Emily C.A. Snyder's Blog, page 15
September 24, 2011
How I Did It! Publishing 101
In Young Frankenstein, there's this wonderful moment when Gene Wilder finds his grandfather's, Dr. Frederich Frankenstein's, enormous book of How I Did It. Naturally, this revelation is accompanied by a convenient roll of thunder.
One of the big questions in publishing boils down to this sentiment: How I Did It! How in the world does an artist get her foot in the door? How in the world does the idea in the mind become the word on the page (cyber or solid)? How did that first publishing break occur?
I'll share how I got my first publishing credit and then leave a comment about how you got your first big break!
Like most authors, I was writing from a fairly early age. (You can read more about that here .) But it wasn't until high school that I began to think about publishing. Until then, I suppose I thought that somehow books just happened, like babies. But my dearest friend, Kristen, gave me Mercedes Lackey's first Valdemar series, which introduced me to the world of Fantasy fiction. (I had been, and still am, an avid fairy tale afficiando, but hadn't realized that the genre had come so far.)
This led to me scouring the shelves for more fantasy books, and in my travels I discovered Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress Anthologies, specifically
Volume X
. In it was this wonderful and poetic short story by Francesca Myman, entitled: "Night, Who Creeps Through Keyholes." I don't remember much about the story; it was metaphoric, it was glorious...it was written by someone my age. It was published by someone my age! I had no idea people our age could write that well...let alone pursue something so grown-up as publish!
This would probably be a good place to mention that I'm really competitive.
Imagine my wonder, then, when I discovered in the back of the anthology the submission guidelines. I had never heard of submission guidelines! They were very precise. I like precision. They taught me about margins and double-spacing and not sending in stories written in crayon. They taught me that publishing was possible.
After that, I put together some truly awful and derivative pieces which have long been forgotten - lost or languishing in a file - and which were, one and all, wisely rejected. Nevertheless, every year I faithfully sent in another submission, determined to be published by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Nor did I stop there. My scholarly superpowers served me well. I subscribed to
Writer's Digest
and read the articles avidly. I read the classifieds in the back. I read the ads for books from Writer's Digest. I splurged and bought their Writer's Guide to Fantasy and Science Fiction. (I still have it!) I read it from cover to cover, underlining and making notes as I went. (And even in this interwebby age, I still recommend their
Writer's Market
as something to purchase every few years.) And I began sending out submissions to every magazine that would take stuff.
Around this time, my mother being a wise woman and concerned for her daughter who spent every waking moment reading or writing, invited our next door neighbour to come over and have a chat with me. Now our neighbour was a struggling musician, and every so often I remember hearing his band playing. They came caroling to our door every July dressed up in winter coats and knit hats. They were the bohemians of central New Jersey.
This fellow, whose name I can't recall, stood in the door and attempted to dissuade me from the life of an artist. (I've mentioned my pigheaded competitive streak, yes?) He said, "You're going to be rejected 99 times before you make one sale." I nodded and thought that those were pretty good odds. Our neighbour shrugged apologetically to my mother and went back to his band; my mother went to the kitchen; I went back to writing dreck.
True to his word, my high school and college career were chock-full of nothing but rejection letters. (I'll write about those rejection notes in another post!) It got tiresome after a while, and between discovering theatre and a social life in college, I wrote little and submitted less.
But in my junior year of college, one day I returned home after rehearsal to find my door completely covered in construction paper, with cheery markered notes congratulating the Real Published Author. An acceptance had arrived at my home in New Jersey, Mum had opened it and telephoned immediately. And since I was not home (theatre eats your life, but it's a nice digestion!), she had squee-ed at my household sisters, and they in turn had run out of magic markers to celebrate!
Ironically, and satisfyingly, I had finally sold to Marion Zimmer Bradley; more specifically, to her Fantasy Magazine . I had broken through. That spring break, I was in Kansas with my household sisters (they had a car, a destination, and a free seat; I went to Kansas), and signing my very first contract. It was Heaven.
It was also a truly defining moment for me: I had broken through. No longer would my cover letter try to cover the fact that 'til that point my publications were all school-related...or that I had been the editor-in-chief of everything. I was being paid for my work. I was being paid for my work by a tastemaker respected by her field. I had learned how to take rejection and how to write for a market. I was an Author with a capital Auth. And it was worth every single rejection.
How about you? What was your first publication? What market are you especially eyeing? Sound off in the comments below and encourage your fellow authors to keep on keeping on!
So, what's the importance of that first publication? What else can it lead to? For me, it led to a modest win as the "best story" of the Fantasy Magazine, and then an invitation to submit to
Sword and Sorceress XIX
, which for some reason actually published my
Better Seen Than Heard
. And these two credits gave me the oomph to propose
Niamh and the Hermit
to
Arx Publishing, LLC
- which, although it wasn't written at the time, they accepted. Which in turn led to them proposing that I write some short stories from the world of the Twelve Kingdoms, which led to
Charming the Moon
.
And if you're interested in the Sword and Sorceress Anthologies, you can thank the lovely Vera Nazarian (who recently stopped by for the Teatime Ten !) for continuing the series. You can read more about the submission guidelines and forthcoming anthologies here ! Or check out some older volumes to read Vera's own wonderful work!
One of the big questions in publishing boils down to this sentiment: How I Did It! How in the world does an artist get her foot in the door? How in the world does the idea in the mind become the word on the page (cyber or solid)? How did that first publishing break occur?I'll share how I got my first publishing credit and then leave a comment about how you got your first big break!
Like most authors, I was writing from a fairly early age. (You can read more about that here .) But it wasn't until high school that I began to think about publishing. Until then, I suppose I thought that somehow books just happened, like babies. But my dearest friend, Kristen, gave me Mercedes Lackey's first Valdemar series, which introduced me to the world of Fantasy fiction. (I had been, and still am, an avid fairy tale afficiando, but hadn't realized that the genre had come so far.)
This led to me scouring the shelves for more fantasy books, and in my travels I discovered Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress Anthologies, specifically
Volume X
. In it was this wonderful and poetic short story by Francesca Myman, entitled: "Night, Who Creeps Through Keyholes." I don't remember much about the story; it was metaphoric, it was glorious...it was written by someone my age. It was published by someone my age! I had no idea people our age could write that well...let alone pursue something so grown-up as publish!This would probably be a good place to mention that I'm really competitive.
