Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 18

Son of a Pitch Submission Window

The submission window is now...

OPEN!
Once all fifty places are filled, this post will display as closed. You will get a confirmation email if you are through or not. Be patient, as I will be going through one by one to make sure they are correctly formatted etc. DO NOT jump the gun!

Email entries to:
sonofapitchcomp@yahoo.com.au

Subject line: Son of a Pitch! (Category and Genre of your manuscript)

Formatting:Title: (Name of Manuscript)Age and Genre: (YA/NA/Adult then Genre)Word Count: (to the nearest thousand)
Query:Insert query here. No bio please.
First 250 Words:i don't care if this is from a prologue or chapter one. That's up to you.
Entries for the next round will open on Friday at 10 a.m. PDST. Please use the formatting above and email to:

Blog Tour: Petrified by Olaf Moriarty Solstrand

Petrified
by Olaf Moriarty Solstrand
Genre: YA Fantasy/Sci-fi
Release Date: September 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

Gunhild is a private in the Royal Army. She’s headstrong and reckless, but she’s also the best troll hunter in the country, and when a troll gets away with a national treasure, she’s the only person with any chance of getting it back.

Kirabo was on his way home to Aberash after a fulfilled research mission, but he managed to enter the wrong coordinates into his spaceship. Now he and his PA robot are stranded on a far-off planet, and they don’t have enough fuel to get back home.

As genres collide on Troll Island, Earth, the troll hunter and the space explorer have to overcome their differences and work together if they want to survive this fairytale.
Add to Goodreads
Six great Scandinavian fantasy booksScandinavians love reading. In Norway alone, where we’re roughly 5.2 million people, we buy 23 million books every year. Granted, that includes non-fiction, school curriculum, et cetera, but still, we read a lot, and this means we write a lot of books, too. Books of all genres that hold an extremely high quality, but that you may not have heard about if you didn’t grow up in Scandinavia.Fortunately, some of them get translated into English, and that includes books in the genre I’m writing about today: fantasy/YA.So if you want to get a glimpse of what Scandinavian fantasy writers have to offer, and you haven’t read these fantasy books, presented here in no particular order, I strongly recommend checking them out!
Tone Almhjell: The Twistrose KeyTone Almhjell is something as interesting as a Norwegian author that was first published in English and then translated back into Norwegian after she became a best-seller.Lin’s family has rented a house, and Lin’s certain that there’s something wrong there: The clocks tick too slowly, frost always covers the flower bed, and eventually, Lin gets a secret key marked “Twistrose” and finds a gate to another world - the world of Sylver, home of every dead animal who ever loved a child. Here, she must find the missing Winter Prince to save Sylver from destruction.The Twistrose Key was published in 2013, and the long-awaited companion novel, Thornghost, was finally released this summer.
Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg: The Engelsfors TrilogyThe Engelsfors Trilogy - The Circle, Fire and The Key - was an international sensation that was quickly sold to 26 countries. Some describe it as a cross between Twilightand Fucking Åmål. Others say this is “My So-Called Life meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in Twin Peaks”.Engelsfors is a beautiful name for a godforsaken town, surrounded by deep forests. On the night of a mysterious suicide, six high school students - Minnoo, Vanessa, Linnéa, Anna-Karin, Rebecka, and Ida, six girls with nothing in common - are drawn to an abandoned fairground where they must understand their mysterious powers and work past their differences to survive the battle between good and evil.
Jostein Gaarder: The Solitaire MysteryThe Solitaire Mystery was first released in 1990 and was the breakthrough book of Jostein Gaarder, well-known for his philosophy novel Sophie’s World.Hans Thomas and his father are driving from Arendal to Athens, hoping to find Hans Thomas’s mother. In Switzerland, a mysterious baker gives Hans Thomas a bun containing a miniature book, a book that tells the story of an island where fifty-three people, who’d given themselves names after playing cards, were living. Soon, however, the book and real world start overlapping...Gaarder has written many amazing books, and I’d also recommend that you have a look at Sophie’s Worldand The Christmas Mystery, but The Solitaire Mystery is my Gaarder favorite. Oh, and don’t be surprised if the book gives you a sudden urge to start collecting jokers!
Johan Harstad: 172 Hours on the MoonDo yourself a favor and read this book. Please. You won’t regret it.It’s been forty years since man first walked on the moon, and in order to fund a new trip, NASA organizes a worldwide lottery where three teenagers get a chance to travel to the moon and visit the secret DARLAH 2 base. Mia from Stavanger, Midori from Tokyo and Antoine from Paris are selected for the trip. Meanwhile, on a retirement home in Miami, we meet an old man so senile he can barely remember his own name. He does remember one thing, however: If mankind goes back to the moon, the outcome will be horrible and could mean the end of us all.172 Hours on the Moon has won a ton of awards, including being appointed the best Norwegian YA book of all time, and has been published in at least eighteen countries. It’s Harstad’s only YA novel, but he has also written acclaimed novels and short stories for adults, many of which are translated to English.
Lene Kaaberbøl: The Shamer ChroniclesStarting with The Shamer’s Daughter, Lene Kaaberbøl’s Shamer Chronicles is one of the most popular series Scandinavian fantasy has to offer.Dina’s mother is the Shamer; she has the ability to elicit shamed confessions by looking into someone’s eyes. Dina has inherited her power, but with great powers comes fear and hostility, and it is as much a curse as it is a gift. But when her mother is called to Dunark Castle, Dina must come to terms with her power to be able to come to her mother’s aid.Kaaberbøl is also the author of the Wildwitch series, and she’s also written the Nina Borg crime thrillers.
Astrid Lindgren: The Brothers LionheartThis is the only book on the list that does not seem to be available in the Kindle store, but I had to put it on the list anyway.This children’s book, from the author of Pippi Longstocking, tells the tale of brothers Karl and Jonathan. Karl is dying from sickness, so Jonathan tells him stories about the wonderful land of Nangiyala, where he’ll go when he dies, and they agree to meet up there. As cruel fate would have it, Jonathan dies first, and Karl doesn’t see him again before he dies and ends up in Nangiyala, which is as beautiful as he’d imagined it. But Nangiyala is under attack from a vicious tyrant, and Karl must help his brother prepare for battle…

