it would end. But, still, midway through I was in tears and my heart was breaking for the characters. Her writing had real power.

With both novels, it didn't matter that I knew how they would end. It didn't even matter that I'd already read the books. It also didn't matter that I was looking at them as an editor, not a reader. When you're a gifted writer who can pen a compelling story, your work will have the same emotional impact on the editor. You don't need surprise as a gimmick.

So, as always, the lesson is: Write well. Um, besides "follow the guidelines and send a complete synopsis." So that and: Write well.

And also, the lesson is buy Thief when it comes out in May and Sacrament of Night later this year.

We're Closed to Submissions

2009-11-12T16:49:00.000-05:00

Just a note that we're closed to unsolicited submissions once again. I had hoped to stay open a little longer, but we've decided to close again until March for two reasons.

1) Someone on Twitter pointed out how December is essentially "National Query Rejection Month", as it follows National Novel Writing Month and many of the NaNo-ers think it would be a zomg awesome idea to submit their newly completed first draft masterpiece. It hadn't occurred to me before, but that makes a scary amount of sense.

So no. Just...no. I have to wade through enough slush--I don't want to be inundated in December with even more, and neither do my readers. That isn't to say that NaNo-ers can't write great books--they can, and it's a great thing to do--but no one's first draft is ready for submission. Ever. So I'm hoping to avoid that whole nightmare by staying closed.

2) I've received a lovely promotion, and with great power comes great responsibility. Time consuming responsibility. And considering I'm a week behind on all non-urgent email (don't even ask about personal email at this point), it made the most sense to close to subs until we get the existing stuff caught up. Rest assured, that we do issue a response for each submission, and I keep the box on the right hand corner of this blog updated.

If I can give a slice of advice once given me: When you're waiting to hear back from a publisher or agent about a submission, the best thing you can do for yourself is to work on other books. It can take months and months of querying and submitting to possibly find your work a home, so it's good to keep yourself busy and work on something new.

Thank you for your patience.

In other news: our first audio book has been released. Check it out here.

New Releases

2009-10-30T17:51:00.000-04:00

Bad-Ass Faeries - Edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Jeffrey Lyman, L. Jaji Lamplighter, and Lee C. Hillman

Various authors.

Clap Your Hands...NOW! Because you better believe the world is full of Bad-Ass Faeries!

Toss out your childhood notions of faeries that are all goodness and light. No golden pixies clothed in gossamer, dancing on the wind, here to make the rainbows shine and the birds sing. These tales are of faeries on the raw edge, battle-worn and in black leather, with a glimmer of darkness in their eyes, if not their very hearts.

From the meanest city streets to one dusty, disturbing saloon, on the wing or the back of a Harley, no matter where you look, they are headed your way, trailing attitude, bodies, and a dust devil of magic in their wake.

Good or bad or just plain rotten, you’ll never look at faeries the same way again.

http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Bad-Ass+Faeries

Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad - Edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Jeffrey Lyman, L. Jaji Lamplighter, and Lee C. Hillman

Various authors.

Do you like to Dance with Danger? Well now's your chance!

Don't worry about things that go bump in the night; count yourself lucky if these fae give you that much warning. In the finest tradition of the original Bad-Ass Faeries, the twenty tales in this collection delve into the darkest corners, exploring every tough and terrifying aspect the legends of faeries ever claimed...and then some.

Lose yourself in twisted tales of homicidal faerie clowns, one man's gladiatorial stand against Earth's overlords, and a desperate mother's confrontation with the fiercest pirates above the Seven Seas...not to mention dry land. Read on in fascinated horror as a faerwolf is born, and unwise parties-of-the-second-part come to rue deals made with a different kind of devil. Here is where you discover just how many faerie tales never even get a glimpse of Happily Ever After...

Forget about misunderstood; these faeries are Just Plain Bad!

http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Bad-Ass+Faeries+2:+Just+Plain+Bad

Louise Cooper 1952 - 2009

2009-10-21T11:35:00.000-04:00

We just received word that author Louise Cooper died of an aneurysm during the night.

As more information becomes available about memorials and services, I'll share that here. For now, as everyone processes this incredible loss to publishing, I'd like to share the impact she had on me as a reader, writer, and finally as an editor.

--------------------------------------------------

When I was sixteen (1999), my mum got a box of fantasy novels at a church rummage sale. At least two dozen of them. I'd never read fantasy before (I was a horror and mystery kind of girl), but I was also an avid reader, so I went through the books. The first one I selected was the beginning The Time Master Trilogy by Louise Cooper.

I read the first two books (The Initiate and The Outcast) over a matter of days and promptly started lending them out. To say I'd never read anything like them might be obvious, as I've already said I hadn't read fantasy before, but it's true. This wasn't what I thought of when it came to fantasy--there were no dwarfs and elves, no knights in shining armor, and very little clear-cut good and evil. Here was a world where the "bad guy" was the protagonist, where the "good guys" did evil in the name of good, and where people resided--and struggled--in shades of gray.

The third book, The Master, went with me in my purse to a friend's birthday party when I was halfway through it. (Yes, like many readers and writers out there, I was the kind of kid who brought a book to a party in case she had the opportunity to curl up somewhere and read.) I didn't have a chance to read it, got home late, and it wasn't until the following morning that I went to get the book to finish it.

But I couldn't find it.

I looked everywhere. It wasn't in my purse. It wasn't on my dresser. Not in the living room. I couldn't find the book.

This stressed me out terribly. I needed to finish the story--I needed to know what happened with Tarod, Cyllan, and the others. That's truly what it was: a need. Like breathing, like food. I couldn't recall another time when I'd been so utterly in love with fictional characters in a book.

There was another need as well--the need to create, to express. I'd written a lot all my life, primarily novels (or what I'd hoped would be novels before abandoning them halfway through), but at that point, as a teen, I'd only written a few (bad) poems for a couple of years. Something nagged at my mind, encouraging me to sit down and write. And so I did. I spent two days mapping out a novel, meeting the characters, beginning their story.

And then I walked into my room and found The Master, the final book, randomly sitting on my dresser.

To this day, I swear it wasn't there every time I looked previously. I have no idea what happened, and no one else in my household knew either.

(Side note: the novel I started went on to be the first one I finished at age eighteen...and it'll also never see the light of day, but it was important that I wrote it.)

I read about Louise Cooper online--about how she wrote throughout her teens and convinced her parents to let her leave school at my then-age (that didn't work for me--my mum would NOT listen), and how her first novel was published when she was twenty years old. Twenty! I felt like I had a goal, right then. I'd finish high school, write a lot, and try to get published. I wanted to be Louise Cooper when I grew up--I wanted to create stories and characters that people needed. I didn't think I could do it by twenty, but I tried. And, as it happens, I signed my first contract at age twenty-one (with Mundania Press).

Besides teaching me a lot about storytelling and giving me goals as a writer, the Time Master Trilogy also taught me something about reading: I don't much care for fantasy. Or, rather, I couldn't enjoy fantasy because I found so much of it lacking.

Immediately upon finishing the Time Master Trilogy, I went through that box of books and started reading other things. And I couldn't stand most of them. They were all about good and evil, superhuman magicians, women who needed rescuing. And, of course, dwarfs and elves. Those kinds of books weren't for me. As an adult, I've since found many fantasy novels more to my liking (a number of which are in Mundania's catalogue, natch), but as a teen, it was incredibly frustrating. And Louise's books, at the time, were often out of print and hard to find here in Canada.

To say I was THRILLED, as both a reader and a writer, when my own publisher Mundania Press picked up her backlist is an understatement. You probably can't imagine the fan girl squeeing unless you're a fan girl yourself.

I joined the staff of Mundania Press late 2007, but it wasn't until this past year that I had the opportunity to work with her closely. She had always been pleasant during our few correspondences the previous year, but this year I had taken on the duties of senior editor, so I was working with many more authors as I oversee the schedule and some editor wrangling. The editor who had previously been working on her books was unavailable, so I offered to step in.

I was nervous, the first few times emailing her, I admit. I had such admiration for her work, and I was very worried something horrible would happen that would shatter this illusion I had of my idol.

I can say with complete honesty that Louise Cooper was one of the kindest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. She was friendly, gracious, down to earth, and just a wonderful human being.

I was able to work with her on Eclipse, which is the second book in the Star Ascendant Trilogy (prequels to Time Master), and I'm about to start on the edits for the third, Moonset. I also edited the upcoming reprint of Sacrament of Night, which is a fabulous standalone novel that brought me to tears repeatedly, even though I'd read it as a teen and knew how everything would turn out. Louise's words and worlds have a power that few books do.

Folks who regularly read this blog know I can be rather tough (*cough*) on authors, and here is the reason why: I hold everyone to the standard people like her set, both as a writer and as a professional. Louise had published over eighty fantasy and supernatural books for readers of all ages throughout her career, she had more talent in one finger than I may ever have in my life--if anyone could have acted like a diva, it was her. But she didn't. She was a lovely person who corresponded with respect, wit, and thoughtfulness.

Everyone on staff was extremely fond of her, and she'll be greatly missed. Our sympathies go out to her family.

(A draft of the cover for one of her upcoming releases (c) Skyewolf Images)

If you would like to share your thoughts about Louise or her work, please leave them in the comments or forward them to me at skyla (at) mundania (dot) com, and I'll pass them on.

Louise jokingly reminded me once that I had to remember to take the "occasional" hour or two off now and then, because I replied to her emails at all hours of the night and she knew I was a workaholic. I think I'll do just that right now, take a walk in the rain, and reflect again on what I want to be when I grow up.

Dispeling Some Slush Misconceptions

2009-09-22T13:20:00.001-04:00

I know the folks who read this blog are good, sane, upstanding authors who try really hard to follow the guidelines and stuff. But in case you have friends who maybe need to hear this, I'm going to try to dispel some misconceptions. Pass it along to them before they end up in my slush pile.

There seems to be some myths out there about what exactly an acquisitions editor's obligations are towards books in slush. I assume these myths a) exist, and b) are popular, you see, because I've encountered certain things in the authors and manuscripts I've been dealing with lately.

#1 We read all the books that come in.

We don't.

Please don't assume that by NOT giving us the synopsis (or by withholding the end of the book) and NOT giving us the genre means we're going to be forced to read the whole thing.

We won't. What we will do is delete it. If I'm feeling particularly generous, I might send an email back to you requesting that you review and follow the guidelines.

Please think for a moment about how long it takes to read an entire book. A 200 - 300 page mass market paperback, for example. Now multiply that by one hundred, to keep it easy. How long does it take you to read one book? How long would it take you to read a hundred of them?