Imagine my wonder, then, when I discovered in the back of the anthology the submission guidelines. I had never heard of submission guidelines! They were very precise. I like precision. They taught me about margins and double-spacing and not sending in stories written in crayon. They taught me that publishing was possible.
After that, I put together some truly awful and derivative pieces which have long been forgotten - lost or languishing in a file - and which were, one and all, wisely rejected. Nevertheless, every year I faithfully sent in another submission, determined to be published by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Nor did I stop there. My scholarly superpowers served me well. I subscribed to
Writer's Digest
and read the articles avidly. I read the classifieds in the back. I read the ads for books from Writer's Digest. I splurged and bought their Writer's Guide to Fantasy and Science Fiction. (I still have it!) I read it from cover to cover, underlining and making notes as I went. (And even in this interwebby age, I still recommend their
Writer's Market
as something to purchase every few years.) And I began sending out submissions to every magazine that would take stuff.Around this time, my mother being a wise woman and concerned for her daughter who spent every waking moment reading or writing, invited our next door neighbour to come over and have a chat with me. Now our neighbour was a struggling musician, and every so often I remember hearing his band playing. They came caroling to our door every July dressed up in winter coats and knit hats. They were the bohemians of central New Jersey.
This fellow, whose name I can't recall, stood in the door and attempted to dissuade me from the life of an artist. (I've mentioned my pigheaded competitive streak, yes?) He said, "You're going to be rejected 99 times before you make one sale." I nodded and thought that those were pretty good odds. Our neighbour shrugged apologetically to my mother and went back to his band; my mother went to the kitchen; I went back to writing dreck.
True to his word, my high school and college career were chock-full of nothing but rejection letters. (I'll write about those rejection notes in another post!) It got tiresome after a while, and between discovering theatre and a social life in college, I wrote little and submitted less.
But in my junior year of college, one day I returned home after rehearsal to find my door completely covered in construction paper, with cheery markered notes congratulating the Real Published Author. An acceptance had arrived at my home in New Jersey, Mum had opened it and telephoned immediately. And since I was not home (theatre eats your life, but it's a nice digestion!), she had squee-ed at my household sisters, and they in turn had run out of magic markers to celebrate!Ironically, and satisfyingly, I had finally sold to Marion Zimmer Bradley; more specifically, to her Fantasy Magazine . I had broken through. That spring break, I was in Kansas with my household sisters (they had a car, a destination, and a free seat; I went to Kansas), and signing my very first contract. It was Heaven.
It was also a truly defining moment for me: I had broken through. No longer would my cover letter try to cover the fact that 'til that point my publications were all school-related...or that I had been the editor-in-chief of everything. I was being paid for my work. I was being paid for my work by a tastemaker respected by her field. I had learned how to take rejection and how to write for a market. I was an Author with a capital Auth. And it was worth every single rejection.
How about you? What was your first publication? What market are you especially eyeing? Sound off in the comments below and encourage your fellow authors to keep on keeping on!
So, what's the importance of that first publication? What else can it lead to? For me, it led to a modest win as the "best story" of the Fantasy Magazine, and then an invitation to submit to
Sword and Sorceress XIX
, which for some reason actually published my
Better Seen Than Heard
. And these two credits gave me the oomph to propose
Niamh and the Hermit
to
Arx Publishing, LLC
- which, although it wasn't written at the time, they accepted. Which in turn led to them proposing that I write some short stories from the world of the Twelve Kingdoms, which led to
Charming the Moon
.And if you're interested in the Sword and Sorceress Anthologies, you can thank the lovely Vera Nazarian (who recently stopped by for the Teatime Ten !) for continuing the series. You can read more about the submission guidelines and forthcoming anthologies here ! Or check out some older volumes to read Vera's own wonderful work!
September 23, 2011
My deepest thanks!
Hullo you lovely lurkers, you!First, I want to thank everyone who's made, and will be continuing to make the Teatime Ten interview series so exciting! I'm grateful to all those who have and will participate (keep an eye out for Jennifer Becton appearing this upcoming Tuesday!).
In the meantime, you can read all of the Teatime Ten interviews here !
Second, my many thanks to those who took part in the Letters of Love & Deception book give-away ! And to those who have generously retweeted about my little collection of Austenesque short stories. If you haven't already, check out the interview I did over at Girlebooks.com about what went into writing those short stories. A small snippet!
Regarding literary monster mash-ups: I'm not against monsters, but I'm against using them poorly OR arbitrarily. Monsters are a metaphor; hence if you employ that monster, you are employing all their metaphoric meaning. You can't have a sea monster just because your title has an "S" in it. You can have a sea monster if you're at sea. And even then, there's a variety of sea monsters. Are you interested in exploring creatures that look charming but kill you? Go for mermaids. Are you interesting in exploring creatures that look human but are emotionally distant? Go for selkies. Are you looking for something that's all consuming and toothsome? Have a kraken. But for pity's sake, sea monsters aren't scenery; they're action.You can read the full interview here !
I would also like to thank those who have encouraged me to keep revising my novel
Presumption
, about the romance between Colonel Fitzwilliam and Maria Lucas. In particular, many thanks to the Indie Jane ladies for their
Dueling Fitzwilliam
series, with the most interesting set of questions for our Colonel yet! As well as
Jennifer Becton's
continuing support for the project. (And if you're looking for something Maria Lucas-y, make sure you check out her
short story
!)You can read the first chapter of the Presumption here . And the doodle of that moment is to the right.
Most of all, I want to thank the Austen community for all their warmth, silliness, and support. In a particular way, thank you to Mags who believed in Nachtsturm when I didn't, Laura at Girlebooks.com who is everything one could hope for in a publishers, Meredith who invited me to the Austenesque Extravaganza, Nancy Kelley for loving Col. Fitzwilliam, Jennifer Becton for publishing know-how and general awesomeness, and the Regency Ladies for friendship - and you, you know who you are. Have a lovely weekend - wish me luck as I interview to direct Macbeth in Boston tomorrow! - make sure you pick up a copy of my novels (shameless plug!) - and may your day be full of frolic!
September 22, 2011
Math for Actors: God bless America's Heartland!
A big thank you to America's heartlands for your theatrical support! It seems appropriate that this little play about the heart (and theatre, and math) is doing well in the Heartland of America!