(A few restrictions I put on myself when making this list: I only list works that are translated to English, which sadly excluded Siri Pettersen’s Raven rings, but make a mental note of that name, because it can only be a matter of time before she’s published in English, too, and you are going to love her. I made sure that all of these books are available on Amazon, and with one exception they’re available for Kindle. I couldn’t resist putting one book from 1973 on the list, but since the purpose of the list is to make you aware of amazing books you probably don’t know, I tried to steer clear of the classics, including Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt and Selma Lagerlöf’s The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. They’re still definitely worth reading, though. And finally, I tried to show some common courtesy by not putting my own book on the list!)
About the AuthorOlaf Moriarty Solstrand (1982-) is a Norwegian writer and librarian, currently living in Ski, Akershus with two lovebirds, one wife and a hyperactive Twitter account.

Since 2001, he has written scripts for more than sixty Donald Duck comics, and his stories have been published in 29 countries. His first novel, Trolløya, was self-published in 2013.

In 2010 he received the Raptus Award for the work he's done for Norwegian comics.
Author Links:Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook
GIVEAWAY:a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Organized by:
YA Bound Book Tours

Son of a Pitch: Peer Critique Round

Welcome to the first round of Son of a Pitch! This week is all about getting feedback from your peers, as you can tell from the title! Use the formatting below, and leave a link to your entry in the comments. And please jump around to the other links to leave feedback to at least three others. Your perspective could be invaluable to someone.
***Note: Participation in this round isn't a prerequisite to the rest of the comp, but it will give you an edge in the next few rounds.***

***Please do not leave replies in the comments. The comments are for links only. If you wish to say something, go to the link provided and comment there. Thank you!***
Formatting:Title: (Name of Manuscript)Age and Genre: (YA/NA/Adult then Genre)Word Count: (to the nearest thousand)
Query:Insert query here. No bio please.
First 250 Words:i don't care if this is from a prologue or chapter one. That's up to you.
Entries for the next round will open on Friday at 10 a.m. PDST. Please use the formatting above and email to:
sonofapitchcomp@yahoo.com.au
Incorrectly formatted emails will be returned. The  first fifty entries  will go into this round. A post will go live at that time, and will show CLOSED once all fifty places are filled. Those who make it through will receive a confirmation email.
Good luck!