I know we all think, "But MY book is speshul and worth it!" And how if the editors just read it, they'll love it too. Yes, well, clearly they don't have time for that because there are so many other books there. Even IF an editor's job consisted solely of reading slush books (FYI: it doesn't), WHY would he or she spend so much time reading everything, good or bad?

When you're sending something to a publisher, they need as much information as possible upfront to see IF they feel your work is worth the time that goes into a full read. If you're unwilling to give them that information upfront--such as a complete synopsis and critical stuff like the genre and word count--then don't expect them to spend their time on your book.

And by that same token...

#2 We'll give a book more than a page or two before passing.

Usually. Not always.

If you've followed the guidelines and sent something in a genre we want, we'll give the manuscript a shot. Even if we're not blown away by the synopsis (case in point, a book went out to two different readers and neither was too thrilled...until they got to the first line of the manuscript, and the reaction was, "Wow, that person can write.").

But unless the synopsis was so OMG!brilliant!, if the first few pages don't grab us, that'll likely be it.

I ask repeatedly that submissions be polished. This means pretty damn free of spelling and grammar errors. I know, really, that no one is immune to typos. I'm certainly not. BUT if there are spelling errors on the first page (or the first sentence), that doesn't tell us good things.

#3 We're not serious about the "we're only accepting certain genres" part.

Lately, there seems to be some confusion about how we're only looking for horror, UF, PNR, and although we don't want general SF, we'll consider steampunk as well. Even though it says "only", I keep getting other things and when I point out we don't accept that, I get a "but your guidelines don't say that" reply.

Well, folks, when the guidelines say "only" that tends to mean "only."

I don't know if the assumption is that maybe--just maybe--if a book is speshul enough, we'll go ahead and read it anyways even though it's not what we're looking for. Maybe it's that the word "only" is somehow confusing.

If a pub's guidelines say they want certain things but will consider multiple genres, great. Submit away, but be prepared for a rejection. If a pub's guildelines say that they are *only* accepting certain things, don't send something that's not on their list.

This mentality of "I've got nothing to lose" is actually false. What you have to lose is a good relationship with an editor who might one day be looking for a book like what you've written, and it's also disrespectful of both an editor's time and that of your fellow authors in slush.

#4 We're under an obligation to give writers feedback.

We're not. This isn't a manuscript evaluation service.

Our goal is to provide quality reading material for our consumers. Yes, we wouldn't have a product without writers, and we all love authors and the books they write (well, most of them). But if we shift all of our time, money, and resources towards the needs of writers, we're abandoning the needs of readers and therefore abandoning our real consumers. And then we go broke.

Because I was so impressed with how meticulously the guidelines were followed with the first batch of subs, I will try to give some explanation of why we're rejecting certain things this time around if time permits. But please remember that if it's feedback you're after, there are many other resources available for you BEFORE you get to the stage where you send a book to a publisher.

#5 We're under some obligation to give you a chance at a career in publishing.

In commercial publishing, authors and publishers need to have the same goals: provide excellent reading material for readers. If your primary goal is something else (to see your name in print, for example), you need to rethink what you're doing. Yes, books have artistic value, and you should be creating for yourself, first and foremost. But if you want a career as a professional working writer, you have to understand that readers are the ones who will be paying your bills.

Sometimes, editors get it wrong. We all know the story about how many times Harry Potter was rejected before being picked up (no, really, I know that story, and I knew it before half of the authors I rejected emailed me to remind me of this story). But while we're talking about that story, let me point out that maybe those early editors didn't get it wrong--maybe Rowling revised the book and the draft she sent to the first publishers on her list was different from the one that was later accepted. I don't know, and you probably don't know either.

But the point is that publishers know what is selling at their publishing house. They know what books their readers are buying. Sometimes they get it wrong when they acquire something that doesn't sell. Sometimes they get it wrong when they don't acquire something that sells a bundle elsewhere. But remember a) a rejection letter is almost never personal--it's a business decision based on a number of factors, and b) you are not owed a chance at having your book published by sheer fact that you wrote something down on paper.

Writing a book is a big achievement and you should be enormously proud of yourself. But if you wrote a song, would you expect that you're entitled to a record deal? If you disinfected a wound and put a band-aid on it, are you entitled to be a doctor? A career in publishing is for people who work at their craft, just like any other career. No publisher is obligated to give every new writer a chance--not when huge amounts of money are invested in producing a book.

Furthermore, every book contracted is "being given a chance." New writer or not, there's no guarantee that the book is going to be a best seller.

----------------------------

We end up offering a contract to under 1% of the books submitted. A lot of publishers have similar statistics. I firmly believe that if you write extremely well and do your research, you stand a very, very good chance of having your work placed somewhere. And if not, there's no shame in that. Write new books and submit those. That's what writers do.

First Print Rights and Publishing

2009-09-14T20:05:00.000-04:00

I'm blogging about this here in the hopes that when we link to it from the submissions page, people will actually read it and stop sending me previously published work without querying first.

We ask for unpublished work in our guidelines. This means...a book cannot have been published before.

What counts as published? If a book has been bound in print form and made available for sale, or if it's been available as an ebook either for sale or for free on your website. If that has happened to your novel, then it is published.

People have written back to me, after I've told them we're only interested in books that are unpublished, to tell me that their copyright is still available.

Kids, we're not interested in your copyright. The copyright is YOURS--it means you own the rights to the work and the characters. What we want is to obtain the electronic and print rights (and exclusive ones at that). Furthermore, our preference is for the first rights.

First print rights are exactly what they sound like--the right to be the first once to print (publish) your work exclusively.

When you publish anywhere, that uses your first print rights. Self-publish a book on Lulu? God help me, but give it to PublishAmerica? Post it on your blog for free? That means you have published the book.

The work is then, in many cases, of less value to a potential commercial publisher. You hear this terminology a lot with magazines too. So why does it matter to us?

Think of it from our point of view: the book has already been available, and if it didn't sell, that suggests to us that there's just no market for it. Also, quite often there are still copies in print somewhere--that poses a problem because before we can consider a book, and before you can sign a contract for it promising us the right to publish it, those same rights have to be available. You can't have a self-published book still on Lulu and expect a commercial publisher to want it.

Also, when you post a book freely on your website, that counts as publishing. Even if you take it down, it can be read via a google cache. Why would potential readers pay money to read it if they can find it free?

IF you would really, really like to submit your previously published book to us, that's fine. But query first. Send an email to skyla(at)mundania(dot)com and tell me what your book is about, where is was published, who you are, and have proof that all publishing rights have been returned to you. Also note the genre (it has to be sci-fi, fantasy, horror, paranormal--you know, those genres we're known for).

If you were with a large publisher, odds are your contract was for an initial print run. If there hasn't been a new print run, the book is out of print and you're typically free to look elsewhere (please review your contract and contact a lawyer if you're unsure).

If you were with a small publisher...now things get dicey. Small e-pubs often go out of business rather suddenly. And this is why it's important that you read your contract before you sign it and find out under what circumstances your rights are reverted back to you. If the person running the pub disappears...I'm sorry, but I still need a copy of a letter from them stating that your rights have been returned. If you can't provide that, don't query me with the book.

Also, I'm not going to lie about the fact that a big portion of our sales come from ebooks. If your book has already been released as an ebook (or free on your site), that means sales are going to be extremely limited. If you're working on continuing a series that started with a previously published book, yes, we might be interested then. But reprints--unless they come from an author with a solid fanbase--are a tough sell.

AFTER you've queried me, if we're interested in it, I will email you back with the okay to submit. But if you submit something previously published without following this process, it will not be reviewed. Also remember that our slush readers have been instructed to google any book they're evaluating, so we'll know if it's been previously published.

Note that not everyone is like us; there may be other publishers that don't care, or people who tell you that it's totally okay to post your work online freely and still get it published commercially. I would definitely caution against doing so without a lot of thought and research ahead of time, though.

Now go be good little bunnies and write me something new and brilliant, okay?

Thick Skin

2009-09-09T11:50:00.000-04:00

Something one of my acquisition editors once said to me was, "I feel bad sometimes when we get a manuscript that's not quite there yet and I have to reject it. The writer shows potential and I wonder if this rejection letter is going to make them give up completely when they really shouldn't."

Yes, folks, slush readers *do* have feelings. Well, most of them.

I don't.

Because here is what I think: if one form letter rejection letter is going to crush your dreams, you shouldn't be in this business. If a hundred rejection letters deter you, you shouldn't be in this business. I don't care how good a writer you are--if you don't have a thick skin, you shouldn't pursue publication.

Once you get that acceptance letter, do you think everything is going to be golden? That you'll skip through the tulips singing tralala and everyone will be singing your praises?

Um, no. When you enter the publishing industry, you need to check these delusions at the door because that's not how it happens.

Form letter rejections sting, yes, because they're a *rejection*. But they're not a personal attack on you, the writer. They're not even an attack on your work. Most of the time, you won't know why an editor decided to pass, which I grant you is frustrating.

But once a book is published? Get ready, because that's when it can and *does* often get personal.

You need a thick skin because of reviewers. Most don't mince words. Though there are some around who just stroke a writer's ego, the really good ones readers listen to will have no qualms about pointing out the many reasons why they disliked your book.

AND you can't talk back. At all. Even if you read the review and suspect the reviewer didn't even *read* your book because they got a character's name wrong. Even if you suspect they're just stupid and missed the point of your brilliance. If you, the author, talk back, you'll have the reputation of an ungrateful diva. Sending fans to harass said reviewer means people will be hesitant to review future work by you. You'll become a cautionary tale like Alice Hoffman.

Hearing bad things about your work HURTS. Even if you're a narcissist like me and think, "Wow, this person clearly doesn't have good taste" when you read a bad review--it's still painful.

Think you can take reviewers, though? Wait 'til you start hearing from readers.

There is no greater sense of entitlement than with readers sometimes. You expect your readership to develop into fans. You expect fans to, well, behave like people who enjoy your work. But if a storyline doesn't go the way they want it to? If you kill a character they love? If you decide to work on a different series than the one they've been enjoying? If they don't feel your latest book is up to par?

Your "fans" can, and often do, tear you apart. And, again, you *can't* go insane and yell at them. Anyone remember the Anne Rice meltdown on Amazon a few years ago where she responded to a bunch of negative reviews? Another cautionary tale.

Fan mail also seems like a wonderful thing, but I've received my fair share of ones that, while complimenting some of my work, insult some of my other work. "Well, I kind of liked this, but this book really was lame," is like a slap in the face. Even if intellectually you disagree, emotionally it can be crushing to hear something negative from someone who claims to enjoy your work.

Kids, all of this really does hurt. It sucks to hear these things. We writers are a flighty bunch--hearing these things on the wrong day can be devastating to our productivity.