I'm psyched because on Dec. 2 & 3rd, Batavia High School in Illinois will be putting on my play, Math for Actors , followed soon after by Great Bend High School in Kansas performance of it on January 17th!
If you're in the mood for a little bit of romance, you can either read an excerpt from the play here (and really, I'll brag and say that my plays are quite readable even without performance)...or you can see the first performance of the play below!
I'm psyched because on Dec. 2 & 3rd, Batavia High School in Illinois will be putting on my play, Math for Actors , followed soon after by Great Bend High School in Kansas performance of it on January 17th!
If you're in the mood for a little bit of romance, you can either read an excerpt from the play here (and really, I'll brag and say that my plays are quite readable even without performance)...or you can see the first performance of the play below!
September 21, 2011
Letters of Love & Deception: Book Give-away WINNERS
Congratulations to the winners of
Letters of Love & Deception
!Winners of Letters of Love & Deception
Patricia McMahonFaith Hope and CherrytreeLauryl LaneErica McFarlandNancy Kelly Winner of Nachtsturm Castle
Farida MestekI'll be contacting you via Facebook, Twitter or Email so that you can claim your copy!
THANK YOU to all who participated!
September 20, 2011
Teatime Ten: Vera Nazarian
Readers of this blog may know
Vera Nazarian
primarily through her
Supernatural Jane Austen
series, but what you may not know is that Vera is also an accomplished fantasy author and publisher. Her press,
Norilana Books
, prints original Austenesque and fantastical books, as well as classic literature.
In 2006, she took on the task of preserving the legacy of renown feminist fantasy author, Marion Zimmer Bradley , by continuing to publish the Sword and Sorcery Anthologies , (which gave this authoress her first break!), the twenty-sixth volume of which will be available this November. She's also a terrific graphic artist!
And somewhere in the middle of all this and more besides, Vera found time to sit down with us for the Teatime Ten!
Hullo, Vera! I'm so glad you could make it for the Teatime Ten! I'll admit that I've been a fan of yours since your work in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress Anthologies, but most recently you've explored the world of Jane Austen paraliterature. What drew youto join in the fun of Austen?
As someone who's been soaking in classics of world literature from avery early age, both in my native Russian and then later in English, I'vedeveloped a natural old-fashioned writing style which meshes really well withnineteenth century works. Some mightcall it quirky, archaic, stodgy, unusual, unpalatable for modern readers,eccentric, plain weird - I call it "Vera Nazarian." And since I loveJane Austen, humor, and fantasy, I think I've found my perfect niche -reworking the Jane Austen novels into supernatural hilarious parodies, imbuedwith heartfelt true love and romance.
When that zombies parody of Pride and Prejudice came out, I wasactually fired up. The idea was great but the execution sloppy. I knew I couldabsolutely do better, because I was already one step ahead - I was a true fanof classic literature and Jane Austen, I wrote in the subtle period style withgreat facility, and I admired and loved the spirit of Austen, with every intentionof retaining it in my mash-up, and without breaking out of character (somethingI think the zombies parody did poorly by being generally crude and ignoring allreal Austen sensibilities, while going instead for anachronistic pop cultureshock value).
My primary goal in the Supernatural Jane Austen Series is to remainabsolutely true to Austen in style and tone, while adding in theperiod-appropriate fantasy elements and enhancing and ramping up the alreadyfunny elements with a sense of sudden joyful mayhem - such as baboons on theloose in the ballroom alongside mummies in Mansfield Park and Mummies ,the attacking Brighton Duck that terrorizes Bath and other neighborhoods in NorthangerAbbey and Angels and Dragons (the duck is a recurring character thatappears in each novel, and usually teaches the "villains" a lesson ortwo), the shape-shifting monthly curse that strikes all the gentlemen in Prideand Platypus: Mr. Darcy's Dreadful Secret (poking fun in the satire mannerof "what if men could menstruate"), and many others.
Note also, my own original fantasy novels might include a more explicittreatment of sexuality and erotic elements, but here I remain true to Austen inthe sense of period "propriety" - nothing in my Austen novels evergoes beyond a kiss, and even such is mentioned in perfectly chaste terms thatJane herself would not even blush to use. I realize that many other wonderfulAusten sequel authors successfully employ various levels of sensuality, but Iprefer to keep my own books absolutely Jane-safe.
In short, I believe that Austen's common-sense "gentility"with its sharp wit and delightful warmth and outlook on real life andrelationships, works really well in juxtaposition with the fantastic elementsof horror, myth, and fairy tales. Altogether, a recipe for delight!
Please do tell us about your latestAustenesque novels! What surprises can we find in store?
The Supernatural Jane Austen Series is moving along, with the third bookcoming very soon, Pride and Platypus: Mr. Darcy's Dreadful Secret, whichpromises to be both heartfelt, romantic and hilarious.
Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite:
"It is atruth universally acknowledged, that when the moon is full over RegencyEngland, the gentlemen are all subject to its curse.
It is apeculiar monthly Affliction inducing them to take on various unnaturalshapes—neither quite demon, nor proper beast—and in those shapes to roam theland; to hunt, murder, dismember, gorge on blood, consume haggis and kidneypie, gamble away familial fortune, marry below their station (and below theirstature, when the lady is an Amazon), vote Whig, perform sudden and voluntarymanual labor, cultivate orchids, collect butterflies and Limoges snuff boxes,and perpetrate other such odious evil—unless properly contained."
Read thecomplete first three chapters here . And coming in the next few months are:
PaganPersuasion: All Olympus Descends on Regency - Ancient Greekgods start an apocalyptic war, and only the love of Anne Elliot and CaptainWentworth can save Regency England from Olympic mayhem...
EmmaEnchanted - TheWoodhouse residence is infested with all of Faerie, and the Faerie Queenherself is out to make some supernatural mischief by challenging Emma to anunusual matchmaking contest.
Sense andSanguine Sensibility - Behold—the long-suffering Dashwood sisters and the hilariouslyTwilight-like vampires and werewolves who love them...
LadySusan, Succubus - A certain horrid, demonic, yet unbelievablyseductive Lady Susan is more than she seems...
If the titles of the last novel weren't obvious, (very exciting - there's too little Lady Susan paraliterature!), quite a few of your Austen novels arefirmly tongue-in-cheek - almost a parody of a parody of the recent rash ofmonster mash-ups. Besides the original Austen novels and the recent monstermash-ups, what other influences find their way into those novels?
