S.L. Viehl's Blog, page 141
December 16, 2012
Old Look, New Cover
NAL is repackaging and re-covering some of their old eSpecials, which includes my own Master of Shadows e-book. Here's a look at the revised cover:
I'm glad they decided to stay true to the old cover image, as I actually designed the original and I've always been rather fond of it.
I'm glad they decided to stay true to the old cover image, as I actually designed the original and I've always been rather fond of it.
December 15, 2012
Creative Collisions
A first-time reader e-mailed to ask if Christian Lang, the female protagonist in Nightbred, was named after the male protagonist of that very popular, allegedly Twilight fanfic-based, book that everyone but me has read. While it's true they have the same first name, I used it first, beginning in 2006 when Chris first appeared as a character in Dark Need, book three of the original Darkyn series. Not that it matters to anyone but me, but she's also named for one of my nieces. I'm quite glad that when I created her character I didn't also decide to use Gray, a family surname, for my Chris.
This type of creative collision happens infrequently, but when it does it can create a lot of stress for the writer. I'm fortunate that I have public creative provenance on my use of the name; no one can argue with a published book with an earlier copyright date. But what if I was a writer who had yet to be published, and what if I had used Gray instead of Lang? Is that okay?
Before I answer that, let's talk about the legalities surrounding the commercial use of names. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a trademark is "a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols or designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others." Names can be trademarked to protect a brand and to prevent others from using them, and I believe (and I'm not an attorney, so don't quote me on this) that is the only way you make any name you create exclusively yours.
You've probably heard that copyright protects anything you write from the moment you create it, and it does, with an important but. Copyright protection applies to the entire work, not individual names or titles used in the work (as stated in this Copyright Basics .pdf from the U.S. Copyright Office, which breaks down the federal law in simple language.)
Creative collisions in the Publishing industry aren't quite as black and white as trademarks and copyright. Most ethical publishers try to avoid or prevent creative collisions, especially among in-house authors. This happened to me when I titled my third Kyndred novel Winterfire, which by complete coincidence was the same title author Jo Beverly used for a historical novel that was being reprinted within the same year. My editor let me know about the collision, at which point I contacted the author myself to let her know about it. She was very gracious and had no objection to me using the same title, and no doubt there would have been zero shelf confusion. I prefer to use original titles for my work, however, so in the end I decided to change it to Frostfire to eliminate the collision.
I've heard tales of editors encouraging writers to lift names or titles from authors who work for other houses, and I wanted to comment on this, too. I've worked for a lot of publishers, and I've never once had any of my editors tell me to do that, but it's possible that it happens among the less ethical. It's not fair, and it's unpleasant when it happens to you, but it's not illegal. Bottom line, there is nothing we can do about it, so my advice is to stop worrying about things you can't control or change, and always try to be original with your work.
Which brings us to how the writer should deal with being on the downside of a creative collision. Let's go back to my little creative collision of Christian Lang with that other Christian. This time we'll pretend I'm an unpublished writer who has been tinkering with my manuscript Nightbred for some time now. For the sake of argument, let's also imagine I named my character Christian Gray when I started working on the story back in 2006, and have only just now discovered the existence of the book I haven't read with the more notorious Christian. I love my character's name and I can't think of them as anyone else. What do I do?
If I were me (which I am) I'd change the name. Oh, in a heartbeat, without a second thought. For one thing, I don't think I'm going to get my Christian Gray past any ethical editor I submit to; they're going to assume that a) I'm trying to hitch my story wagon to a very popular novel, b) I'm clueless as to what's going on in the market or c) I have no imagination. That's definitely a concern as we want to show editors we are original versus knockoff artists, but it's not my primary motive to make the change.
No matter how much it hurts, I'd rather retrain my brain to think of the character by a different name than have my work even accidentally associated by any reader with that other Christian and that other author. This is where you get to the core of who you are as a writer. I'm seriously invested in being original, so I'm willing to sacrifice just about anything to protect my work and to keep it free of any creative collisions.
Finally, when you get into a situation like this, think about what's most important to you. I know how attached we get to characters; to us their names aren't simply words on a page. We bring them to life, we get to know them, and we live with them in our heads for months and even years at a time. Often they can seem as real to us as a member of the family or close friend. The resistance to change is natural; you'd never rename your brother or your Dad or your best pal. But remember what Shakespeare said about roses? Whatever you call them, their beautiful fragrance doesn't change. Same goes for your character. Take it from me, a writer who still occasionally thinks of her two most popular characters as Vanessa and Jacques-Sebastien (and if you're scratching your head, that's what I originally named Alexandra Keller and Michael Cyprien.)
This type of creative collision happens infrequently, but when it does it can create a lot of stress for the writer. I'm fortunate that I have public creative provenance on my use of the name; no one can argue with a published book with an earlier copyright date. But what if I was a writer who had yet to be published, and what if I had used Gray instead of Lang? Is that okay?