But once you're published, your book isn't your baby anymore. It's not your art. It's a product and there are consumers of those products. And since consumers are the ones shelling out the money for the product, if they are not completely satisfied, you *will* know about it. Whether their criticisms are valid or not, hearing them sucks.

And you're a product too. As an author, you're being packaged and sold to people to help sell your book. Your not a person anymore--people will say things to you about your work that they wouldn't dream of saying to anyone they know.

That is the reality of publishing.

When people tell you that you need a thick skin, it's not because of the rejection letters. It's because of everything after acceptance. So when that next rejection letter comes and you're devastated, really question whether you're going to be able to take criticism on a fairly regular basis. Because the more you're published, and the more well known you become, the more horrible things you're likely to hear. You have to either toughen up or keep your writing as a hobby, because sensitivity doesn't last around here.

An Open Letter to New Authors in Slush

2009-09-08T14:49:00.000-04:00

We're finishing up the last batch of slush from our previous open period and diving into the new stuff. And I have to say something. Now, I don't want to go off on a rant here...

...so I won't.

Mad, mad props to those who have submitted over the past week.

Seriously, folks, I'm very impressed. Over ninety percent have followed the guidelines completely. I've only had to bump back a couple of books in genres we're not currently looking for. Most have even come in with really solid cover letters AND have all the correct meta-data at the top so we can log submissions easily.

This tells me that people don't give writers nearly enough credit. Over and over I've heard people say, "Why bother telling people how to do things right? Why bother ranting and wasting time talking about these things? The ones who need the help won't listen anyways and the ones who will do it right will do it right from the start."

Well, the answer is because a) people aren't going to know how to do things if the information isn't available to them, and b) there shouldn't be a secret handshake to be published. I am very open here about our process and my expectations because I think writers deserve to be armed with as much information as possible. I'm not going to set invisible hoops for people to jump through and then not give them any hints as to where the hoops are.

Now, I have no idea if any of the manuscripts that have come in are any good, but thus far, you have all given me a great first impression and I look forward to hearing back from my editorial board. All of you have passed the first hurdle--from here on out, it's going to be based on editorial preference, saleability of the novel, and quality of the writing.

The hard work from submitting writers has not gone unnoticed, and so I'm going to try to make a change myself: if possible (meaning time permitting), I'm going to try to hand out some custom rejection letters this time around. I sincerely hope I'm not going to get slapped in the face for it, but these recent batch of submissions suggest to me that I'm dealing with professional authors who aren't going to harass me afterward. Let's hope this gamble will pay off.

Kudos, boys and girls. Give yourselves a big pat on the back because you deserve it.

Sincerely,

Skyla Dawn Cameron
Occasionally Nice Acquisitions Editor

New Releases

2009-09-03T13:01:00.000-04:00

Dispel the Mist by Marilyn Meredith

A Tulare County Supervisor, with both Native American and Mexican roots, dies under suspicious circumstances. Because of Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s own ties to the Bear Creek Indian Reservation, she’s asked to help with the investigation.

To complicate matters, besides the supervisor’s husband, several others had reason to want the woman dead.

Tempe has unsettling dreams, dreams that may predict the future and bring back memories of her grandmother’s stories about the legend of the Hairy Man. Once again, Tempe’s life is threatened and this time, she fears no one will come to her rescue in time.

Get your copy in print or ebook here.

Legacy of the Silver Scorpion by H.G. Martin

On a soggy November night in 1940, New York City’s protector and top gangbuster, a trench coated, masked vigilante known as the Silver Scorpion, is about to be murdered by a turncoat cop. Suddenly a pretty blonde appears in an expanding ball of light and shoots him point blank with what looks like a shiny metal bazooka. The Scorpion disappears.

One hundred and forty years later, a clandestine organization known as the Lazarus Project prepares to risk incarceration, ruin, and death in order to reverse the effects of almost a century and a half of decadence and corruption. America’s once great city is now its biggest cesspool.

It’s a daunting task. The good people of the city have all given up or moved out. The evil rule ruthlessly. The city needs a hero. The city needs hope. It needs the Silver Scorpion. It’s about to get him, ready or not.

Buy the ebook here.

Wolfe by Skyla Dawn Cameron

River, former alpha female of a wolf pack, has been human for nearly four years and is at last comfortable with her life. She has a new pack—consisting of humans, a couple of fellow werewolves, and a weredeer—and a mate she loves more than anything. She's dealt with a year of high school, made more than her fair share of enemies, and has at last accepted that she'll never again turn back into a wolf.

Her world and newfound peace is shattered, however, when a woman shows up claiming River is her long-lost niece. With no proof to the contrary—as no one believed her werewolf story anyway—River is forced to go with the stranger, far from her family.

Once again ripped from the life she knows and those she loves, River struggles not only with the separation from her pack, but with the questions that arise. How will she get home? Who is responsible for this case of mistaken identity? And, most importantly, what could they possibly gain from it all?

Buy your print and book copies here. Estimated shipping date for limited edition hardcovers will be October.

We're Open for Submissions

2009-09-02T14:06:00.000-04:00

While we finish up the last of the slush from our previous open period, we've opened for the next sixty days to new submissions. Please view our guidelines here.

Note: there are some significant changes from previous guidelines.

Each time we open, we're inundated with science fiction and fantasy, most of which is terrible and cliche-ridden (which is a rant for another day). And, honestly, our catalogue is full with those genres for the next two years with the work by our in house authors.

What we really want is to expand our urban fantasy, paranormal (and with romantic elements), and horror areas (and we'll look at steampunk too). So that's all we're looking for in slush--if you send something in another genre, it will be rejected.

Also note our new policy on previously published work: you must query first and have proof that all publishing rights have been returned to you.

The reasoning for this is twofold. 1. A good half of all submissions that come in are previously published books, often with vanity publishers. And, at the risk of everyone getting angry with me, ninety percent of these vanity published books are just plain bad and waste our time. 2. We've been in the process of seriously considering books only to find out they were previously published and still look to be available for purchase various places. This is also a waste of time: we can't publish something if the publishing rights are tied up elsewhere.

I understand this is a problem for some authors with small e-publishing houses. Often a book is contracted, the publisher disappears and goes out of business, and the book is orphaned. And I'm sorry about that--truly, it must suck--BUT...publishing rights are a funny thing. We can't consider something unless we're given proof that the rights are available to contract. And a publisher being out of business isn't good enough for me--if you can't give me proof, you have to wait out the length specified in your contract before sending it to me. There's a lesson here, kids: be very careful what contract you sign, and be sure to know how and under what circumstances publishing rights revert back to you.

Also, I've been told by a submitting author--whom I repeatedly asked to go back and follow the submission guidelines--that we sure seem "fussy" about submissions. Yes, we are. We're only interested in working with professionals, not casual hobbyists who can't be bothered to customize their submission packages. Our guidelines are there because we receive a lot of submissions and our time is limited. We ask for things submitted a certain way to save everyone time so that we can process things as quickly as possible.

And I include slush authors in the "everyone" above. Writers' time is valuable as well. I don't like having submissions under review for months and months, but sifting through hundreds of manuscripts all submitted different ways consumes my time and that of my editors. If we have to hunt through a dozen paragraphs just to find the word count and genre, we're wasting time that could be spent actually evaluating the manuscripts in my slush pile. Not following the guidelines shows a lack of respect for not only me, but all of the other writers submitting as well...and this is why I'm being extremely firm this time around. If you don't follow them, I'll send you one polite email requesting that you review our guidelines. Anything after that will be deleted without being read.

Good luck to those submitting!

Stop Being Impatient

2009-08-16T10:01:00.000-04:00

I'm working on a blog post about effective author websites (because I'm really sick of shitty ones), but I want to put that on hold to talk about something.

Writers, listen up: SLOW DOWN.

Awe-Struck has been open for submissions for a month and a half now. Mundania is opening again in two weeks. And here's the thing: every single time, we get incomplete manuscripts. There'll be a note from the author saying that they're still working on the book, but here are a few chapters.

Um...what is so difficult to understand in the guidelines where we say we need the "full manuscript"?

Furthermore, who in their right mind thinks that their first few chapters are perfectly acceptable when they haven't finished the book yet? Novels require *multiple* drafts. How can writers possibly have missed this lesson? Look, I write pretty damn clean the first time around...and I *still* do a second and third draft.

I get that people are impatient and that we're not always open for submissions. So when Mundania opens again, a slew of writers will rush and submit even though their work isn't ready.

That, however, is a huge mistake.

You get ONE chance to send in your book. ONE. Unless I ask you for a rewrite/resubmit (which 99% of the time, I don't), that's it. Do you *really* think your unedited, early draft or incomplete book is going to stand up against polished work by multi-published authors who submit to us?

Yes, it's true--if your book isn't done in time for submission in September/October, you'll have to wait until March/April 2010 to send something to Mundania.

And...SURPRISE...that's totally okay. You shouldn't be sending out a book that isn't ready for prime time yet. And, you know, a good half of the slush reader critiques that I get back specifically say something to that effect. "This book isn't quite there yet." Really, that's half of the books that end up with slush readers after my initial rejection--hundreds and hundreds of them. The readers give these books a score of about 6/10 when just a bit of rewriting and professional polishing could have bumped them up to a 8-9/10, which would qualify the book for a full read.

But those books never get that chance because the author sent it in before it was ready.

So how do you know if your book is ready? Here is the part of the checklist from the new Mundania guidelines:

Is this the first draft of your novel? If so, don’t send it to us. You have one chance to make a good first impression. No one writes a perfect first draft—wait before sending, and make sure it’s as good as it can be. Rewrite and edit a few times.
Is this your first novel? Everyone gets excited about his or her first novel. Most of the time, it’s not going to be an author’s best effort, however. Consider putting the first one aside for awhile, write some more, then come back to it later.
Has someone other than you read your novel? If you’re a first time writer, it’s very important that you get feedback from other people experienced with writing who can be objective about your work. This doesn’t include your mom, teacher, or best friend. Look for workshops, contests that give feedback, and critique groups.
Have you checked your book for things like head hopping (or rapid point-of-view shifts) and other problems? We’re looking for manuscripts with believable characters, interesting premises, crisp dialogue, and fast paced action. Technical skill is critical. Please also be sure to spell check your work and use proper grammar. We immediately reject work with excessive errors in the first few pages. Although we have a team of skilled editors on staff, their job is to help polish books, not correct mistakes the author should have fixed in the first place.

From the last batch of slush (Mar/Apr), I have contracted two novels. I still have half a dozen to go through, but thus far that's two out of hundreds. Before you click "send" with your submission, really consider if you want to be one of those people or not. Is your work polished enough?

