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Red Hot Fairy Tales AnthologyHow did Belle tame the wild Beast? Did the carriage turn into a pumpkin….or did Cinderella? And just what was going on with Snow White and those Dwarves? I’m very pleased to announce an open call for submissions for a new, yet-to-be titled Summer 2010 anthology. I’m open to any genre, M/F, M/M, or multiples thereof. I’m looking for your super-hot take on the fairy tales we grew up with and… there must be a Happily Ever After. The anthology will include novellas from 20,000 to 25,000 words in length and will be released individually as ebooks in August 2010 and in print in Spring 2011. To submit a manuscript for consideration, please include: As well, when you send your manuscript, please be sure to use the naming convention FairyTales_Title_MS or FairyTales_Title_Synopsis. This will ensure that your submission doesn’t get missed in the many submissions we receive, and makes it easy for me to find in my ebook reader. Submissions are open until February 1st, 2010 and final decision will be made by February 15th, 2010. Please send your submission to editor@samhainpublishing.com and include Red Hot Fairy Tales Anthology in the subject line. Questions and queries can be addressed to Laurie M. Rauch (laurie@samhainpublishing.com) *permission to forward granted Recommended reading for aspiring writers…
the latest episode of Project Paranormal is now Live! This episode features an exclusive interview with #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris—and several of our favorite paranormal authors including Jeanne C. Stein, Marjorie M. Liu, Kat Richardson, Chris Marie Green, and Rob Thurman. Unless you have a complete manuscript draft or a self-published book, always use the word will when referring to your book, since it doesn’t exist yet. The longer you make anything in your proposal—words, sentences, titles, paragraphs, chapters, anecdotes, and the book itself—the better it must be to justify its length. Avoid the words I, we, us, and our unless the book is about you. Editors are wary of authors who overuse the word I unless it’s relevant to the book. Unless you or your experience are part of the book, write about the subject, not yourself. Also avoid the words you and your in your introduction and outline. The first two parts of the proposal are about the book. You’re writing them for the editor, not the book buyer. If you want to address readers directly, as this sentence does, do it in your sample chapter and the opening anecdotes for your outline. The most effective way to sell your book is to stick to the subject and the book. Look for the weaknesses that most often cause rejection: unsympathetic or flat characters, unrealistic dialogue, slow pacing, a boring beginning, lack of voice, and bad or clichéd writing. You’re probably wondering: How do I know if I have flat characters or a slow pace or any of these weaknesses? Show your manuscript to people you can trust to give their honest opinion, and if they all give you the same criticism, that’s a red flag. Here is a simple way to help determine if your idea is more appropriate for a novel-length work or a short story.
People like to read about other people. That’s why anecdotes are an effective way to get your point across. Use fictional techniques to make them short stories that pack a wallop by being as humorous, dramatic, inspirational, or startling as possible. Anecdotes humanize the book by presenting a slice of life that readers can relate to. They also make for more enjoyable, memorable reading than abstract ideas. As Jack Canfield says, “Facts tell, stories sell.” |
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