Before I answer that, let's talk about the legalities surrounding the commercial use of names. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a trademark is "a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols or designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others." Names can be trademarked to protect a brand and to prevent others from using them, and I believe (and I'm not an attorney, so don't quote me on this) that is the only way you make any name you create exclusively yours.
You've probably heard that copyright protects anything you write from the moment you create it, and it does, with an important but. Copyright protection applies to the entire work, not individual names or titles used in the work (as stated in this Copyright Basics .pdf from the U.S. Copyright Office, which breaks down the federal law in simple language.)
Creative collisions in the Publishing industry aren't quite as black and white as trademarks and copyright. Most ethical publishers try to avoid or prevent creative collisions, especially among in-house authors. This happened to me when I titled my third Kyndred novel Winterfire, which by complete coincidence was the same title author Jo Beverly used for a historical novel that was being reprinted within the same year. My editor let me know about the collision, at which point I contacted the author myself to let her know about it. She was very gracious and had no objection to me using the same title, and no doubt there would have been zero shelf confusion. I prefer to use original titles for my work, however, so in the end I decided to change it to Frostfire to eliminate the collision.
I've heard tales of editors encouraging writers to lift names or titles from authors who work for other houses, and I wanted to comment on this, too. I've worked for a lot of publishers, and I've never once had any of my editors tell me to do that, but it's possible that it happens among the less ethical. It's not fair, and it's unpleasant when it happens to you, but it's not illegal. Bottom line, there is nothing we can do about it, so my advice is to stop worrying about things you can't control or change, and always try to be original with your work.
Which brings us to how the writer should deal with being on the downside of a creative collision. Let's go back to my little creative collision of Christian Lang with that other Christian. This time we'll pretend I'm an unpublished writer who has been tinkering with my manuscript Nightbred for some time now. For the sake of argument, let's also imagine I named my character Christian Gray when I started working on the story back in 2006, and have only just now discovered the existence of the book I haven't read with the more notorious Christian. I love my character's name and I can't think of them as anyone else. What do I do?
If I were me (which I am) I'd change the name. Oh, in a heartbeat, without a second thought. For one thing, I don't think I'm going to get my Christian Gray past any ethical editor I submit to; they're going to assume that a) I'm trying to hitch my story wagon to a very popular novel, b) I'm clueless as to what's going on in the market or c) I have no imagination. That's definitely a concern as we want to show editors we are original versus knockoff artists, but it's not my primary motive to make the change.
No matter how much it hurts, I'd rather retrain my brain to think of the character by a different name than have my work even accidentally associated by any reader with that other Christian and that other author. This is where you get to the core of who you are as a writer. I'm seriously invested in being original, so I'm willing to sacrifice just about anything to protect my work and to keep it free of any creative collisions.
Finally, when you get into a situation like this, think about what's most important to you. I know how attached we get to characters; to us their names aren't simply words on a page. We bring them to life, we get to know them, and we live with them in our heads for months and even years at a time. Often they can seem as real to us as a member of the family or close friend. The resistance to change is natural; you'd never rename your brother or your Dad or your best pal. But remember what Shakespeare said about roses? Whatever you call them, their beautiful fragrance doesn't change. Same goes for your character. Take it from me, a writer who still occasionally thinks of her two most popular characters as Vanessa and Jacques-Sebastien (and if you're scratching your head, that's what I originally named Alexandra Keller and Michael Cyprien.)
December 14, 2012
BookLoop Variations
This past weekend I worked on some new ideas I had for my BookLoops (my reinvention of the bookmark; see my original concept post here) and came up with a couple of interesting variations I wanted to share.
I'm still testing different types of ribbon and other materials for the loop, and have one more to add to the list: silk. The latest trend of big statement beads in the craft stores also caught my eye, and I bought some strands of those along with some different style pendants:
Darice has reasonably-priced strands of glass and shell statement beads that are fun to play with; they range in price from $2.99 to 6.99 depending on the style. Laliberi, which sells a line of metal jewelry-making components, has some interesting connectors that come with jump rings already attached; I picked up a pair regularly priced at $5.99. Blue Moon, one of my favorite bead sources, had some fun metal pendants in pairs and quads at the same sale price, and Plaid's pendant duos were even cheaper, on sale for $2.39. Tori Spelling's Styled jewelry-making line has pieces that are mainly too big for use as anchors, but I found one onyx and crystal piece that I liked for $5.99. I also picked a couple of 1/4" ribbon spools out of a bargain bin at 2 for $1.00. All my savings convinced me to splurge a little on some 15 yard spools of 1/4" silver organdy ribbon for $2.49. All of the above were purchased at my local JoAnn's (and because I shopped during a sale I got everything 40% off.)