I love classic Japanese monster movies, and the classic comedy mayhem ofthe Abbott and Costello monster movies - such as A&C meet Frankensteinand A&C meet the Mummy. Thefun begins when there is a long creepy-fun buildup as characters are graduallyexposed to weirdness, first disbelieving and then trying to fit thesupernatural into their worldview and give it a logical explanation where noneof course is possible. And then all the elements of normal life collide withthe supernatural weirdness head-on, resulting in an explosion of delightfulfun. I strive to bottle that mayhem and infuse it into my Austen parodies.As for other influences - well there's the entire Faerie, all theworld's myths and legends, and all the shivery delight that is invoked by asense of wonder and the immortal human imagination found in history andfolklore. Add to it a wacky sense ofhumor that cherishes the absurd, and there you have it!
Your Austen novels are publishedunder your company, Norilana Books. What's the story behind thename...and the story behind this venture?
I started my independent publishing house Norilana Books (and its variousimprints) in 2006, because I've been working for other publishers for the lastdecade or so, in various capacities, and accumulated experience and perspectiveon how to run my own small press. Originally I started with reissuing classics of world literature in bothhardcover and trade paperback, and then began to acquire modern reprints andoriginals from such authors as Tanith Lee, Sherwood Smith, Modean Moon, JohnGrant, the Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust, and many others, undervarious imprints. I am proud to be publishing such anthology series as thelong-running classic Sword and Sorceress, and the critically acclaimed Laceand Blade, Warrior Wisewoman, and Clockwork Phoenix. Norilana Books has just celebrated itsFive-Year Anniversary this August, with over 290 titles in print, and there aremany exciting books coming down the pipeline - including the rest of my ownJane Austen titles.
The name "Norilana" is a made-upword. I've spilled the secret recently - it's the name of a great and powerfulsorceress and mysterious divine being in the very first (unfinished) epicfantasy novel I stared to write as a kid in junior high school. One of thesedays I might finish it, and then you will all find out more about Norilana andher magical wonder. For now, I'mthrilled that Norilana simply means wonderful books by wonderful authors!
What is it like to be an author,publisher, artist and tech designer? How do you manage your time? Whatchallenges have you overcome?
Great question! First and foremost, I have no life. I work in everyspare moment and then I collapse and then I work some more. I am very fortunate to possess the variousskills and talents necessary to do everything, literally - from good-lookingprofessional cover art, interior formatting, packaging, editing, and uploadingfiles to the printer, to website programming, shipping of review copies toPublishers Weekly and other trades, bookkeeping, taxes, royalties, marketing,and every tiny little thing between. I've designed about 98% of the covers, andthe only thing I can say with relief is that the anthologies - thank goodness - are all edited by other people.
You originally started writing infantasy, being nominated twice for a Nebula Award! What overlap have you foundbetween the two genres?
Fantasy already is, in fact, all fiction. Inthe grander sense, it constitutes all that is the product of the imagination.Even so-called mainstream fiction involves elements of fantasy to a greatextent, and I simply choose to write beyond the edges of what we officiallyconsider "real," to touch upon the other, the numinous, the"meta."
Recently, on your Twitter feed, you advocated a return to thetrue, good and beautiful in fiction - a sentiment with which I heartily agree. How is this exemplified in your works?
It may sound like a contradiction, but I write fantasy of lighteven when I write what appears to be on the surface dark fantasy - bywhich I mean, I write all things imbued with ultimate hope. And yes, I believein meaning, in the fundamental force of good in the universe.
Allow me for a moment to wax wildly philosophical. The only genuinelylogical belief to adhere to is what I call "Schroedinger'sAgnosticism" - a logic-based recognition of the eternal possibility ofone thing or the other, a kind of permanent random probability field of allpossibilities present at the same time. Without an ordered universe, a patternor plan, a constant, such a probability field will lose cohesion andcollapse, because there would be no way to constantly maintain the fineexact balance of absolute unbiased probability recognized byscience. This to me indicates an ordereduniverse, and calls for a belief in the Positive Principle and in Cohesionitself. It is the most subatomic basicnotion that something holds all things together.
And what exactly is that something? Call it greater Reason, God, unifiedsentience, the fundamental altruistic nature of the human spirit, amathematically perfect ordered universe - it is all the same thing. And it byits very nature is a source of reason and meaning. So I write stories ofmeaning which in turn gives birth to hope - an end reason for suffering andredemption and sacrifice and love. My characters are all instruments of whatmight be called "doing the right thing" - regardless of belief orfaith or absence of such. In the endthey always follow the bright star of inspiration. Read my Dreams of the Compass Rose , orthe soon-to-be reissued monumental epic fantasy Lords of Rainbow , abouta world without color, to see how I handle this theme.
What would you love to see come out nextfrom the Austen community? How about the fantasy world?
In the Austenverse, I would love to see more focus on books other than Prideand Prejudice, and possibly new continuations of The Watsons and Sanditon. Because after I am done with the SupernaturalJane Austen Series, I expect at some point to do this myself.
In the fantasy world, let's go back to grand heroic epics of light, andenough with dystopias for as change. It's so easy to write in gritty milieus where murder and war anddestruction are commonplace, such as the real world. How about we imagine somepositive utopias instead? Not the creepyStepford Wives kind, but some real practical ones with people lovingeach other and genuinely working together, that will help us visualize a brightfuture? Seriously, how come no one ever wants to write a perfect world? Areally, honestly good world, as we would like this world of ours to be? Is it truly so hard to imagine? Maybe so. Maybe that's the real reason for allthe bad things within our control - we cannot imagine a practical good world,so we live in a bogged-down, tragic, sorrowful one. After all, our imagination is what createsthe patterns of the future. Time we gota grip on it!
What advice do you have for aspiringwriters?
First, get to know the industry, and thepeople in it - both online and personally, if possible, by making professionalcontacts and attending events such as conventions and conferences. Try a goodwriters workshop at least once. Learn to handle constructive criticism andseparate it from worthless criticism. Learn infinite patience, because literarysubmissions take forever. Do not rush into anything, includingpublication. Read widely in allgenres. Maintain a social online presence.Write only what you genuinely love, and not what seems trendy right now - thismay be the most difficult thing of all, since for many of us it takes half alifetime to figure out what it is we love and want to write. Learn the proper professional submissionmethods. Be polite, courteous, and professional. Learn about agents, editors,scams, the pros sand cons of traditional publishing and self-publishing (yes,this is new advice, because self-publishing has finally become a viablealternative, but only in some cases). Follow guidelines precisely. And never,ever, ever, ever give up.