If your book isn't ready to go in two weeks...just wait. We'll open again, I promise. And if you're still not ready when we do, wait until the next period. There's nothing wrong with taking your time and doing things right--you'll stand a far better chance in slush if you do.

Also, if you're so impatient that you want to submit a manuscript that isn't complete, publishing with us may not be a great idea; I book the schedule eighteen months in advance.

Submission Guidelines Posted

2009-08-06T11:08:00.001-04:00

We are NOT currently open for submissions, however our guidelines are now available here: http://www.mundania.com/submissions.php

Do NOT send anything prior to September 1st. For reals.

Please note that some of our guidelines and policies have changed. Don't rely on old guidelines.

I'm going through the last of slush this week and sending out the final decisions. Keep an eye on the box on the right--when I say I'm through everything and you haven't heard back from me, first check your submission. Did you a) include a FULL manuscript, b) include a manuscript in a format we accept, c) include a synopsis? Because if you missed one of those major things, I didn't issue a rejection letter because it was a waste of my time in the first place. If you followed all those things and haven't heard back from me, THEN please inquire.

Sample Cover Letter

2009-07-13T14:17:00.003-04:00

It's been my experience that there's some confusion over what constitutes a cover letter. Here's a sample for you of what I expect to see accompany a submission *to me* (which is why I mention the book blurb and synopsis in the email--other people may not ask for that). Comments in parenthesis explain what purpose these things serve.

REAL NAME writing as PEN NAME (if applicable)
Manuscript Title
Genre
Word Count
(See, all that info above is what we use to log submissions into our database. It assists our slush readers.)

123 Address St.
City, State/Province/Etc, Zip/Postal Code
Phone Number
Email Address
(This is so we can get in touch with you. And so we know you exist somewhere. PLEASE pick an email address you're going to have for the next several months at least.)

Dear Ms. Cameron/Skyla/Submissions Department/Whatever,
(Salutations are good and respectful. Using my name means you did your homework, but it's not a dealbreaker if you don't. "Dear sir," however, grates on me.)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be transported to a new world? In My Manuscript Title, a stressed and hapless acquisitions editor does just that when she opens a fantasy novel in slush one day. (This is a hook, but a really bad one. Don't use this one. I don't want a book about a poor editor sucked into another world, unless the world involves hot shirtless men bringing her cocktails, and even then, it's probably best to keep this story in my dreams.)

I've read that you're actively looking for paranormal romances, and I feel My Manuscript Title would fit with your catalogue needs. (Want to know the secret of standing out and making a good impression? Paying attention to what the publisher needs/wants. Their job isn't to publish your book--it's to publish books that readers want to read. Showing that you've done your research is good.) I have a short story in an anthology, and two novels published with legitimate publishers who aren't Lulu/PA/iUniverse/my blog/Poetry.com, and I won the following awards. (If you have publishing credits that are legit, please mention them. If you don't, just don't say anything.) My author website is at www.easywebsiteurl.com, where I include excerpts of my work, have an active blog, and advertise conventions and signings that I attend. (This briefly tells me you're interested in promoting your work, which is good. I don't need a ten page marketing plan.)

Below, you'll find my book blurb and full synopsis. The manuscript is attached.

Thank you very much for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Amazing Author Who Is Following the Guidelines.
(Signing off nicely is a good thing.)

Blurb: Here is where you insert your book blurb, or jacket copy. This is a couple of short paragraphs designed to give the premise of the book and entice potential readers. We usually tweak and rewrite the jacket copy leading up to publication, however please include something here anyways. You want the acquisitions team to keep reading to the end of your cover letter and then open the manuscript attachment. Entice us with a solid blurb.

Synopsis: This is a one to two page summary of your novel, written in present tense. You need to hit the major character and plot arcs, as well as include the complete ending of the novel (leaving the ending out will NOT encourage us to read the whole novel--it'll encourage us to reject it). I recommend only naming 2 -3 (max 4) characters, since many names can get confusing to those of us reading it.

Both the blurb and synopsis MUST be in the body of the email. If you already have the synopsis typed up in a separate file...just copy and paste it into the email.

There should be only ONE attachment: the full manuscript. In RTF.

That's it.

The important thing to remember is that, usually, less is more. We don't have time to read a long cover letter. I don't care about your life story--we don't do memoirs, so it doesn't matter. If you have a LOT of pub credits, just give us the highlights.

DON'T tell me it's your first novel. That's borderline auto-reject for me. In fact, I advise most writers to write two or three before they consider submitting anything. Very, very few knock it out of the park on the first try. You'll just bias me if you say "It's my first novel!" DON'T tell me all about your abusive childhood, pet cat, and the fact that you're seventy-two and just decided to start writing. It's not really relevant. We want to work with professional people, not hobbyists who don't take this seriously. DON'T lie about the book's publishing history. True, we're unlikely to take a reprint unless it's by an existing author, but we do know how to google. Be upfront. If it's been previously published, tell us when, by whom, and have proof ready that the *publishing* rights have been returned to you.

Since Mundania isn't currently open, you can check out our romance imprint and use this template there: http://www.awe-struck.net/submissions.html

For Artists: A Brief Look at Title Fonts

2009-06-24T09:33:00.000-04:00

Let’s talk covers and fonts. One of the most important parts of your cover is your font choice. I’m a bit of a fontaholic so this part is rather fun for me. You are going to want to choose a font that conveys the mood and general theme of your cover. There are plenty of good theme fonts out there, Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy. The one thing you need to keep in mind is readability. Having a cool font is great but it won’t do you any good if the person who picks up the book can’t tell the difference between a “d”, a “p”, and an “r”.

I now apologize in advance to the PaintShop Pro users out there. Photoshop is the industry standard and my program of choice and, while I know the same types of options described below exist in PSP, I don’t know enough about the program to tell you how to use them.

Aside from readability, there are no hard and fast rules for font choices. You can combine a number of different styles with very good results. There are a lot of great free font sites out there but the best I’ve found so far is www.dafonts.com com.

The font choices you make for your title will convey the entire mood and theme of the book at a glance so it's important to choose wisely. Font can make the difference between telling potential readers whether the book is a horror,

or a romance,

or science fiction.

Remember, the cover is the first thing people see and they really do judge a book by it's cover. It’s the artist’s job to sell the book at a glance and a well chosen font or combination of fonts goes a long way towards doing that.

Now you have your font choice made and you add in your title. Uh oh. The artwork is full of contrast and there are spots where the font just doesn’t show up. Something you have to remember is that you are creating text over a surface where the hue, tone and lightness shift and change. This means that what is quite readable at the beginning of your word might not be at the end.

OK, perhaps the above image is a little extreme. However, the perfect font won't do you any good if no one can read it. So how do we fix it? There's a lot of simple ways to fix readability. Photoshop has a number of layer styles available that will usually do the trick quite nicely. (Just double click your text layer in the layers pallet to get the dialog in the next screenshot.)

For the above image a simple outer glow layer style will work well. To make light text readable on light backgrounds, choose a dark color for your outer glow and set the blend mode to multiply.

To make dark text readable on dark backgrounds, choose a light color for your outer glow and set the blend mode to screen.

Play with all the layer styles, see what they do, see what different combinations do. Play with the different settings within layer styles to see the different effects you can achieve. Layer styles are easy to get rid of if you don't like them (Right click the layer and select clear layer style). I'll show you some of the different styles and style combinations I use on covers to make titles more readable.

Inner glow works much the same way as outer glow except the glow comes from inside the text instead of from around it. Inner glow works best on thick, blocky ragged fonts.

Drop shadow will also allow your text to stand out from the background. This one works especially well if the main colors of your cover or font are rather neutral and there is no good contrasting color.

I've found that combinations of layer styles can be used to good effect as well. In this next one I've duplicated the font layer and applied an outer glow to the bottom layer and drop shadow to the top one.

And the last example is Stroke which tends to work well if you want your font to be the same color (or close to it) as your background. As you can see from the small sample on Stroke, sometimes the width of the stroke will need to be wider for smaller text.

Remember to keep your font choices readable but make them fun and interesting while conveying the mood and theme of the cover. Practice makes perfect!

Authors, How To Get The Most From Your Cover Artist

2009-06-17T22:16:00.000-04:00

It’s no big secret that as an author for a small press publisher, you get far more leeway regarding what goes on your cover that you would at a giant publishing house. That said however….

A good cover artist likes to tell stories. We tell them visually, with images. A good cover tells a story at a glance. Or enough of one to make a reader pick up a book and ask, “What’s going on here?” and then care enough to buy the book and find out. A good cover is compelling, dynamic, poignant, heart wrenching. It’s what separates your book from the thousands of other books next to it on the shelves. Let’s face it; unless you are Stephen King or Mary Higgins Clark, your cover is what will sell your book so it better be a good one.

So how do you, the author, help to make sure your cover is the best it could possibly be? Well let’s go over some basics.

Wiggle room
Give the artist breathing room; don’t be too set on your vision. If your guidelines and descriptions are too strict you’re going to squash their creative drive and you might just lose out on a truly great cover you never even thought of. The creative process works best when there’s a good 50/50 split between author and artist. It’s always a bad idea to create your own cover to “give them inspiration”. You’re the author, your words should be their inspiration.

Communication
Chances are if the publisher wants your input you will be given some form of questionnaire to fill out to provide information. Take your time. This is going to be your primary communication with your cover artist. If you rush, leave things out or don’t put the necessary effort into it it will most likely result in miscommunication and you will be unhappy with your cover. We aren’t mind readers. If you don’t mention the length or color of your heroine’s hair do not be surprised if the hair we choose doesn’t match your vision.

Characteristics
This goes along with number two. When we ask you for your character’s characteristics we want physical attributes. Her hair, her eyes, the type of clothing she wears, height, weight. Her mental state, moral standards and psychological state, unless they have some bearing on her outward appearance, don’t really help us much.

Details
Please feel free to be as detailed as you’d like, however, kindly remember that these are books, not Italian wall frescoes. Sure it’d be great if you could fit the entire civil war battle scene of Gone With the Wind on your cover…but do you really want to? The smaller you get the less detail will be seen so it’s best to decide what the important elements of your cover are before asking us to depict your heroine in the middle of Times Square at rush hour on a Friday afternoon, and oh by the way her blue eyes are VERY important. Rule of thumb would be that three people is the upward limit of what can sensibly fit on a cover.
Take a look around at other books as well. There are a lot of beautiful covers coming out today that don’t depict people on them at all. The Twilight series, for example, has covers are very striking and memorable and quite simple. It’s not always necessary to recreate entire scenes for your cover.

Lack of focus
It’s ok to be vague. Give your artist several pieces of imagery you’d like to see on the cover and we can work with that. Don’t give us an idea and then when you see it decide you’d like something different. None of us are in this to get rich but we do have to keep our work versus time cost effective. Redoing your cover four times because you keep changing your mind is NOT cost effective and it will not endear you to us.