Agent vs. Press: Why Choosing a Press Isn't Bad

I know, getting an agent is the dream. I know of people who only query agents period. I'm still querying agents even after successfully publishing ten books and counting. An agent opens doors.

But agents aren't always the best path for a writer's career.
No, you say? Of course an agent will direct me down the best path! Some do, yes. Some don't as well.
The ultimate dream is become the next J.K. Rowling or Stephen King. Having your books be so widely beloved you're a household name. That would be nice. But let's be realistic here. Amazon has literally millions of books available by almost as many authors. Those are two names. Yeah, you could probably name more off the top of your head, but can you reach a thousand, a hundred even, authors without looking them up? I'd also like to mention that both of these authors began before the rise of ebooks. It's no joke that ebooks have changed the shape of the publishing world, and I believe has changed how and what people read as well. Nowadays, even man and his dog can publish a book on Amazon if they want. Back when the above mentioned authors began, books were made of paper. Becoming an author meant an agent was pretty much essential. There wasn't much in the way of "small presses" or "self-publishing" the big publishing houses ruled and were the only way in. No agent meant no book. The rise of the ebook has completely changed that.
So, reeling our expectations back to reality, a book that sells well will probably bring about 15-20k a year for the author. Most authors probably get little more than a couple of hundred a month, very likely even less. So if you want to be a millionaire, you're in the wrong career. The honest to goodness truth is a vast majority of authors don't become millionaires from writing. Most use it as a side income on top of their day jobs, even those with an agent.
Now that we know that becoming a household name and insanely wealthy is highly unlikely, let's get down to the nitty gritty.
Agents are essential for one thing: Getting into big publishing houses. The Big Five and their affiliates, along with several other large publishing houses only accept submissions from agents. They have the demand, the means, the decision making power to make it so. The big publishers drive what is available, so can pick and choose what they sign on. Anyone who wants to have their wide range of distribution and publicity needs an agent to do so. This is why I want an agent even now.
But so often I see authors with agents signed with small presses. This blows my freaking mind. Not that small presses are bad, because I LOVE them (which I will go into more detail about in a minute) but honestly, the author could have submitted to the press themselves. When I see agented authors signed with small presses I believe they're getting duped. Big time. In general, press contracts will give around 35-40% royalty rate. That's pretty good, and the presses do their best to promote their books because they want their money too. But they can't sell like a Big 5 publisher can, realistically their income for any book will be lower. Take into that now that the agent takes say 15% that's taking what was about 40% down to 25%. The author, the person who poured their heart and soul into creating the book, gets a quarter of the book's earnings. But a small press has direct author submissions, so instead of getting say $500 a month which they would get if they'd submitted directly themselves, they're losing about $200 for the agent. Seriously, if your agent tells you they have a book deal with a small press, tell them to take a hike and submit it yourself. This is a business deal you have with them, and if they're not performing and doing things you could have easily done yourself, you should be looking for someone better to represent you. It's called firing them. I've had many friends who have fired their agents because they didn't perform. It's not unheard of. As an author, you have rights too.
I'm not saying agents are bad by any means. Agents who get deals with big publishers are worth your time. They're worth that percentage they take from the royalties. They're good agents. They're the ones every author should seek out. Go, find them!
Now, small presses. Guys, I cannot tell you how much I love them. I work with three great presses, Curiosity Quills, REUTS, and Soul Mate Publishing. Two of them have over 200 titles, and I believe authors too. All of them are eager to grow, promote their books, and be well respected and trusted by readerships. Small presses have put out my favorite books in recent years. Books that are unique and don't fit the mainstream. Also, these places don't have to worry about what's in vogue. They just get GREAT books. Market trends bear a moderate influence on their titles, unlike big publishers, which I know from a conversation with an editor at one after she read my manuscript from a conference request, are the main factor in contract selections. She explained that although she loved my book, the team couldn't accept it because they were only seeking thrillers/horror/suspense in YA because that's where the market is leaning.Small presses can and do accept outside of the mainstream. Dead genres like Paranormal and Dystopian are still being published and read through them. I know my non-contemporary romance new adult makes agents balk and run away, but small presses love them.Don't get me wrong, you should definitely look into the small press before submitting to them. Many presses have flopped, and some were scams. Like Enchanted a couple of years ago. Ask their authors about them, read some of their books. When you find the right one, you will love them.
My advice to all writers out there: know your market. Know the agents you are submitting to. Also, don't think that going with a small press is settling. As I mentioned, agents submit to them too,but you're better off doing it yourself rather than through them. If you want to see your work published and you've been querying agents for years, try a reputable small press. 
Don't you think it's time to take hold of your writing career and make it work for you? When you do, I promise you it will be more fulfilling than you realize!
Good luck!