What can we expect next from VeraNazarian?
Oh dear, there are so many books and projects I have lined up. After theSupernatural Jane Austen Series (or concurrent with it), I plan to return to myfantasy roots and do Lady of Monochrome (sequel to Lords of Rainbow),Cobweb Bride, Airealm, and several others. Not sure which onewill happen first, but likely one of these I just mentioned.
Thank you for everything!
And many thanks for the fun questions and for having me here!
Vera Nazarian is a prolific author, and owner of the publishing house,
Norilana Books
. She hails from Vermont by way of California and Russia. You can learn more about Vera by visiting her official site.
You can follow Vera on Facebook , Twitter , Google and also find her on these sites:
LiveJournal MySpace Red Room Goodreads Shelfari LibraryThing SFF You can also buy her books at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , and Smashswords .
In 2006, she took on the task of preserving the legacy of renown feminist fantasy author, Marion Zimmer Bradley , by continuing to publish the Sword and Sorcery Anthologies , (which gave this authoress her first break!), the twenty-sixth volume of which will be available this November. She's also a terrific graphic artist!
And somewhere in the middle of all this and more besides, Vera found time to sit down with us for the Teatime Ten!
Hullo, Vera! I'm so glad you could make it for the Teatime Ten! I'll admit that I've been a fan of yours since your work in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress Anthologies, but most recently you've explored the world of Jane Austen paraliterature. What drew youto join in the fun of Austen?As someone who's been soaking in classics of world literature from avery early age, both in my native Russian and then later in English, I'vedeveloped a natural old-fashioned writing style which meshes really well withnineteenth century works. Some mightcall it quirky, archaic, stodgy, unusual, unpalatable for modern readers,eccentric, plain weird - I call it "Vera Nazarian." And since I loveJane Austen, humor, and fantasy, I think I've found my perfect niche -reworking the Jane Austen novels into supernatural hilarious parodies, imbuedwith heartfelt true love and romance.
When that zombies parody of Pride and Prejudice came out, I wasactually fired up. The idea was great but the execution sloppy. I knew I couldabsolutely do better, because I was already one step ahead - I was a true fanof classic literature and Jane Austen, I wrote in the subtle period style withgreat facility, and I admired and loved the spirit of Austen, with every intentionof retaining it in my mash-up, and without breaking out of character (somethingI think the zombies parody did poorly by being generally crude and ignoring allreal Austen sensibilities, while going instead for anachronistic pop cultureshock value).
My primary goal in the Supernatural Jane Austen Series is to remainabsolutely true to Austen in style and tone, while adding in theperiod-appropriate fantasy elements and enhancing and ramping up the alreadyfunny elements with a sense of sudden joyful mayhem - such as baboons on theloose in the ballroom alongside mummies in Mansfield Park and Mummies ,the attacking Brighton Duck that terrorizes Bath and other neighborhoods in NorthangerAbbey and Angels and Dragons (the duck is a recurring character thatappears in each novel, and usually teaches the "villains" a lesson ortwo), the shape-shifting monthly curse that strikes all the gentlemen in Prideand Platypus: Mr. Darcy's Dreadful Secret (poking fun in the satire mannerof "what if men could menstruate"), and many others.
Note also, my own original fantasy novels might include a more explicittreatment of sexuality and erotic elements, but here I remain true to Austen inthe sense of period "propriety" - nothing in my Austen novels evergoes beyond a kiss, and even such is mentioned in perfectly chaste terms thatJane herself would not even blush to use. I realize that many other wonderfulAusten sequel authors successfully employ various levels of sensuality, but Iprefer to keep my own books absolutely Jane-safe.
In short, I believe that Austen's common-sense "gentility"with its sharp wit and delightful warmth and outlook on real life andrelationships, works really well in juxtaposition with the fantastic elementsof horror, myth, and fairy tales. Altogether, a recipe for delight!
Please do tell us about your latestAustenesque novels! What surprises can we find in store?
The Supernatural Jane Austen Series is moving along, with the third bookcoming very soon, Pride and Platypus: Mr. Darcy's Dreadful Secret, whichpromises to be both heartfelt, romantic and hilarious.
Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite:
"It is atruth universally acknowledged, that when the moon is full over RegencyEngland, the gentlemen are all subject to its curse.It is apeculiar monthly Affliction inducing them to take on various unnaturalshapes—neither quite demon, nor proper beast—and in those shapes to roam theland; to hunt, murder, dismember, gorge on blood, consume haggis and kidneypie, gamble away familial fortune, marry below their station (and below theirstature, when the lady is an Amazon), vote Whig, perform sudden and voluntarymanual labor, cultivate orchids, collect butterflies and Limoges snuff boxes,and perpetrate other such odious evil—unless properly contained."
Read thecomplete first three chapters here . And coming in the next few months are:
PaganPersuasion: All Olympus Descends on Regency - Ancient Greekgods start an apocalyptic war, and only the love of Anne Elliot and CaptainWentworth can save Regency England from Olympic mayhem...
EmmaEnchanted - TheWoodhouse residence is infested with all of Faerie, and the Faerie Queenherself is out to make some supernatural mischief by challenging Emma to anunusual matchmaking contest.
Sense andSanguine Sensibility - Behold—the long-suffering Dashwood sisters and the hilariouslyTwilight-like vampires and werewolves who love them...
LadySusan, Succubus - A certain horrid, demonic, yet unbelievablyseductive Lady Susan is more than she seems...
If the titles of the last novel weren't obvious, (very exciting - there's too little Lady Susan paraliterature!), quite a few of your Austen novels arefirmly tongue-in-cheek - almost a parody of a parody of the recent rash ofmonster mash-ups. Besides the original Austen novels and the recent monstermash-ups, what other influences find their way into those novels?