Trust your cover artist
Or at the very least your Art Director. We are the experts. If we come back and tell you that an idea won’t work for a cover, has no hook, isn’t dynamic enough, it’s not because we want to run roughshod over your vision. It’s because your cover won’t work. If you persist in clinging stubbornly to your vision even after you’ve been told repeatedly that it won’t help sell your book, don’t be surprised when the Art Director tells you that she has the final say and runs roughshod over your vision anyway and the cover artist refuses to work with you again. It’s really much easier to be open to ideas and work WITH your artist than it is to force them into something they are unhappy with.

Remember, we want the books with our covers to sell just as much as you do.

Promotion and Branding

2009-06-10T20:31:00.000-04:00

Please head on over to read this fabulous article by Jason Sizemore at Apex entitled Marketing Expectations and the Small Press. Really. Go read. I'll be here when you get back.

Done? Okay.

So, of course my first instinct upon reading it was to inform Jason via a Tweet that I wanted to marry him and have his ass-kicking babies. And, for the record, I'd like to point out that they truly WOULD be the most bad ass babies ever. They'd likely form a small press publishing empire that would eventually topple because any child of mine would never be able to play well with others.

Moving on...

My second instinct was "OMG, YES!"

I won't however, ask an author for a marketing plan. Honestly, I didn't have one when I started. I knew I'd promote like hell, but I didn't major in marketing (or anything, for that matter). I was twenty-one. I wasn't a sales person--I'd worked one retail job, and I did the midnight shift so that I wouldn't have to interact with people (the truth, though, is that I still did--they were just creepier people...remind me to tell you about the guy who came in at 11:30 PM to buy a case of Pepsi, chocolate cake, porn, and utility knives...all at once).

A lot of the marketing plans I see from authors...usually involve what amounts to spamming.

This is not cool, my friends.

That's not effective promotion. That annoys people. Handing out a bookmark to people on the street isn't going to help. Decals on your car...I'm sorry, but what? I've never bought a book because I saw it on someone's car. Joining forums with the express purpose of flogging your book doesn't work. That guy on Twitter who sent the same message about his self-pubbed to everyone who had anything to do with publishing was wasting everyone's time.

Dear authors: with fiction, promoting a book is less about selling the book itself and more about selling yourself.

The author brand is most important. This is why readers will follow an author, often, regardless of the genre they write in. I'm kicking myself for not bookmarking the site, but there was a study in the past couple of years that found most people made their book purchases based on a familiarity with the author's previous work.

Spamming potential consumers with book advertisements only serves to create the brand that the author is a spammer.

So how do you create a brand? Well, who are you?

Let's use me as an example, because we all know how much I like myself.

I'm opinionated (about, well, everything), I'm a total bitca, I'm a Buffy nut which is why I just used "bitca" rather than the real word, I'm brutally honest, I swear a lot, and I try to make people laugh. Now...this may be shocking, BUT...a lot of the characters in my books are opinionated bitcas who know no tact, swear, snark, and make Buffy references.

The "Skyla Dawn Cameron Brand" is a bit of an exaggeration of what I'm really like. Not everyone who likes me will like my books, and not everyone who likes my books will like me. However, there is a LOT of crossover there. People know that when they pick up one of my books, they're going to get a little of me in there.

When I blog, I brand myself. When I tweet, I brand myself. When I get up and talk in front of a crowd--even for five minutes--I brand myself. And eventually, I'm no longer just some desperate author waving around my book--I'm a familiar brand and people feel like they know me.

So how do you go about creating your brand? Let's look at a couple of channels for promotion online.

Think about what draws YOU to someone's blog. Do you go to hear them babble on in a dull way about something mundane in their lives? Probably not unless they're already a friend (and even then, um...). Do you visit to hear them talk about their book, which you've never heard of, being available? Again, no.

A blogging author can talk about these things, but when you're trying to appeal to more people than your immediate circle, you need to GIVE readers something. Give them information. Give them a laugh. Establish yourself as someone who's, you know, INTERESTING. Let your personality (be it the real you, if you're not boring, or your brand character, if you ARE boring) and voice bring perspective to whatever you're talking about. (Also, avoid whining. Rant instead. Wouldn't you rather listen to Lewis Black ramble insanely than listen to a five year old whine that she dropped her Popsicle?) I talk about publishing, my writing, my to do lists, social and political issues, and other stuff. I do it while swearing and snarking. See? Giving readers something + branding = win for Skyla.

Look at your website. What brand are you establishing? Is it professional? Easy to navigate? Nice to look at? Do you own your own domain name? How does it look on different browsers? I'm shocked (horrified) at the number of horrible author websites out there. Look, if you don't know what you're doing, break down and hire a professional. Or date one, like I do. Your site is crucial to your author brand. Do you write horror? Have a creepy looking website. Romance? Hearts and flowers might be kinda cheesy, but a header with a couple embracing and a flowery font for your name would make sense.

Now, forumming. When you join a message board, you're joining a community. You can't pop in and say, "Hey, buy my book!" and think that everyone is going to buy your book. They'll politely say "congrats", perhaps with a smiley face of some sort, and then ignore you. They might even say, "I look forward to reading it." They probably won't.

You can't just walk into a community of people and try to sell them something. They don't know you. Odds are, they won't want to after you've spammed them. You need to PARTICIPATE. Get to know people. Strike up friendships. Now, not all friends will buy your books because some friends suck. But they're more likely to than if you spam post once and run.

All of this applies to real life as well. Don't be the person who gets up and says, "I wrote a book! It's $10." and then sits down again.

So. Branding. It's not actually that complicated. It's all about making people find you interesting. Then they'll buy your book. Don't send me your marketing plan when you send your book. I'd much rather visit your website and blog. If you can sell me there on your brand, I know you'll sell yourself to others.

Honestly, I don't think you can teach the average writer this. They either have it, or they don't. If you don't have it, don't query me. Or Jason Sizemore, apparently.

New Releases

2009-06-06T20:02:00.000-04:00

Heart of the Bear - Lori K. Johnson

Danger returns to the Bearwalker clan…

Peace has been restored to the clan, or so Guardian Marin believes until the day a mysterious stranger appears among them.

Lucien is unlike any Bearwalker they've known: he's big, bad and hellbent on conquering the clan. Realizing he's in for the fight of his life, Marin must enlist the help of the clan's human Protector to win back his kin and save them from the horror Lucien brings.

Determined to prove her worth as Protector, Lindy agrees to help Marin free the clan from Lucien's grasp. But she soon discovers that danger involves not only the clan, but her own human family, and may destroy her fragile relationship with Marin.

With Lindy by his side, Marin is forced to battle his own demons and face a devastating family secret that could destroy everything--and everyone--he loves.

Beyond Those Distant Stars - John B. Rosenman

Alien invaders have all but destroyed humanity. Stella McMasters, a retired naval officer, yearns to get in the war but knows she’ll never get a chance. Then amazing things start to happen.

After saving a comrade's life during a meltdown that almost kills her, physicians remove her radioactive flesh and turn her into a superhuman cyborg. She is then given command of her first ship and, against her better judgment, falls in love with its charismatic pilot.

On their way to join the Empire’s last line of defense, Stella runs right into an enemy vessel. For the first time ever, the mysterious invaders invite humans aboard. Should Stella accept, or run? Can she avoid a crushing defeat and save humanity in the process?

Let's Dance!

2009-05-31T10:19:00.000-04:00

Submissions is like dating.

Really, guys, stay with me here.

Submitting a book to a publisher is like asking someone to the prom. Your success is dependent on a number of factors. Only a few of which you have real control over.

Would you walk into a room and ask out every person in there in the hopes of getting one to say yes? Um, you could, but that's not very effective. Everyone would see what you're doing.

This is why I advise people to customize their query letters, and not CC the submission to each and every publisher on their list at the same time. Yeah, sure, I know you're going to ask all those other people to the prom. But I'd sure like to feel like you at least know my name.

So now you're staring at this room of really pretty people. Okay, they're not all pretty. Some are ugly, but they'll be your back up choice. Do you just randomly ask them all out? Or do you wait and listen? Most are looking for a very particular kind of date, and if you spend some time around them, you'll learn what they want.

If you browse any publisher's catalogue, you'll learn what they're interested in. If you're submitting to Mundania and you pay any attention at the things I say here, you'll figure out pretty quickly what it is I like in a book, and what I don't. There's no big mystery. I had an entire blog post on what made us choose to accept some books.

Now you've settled on a few possibilities for this prom date. You're both into the same things. You're exactly what they're looking for in a date, and they're totally hot. Now is when you run over and beg them to date you! Apologize for the fact that you live in a basement and have never dated before in your life, and don't bother combing your hair or anything.

Um, or you could clean yourself up and approach them respectfully.

First impressions count. You need simple cover letter, not long and rambly, that contains all the information they need to know about your submission. You don't need your life story in there. This isn't a discussion of marriage--this is a DATE, so to speak.

If someone you ask out says no...well, just tell her she's an idiot! You don't need her anyway! Like you even wanted to date her in the first place--ha! You'll just go...date yourself. That's the NEW way dating works--people just date themselves. Plus, she's kinda funny looking. You should tell her that too, and point out that other guy over there who's way hotter and just tell her that he's already accepted you anyway.

Or you could beg and plead. That'll work. Ask your friends to call her at all hours of the night and tell her what a GREAT prom date you'll make! Maybe if she just knew you better.

And you could ask her a bunch of times why she won't date you. Is it your hair? Your clothes? Is she not into your gender? Is it your breath? Oh, she must tell you why! And if she doesn't, maybe she just doesn't mean it. Maybe you should just tell her that you're going to the prom together.

Um...alternatively, you can thank her for your time and move on.

Listen, kids: no means no, and yes means yes. I've dealt with all of the above as recently as this week. None of it is attractive to a potential publisher, save the last point.

It sucks major hairy goat ass to be rejected. I know. So you go cry to your friends, then go out and do it all over again.

You're going to write another book someday (I hope, and if you're serious). So you may decide to query this publisher again. The rejection was definitely not personal. Don't burn your bridges. If you yell at everyone who rejected your first book--which, just maybe, wasn't the best thing you're ever going to write--do you really think they're going to take an unbiased look at your second?

Bridges. They are of the good. Don't set them on fire, or you'll have nowhere to go and you'll be dancing by yourself at the prom.

When you're dealing with a publisher, treat him or her like someone you want to date. Be respectful. Don't come on too strong. Present the invitation to the prom, but remember there are a lot of other people asking and don't take it personally if she declines your invitation.

Here endeth the lesson.

