Another reminder—the sign-up for the SOUL SONG buzz campaign will very likely begin next week. Not everyone on my newsletter list will receive an ARC—it’s at the publisher’s discretion—but your odds are considerably better if you’re actually a member of my list. If you’re interested in the possiblity of participating, sign up here. If you’re a bookseller, feel free to use this link. More information will follow in a week or so.
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Stephen King on how book covers can make or break you: Why, why, why would a company publish a book this good and then practically demand that people not read it? Why should this book go to waste? Is it because there are people in publishing who believe that readers who liked The Memory Keeper’s Daughter are too dumb to enjoy a killer novel like Fieldwork? If so, shame on them for their elitism. Hey, guys, why not put the heroine on the jacket? Martiya in the jungle at night, or embracing her lover, or dancing with the native tribe of which she almost becomes a member? In other words, why not actually sell this baby a little?
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Folks, this is a cool opportunity. On the other hand, you could just write your book and submit it directly. Trust me, Dorchester reads its slush. And they love really good slush.
AMERICAN TITLE IV COMPETITION: FOURTH YEAR’S A CHARM
Want to be the next American Title winner? Get cracking on your full-length PARANORMAL manuscript—time travel, urban fantasy, futuristic, shape-shifting, etc.—for the next installment of our American Title contest. You may be among the 10 contestants to compete for a Dorchester Publishing contract.
AREAS OF COMPETITION WILL INCLUDE: Best Opening Sentence, Story Summary, Description of Hero and Heroine, Best Dialogue Scene and Best Romantic Scene. Each round of submissions will be printed in RT BOOKreviews, beginning in late ‘07. After each round, two contestants will be eliminated.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Unpublished authors who have a completed paranormal manuscript of 80,000 to 90,000 words should send the first three chapters (no more than 50 pages) with a cover letter and a two- to seven-page synopsis to: American Title Contest, Dorchester Publishing, 200 Madison Ave., Suite 2000, New York, NY 10016. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY JUNE 1, 2007.
Finalists must agree to participate in each of the five rounds of the competition posted on our website and must submit copy for ALL five categories by Aug. 15.
AMERICAN TITLE FAQ ANSWERED BY DORCHESTER
What does “unpublished” mean?
Any author whose work has not been printed as a book may enter the contest. For example:
� If you have been e-published, you’re eligible.
� If you have had short stories or anything under 30,000 words appear in a magazine or anthology, you would still be eligible.
� If you wrote a 45,000-word story that was published in print as a stand-alone book, you are not eligible for this contest.
What formatting should I use?
Dorchester does not have any formatting requirements other than that pages are typed, double-spaced, legible and unbound.
How long should the first three chapters be?
We request that the first three chapters not exceed 50 pages. If your book starts with a Prologue, please include that and then the first two chapters.
How do you calculate your word count?
If the manuscript is written in a standard font, our word count requirement generally means it will run about 340-400 pages. Your computer can help give you a rough estimate of what constitutes 80,000-90,000 words, but we won’t be tallying them up exactly when the entries come in.
May I enter more than one title?
No. Before we have allowed multiple entries, but since you can only final for one, we now request that you send only one submission.
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I can’t help but post this. I found a wonderful review for EYE OF HEAVEN from sfrevu:
This is the best novel I have read all year. The action really grabs the reader right from the first page. The characters and their relationships, especially the romantic relationships, have refreshing depth and complexity that is rarely seen. There are a few slow spots in this novel, but in general, it’s an absorbing read that’s hard to put down. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys old style James Bond action-filled mysteries minus the male chauvinism, or Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt novels with paranormal abilities and a strong female protagonist added. There are no clich�s and nothing predictable or stale about this book. Originality, complexity, intrigue, excitement, and passion. What more could you ask?
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