I love classic Japanese monster movies, and the classic comedy mayhem ofthe Abbott and Costello monster movies - such as A&C meet Frankensteinand A&C meet the Mummy. Thefun begins when there is a long creepy-fun buildup as characters are graduallyexposed to weirdness, first disbelieving and then trying to fit thesupernatural into their worldview and give it a logical explanation where noneof course is possible. And then all the elements of normal life collide withthe supernatural weirdness head-on, resulting in an explosion of delightfulfun. I strive to bottle that mayhem and infuse it into my Austen parodies.As for other influences - well there's the entire Faerie, all theworld's myths and legends, and all the shivery delight that is invoked by asense of wonder and the immortal human imagination found in history andfolklore. Add to it a wacky sense ofhumor that cherishes the absurd, and there you have it!
Your Austen novels are publishedunder your company, Norilana Books. What's the story behind thename...and the story behind this venture?
I started my independent publishing house Norilana Books (and its variousimprints) in 2006, because I've been working for other publishers for the lastdecade or so, in various capacities, and accumulated experience and perspectiveon how to run my own small press. Originally I started with reissuing classics of world literature in bothhardcover and trade paperback, and then began to acquire modern reprints andoriginals from such authors as Tanith Lee, Sherwood Smith, Modean Moon, JohnGrant, the Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust, and many others, undervarious imprints. I am proud to be publishing such anthology series as thelong-running classic Sword and Sorceress, and the critically acclaimed Laceand Blade, Warrior Wisewoman, and Clockwork Phoenix. Norilana Books has just celebrated itsFive-Year Anniversary this August, with over 290 titles in print, and there aremany exciting books coming down the pipeline - including the rest of my ownJane Austen titles.
The name "Norilana" is a made-upword. I've spilled the secret recently - it's the name of a great and powerfulsorceress and mysterious divine being in the very first (unfinished) epicfantasy novel I stared to write as a kid in junior high school. One of thesedays I might finish it, and then you will all find out more about Norilana andher magical wonder. For now, I'mthrilled that Norilana simply means wonderful books by wonderful authors!
What is it like to be an author,publisher, artist and tech designer? How do you manage your time? Whatchallenges have you overcome?
Great question! First and foremost, I have no life. I work in everyspare moment and then I collapse and then I work some more. I am very fortunate to possess the variousskills and talents necessary to do everything, literally - from good-lookingprofessional cover art, interior formatting, packaging, editing, and uploadingfiles to the printer, to website programming, shipping of review copies toPublishers Weekly and other trades, bookkeeping, taxes, royalties, marketing,and every tiny little thing between. I've designed about 98% of the covers, andthe only thing I can say with relief is that the anthologies - thank goodness - are all edited by other people.
You originally started writing infantasy, being nominated twice for a Nebula Award! What overlap have you foundbetween the two genres?
Fantasy already is, in fact, all fiction. Inthe grander sense, it constitutes all that is the product of the imagination.Even so-called mainstream fiction involves elements of fantasy to a greatextent, and I simply choose to write beyond the edges of what we officiallyconsider "real," to touch upon the other, the numinous, the"meta."
Recently, on your Twitter feed, you advocated a return to thetrue, good and beautiful in fiction - a sentiment with which I heartily agree. How is this exemplified in your works?
It may sound like a contradiction, but I write fantasy of lighteven when I write what appears to be on the surface dark fantasy - bywhich I mean, I write all things imbued with ultimate hope. And yes, I believein meaning, in the fundamental force of good in the universe. Allow me for a moment to wax wildly philosophical. The only genuinelylogical belief to adhere to is what I call "Schroedinger'sAgnosticism" - a logic-based recognition of the eternal possibility ofone thing or the other, a kind of permanent random probability field of allpossibilities present at the same time. Without an ordered universe, a patternor plan, a constant, such a probability field will lose cohesion andcollapse, because there would be no way to constantly maintain the fineexact balance of absolute unbiased probability recognized byscience. This to me indicates an ordereduniverse, and calls for a belief in the Positive Principle and in Cohesionitself. It is the most subatomic basicnotion that something holds all things together.
And what exactly is that something? Call it greater Reason, God, unifiedsentience, the fundamental altruistic nature of the human spirit, amathematically perfect ordered universe - it is all the same thing. And it byits very nature is a source of reason and meaning. So I write stories ofmeaning which in turn gives birth to hope - an end reason for suffering andredemption and sacrifice and love. My characters are all instruments of whatmight be called "doing the right thing" - regardless of belief orfaith or absence of such. In the endthey always follow the bright star of inspiration. Read my Dreams of the Compass Rose , orthe soon-to-be reissued monumental epic fantasy Lords of Rainbow , abouta world without color, to see how I handle this theme.
What would you love to see come out nextfrom the Austen community? How about the fantasy world?
In the Austenverse, I would love to see more focus on books other than Prideand Prejudice, and possibly new continuations of The Watsons and Sanditon. Because after I am done with the SupernaturalJane Austen Series, I expect at some point to do this myself.
In the fantasy world, let's go back to grand heroic epics of light, andenough with dystopias for as change. It's so easy to write in gritty milieus where murder and war anddestruction are commonplace, such as the real world. How about we imagine somepositive utopias instead? Not the creepyStepford Wives kind, but some real practical ones with people lovingeach other and genuinely working together, that will help us visualize a brightfuture? Seriously, how come no one ever wants to write a perfect world? Areally, honestly good world, as we would like this world of ours to be? Is it truly so hard to imagine? Maybe so. Maybe that's the real reason for allthe bad things within our control - we cannot imagine a practical good world,so we live in a bogged-down, tragic, sorrowful one. After all, our imagination is what createsthe patterns of the future. Time we gota grip on it!
What advice do you have for aspiringwriters?
First, get to know the industry, and thepeople in it - both online and personally, if possible, by making professionalcontacts and attending events such as conventions and conferences. Try a goodwriters workshop at least once. Learn to handle constructive criticism andseparate it from worthless criticism. Learn infinite patience, because literarysubmissions take forever. Do not rush into anything, includingpublication. Read widely in allgenres. Maintain a social online presence.Write only what you genuinely love, and not what seems trendy right now - thismay be the most difficult thing of all, since for many of us it takes half alifetime to figure out what it is we love and want to write. Learn the proper professional submissionmethods. Be polite, courteous, and professional. Learn about agents, editors,scams, the pros sand cons of traditional publishing and self-publishing (yes,this is new advice, because self-publishing has finally become a viablealternative, but only in some cases). Follow guidelines precisely. And never,ever, ever, ever give up.