Blog Tour: The Dream Protocol: Descent by Adara Flynn Quick

The Dream Protocol: Descent
Adara Flynn Quick
Publication date: April 20th 2016
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T GET OLD. In fiery young Deirdre Callaghan’s home of Skellig City, no one has dreamt their own dream in over a thousand years. Dreams are produced by the Dream Makers and sold by the Ministry, the tyrannical rulers of the city. In Skellig City, years of life are awarded equally and the ruined are cast away beneath the city on their 35th birthday.
Unbeknownst to the Ministry, Deirdre’s handsome friend Flynn Brennan is afflicted with a terrible disease – a disease that accelerates the aging process. Knowing his fate if the Ministry should ever discover his illness, Flynn has lived his whole life hiding from their watchful eyes. When Flynn’s secret is finally discovered, Deirdre is determined to free him from the Ministry’s grasp. But to save him, she will have to reveal herself to a shadowy enemy…one that none of them even knew existed.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Top 10 Music (songs) that inspired the story.
I’m a huge electronica fan, both vintage and modern. So, I often wrote late into the night to my downtempo lounge tracks. A few of these and other favorites are below. Hidden in here are a few Easter eggs!1. Sinead O’Connor, Hold Back the Night2. Imagine Dragons, Demons3. Fat Boy Slim, Praise You4. Daft Punk, Television Rules the Nation5. Veruca Salt , Aurora6. Siouxsie and the Banshees, Peek-A-Boo7. Joann Jett & Paul Westerberg, Let’s Do It8. Taylor Swift, Into the Woods9. Belly, Thief10. Lisa Gerrard, Now We Are Free

Author Bio:
Irish-American author, Adara Flynn Quick, is the writer of The Dream Protocol series. Early in her career, Adara was fascinated by dreams, the unconscious, and the healing stories of many cultures. As a contemporary author, she writes young adult literature that brings ancient myths and legends into futuristic worlds. She is an accomplished visual artist and uses her background as a psychotherapist to inspire the finest and darkest moments of her characters.
Driven to distraction by her computer, Adara writes all of her stories longhand. Pen and paper are two of her favorite things. The author tortures her husband with a passion for downtempo electronica and too many pillows. She is a firm beleiver that there are never enough pillows.
Website / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Raining Embers by Jessica Dall

From Goodreads:

Palmer Tash always follows the path of least resistance. He has an unusual disability involving his hearing. But in theocratic Latysia, being different isn’t a good thing, so he conceals his problem.

Brier Chastain’s malady is even more debilitating, and she often must take to her bed for long periods. Her days are spent in meaningless pursuits as she awaits an arranged marriage.

When Palmer and Brier are kidnapped on the same night, they meet and discover that their so-called disabilities are actually budding powers. They are the incarnations of Order and Chaos. With their country on the brink of war, the two must step into their predestined roles and learn to take control of their own destinies. 


My Thoughts:
I really do struggle to read fantasy. For me, there has to be something really outstanding to get me to love it. Unfortunately, this book didn't have that. I kept stopping and starting, never really able to get a good flow going or garner a strong interest.
The writing is strong, so that wasn't the problem. I just couldn't connect with the world or the characters. I do really want to read other books by Dall that fit more into my genre preferences, but this one just wasn't for me.

I read this book on request by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Meet Son of a Pitch Publisher Jolly Fish Press

From the Website:We are Jolly Fish Press, a publishing house based in Provo, Utah, which publishes trade fiction and select non-fiction books in the national and international market. We excel in exceptional cover design, worldwide online and brick-and-mortar distribution, expansive publicity and marketing campaigns, subsidiary rights representation, and most of all, our drive and ability to find exceptional, yet undiscovered authors, jump starting their careers with maximum exposure, sales, mentoring, and higher than industry average royalty rates.
Jolly Fish Press is a publishing house with audacity: we seek the best authors, fashioning them into celebrities, and inserting innovations every step of the book-market way. Yup, we do, in fact, disrupt the industry. And we're proud of it.