I used the Plaid pendant duos and a couple of Blue Moon silver Buddhas to make some double-anchor BookLoops. These are made in the same way as the original design except that you put matching or complimentary anchors on either end. It adds a bit more weight to the loop but gives it a more finished look when it's in place in the book. I also liked that I could drape the piece over my neck like a scarf while I was reading versus wearing it like a necklace. This variation would be fun if you want a ying/yang-themed BookLoop or have connecting pieces you can use on either end.
Once I'd done a few double-anchor loops, I stopped knotting the beads in place on one end to see if I could make it adjustable to accommodate the bigger-style paperbacks as well as the standards. It worked great. To make this type, cut your loop material to the length you need for your largest book, add only a bottom knot to keep the anchor you want to adjust from sliding off. Once you've cinched the loop, slide the beads that aren't knotted in place up or down to accommodate the size of your book. This also helps make the loop a little more secure when it's in the book.
I'm working on another project with hand-dyed silk ribbon, and stole a couple lengths of that to see how it would work as a loop. I'll warn you upfront; once you use real silk ribbon for a BookLoop you'll never want to go back to organdy. It's thin enough to be threaded directly through the beads with a tapestry needle, has almost no weight at all and sings through your fingers like a whisper. Real silk is also sturdy enough to hold the weight of your anchors. The only drawback to using silk ribbon is that it snags easily, so you do have to be careful when you're pulling it through your anchors. Silk does wrinkle like crazy, too, but I actually like the vintage look a little crumpling gives it. The textile artist who dyed my ribbons no longer sells them, but you can make do with any narrow embroidery-type silk.
My next experiments will be with sewing on anchors to make them double-sided and hide the end knot of the loop. I'm also fiddling with thread and wire wrapping to hold them in place. For the benefit of any new visitors, if this is the first time you've seen this idea, please note that I am fine with anyone using the BookLoop design for whatever they want. Feel free to make your own, improve on it, make them into holiday gifts, promo items for your books, hand them out, sell them, whatever you like. I always love to hear what you're doing with them, too, so if you come up with an interesting variation of your own let me know.
I'm still testing different types of ribbon and other materials for the loop, and have one more to add to the list: silk. The latest trend of big statement beads in the craft stores also caught my eye, and I bought some strands of those along with some different style pendants:
Darice has reasonably-priced strands of glass and shell statement beads that are fun to play with; they range in price from $2.99 to 6.99 depending on the style. Laliberi, which sells a line of metal jewelry-making components, has some interesting connectors that come with jump rings already attached; I picked up a pair regularly priced at $5.99. Blue Moon, one of my favorite bead sources, had some fun metal pendants in pairs and quads at the same sale price, and Plaid's pendant duos were even cheaper, on sale for $2.39. Tori Spelling's Styled jewelry-making line has pieces that are mainly too big for use as anchors, but I found one onyx and crystal piece that I liked for $5.99. I also picked a couple of 1/4" ribbon spools out of a bargain bin at 2 for $1.00. All my savings convinced me to splurge a little on some 15 yard spools of 1/4" silver organdy ribbon for $2.49. All of the above were purchased at my local JoAnn's (and because I shopped during a sale I got everything 40% off.)
I used the Plaid pendant duos and a couple of Blue Moon silver Buddhas to make some double-anchor BookLoops. These are made in the same way as the original design except that you put matching or complimentary anchors on either end. It adds a bit more weight to the loop but gives it a more finished look when it's in place in the book. I also liked that I could drape the piece over my neck like a scarf while I was reading versus wearing it like a necklace. This variation would be fun if you want a ying/yang-themed BookLoop or have connecting pieces you can use on either end.
Once I'd done a few double-anchor loops, I stopped knotting the beads in place on one end to see if I could make it adjustable to accommodate the bigger-style paperbacks as well as the standards. It worked great. To make this type, cut your loop material to the length you need for your largest book, add only a bottom knot to keep the anchor you want to adjust from sliding off. Once you've cinched the loop, slide the beads that aren't knotted in place up or down to accommodate the size of your book. This also helps make the loop a little more secure when it's in the book.
I'm working on another project with hand-dyed silk ribbon, and stole a couple lengths of that to see how it would work as a loop. I'll warn you upfront; once you use real silk ribbon for a BookLoop you'll never want to go back to organdy. It's thin enough to be threaded directly through the beads with a tapestry needle, has almost no weight at all and sings through your fingers like a whisper. Real silk is also sturdy enough to hold the weight of your anchors. The only drawback to using silk ribbon is that it snags easily, so you do have to be careful when you're pulling it through your anchors. Silk does wrinkle like crazy, too, but I actually like the vintage look a little crumpling gives it. The textile artist who dyed my ribbons no longer sells them, but you can make do with any narrow embroidery-type silk.