What can we expect next from VeraNazarian?
Oh dear, there are so many books and projects I have lined up. After theSupernatural Jane Austen Series (or concurrent with it), I plan to return to myfantasy roots and do Lady of Monochrome (sequel to Lords of Rainbow),Cobweb Bride, Airealm, and several others. Not sure which onewill happen first, but likely one of these I just mentioned.
Thank you for everything!
And many thanks for the fun questions and for having me here!
Vera Nazarian is a prolific author, and owner of the publishing house,
Norilana Books
. She hails from Vermont by way of California and Russia. You can learn more about Vera by visiting her official site.You can follow Vera on Facebook , Twitter , Google and also find her on these sites:
LiveJournal MySpace Red Room Goodreads Shelfari LibraryThing SFF You can also buy her books at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , and Smashswords .
September 19, 2011
Letters of Love & Deception: Book Give-away LAST DAY
Quiz the Sixthof the e-book give-away of
Letters of Love & Deception
To celebrate
today's
of Letters of Love & Deception on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th, we're giving away six free e-books, in the format of your choice, in honour of Jane Austen's six novels.
Comment below, and you'll be eligible to win either one of five copies of Letters of Love & Deception or a copy Nachtsturm Castle: A Gothic Austen Novel from Girlebooks.com !
The giveaway runs from Wednesday through to Monday, Sept. 19th, the official release date! And don't forget that you can still comment in Wednesday , Thursday , Friday and Saturday 's quizzes!
If you want a preview of the short stories in LOL&D, click here !
The rules in brief:
Post a comment with answers to the quiz below (making sure to leave contact info) and your name will be entered to win a free e-book. Each time you comment, on any of the quizzes, your name will be entered again. So answer early and often!
And never fear if you don't know the answers off the top of your head! You can look up the answers, or crib from the person above you (maybe even add some more information!), or just make it up and make us laugh! It's all in good fun.
On Monday at midnight, the giveaway will close and six winners will be chosen! Comment away!
Quiz the Sixth
Today, we're just going to ask you one question:
Please write a short letter from any of Jane's characters explaining why they should be the recipient of a free e-copy of Letters of Love & Deception!
To celebrate
today's
of Letters of Love & Deception on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th, we're giving away six free e-books, in the format of your choice, in honour of Jane Austen's six novels. Comment below, and you'll be eligible to win either one of five copies of Letters of Love & Deception or a copy Nachtsturm Castle: A Gothic Austen Novel from Girlebooks.com !
The giveaway runs from Wednesday through to Monday, Sept. 19th, the official release date! And don't forget that you can still comment in Wednesday , Thursday , Friday and Saturday 's quizzes!
If you want a preview of the short stories in LOL&D, click here !
The rules in brief:
Post a comment with answers to the quiz below (making sure to leave contact info) and your name will be entered to win a free e-book. Each time you comment, on any of the quizzes, your name will be entered again. So answer early and often!
And never fear if you don't know the answers off the top of your head! You can look up the answers, or crib from the person above you (maybe even add some more information!), or just make it up and make us laugh! It's all in good fun.
On Monday at midnight, the giveaway will close and six winners will be chosen! Comment away!
Quiz the Sixth
Today, we're just going to ask you one question:
Please write a short letter from any of Jane's characters explaining why they should be the recipient of a free e-copy of Letters of Love & Deception!
September 18, 2011
Letters of Love & Deception: Book Give-Away Day FIVE
Quiz the Fifthof the e-book give-away of
Letters of Love & Deception
To celebrate
the upcoming release
of Letters of Love & Deception on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th, we're giving away six free e-books, in the format of your choice, in honour of Jane Austen's six novels.
Comment below, and you'll be eligible to win either one of five copies of Letters of Love & Deception or a copy Nachtsturm Castle: A Gothic Austen Novel from Girlebooks.com !
The giveaway runs from Wednesday through to Monday, Sept. 19th, the official release date! And don't forget that you can still comment in Wednesday , Thursday , Friday and Saturday 's quizzes!
If you want a preview of the short stories in LOL&D, click here !
The rules in brief:
Post a comment with answers to the quiz below (making sure to leave contact info) and your name will be entered to win a free e-book. Each time you comment, on any of the quizzes, your name will be entered again. So answer early and often!
And never fear if you don't know the answers off the top of your head! You can look up the answers, or crib from the person above you (maybe even add some more information!), or just make it up and make us laugh! It's all in good fun.
On Monday at midnight, the giveaway will close and six winners will be chosen! Comment away!Quiz the Fifth
Today will be for a free e-copy of Nachtsturm Castle: A Gothic Austen Novel (However, please do put all your answers in one post...! THANKS!)
Novels: What is Austen's famous defense of novels in Northanger Abbey?
History: What was the Black Veil mentioned in The Mysteries of Udolpho?
Literature: How many Gothic literature tropes can you list?
Austen: Jane Austen parodies Gothic novels in Northanger Abbey. Do you know which Gothic novels she might have been acquainted with?
Austenesque: While on vacation in Venice, you are abducted by the local Doge and imprisoned in a palazzo. How does Henry Tilney rescue you?
To celebrate
the upcoming release
of Letters of Love & Deception on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th, we're giving away six free e-books, in the format of your choice, in honour of Jane Austen's six novels. Comment below, and you'll be eligible to win either one of five copies of Letters of Love & Deception or a copy Nachtsturm Castle: A Gothic Austen Novel from Girlebooks.com !
The giveaway runs from Wednesday through to Monday, Sept. 19th, the official release date! And don't forget that you can still comment in Wednesday , Thursday , Friday and Saturday 's quizzes!
If you want a preview of the short stories in LOL&D, click here !
The rules in brief:
Post a comment with answers to the quiz below (making sure to leave contact info) and your name will be entered to win a free e-book. Each time you comment, on any of the quizzes, your name will be entered again. So answer early and often!
And never fear if you don't know the answers off the top of your head! You can look up the answers, or crib from the person above you (maybe even add some more information!), or just make it up and make us laugh! It's all in good fun.
On Monday at midnight, the giveaway will close and six winners will be chosen! Comment away!Quiz the Fifth
Today will be for a free e-copy of Nachtsturm Castle: A Gothic Austen Novel (However, please do put all your answers in one post...! THANKS!)