The Submissions Process

2009-05-30T11:34:00.001-04:00

I'm a big believer in transparency, and I know there seems to be a lot of mystery around the whole submissions process...so I thought I'd lay our process out here, as it stands now.

1. Submissions open. For Mundania, our open months are March, April, September, and October. Submissions come to me and I log them in a spreadsheet.

2. Initial Review. In the future, I'll be doing this once a week, but this round we were so busy with other things that I didn't get to properly review any until after we had closed. What happens is I go through the manuscripts and decide if they'll go on to slush readers for evaluation, or be rejected outright. A form letter rejection goes out, explaining that we can't explain why we're rejecting. It basically boils down to "We don't think we can sell this" and there are any number of reasons why (no market, bad writing, etc). Here are some reasons for rejecting outright:

No synopsis, wrong manuscript format. In these instances, I glance at the first page of the MS. If the writing is good (and it had better be frakking amazing for not following the guidelines), I'll tell the author to please check out guidelines and send a synopsis/the right manuscript format. But, honestly, if someone can't be bothered to follow the guidelines, most of the time the writing isn't up to par either. Regardless, I always point out in the rejection letter that they didn't follow basic guidelines, and request that they do so in the future.
Wrong genre. One look at our catalogue will tell you what we do and do not take. Mundania doesn't take contemporary romance or historicals. We don't accept non-fiction. We won't be taking these. They get rejected.
Bad writing. Three quarters of the time, stuff is rejected outright because it's clearly not any good. The cover letter is peppered with spelling, grammar, and style errors. The first page of the manuscript is clearly awful. Even if there's a good story in there, it's not worth taking if it's in that bad of shape. Yes, I know writing is subjective--that's why, if it's technically good but I find the story dull, I pass it to the editorial board anyway.
The author. Yes, I reject some authors outright. Some have been threatening or rude to me in the past when they've had work rejected. Sometimes they've harassed other members of the staff. Sometimes I've heard warning from other editors. If a name sends off warning bells in my head (I have a very good memory), a quick search of gmail tells me where I've run into them before. In those instances, I don't care how good the book is.* Publishing a book means we enter into a business relationship with an author for several years. Professionalism and sanity are two qualities I'm looking for there.
Weird stuff in the cover letter. I don't like long rambly emails. I don't like to be told the book is the next Harry Potter (remember--I'm not an HP fan to begin with). I reject manuscripts when the cover letter is written in netspeak (im, bk, pls, etc).

3. Pass on to slush readers. After the initial cut (where I reject at least 50%), I start sending work to my acquisitions readers/editorial panel. Here are some reasons why I DON'T reject outright.

The genre fits our catalogue needs. I'm actively looking for paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and horror right now. Yes, we take sci-fi and fantasy, and we still consider those manuscripts, but we have many in our catalogue for 2010 and 2011, so that's not what I'm really seeking in slush.
The submission follows our guidelines. The cover letter is professional and simple, the jacket copy and synopsis are there and read well, and the manuscript is in the right format. Presentation is important--when I look at the submission, I should be able to clearly find all the info I need (title, word count, genre) right away.**
The writing seems solid. Now, this is a first glance, so I often miss stuff, but if I see the first page of the manuscript and at least the grammar and spelling is correct (and the writing is coherent), it goes on to the readers.
The author has respectable publication credits. Notice I didn't say this is a requirement. But if they have credits, I can have some confidence that the writing is probably fairly decent (although I've been wrong before).
The author is respectful and pleasant in his/her cover letter.

Each manuscript goes to three or four people (including me). We read the cover letter, blurb, synopsis, and the first ten to twenty pages of the manuscript. If this is all good, we check a few pages from the middle and end to ensure a) quality is maintained, and b) it's following the synopsis presented. We then fill in a critique form with a checklist for things like how engaging it is, if the point of view is correct, if the author shows writing skill, characters are believable, etc. We write a few specific comments, say whether we think it should go for a full read or not, and grade the book from 1 - 10. Not every book is everyone's cup of tea, and that's why it goes to multiple people. All critique forms come back to me. I log the reader recommendations into my original spreadsheet and decide what's going for a full read or not.

My readers and editors all have different genres as their specialties. For example, not all of my readers like horror, but if they say, "This is well written but it isn't my thing," and my horror editor says, "OMG, I love this book!" then that's a book that will be forwarded for a full read. Same with more romantic books, mysteries, science fiction, etc. Although a lot of this job is subjective, we try to be fair.

Something else they now check as part of their review is the book and author on google. Why? We've had books make it to the full read stage in the past, and then we found out that the author wasn't upfront about how available his/her first print rights are. If a book is available freely online for anyone to read, we can't publish it. If it's been previously published (commerically or, more often, subsidy) we need to know because publishing rights are a sticky thing. It's important to be upfront about these things in one's cover letter (or, um, you could just write a new book and submit that instead). Readers notify me if they find the work available elsewhere.

4. Decide to reject or give a full read. A book has to rate an 8, 9, or 10 by all of the readers, and then I review the comments. Sometimes I have to reject something that got all 9's because it's too similar to something else in our catalogue. Sometimes the book didn't turn out to be very good. Sometimes only one person ended up liking it. Sometimes one of the readers found out the book is available elsewhere. But I trim the list down again, and send out a lot more rejection letters.

We're still using form letter rejections at this point. Usually...again, if I'm being honest, we reject because either it's not good enough, or it was/is published elsewhere, which limits future sales potential. If the writing was good and engaging but we just weren't interested in the book, I try to make note of that. If we think the book needs some work before we can consider it further, I suggest a rewrite and resubmit.***

Most books fall into the "meh" category. They're not entirely bad, but they're not good enough. This is the most unfortunate thing to see. It's not our job to report feedback (want a critique? send it to a critique group), and no one wants to hear that their work isn't good enough, so that's why form letter rejections go out.

This is the end of the road for at least 95% of the books submitted.

5. Full reads. Depending on our workload, sometimes this is done by me, sometimes by other editors. The entire manuscript is read and a very detailed critique form is filled out that looks at all aspects of the book--characters, dialogue, plot, themes, as well as the mechanics of the writing (how skilled a writer is the author). Critique forms also include about half a page of notes detailing what the book was like and what our recommendations are in terms of publication.

6. Final decisions. I discuss the results of the full reads with the publisher and make my recommendations. We're usually only looking to take about 2 - 4 manuscripts out of the hundreds received. I base my comments, again, on our catalogue needs, quality of the writing, author's professionalism, and marketability of the book.

At this stage, I try to send out more custom rejection letters. I compliment some areas and explain what weaknesses we found in others. I do this by cleaning up the comments sent in the detailed critique form mentioned above. This isn't always a possibility, however--sometimes a book just turned out to not be very good, and since we're not in the business of hurting feelings for the sake of it, a form letter goes out.

I then contact the authors we'd like to contract.

The End.

That's it. That's the big mystery of what goes on behind the scenes. That's our process.

So the number one question I expect to come up is, "OMG, you don't read everything?"

No, boys and girls, we don't. We can't. I don't know a single publisher who does.

Several hundred submissions come in. The average word count is around 80 000 words--it usually varies 40 000 - 150 000, with some going even higher. Who, in their right mind, would pay someone to read all those books all the way through? And, honestly, if you worked in slush for a day, you'd understand that you don't need to read a whole book to know it's not for you.

This is why it's crucial that work is as polished and clean as possible. I've been there, in the place of an aspiring author. I've had the thought that, "well, if they just look past the bad synopsis and read the book, I'm sure they'll love it!" or "it's okay if I spelled a few things wrong--they'll love the story!"

The reality is that for every good story in slush that had a bad synopsis and spelling errors, there's a good story that's POLISHED already. The slush pile is huge. There's almost always another "you" in there. That's why you have to make your work as good as it can possibly be.

And to keep this incredibly comprehensive post helpful, here are some more links to further reading for those of you who like to pay attention. Note: anything linked to externally may contain coarse language.

*If I'm being perfectly honest, we've never passed on a really, really good book by a rude writer. A couple of decent ones, maybe, that would have made it to a round with the slush readers. But I've yet to be wowed.

**For a future blog entry, I'm going to make up a sample of a good cover letter so that those who pay attention will have a template they can follow.

***This is still fairly rare. I tend to get yelled at if I point out the areas I think the writer needs to work on, so I only say it if I feel compelled to because I like the story.

New Releases

2009-05-28T10:11:00.000-04:00

Shatter Scatter by Michelle L. Levigne

The long-awaited sequel to Wolves on the West Side.

Be careful what you wish for!

Aggie, Brody and Lara learn the hard way that tampering with magic and investigating without the guidance of their mysterious guardian, Anton Dorayn, leads to big problems. All they meant to do was test a few theories, but a supposedly harmless picnic in the park stirs up magic and opens a doorway into another world. Is it the home the three barely remember?

Grimm and Grimmer edited by Adrienne Jones and Pete S. Allen

Grimm and Grimmer is a collection of fairy tales told from a modern perspective.

Part of the attraction of the original Grimm Brothers' tales was that of their relevance to their audience, and the tales in this book capture the magic and horror of living in modern times.

Though the settings vary, the talented authors within the cover of this book speak to the mysterious, the unknown and the unknowable, which is not lost in these times.

The Dragons of Hazlett by Michelle Scott

In Amberweise's polite society, a proper young woman of pure Magician ancestry would never involve herself with something as unpleasant as solving a murder. She would faint at the sight of wheels, pulleys, hinges or other demonic machines. She would never deign to notice the wretched lives of the non-magical commons who serve her day and night, nor would she ever dare to question the traditions of her upbringing. And, most certainly, she would never even think of falling in love with a man whose combination of common heritage and magical abilities have made him a pariah.

Good thing Romana of Amberweise isn’t a proper young woman.

Radiation Angels: The Key to Damocles by James Daniel Ross

In this sequel to The Chimerium Gambit, Rook is hired by his old teammate Manuel Ortega to travel to planet Persephone and stem the endemic violence.

Follow this action packed space adventure as Rook pits his legendary tactical genius against a power hungry law enforcement agency director, a radical revolutionary, a heavily biased media, a terrified population, and a shadowy secret society. Can he unravel the secrets that seek to strangle this once vibrant planet? Can he pull the plug on the revolution that robs the people of their homes and jobs? In a society clearly near the breaking point can even the Captain of The Radiation Angels find a way to make a difference?

New Website...Is Here

2009-05-27T11:19:00.001-04:00

The links at the top are now functional, and you can visit the new Mundania Press website. Several pages are forthcoming and we still need to add all the book reviews, but pretty much everything is working, and it's so very, very pretty. ;-)

Moving Right Along...