My next experiments will be with sewing on anchors to make them double-sided and hide the end knot of the loop. I'm also fiddling with thread and wire wrapping to hold them in place. For the benefit of any new visitors, if this is the first time you've seen this idea, please note that I am fine with anyone using the BookLoop design for whatever they want. Feel free to make your own, improve on it, make them into holiday gifts, promo items for your books, hand them out, sell them, whatever you like. I always love to hear what you're doing with them, too, so if you come up with an interesting variation of your own let me know.
December 13, 2012
You Might be a Writer if . . .
Anyone who touches your manuscript is absolutely required to answer two questions: Did you read it? and, based on their answer, Why not? or What did you think of it?
On your desk you have things like five pads of half-used sticky notes, a day-old cup of coffee, a dog-eared copy of Roget's Thesaurus, a cable for something you can't remember, and/or a pen that ran out of ink last week.
The only thing that worries you about the North Korean "weather satellite" currently tumbling out of control in the stratosphere is whether or not another writer will publish a story based on it before you can.
There is at least one Idiot's Guide to something about writing in your book collection; you keep hidden in the back of a desk drawer.
When someone tells you that they're writing a novel you ask them what it's about and then critique it in your head as they're describing it.
When your best friend calls to tell you about the horrendous argument she had with her guy, you take notes on the dialogue.
You have tabbed a Bible for easy reference but you haven't attended church services since you were six.
You have argued with or complained to a bookseller about the shelving arrangements in their store.
You have outlined a novel idea featuring a protagonist who is either an FBI agent, mutant, Navy Seal, private detective, shape-shifter, star ship navigator, werewolf or vampire, or some combination thereof. You have no intentions of writing the novel but still hang on to the outline, just in case.
You own a shirt printed with a profound quotation about writing that doesn't fit you anymore.
On your desk you have things like five pads of half-used sticky notes, a day-old cup of coffee, a dog-eared copy of Roget's Thesaurus, a cable for something you can't remember, and/or a pen that ran out of ink last week.
The only thing that worries you about the North Korean "weather satellite" currently tumbling out of control in the stratosphere is whether or not another writer will publish a story based on it before you can.
There is at least one Idiot's Guide to something about writing in your book collection; you keep hidden in the back of a desk drawer.
When someone tells you that they're writing a novel you ask them what it's about and then critique it in your head as they're describing it.
When your best friend calls to tell you about the horrendous argument she had with her guy, you take notes on the dialogue.
You have tabbed a Bible for easy reference but you haven't attended church services since you were six.
You have argued with or complained to a bookseller about the shelving arrangements in their store.
You have outlined a novel idea featuring a protagonist who is either an FBI agent, mutant, Navy Seal, private detective, shape-shifter, star ship navigator, werewolf or vampire, or some combination thereof. You have no intentions of writing the novel but still hang on to the outline, just in case.
You own a shirt printed with a profound quotation about writing that doesn't fit you anymore.
December 11, 2012
Something Beautiful
Can you guess what this is before the end of the video? (includes music and sound effects, for those of you at work)
infime from Cut And Cook Studio on Vimeo.
December 10, 2012
Winners
The winners of the Wonderful Winter Reads giveaway are:
Joyce M., who is reading 30 Pieces of Silver by Carolyn McCray
Nicole, who is reading Barbara Bretton's "Casting Spells".
digillette, who is reading the second book in Christine Henry's "Black Wings" series and plans to read the next Dresden Files book, the next in Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid's Chronicles series, and about 30 other books.
Winners, when you have a chance please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com so I can get these books out to you. My thanks to everyone for joining in
Joyce M., who is reading 30 Pieces of Silver by Carolyn McCray
Nicole, who is reading Barbara Bretton's "Casting Spells".
digillette, who is reading the second book in Christine Henry's "Black Wings" series and plans to read the next Dresden Files book, the next in Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid's Chronicles series, and about 30 other books.
Winners, when you have a chance please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com so I can get these books out to you. My thanks to everyone for joining in
Elsewhere with Gifts
Today I'm at Bitten by Books recommending some fun gifts for the readers on your shopping list. Stop by if you get a chance and enter to win this tote packed with signed books and all the reader gifts, too. 
December 8, 2012
Sunday Ten
Ten Things About Submission Opportunities
Blood Bound Books has an open call for their Night Terrors III anthology (scroll down on guidelines page): "As with all great trilogies, the third one always changes something we thought we knew. And now it’s up to you to help us forge this new direction. While this third installment will continue to plague readers with restless nights and sweat-soaked sheets, we’re now offering 5 cents a word for your best nightmare-inducing tales. As always, this anthology is open to the wide gamut of horror and all its subcategories. Remember, evil has no boundaries and neither do we! Science fiction and dark fantasy will also be considered as long as stories contain strong elements of horror. Third person stories are strongly preferred, but we’ll read first person as long as they are extremely well done or the POV is integral to the plot. Stories may take place in any setting or time period, as long as it’s well written, powerful, and original. Most importantly, scare us. We want to be haunted by your story long after we put it down. Gore and sex are acceptable, as long as it serves a purpose." Length: 750-5000 words; Payment: 5¢/word. No reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: January 1st, 2013.