An avid reader, writer, and editor, Kelsy Thompson graduated with her bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Weber State University. She’s had a love affair with the written word since she was a small child, and especially enjoys young adult literature, science fiction, fantasy, women’s fiction, and historical fiction.
Follow her on Twitter @KelsyThompson
Kelsy Thompson Wish List- grown up fairy tale with a fresh twist- women's fiction with romantic elements and a strong voice - YA/WF alternate history or historical fiction - quirky, edgy, off-the-beaten path YA





Reece Hanzon specializes in science fiction and fantasy. He is especially interested in sci-fi thrillers, space opera, cyberpunk, urban fantasy, sword and sorcery, and epic fantasy. He has a B.A. in communications, with a minor in editing, from Brigham Young University. Reece has been with Jolly Fish Press since 2012, and worked on various projects, including: The Moonlight Trilogy by Teri Harman; The Psionic Earth series, by Dan Levinson; The Samaritan's Pistol by Eric Bishop; and Dependent by Brenda Corey Dunne.Reece’s latest acquisition includes the Tokens and Omens series (JFP, Spring 2016) by Jeri Lynn Baird.Follow Reece on Twitter @Reece_Hanzon
Reece Hanzon Wish List- adult science fiction (space opera especially)- adult secondary world fantasy



**Note: Jolly Fish Press takes only U.S. Resident writers at this time.**

Son of a Pitch: Meet Bookfish Book

Another return from the February competition is Bookfish Books! 

BookFish Books is a publisher of quality young adult and new adult fiction. Our team works alongside our authors to create the best possible work, novels our authors and our house can stand behind proudly. 


Erin RhewOperations & Production Manager
Erin is interested in seeing young adult and new adult: mythology (all kinds), fantasy, sci-fi, unique dystopian, flawed utopian, romance, and historical fiction.   
Jennifer HerringtonContent Editor
Jenn is looking for strong, dynamic characters thrown into unique and interesting plots with engaging writing. Make her laugh, cry or both and she'll be your biggest fan. She's seeking YA and NA romance in all genres with a particular interest in paranormal romance (yes, even vampires and shifters), coming of age stories, and sports romance.
Julia ByersLine and Copy Editor
Julia is interested in unique voices in all genres at the YA/NA level.
Heather Young-NicholsAcquisitions Intern
Heather is interested in sports romance - especially if the girl is the athlete, YA/NA thrillers - especially with romance, and main characters with special needs. 

Son of a Pitch: Meet Curiosity Quills Press

Curiosity Quills joined us earlier this year for Son of a Pitch and it's a pleasure to have them returning. As my publisher for the best selling Kiya Trilogy, and my latest release Princess of Tyrone, I can say from personal experience they are a quality press that's on the up and up. So, I am very pleased they're back!




Curiosity Quills Press (CQ) is a hybrid press founded in 2011 that specializes in fresh, unique fiction of the highest quality.At CQ, we believe that everyone needs an escape, and we want to be yours. Come grab a book and nerd out with us for a while.Over the past three years we have successfully tripled our business going from writer-advice blog to full-service publishing press. If you are an author interested in submitting, please visit our submission page: http://curiosityquills.com/submission-guidelines/

Editorial Wish Lists:
Managing Partner Lisa Gus is looking for historical, contemporary romance / women's fiction, unique retellings / steampunk, and alternate history.


VP of Operations, Andrew Buckley, is seeking Adult (all genres), NA (all genres), YA (all genres), and MG (all genres). Specifically he’d like to see some original Sci-Fi and Horror stories and he’s always open to any bizarro fiction with a unique twist. 

#SonofaPitch Publishers for Round 3

So, for the third round, I've lined up an amazing collection of publishers who are ready to read the efforts of the finalists. Many have returned from our February line up, so I'm really excited! Check them out.


Blaze
Bloomsbury Spark
BookFish Book
Curiosity Quills
Soul Mate Publishing