2009-05-13T12:27:00.000-04:00

The blog has been updated to reflect the look of the new website, which we hope to launch within the next week (ideally, in a few days). The navigation links at the top aren't currently functional, but will be when the sit launches.

We have several new releases that I'll feature properly once the new site is up and running (as the links won't be working until then). For now, you can head to the old site to see them.

Finally, although I'm behind on sending out all the notices for the Sept/Oct slush (go ahead, yell at me*--all the other authors do), we did make our final decisions and welcomed a couple of new authors into the fold. I did a specific blog post on what made us decide on these books, and it might be worth a look for aspiring authors. Note the mix of concrete reasons, and subjective ones.

* I've blogged before about why editors take so long to decide on slush. The reality is, I'm overseeing a hell of a lot of stuff for two different publishing houses. Why not outsource all the slush decisions? Because if I'm going to see a book through the publication process, I need to really believe in it. THAT is why I still need a firm hand in acquisitions. So you may not like how slow I am, but you'll thank me if you're accepted because I care about you and your book.

Two Posts You May Want to Read

2009-05-06T11:59:00.000-04:00

There are a couple of recent posts on my personal blog that I didn't get around to cross-posting, here, but I thought I'd link to them anyway as they deal with acquisitions.

Some Rough Slush Statistics and More From Acquisitions: Previously Published Work once again look at my perspective of the slush pile and things that irritate editors.

#queryday

2009-04-17T09:52:00.000-04:00

I'm participating in #queryday for those on Twitter today. You'll find me at www.twitter.com/skyladawn

How to Inquire About a Submission

2009-04-06T08:58:00.001-04:00

So, of course, the week that I move and have little time to access the internet, I get fifty thousand inquiries (most of which were angry). The boss man's company computer is down as well, so we have some delays all around.

I decided to take some time away from the scary, mostly angry emails to do a quick lesson.

What's the best way to inquire about a submission sitting in slush?

Here are things you SHOULD NOT do:

Lecture me. I *know* it's really frickin' annoying that you haven't heard back yet. I know you'd very much like to tell me how much I suck and how awful I am for not giving you my undivided attention. However, if you're going to lecture me for several paragraphs, please consider it does nothing to warm me to your submission.
Send an inquiry to every staff member every two weeks. Basically, we don't have time for that. If you don't get the answer you want from me, it won't help to ask everyone else. Every time something regarding my department is sent to another staff member--including my boss--it gets bumped back to me, and I don't like it when someone tries to go over my head.
Get angry because it's been two days and you haven't heard from me yet. There are very, very few submissions I automatically know the status of. Most require me to go and look them up. I wish I had time to answer right away, but a lot of the time I have to take care of other things, and star the message for later.
Threaten me with whatever. Okay, don't get worried--no one has yet threatened my life. But, "I'll take it elsewhere if you don't reply by midnight tomorrow!" (or the ever popular, "I'll just resubmit if I don't hear back from you!") and "If you don't accept it, I'll never write again!" or whatever doesn't work with me. Want to take it elsewhere? Please do. Makes my job easier. Want to stop writing? That's your choice.

Here are some things you SHOULD do when inquiring:

Keep it brief. I don't need your life history, I don't need your marketing plan, and I don't need to know all your publication credits. I need your name, your submission title, the email address you submitted it from (if you used a different one), and the date you sent it. This information makes my job easier. I shouldn't have to search your email for it.
Send it to the right address. The right address for inquiries would be: inquiry@mundania.com. I'll likely be the one to answer you, but this address copies to all the relevant parties--it's helpful for our records.
Check your spam folder. I have repeatedly received angry emails from people whom I *have* issued a response several months ago. Sometimes, messages end up in spam.
Ensure you followed the guidelines in the first place. If I received something with no synopsis, blurb, or any info in the cover letter and the manuscript was attached in the wrong file format, chances are I didn't even issue a rejection because no one bothered reading it. (And yes, I routinely receive submissions that don't follow the guidelines in the slightest).

And now I'm diving back into email. Yay...

New Website...

2009-03-24T20:39:00.001-04:00

...is coming soon.

The new webmaster has been working on it for awhile. I'm hoping it'll be ready to launch in another month. It's absolutely gorgeous. It'll be up to date (with tons of book information, all my naggy guidelines for author submitting, and other stuff), and I'm incredibly excited about it.

For now, you get a glimpse of the top.

We'll be redoing the blog to match. Well...that's my plan. I haven't told the webmaster yet, but I sincerely hope he's okay with that. ;-)

Why Editors Don't Give Detailed Rejections

2009-03-23T11:49:00.000-04:00

Whenever I send out a batch of rejection letters, I inevitably get a "Why?" response back from at least one author.

I completely understand why. Authors put a lot into their work. They wait and wait and wait for a response. And then it comes...and it's a mere form letter.

We all (well, probably not all, but many of us) want to improve our writing. Feedback is wonderful. So why did this editor not tell you what's wrong with your book? It couldn't take more than a few minutes, right?

Here is the reality:

1. You're not the only author in slush. There are, literally, hundreds of novels being evaluated. I *don't* have time to give everyone a detailed rejection letter.

2. Rejection letters aren't sent immediately after a book has been rejected. For Mundania, readers turn in their slush decisions at different times.* I wait a week or so and send off ten to twenty letters at a time. This means that I don't immediately remember the reasons why the book was rejected, and I don't have the time to look it up for every letter.

3. Sometimes (a lot of the time?) a book really, truly is bad. If I told the author exactly what the editorial panel thought of the book...it would not go over well, and with good reason. I don't want to be cruel with anyone, therefore a form letter rejection is the kindest thing I often can give.

4. Feedback used to be given in the past (when the company was smaller), and nine times out of ten, authors sent back angry emails about how the editor was stupid and didn't know anything. That really discourage the practice.

It's *not* a vast conspiracy. I know a lot of people like to think this...the book is actually good, but the evil editors are trying to keep people down by being the gateway to publication. Um, no. But publishers act as a filter, and that's a good thing. If a book is rejected, it's not because we're trying to keep new authors out--often it's because either the book just isn't good, it doesn't fit with the catalogue, or it's good but just not good enough. But that's a whole other rant...

All this being said, I do, occasionally, send back a bit of feedback. Sometimes we want to see the book rewritten/tweaked a bit. Other times we just didn't feel the genre fits, but would love to see future works. If you get that kind of feedback from an editor (not necessarily me, but anyone), please try not to snark back. A personalized rejection letter is gold in this business. It's something to be really proud of.

Finally, if you ever, ever feel compelled to write back to an editor who rejected your work, *please* do nothing but thank them politely. Burning bridges = future queryfail, kids.

(I'm bringing this up because my readers are whittling through September/October slush right now and I'll be sending out the final letters *hopefully* by the end of this month. Everyone will be notified with either a rejection letter, or a full read notice.)

*If you're wondering why I don't send rejections immediately, it's basically because slush isn't my only responsibility, and therefore isn't my priority. Dealing with already contracted authors/books is. Another harsh reality I've mentioned before.

Check Your Address Book

2009-03-07T10:17:00.001-05:00

Dear Authors,

Whether a publisher accepts your novel or not, please take their email addresses out of your address book and off of your mailing list. See, I find it really, really obnoxious have my inbox cluttered up with the announcements you send your mom and friends about your new book.

Especially when it's a book that I rejected, and you've self-published.

Maybe you're forgetful, or maybe you're trying to not-so-subtly tell that "stupid" editor about your success(?). Don't know, don't care. You're spamming, and you're making yourself look really stupid.

Best Regards,

Skyla, the grumpy bitch

NEW RELEASE: The Last Guardian

2009-03-03T07:15:00.000-05:00

The Last Guardian - Stephen LaFevers

The Last Guardian is dead and the universe is about to end. Can Sunny Burroughs, a nitwit and a klutz, step in to save the day? Of course not—the lovable buffoon can’t walk across a room without falling on his face. But when he is sucked into the quest to rescue a worthless, half-naked princess, he becomes the last best hope for mankind! Even with his uncle helping him, it is anybody’s guess whether he’ll save the girl or actually hasten the end of everything.

In cliff-hanger near-misses and catastrophic attempts, Sunny fumbles his way from planet to planet hoping to save the princess without even knowing the universe is at risk. He is opposed by a diabolical foe he cannot possibly defeat. Along the way, Sunny faces the greatest foe of all, himself, and stands up to his fears and inadequacies. Will the universe be destroyed? Probably—if it is left up to Sunny to save it, but perhaps there is another way.

http://mundania.com/books-lastguardian.html

If you are looking for a highly entertaining read with plenty of hilariously off-kilter characters that bounce around through different worlds, then this is the best damn book you are gonna find on the subject. —Mike Purfield, b-independent.com

New Short Story Line!

2009-03-01T23:14:00.000-05:00

I am incredibly thrilled to announce the launch of the new short story line from Mundania Press.

Expiration Date - Steven Philip Jones

“Can the living haunt the dead?”

Vengeance and worse from beyond the grave when a jealous man tries to keep his wife’s soul with him forever.

http://mundania.com/books-expirationdate.html

Demonheart - Elaine Corvidae

Can a demon find freedom, and win the heart of a man she fears will see her only as a monster?

http://mundania.com/books-demonheart.html

Searching for Sin - L.B. Milano

She called herself Sin, and by all accounts lived up to the name. Some called her a witch, some called her a vampire, some claimed she was simply an urban legend.

http://mundania.com/books-searchingforsin.html

Tomorrow, I'll be back to talk about two new book releases. But be sure to check out these shorts--they're only $1 - $2 each. A great buy for some great stories!

ZOMG, Why Do Editors Take So Long?

2009-03-01T09:21:00.000-05:00

I realize how incredibly frustrating it can be to wait for an editor's reply on a manuscript sitting in slush. They say two months, suddenly it's been four. OMG, you inquire and don't hear back for a few days. The sky is falling.

I know this is hard to realize from a writer's perspective (I am one, remember), but...a publisher's primary job is to publish the books they already have contracted.

It's not to read and respond to slush. It's not to give your manuscript all their time and attention. This may sound harsh and bitchy, but it's the truth.

Slush *isn't* priority.

If there are delays, changes, etc. within a publishing house and with its existing authors/books, they are more important than what's sitting in slush. It is more important for an editor to ensure everything is going well with a contracted books than what's waiting in acquisitions. Why? Well, the publisher has already spent money on the contracted book. Editors and artists are being paid.

Think about it this way: if your book was contracted with me, would you rather wait a week to hear back from me and have your book delayed because I'm busy reading and rejecting slush? Probably not.

Which brings us to another point: the reality of slush is that we're going to reject most of it. Actually, personally I think we end up rejecting more like 99.5%. We open for submissions to start filling out a few gaps in our catalogue, and during our open periods, we only take four to six.