Author M.R. Jordan is holding a story contest which includes a critique: "Any Genre. 3500 words or fewer. I'll pick three stories to put on my blog but there is only one cash prize of $50.00. I'll pay second and third place winners a token flat rate of $5.00 for first world rights, non-exclusive. Remember, I'm not a business. My blog is not a magazine. However, I do get a couple hundred visitors a month so the exposure is pretty good. Also, the contest is free. Submissions close on January 5th." See blog post here for more details.
Journalstone Publishing is holding its 3rd annual Horror publishing contest: "Get your HORROR novel published and earn a $2,000 advance against future royalties. If you are not familiar with the last two year’s winnesr please check out That Which Should Not Be by Brett J. Talley which won in 2011 and Twice Shy by Patrick Freivald and The Devil of Echo Lake, both of which tied for 1st place in 2012." Genre: "Horror only. Nothing else counts in this contest." Length: 75K or more, Payment: "The winner will receive a $2,000 advance against future royalties and have his/her novel published by JournalStone." The publisher also notes this on payment: "Scared about not winning? Second prize gets a $500 advance and a published novel. Yes, you have to sign a contract first. Third place gets a $200 advance and for the last time, also gets a published novel. Not one of the top three? No worries, you might still be good enough to get your novel published, you will just have to earn your money on the royalties. We only have so much to give out for free." I don't see any notations on reprints so you might query on those; see guidelines for more details. Deadline: "All submissions must be received no later than 11 p.m. Pacific time April 1, 2013."
Nihilist SF e-zine is currently accepting submissions: "We accept science fiction short stories 2,000-10,000 words. The absence of any moral message is preferred. We do not accept work that has been published elsewhere. We do not accept simultaneous submissions – if you’ve submitted a story to someone else, wait until you hear back before submitting to us." Payment: "We pay $5 per story on publication via PayPal." Electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.
On Spec, the Canadian magazine of the fantastic, is now open for submissions: "The ON SPEC editors are looking for original, unpublished speculative fiction (SF) and poetry -- fantasy, horror, ghost stories, fairy stories, magic realism, etc. Our mandate is to give our readers the best SF we can find, regardless of the author's nationality, and we have published authors from Canada, the U.S., Britain, New Zealand, South America, and more. In order to qualify for grants, we do have to maintain 80% Canadian content, which means it may take longer (an issue or two) for a non-Canadian work to appear in the magazine than a Canadian work bought at the same time." Length: "Short stories (max. 6000 words), short short stories (under 1000 words) or poetry (max. 100 lines)"; Payment: "CA$200 +2 copies; poem/flash=CA$50 +1 copy". No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Reading period ends January 15th, 2013.
Red Adept Publishing is looking for quality novel-length genre fiction, and they look at everything except nonfiction, reprints, or "Erotica and Elementary to Middle Grade books." Length: minimum 25K; Payment: "We pay 50% royalties (net from distribution channels) to authors." Electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.
Reuts Publications is accepting novel submissions: "We don’t limit ourselves within genres, but we do ask for stories to be fiction only and geared towards Young Adult and New Adult audiences. Our team is fond of the following genres and their sub categories: paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, horror and romance." Length: "Over 50,000 words. REUTS does not accept submissions for short stories, anthologies, children’s books or poetry. This may change in the future, so keep checking back." Payment: "Print=40% royalty; eBook=50%." Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.
Suddenly Lost in Words is looking for "the best in writing for young adults (13+) from both established and up-and-coming writers. Any genre. We pay professional rates. Selected works will appear in eBook releases to be sold through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR: Original writing not previously published. Short stories, memoirs, and longer works that can be serialized. Writing that is free from gore, porn, profanity, racism, preaching, and politics." Length "3000 words or less. This is a firm limit." Payment: "5 cents per word for First Worldwide Electronic Rights and First Serial Rights. Payment is made upon publication. All minor authors (less than 18 years old) will require a parent or guardian to sign with them upon story acceptance." See market post at AbsoluteWrite.com here for more details.
World Weaver Press has an open call for A Winter's Enchantment, the tentative title for an upcoming anthology of themed novellas that will also be published as individual titles: "We’re looking for winter romances with a speculative element — supernatural or paranormal beings, magic, doors to other worlds, inexplicable serendipity, etc. — at the novella length. Stories must have a winter element. Preference for stories where the winter holidays play an important role in the story: Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving, winter solstice, yule, other winter holidays (real or invented). Will consider contemporary or historical settings as well as second-world fantasy settings (sometimes called “high fantasy” or fairy tale realms). No fan fiction. We have no specific guidelines on “heat level.” But whether or not characters tumble into the bedroom, these stories should be primarily romances with HEAs or implied HEAs; if you want to get explicit between the sheets, go for it! — but stories need to be more plot than sex. This is not an erotica anthology. Stories should focus on the couple: m/f, m/m, f/f will be considered — no group or menage romances." Length: 20-45K; Payment: "Writer will receive royalty on both anthology (% split among contributors) and individual publication (39%)" No reprints,electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: December 31st, 2012.