Novels: What is Austen's famous defense of novels in Northanger Abbey?History: What was the Black Veil mentioned in The Mysteries of Udolpho?
Literature: How many Gothic literature tropes can you list?
Austen: Jane Austen parodies Gothic novels in Northanger Abbey. Do you know which Gothic novels she might have been acquainted with?
Austenesque: While on vacation in Venice, you are abducted by the local Doge and imprisoned in a palazzo. How does Henry Tilney rescue you?
September 16, 2011
Letters of Love & Deception: Book Give-away DAY FOUR
Quiz theFourthof the e-book give-away of
Letters of Love & Deception
To celebrate
the upcoming release
of Letters of Love & Deception and other Austenesque short stories, we're giving away six free e-books, in the format of your choice, in honour of Jane Austen's six novels.
Comment below, and you'll be eligible to win either one of five copies of Letters of Love & Deception or a copy Nachtsturm Castle: A Gothic Austen Novel from Girlebooks.com !
The giveaway runs from Wednesday through to Monday, Sept. 19th, the official release date! And don't forget that you can still comment in Wednesday , Thursday , and Friday 's quizzes!
If you want a preview of the short stories in LOL&D, click here !
The rules in brief:
Post a comment with answers to the quiz below (making sure to leave contact info) and your name will be entered to win a free e-book. Each time you comment, on any of the quizzes, your name will be entered again. So answer early and often!
And never fear if you don't know the answers off the top of your head! You can look up the answers, or crib from the person above you (maybe even add some more information!), or just make it up and make us laugh! It's all in good fun.
On Monday at midnight, the giveaway will close and six winners will be chosen! Comment away!Quiz the Fourth
Novels: Can you list Jane Austen's novels...in backwards order?!?!?!
History: What is the difference between the Season and the Little Season?
Literature: What's one of your favorite quotes or passages from literature? For example, I keep returning to Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, in Volume IV, Book Fourteen, Chapter 6, "The Agony of Death after the Agony of Life:"
"Now, for my trouble, promise me--" And [Eponine] stopped.
"What?" asked Marius.
"Promise me!"
"I promise."
"Promise to give me a kiss on my brow when I am dead.--I shallfeel it."
She dropped her head again on Marius' knees, and her eyelids closed. He thought the poor soul had departed. Eponine remained motionless. All at once, at the very moment when Marius fancied her asleep forever,she slowly opened her eyes in which appeared the sombre profundityof death, and said to him in a tone whose sweetness seemed alreadyto proceed from another world:--
"And by the way, Monsieur Marius, I believe that I was a littlebit in love with you."
Austen: Jane Austen felt that she recorded life as it happened. If she could return from the grave, what do you think she would poke fun of and why?
Austenesque: If all of Austen's ladies (e.g. Lady Catherine de Bourgh, et al!) tried to enter a room simultaneously, who would win the honour of going first?
To celebrate
the upcoming release
of Letters of Love & Deception and other Austenesque short stories, we're giving away six free e-books, in the format of your choice, in honour of Jane Austen's six novels. Comment below, and you'll be eligible to win either one of five copies of Letters of Love & Deception or a copy Nachtsturm Castle: A Gothic Austen Novel from Girlebooks.com !
The giveaway runs from Wednesday through to Monday, Sept. 19th, the official release date! And don't forget that you can still comment in Wednesday , Thursday , and Friday 's quizzes!
If you want a preview of the short stories in LOL&D, click here !
The rules in brief:
Post a comment with answers to the quiz below (making sure to leave contact info) and your name will be entered to win a free e-book. Each time you comment, on any of the quizzes, your name will be entered again. So answer early and often!
And never fear if you don't know the answers off the top of your head! You can look up the answers, or crib from the person above you (maybe even add some more information!), or just make it up and make us laugh! It's all in good fun.
On Monday at midnight, the giveaway will close and six winners will be chosen! Comment away!Quiz the Fourth
Novels: Can you list Jane Austen's novels...in backwards order?!?!?!
History: What is the difference between the Season and the Little Season?
Literature: What's one of your favorite quotes or passages from literature? For example, I keep returning to Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, in Volume IV, Book Fourteen, Chapter 6, "The Agony of Death after the Agony of Life:"
"Now, for my trouble, promise me--" And [Eponine] stopped.
"What?" asked Marius."Promise me!"
"I promise."
"Promise to give me a kiss on my brow when I am dead.--I shallfeel it."
She dropped her head again on Marius' knees, and her eyelids closed. He thought the poor soul had departed. Eponine remained motionless. All at once, at the very moment when Marius fancied her asleep forever,she slowly opened her eyes in which appeared the sombre profundityof death, and said to him in a tone whose sweetness seemed alreadyto proceed from another world:--
"And by the way, Monsieur Marius, I believe that I was a littlebit in love with you."
Austen: Jane Austen felt that she recorded life as it happened. If she could return from the grave, what do you think she would poke fun of and why?
Austenesque: If all of Austen's ladies (e.g. Lady Catherine de Bourgh, et al!) tried to enter a room simultaneously, who would win the honour of going first?
Duels and Doodling
In honour of
Indie Jane
hosting the
Dueling Fitzwilliams
, here's a very quick sketch I did of my own humble offering of the "by-the-book" Colonel, in the forthcoming novel,
Presumption
. This particular sketch is dedicated to Jennifer Becton, whose encouragement in this pursuit has persuaded me to finish the edits so as to make the book available in 2012!
If you can't wait for Presumption's release, why not curl up with
Letters of Love & Deception
, which is released from
Girlebooks.com
this Monday, Sept. 19th...and which is currently holding a book give-away
here
. And if Monday's too far away, you're in luck because
Nachtsturm Castle: A Gothic Austen Novel
a sequel to Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey is already available from
Girlebooks
!By the by, Jennifer will be stopping by on Tuesday, Sept. 27 for the Teatime Ten, in very good company with
Vera Nazarian
who will delight us this Tuesday, Sept. 20, and
Meredith Esparza
and
Margaret C. Sullivan
who have already joined us for tea and company!
And if you're a Austenesque/Regency author, and would like to be interviewed for the Teatime Ten, please do drop me a line or a comment or a tweet! I'll be featuring Regency/Austenesque Authors every Tuesday at least through the end of 2011.