I know that you, the writer, have a business of your own. You've already spent time writing, editing, and perfecting your book. You want to sell it and start getting REAL money for it. I understand that, and I know it's frustrating as hell to wait for a response. We allow for simultaneous submissions, however, so you're always free to submit elsewhere...except please be respectful and send us a note if your work is accepted somewhere else. Remember, it costs US time and money to evaluate everything.

So what, you may ask, is so uber important that you haven't heard back yet about your unsolicited manuscript in slush?

Well, there's a new Senior Editor in town (moi), and she's been retooling the schedule. We're about to launch our line of short stories, and our new webmaster is diligently working on a brand new website. Our boss man is emceeing EPICon next week. We're integrating everything with our new romance and historical imprint with our existing system.

So have a little patience with everyone's favourite friendly neighbourhood acquisitions editor, drop us a line about your submission if you feel you need to, but remember we always issue a response to every manuscript received. And do try not to yell at me. I get enough of that from our existing authors. ;-)

How NOT to impress me (or most other Art Directors)....

2009-02-05T20:27:00.000-05:00

Cross posted from my Facebook account and has also been picked up by Jon Schindehette, the Sr Art Director for Dungeons & Dragons / Wizards of the Coast. http://artorder.blogspot.com/
***********************************************************************************
If you're going to send me your portfolio in the hopes of getting a job as cover artist DO NOT:

1. Rewrite your entire resume into 18 glowing paragraphs of your entire artistic history beginning with the first box of crayons you ate at the age of 3.

2. Misspell the name of the company you are applying to all four times you use it in your query letter. Do some research.

3. Tell me about your previous job as the receptionist at the dentists office and that you are currently employed as a clerk in the shipping department of your local grocery store. Does this somehow relate to your artistic talent? Unless you covered the wall of your office in a precise recreation of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel then I don't care and you are wasting my time.

6. Tell me you are an author who designs book covers. With all due respect to the wonderful authors scattered throughout my listing of friends, most authors, while they know what they want never really understand what a cover needs to be in order to sell the book AND be visually appealing. (I said "most" there are always exceptions to the rule!)

7. Send me a query letter translated from your native language to English by Babelfish.

8. Send me a one line query letter consisting of nothing but your name and a link to your portfolio. Even if your portfolio is the most visually stunning thing I've seen since the movie Hero you will wind up in my trash because you will come across as cocky and difficult to work with.

9. Attach all 91 of your last commission pieces as a zip file to your email. I won't ever get around to opening it.

10. Send your query letter and portfolio to every available email address listed on the contact form of the publisher's website. Most of these people have nothing to do with the art department.

Here's a couple "do"s

1. Do send me a link to an online portfolio. They make my life much simpler and are easier to show the other people who need to see it as well.

2. Do take the time to write a well thought out query letter giving me, in brief, your artistic background and experience as relates to the job you are inquiring about.

3. Do research the company you are inquiring about to see if the styles they use and the books they sell are a good match to your own style.

4. Do check for specific contact information for the Art Director or the Art Department. If there is none listed send your query to the submissions email or the Sr Editor's email adding a polite request to please forward it on to the appropriate person if need be.

5. Do have either an online PDF or electronic copy of your resume available upon request.

It's really not that hard folks...really it's not.

Acquisitions Wait Time

2009-01-17T15:23:00.000-05:00

My sincerest apologies to those who have manuscripts sitting with Mundania Press right now and haven't had a response. We've been getting through things as quickly as possible, however a staff member had a family emergency earlier this week. We're making final decisions on works that have gone for a full read.

If you submitted a manuscript during September/October, we're going through those now. Some authors have already been notified. Thank you for your patience.

Acquisitions Tips

2009-01-09T18:22:00.000-05:00

Every Friday, I'd like to have a member of the Mundania Press staff--editors, artists, etc--to speak a little about their job, or provide insight for readers and writers alike.

Since I've been overseeing the distribution of slush for the past while, I thought I'd pass on some tips from the Acquisitions Department:

Mundania Press receives 500 – 700 novels and short stories a month for consideration. Only a handful will receive an offer of publication. To help your manuscript stand a better chance at being accepted, please read the following tips.

What We Love:

Writers who follow the submission guidelines. Acquisitions readers deal with hundreds of manuscripts and must be able to easily find critical information, such as your name, contact info, genre, and synopsis when logging your submission. Manuscripts that do not follow submission guidelines will be rejected.
Easy to read manuscripts. Please use a common, simple font (such as Times New Roman or Courier), double space your manuscript, and standard margins. Do not embed images or special fonts in the file. If you have an idea for cover art, it will be discussed should we extend a publication offer to you.
Manuscripts that fit with our catalogue. We’re interested in fantasy, science fiction, horror, and paranormal, as well as their subgenres (ie. contemporary fantasy, paranormal romance, etc). We particularly like stories with “monsters”—like vampires, werewolves, demons, and so on—as the protagonists rather than the villains. Any work outside of these genres will be rejected. We also enjoy paranormal romance.
Promotion plans. As a small publisher, we tend to work with authors who have a plan for how they’ll help in the promotion of their work. Signings, maintaining a website, giving talks, and convention appearances are just some of the ways our authors promote their titles. Please let us know in your cover letter if you have any plans for promotion (only briefly).
Good writing. We love stories with well drawn characters we can emphasize with, crisp writing, and engaging dialogue. The story should be entertaining and appropriately paced.

What We Don’t Love:

Cover letters telling us how much we’re going to love your book or how it’s the next Harry Potter. Unless you’re J.K. Rowling, there’s no reason to mention Harry Potter in your cover letter. Let your work speak for itself! Superfluous comments about how blown away the editor is going to be by your work tend to have the opposite effect.
Missing items that are required in our guidelines. Please double check that your manuscript is attached, and that your cover letter email contains your synopsis and blurb. We are unable to evaluate your submission without this information. Ensure your manuscript is in .rtf format, as any other format will be automatically rejected.
Multiple attachments. The only attachment your email should have is your manuscript. The synopsis and book blurb should both be included in your email cover letter and NOT as separate attachments. There is no need to attach a book cover image to your submission.

Other Things To Consider:

Simultaneous submissions. We understand authors submit their work to multiple publishers, however, a lot of time goes into each manuscript from our readers. Please inform us at the time of submission if your work is under consideration elsewhere, and inform us of any developments during the submission process.
Sequels. We welcome multi-book series, however please only send us the first available book in your series, even if you have sequels completed. Mention in your cover letter the direction your series is going and what you have available—if we’re interested in offering you a contract for the first book, we’ll speak to you about the others then.
Feedback. Although we understand writers would like to know why their work is rejected, unfortunately we do not have the time and resources to offer feedback on every manuscript. If there are specific problems with a manuscript we’re interested in, we might suggest a rewrite and resubmission of the work, however we make no guarantee of publication even if our recommendations are followed. If we do not invite you to resubmit, please don’t.

Author Interviews

2009-01-03T16:26:00.000-05:00

Romance at Heart has posted some great interviews recently with
Mundania authors (and look for reviews in the near future as well!).

They're available for your reading pleasure here:
Skyla Dawn Cameron
Resa Nelson
Cynthia Cantrell

Also consider browsing their archive for more!

Preditors & Editors Annual Reader Poll

2009-01-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

It's the annual readers poll at Preditors & Editors--please consider giving Mundania your vote! Mundania Press: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/ebookpublisher.shtml

Happy New Year from everyone at Mundania Press! :-)

Super Santa Sale

2008-12-31T10:11:00.000-05:00

Mundania Press is once again having their Super Santa Sale! From now until January 1st, you can save 25% of all orders at the Mundania Press website! Simply enter the coupon code SANTA at checkout. Happy shopping, and have a wonderful holiday!

New Releases

2008-12-19T10:49:00.000-05:00

Now up for pre-order are the following titles:

Star Ascendant - Louise Cooper

"How strong are you? That's all that matters, you see. Your strength. Your ability to look on the face of Chaos and stay sane. That's how we're all judged, here."

Twelve years as a Chaos Rider had taught Benetan Liss the truth of those ominous words. Yet despite the terrors and demands of his work, he was loyal to his masters and devoted to Chaos's seven formidable gods… until a new First Magus came to power. For Lord Vordegh was far worse than a mere tyrant, and the obsession that drove him was one in which sanity had no place.

On the first bitter night of the new reign, the mask of compliance that Benetan had worn for so long began to crack. And behind the mask lay a road to nightmare.

(The Star Shadow Trilogy—Book One: Prequel to The Time Master Trilogy)

Enter Death, Stage Right - William A. Veselik

Prof. Alfred Rhys Smythe returns home to Victorian London after years abroad only to discover that a blood-thirsty cult of vampires is stalking the city's theatre district. Having sought the aid of sympathetic Scotland Yard Inspector, Arthur Jenkins, the two men move closer to solving the mystery of the illusive vampire lord's identity.

Smythe fears that his own mother, believed long dead by his family, may now actually be a vampire under the control the vampire lord, so he and Jenkins go on the offensive, tracking down the vampire horde to their lair beneath an old theatre. But the mysterious vampire lord plays his trump card when he takes his own vengeance against Smythe's older brother, Ian, a less-than-successful stage actor.

(My Soul to Take Book Two)

The King's Demon - Louise Cooper

A young woman regains consciousness to find herself alone on a moorland road at dead of night, with no memory but for two facts. One: her name is Sefira. And two: she has committed murder.

She is rescued by Grendon, a high official at the royal court, who recognizes the horror locked away in her damaged mind and offers her protection. But Grendon, too, has secrets, and an agenda of his own. He means to use Sefira as bait in a deadly game. For the supernatural power that lurks within her could topple a kingdom—if it can be controlled.

And that is the greatest gamble of all...

Fire Wars - Jessica Palmer

In a sacred circle between the planes, Zelia and Ares are to be united in wedlock. Elementals mix with humans in a ceremony, set to dazzle the eye, but chaos ensues when the fire elementals escape onto the mortal plane and rage unchecked across the southern continent.

When their watery and airy cousins join them the delicate balance between the planes is disturbed, and the fabric of magic torn asunder.

As time shifts out of sequence and the cycle of the seasons are disrupted, Zelia and Ares must once more combine forces to return order to the land or risk its utter destruction.

Firewalk - Anne Logston

Kayli, daughter of the High Lord of Bregond, is torn from her magical studies in the Temple of Inner Flame to make an arranged marriage with, Randon, Heir to the throne of Agrond, to bring the two warring countries together.

But Randon's charming brother Terralt contests Randon's claim to the throne of Agrond, and attempts on Kayli's life make her question all she has been taught, and whether she can trust Terralt, Randon—or even herself.