Writerswhorock.com is looking for Christmas stories: "We are looking for short stories with Christmas and what it represents as a theme, i.e. family, memories, giving, grief, unfulfilled expectations, cold weather, anticipating the New Year. We are mostly looking for fiction, however if you have a compelling first person, true life story to tell, please send it along. The story can be humorous, romantic (R-rated okay) religious, satire, with characters that are spirits, ghosts, angels, Christ-like figures, the faithful, and nonbelievers (no zombies or vampires, please). For example, you can tell a story about Christmas from an atheist’s point of view or from a very, very old person’s perspective. The most celebrated example of a Christmas tale is Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” but to the other extreme the movie “Home Alone” also featured Christmas in all its hilarity. Our rule of thumb is the story doesn’t have to be realistic, but it has to be believable and relatable. Story must have a beginning, middle and an ending and the main character or characters must undergo a transformation of some sort, even if the change comes in the form of an epiphany." Length: "Story should be no more than 2000 words." Payment: "We pay $50 upon acceptance via PayPal." See the market post at AbsoluteWrite.com here for more details.
Blood Bound Books has an open call for their Night Terrors III anthology (scroll down on guidelines page): "As with all great trilogies, the third one always changes something we thought we knew. And now it’s up to you to help us forge this new direction. While this third installment will continue to plague readers with restless nights and sweat-soaked sheets, we’re now offering 5 cents a word for your best nightmare-inducing tales. As always, this anthology is open to the wide gamut of horror and all its subcategories. Remember, evil has no boundaries and neither do we! Science fiction and dark fantasy will also be considered as long as stories contain strong elements of horror. Third person stories are strongly preferred, but we’ll read first person as long as they are extremely well done or the POV is integral to the plot. Stories may take place in any setting or time period, as long as it’s well written, powerful, and original. Most importantly, scare us. We want to be haunted by your story long after we put it down. Gore and sex are acceptable, as long as it serves a purpose." Length: 750-5000 words; Payment: 5¢/word. No reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: January 1st, 2013.
Author M.R. Jordan is holding a story contest which includes a critique: "Any Genre. 3500 words or fewer. I'll pick three stories to put on my blog but there is only one cash prize of $50.00. I'll pay second and third place winners a token flat rate of $5.00 for first world rights, non-exclusive. Remember, I'm not a business. My blog is not a magazine. However, I do get a couple hundred visitors a month so the exposure is pretty good. Also, the contest is free. Submissions close on January 5th." See blog post here for more details.
Journalstone Publishing is holding its 3rd annual Horror publishing contest: "Get your HORROR novel published and earn a $2,000 advance against future royalties. If you are not familiar with the last two year’s winnesr please check out That Which Should Not Be by Brett J. Talley which won in 2011 and Twice Shy by Patrick Freivald and The Devil of Echo Lake, both of which tied for 1st place in 2012." Genre: "Horror only. Nothing else counts in this contest." Length: 75K or more, Payment: "The winner will receive a $2,000 advance against future royalties and have his/her novel published by JournalStone." The publisher also notes this on payment: "Scared about not winning? Second prize gets a $500 advance and a published novel. Yes, you have to sign a contract first. Third place gets a $200 advance and for the last time, also gets a published novel. Not one of the top three? No worries, you might still be good enough to get your novel published, you will just have to earn your money on the royalties. We only have so much to give out for free." I don't see any notations on reprints so you might query on those; see guidelines for more details. Deadline: "All submissions must be received no later than 11 p.m. Pacific time April 1, 2013."
Nihilist SF e-zine is currently accepting submissions: "We accept science fiction short stories 2,000-10,000 words. The absence of any moral message is preferred. We do not accept work that has been published elsewhere. We do not accept simultaneous submissions – if you’ve submitted a story to someone else, wait until you hear back before submitting to us." Payment: "We pay $5 per story on publication via PayPal." Electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.
On Spec, the Canadian magazine of the fantastic, is now open for submissions: "The ON SPEC editors are looking for original, unpublished speculative fiction (SF) and poetry -- fantasy, horror, ghost stories, fairy stories, magic realism, etc. Our mandate is to give our readers the best SF we can find, regardless of the author's nationality, and we have published authors from Canada, the U.S., Britain, New Zealand, South America, and more. In order to qualify for grants, we do have to maintain 80% Canadian content, which means it may take longer (an issue or two) for a non-Canadian work to appear in the magazine than a Canadian work bought at the same time." Length: "Short stories (max. 6000 words), short short stories (under 1000 words) or poetry (max. 100 lines)"; Payment: "CA$200 +2 copies; poem/flash=CA$50 +1 copy". No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Reading period ends January 15th, 2013.
Red Adept Publishing is looking for quality novel-length genre fiction, and they look at everything except nonfiction, reprints, or "Erotica and Elementary to Middle Grade books." Length: minimum 25K; Payment: "We pay 50% royalties (net from distribution channels) to authors." Electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.
Reuts Publications is accepting novel submissions: "We don’t limit ourselves within genres, but we do ask for stories to be fiction only and geared towards Young Adult and New Adult audiences. Our team is fond of the following genres and their sub categories: paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, horror and romance." Length: "Over 50,000 words. REUTS does not accept submissions for short stories, anthologies, children’s books or poetry. This may change in the future, so keep checking back." Payment: "Print=40% royalty; eBook=50%." Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.
Suddenly Lost in Words is looking for "the best in writing for young adults (13+) from both established and up-and-coming writers. Any genre. We pay professional rates. Selected works will appear in eBook releases to be sold through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR: Original writing not previously published. Short stories, memoirs, and longer works that can be serialized. Writing that is free from gore, porn, profanity, racism, preaching, and politics." Length "3000 words or less. This is a firm limit." Payment: "5 cents per word for First Worldwide Electronic Rights and First Serial Rights. Payment is made upon publication. All minor authors (less than 18 years old) will require a parent or guardian to sign with them upon story acceptance." See market post at AbsoluteWrite.com here for more details.
World Weaver Press has an open call for A Winter's Enchantment, the tentative title for an upcoming anthology of themed novellas that will also be published as individual titles: "We’re looking for winter romances with a speculative element — supernatural or paranormal beings, magic, doors to other worlds, inexplicable serendipity, etc. — at the novella length. Stories must have a winter element. Preference for stories where the winter holidays play an important role in the story: Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving, winter solstice, yule, other winter holidays (real or invented). Will consider contemporary or historical settings as well as second-world fantasy settings (sometimes called “high fantasy” or fairy tale realms). No fan fiction. We have no specific guidelines on “heat level.” But whether or not characters tumble into the bedroom, these stories should be primarily romances with HEAs or implied HEAs; if you want to get explicit between the sheets, go for it! — but stories need to be more plot than sex. This is not an erotica anthology. Stories should focus on the couple: m/f, m/m, f/f will be considered — no group or menage romances." Length: 20-45K; Payment: "Writer will receive royalty on both anthology (% split among contributors) and individual publication (39%)" No reprints,electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: December 31st, 2012.
Writerswhorock.com is looking for Christmas stories: "We are looking for short stories with Christmas and what it represents as a theme, i.e. family, memories, giving, grief, unfulfilled expectations, cold weather, anticipating the New Year. We are mostly looking for fiction, however if you have a compelling first person, true life story to tell, please send it along. The story can be humorous, romantic (R-rated okay) religious, satire, with characters that are spirits, ghosts, angels, Christ-like figures, the faithful, and nonbelievers (no zombies or vampires, please). For example, you can tell a story about Christmas from an atheist’s point of view or from a very, very old person’s perspective. The most celebrated example of a Christmas tale is Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” but to the other extreme the movie “Home Alone” also featured Christmas in all its hilarity. Our rule of thumb is the story doesn’t have to be realistic, but it has to be believable and relatable. Story must have a beginning, middle and an ending and the main character or characters must undergo a transformation of some sort, even if the change comes in the form of an epiphany." Length: "Story should be no more than 2000 words." Payment: "We pay $50 upon acceptance via PayPal." See the market post at AbsoluteWrite.com here for more details.
December 7, 2012
Fun Gifts for Writers
Knock Knock says they put the fun in functional, and this collection of obnoxious office supplies I found at BAM is definitely that: WTF pen, $13.99; WTF and Seriously? sticky notes, $3.99 each; Yes I'm Actually Reading This Bookmark Notes pad, $4.99; large WTF desktop pad, $9.99.
December 6, 2012
Wonderful Winter Reads
One of the gifts I give myself every holiday season is time to read. I've been stockpiling books in anticipation, and the new crop of winter releases has been delivering one dazzler after another to my TBR.
We finally have the fourth Lords of Deliverance novel,
Rogue Rider
, by Larissa Ione, and it was worth the wait. As I've been following this series I've been especially impatient to read this one, which features the story of Reseph, the Horseman formerly known as Pestilence. Yes, Res is back, although he has no idea what his evil side has been doing for the last three books. He wakes up naked in a snowbank with zero memory, and is rescued by Jillian, who is living in a remote mountain cabin while she recovers from a demon attack. I'm not saying another word about the story because I refuse to spoil it for others, but man, I love this universe and Larissa's storytelling. I really love how she redeemed this protagonist, too. And if this is going to be the last book in the series, which unless there's a fifth horseman I think it is, it's a perfect wrap-up.
Shawntelle Madison wowed me earlier this year with Coveted, her debut novel about a werewolf struggling with OCD. Now that she's released
Kept
, book two, she's pretty much blown me away. This novel is builds beautifully from Natalya going on a search and rescue mission for her Dad to a series of quests and obstacles and surprises that culminate into a showdown to end all showdowns. You know how we say we can't put a book down -- I was practically glued to this one. I'm so impressed with this series I'm turning into a valley girl; every time I mention it to my friends I end every other sentence with totally awesome, dude.
Linda Howard and Linda Jones have teamed up again to pen
Running Wild
, the first book in the Men of Battle Ridge series (in my head I keep changing that to Battle Creek. But it's not set in Michigan, the story takes place in Wyoming.) If you love romantic suspense featuring cowboys this is probably your novel of the year. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and have been handing out gift copies to every romance reader I know around town. I think this team had better write faster to keep all their fans happy.
After I skipped reading the last book in Karen Moning's Fever series -- I just didn't want to go there -- I felt guilty. I like the first couple of books and I really prefer to finish a series. As a compromise I resolved to invest in the first book of whatever came next, which is
Iced
. Karen continues to smash the rules to smithereens by featuring Dani O'Malley, a fourteen-year-old protagonist, but this is not YA. Oh, no, not at all. It's fun, exciting, and reminds me a lot of what I liked so much about the earlier Fever books. I totally fell for Dancer, btw; hook/line/sinker. The story also filled me in enough on what I missed with the last Fever novel that I don't have to worry about it anymore. So I'm back in, and look forward to the next installment of Dancer's supremely amazing geeky coolness Dani's adventures.
As always, you don't have to take my word for it. In comments to this post, name an author or title you're reading this winter by midnight EST on Monday, December 10th, 2012. I'll draw three names at random from everyone who participates, and send the winners unsigned paperback copies of Rogue Rider by Larissa Ione, Kept by Shawntelle Madison, Running Wild by Linda Howard and Linda Jones, a hardcover copy of Iced by Karen Marie Moning, and a surprise. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
We finally have the fourth Lords of Deliverance novel,
Rogue Rider
, by Larissa Ione, and it was worth the wait. As I've been following this series I've been especially impatient to read this one, which features the story of Reseph, the Horseman formerly known as Pestilence. Yes, Res is back, although he has no idea what his evil side has been doing for the last three books. He wakes up naked in a snowbank with zero memory, and is rescued by Jillian, who is living in a remote mountain cabin while she recovers from a demon attack. I'm not saying another word about the story because I refuse to spoil it for others, but man, I love this universe and Larissa's storytelling. I really love how she redeemed this protagonist, too. And if this is going to be the last book in the series, which unless there's a fifth horseman I think it is, it's a perfect wrap-up.Shawntelle Madison wowed me earlier this year with Coveted, her debut novel about a werewolf struggling with OCD. Now that she's released
Kept
, book two, she's pretty much blown me away. This novel is builds beautifully from Natalya going on a search and rescue mission for her Dad to a series of quests and obstacles and surprises that culminate into a showdown to end all showdowns. You know how we say we can't put a book down -- I was practically glued to this one. I'm so impressed with this series I'm turning into a valley girl; every time I mention it to my friends I end every other sentence with totally awesome, dude.Linda Howard and Linda Jones have teamed up again to pen
Running Wild
, the first book in the Men of Battle Ridge series (in my head I keep changing that to Battle Creek. But it's not set in Michigan, the story takes place in Wyoming.) If you love romantic suspense featuring cowboys this is probably your novel of the year. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and have been handing out gift copies to every romance reader I know around town. I think this team had better write faster to keep all their fans happy. After I skipped reading the last book in Karen Moning's Fever series -- I just didn't want to go there -- I felt guilty. I like the first couple of books and I really prefer to finish a series. As a compromise I resolved to invest in the first book of whatever came next, which is
Iced
. Karen continues to smash the rules to smithereens by featuring Dani O'Malley, a fourteen-year-old protagonist, but this is not YA. Oh, no, not at all. It's fun, exciting, and reminds me a lot of what I liked so much about the earlier Fever books. I totally fell for Dancer, btw; hook/line/sinker. The story also filled me in enough on what I missed with the last Fever novel that I don't have to worry about it anymore. So I'm back in, and look forward to the next installment of As always, you don't have to take my word for it. In comments to this post, name an author or title you're reading this winter by midnight EST on Monday, December 10th, 2012. I'll draw three names at random from everyone who participates, and send the winners unsigned paperback copies of Rogue Rider by Larissa Ione, Kept by Shawntelle Madison, Running Wild by Linda Howard and Linda Jones, a hardcover copy of Iced by Karen Marie Moning, and a surprise. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
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