Nann Dunne Editor-in-Chief and
Publisher v Lori L. Lake Associate Editor and
Manager of Lesbian Fiction
Herstory Page v Trish Shields Manager of Lesbian Poet Herstory Page v
Contributing Columnists
Anna Furtado
Fay Jacobs Nicki Kerksieck Lori L. Lake Lee Lynch
Carsen Taite
v Contributing Reviewers Anna Furtado Lynne Pierce RLynne Cheri Crystal Tracey Richardson v Publicity Cheri Crystal
· Reviews and Author Bios Day of the Dead by Victoria A. Brownworth §§§ Iron Rose Bleeding by Anne Azel §§§ Murder in City Hall by Mary Jane Russell §§§ Murder Takes to the Hills by Jessica Thomas §§§ October's Promise by Marianne Garver §§§ Playing for First by Chris Paynter §§§ The Pleasure Set by Lisa Girolami §§§ The Scorpion by Gerri Hill §§§ Tunnel Vision by Brenda Adcock §§§ Waltzing at Midnight by Robbi McCoy §§§ Wind and Bones by Kristin Marra §§§ World on Fire by Geonn Cannon
·
Poetic Measures residue by Trish Shields §§§ Changing Tides by Beth Mitchum §§§ Bits and Pieces by Ms M §§§ Infer What You Will by Sage
· New Book
Releases Come Back to Me by Chris Paynter §§§ Do Not Disturb by Carsen Taite §§§ Fierce Overture by Gun Brooke §§§ From This Moment On by PJ Trebelhorn §§§ Little White Lie by Lea Santos §§§ Natural Order by Moondancer Drake §§§ Rip Van Dyke by Kate McLachlan §§§ Sea of Grass by Kate Sweeney §§§ Staying in the Game by Nann Dunne §§§ Strength in Numbers by Jeanine Hoffman §§§ Trauma Alert by Radclyffe §§§ Turn for Home by Lara Zielinsky §§§ Vapor by Larkin Rose §§§ Witch Wolf by Winter Pennington §§§ Wolfsbane Winter by Jane Fletcher
· Announcements
See this section on main page of JAW for details.
A Proud
Member of The Golden Crown Literary Society
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Revelation - Oh-ho! Epiphany Ah-ha!
Fiction yields a transformed character. Let's face it. If the protagonist hasn't changed by the end of the story, it will lack the excitement necessary to keep the reader interested. Without that interest, the reader may want to put the book down and walk away, never to take it up again.
One way this transformation is facilitated is with a series of revelations, and by the end of the tale, the main character may have an important epiphany that results in the final transforming event. Additionally, there may be other small epiphanies to light the way. All of these serve to move the story along, pulling the protagonist down specific paths toward the final scene.
Epiphany vs Revelation
The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines epiphany as "an illuminating discovery" or "an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking."
An epiphany is a critical turning point in a story. A moment when a main character realizes something not understood previously (Ah-ha!). Everything changes. Understanding deepens. Events change. The character is changed, seeing things in a new light. From Merriam-Webster's definition, we see that these epiphanies are often triggered as a result of everyday, ordinary events.
For instance, a character is making small talk with the protagonist and mentions that he went to the library the other day. There, he was amazed at the old musty books he found on an obscure topic. The protagonist pauses. Her mind wanders to other musty smells she's encountered in her own experience and, bingo, she realizes that the victim in the mystery must have been wet before he was found in a field far from a body of water, because the smell she couldn't identify previously was that of wet wool in the process of drying out. Epiphany! Or another protagonist looks at a coffee cup sitting on a diner table waiting to be bussed. The lipstick stain on the mug triggers a memory. It reminds her of the story's villain. And that makes her realize that her girlfriend has not been unfaithful at all. She realizes she's been drawing the wrong conclusions. She's put the blame on the wrong person. A wall crumbles. Light floods in. She begins a journey back to reestablishing a relationship that had fallen apart, all because of a dirty cup and an epiphany.
Now, let's examine the definition of a revelation. According to both Merriam-Webster and dictionary.com, revelation is all about communication or disclosure. Something not realized before is now revealed (Oh-ho!). Something not known is communicated by another character or by a circumstance. This, too, opens a path for the main character to forge ahead in a particular direction. It moves the plot along.
When the conversation between the protagonist and another character takes this route regarding the victim, it has nothing to do with the epiphany. This is a revelation-information directly related to the issue at hand. If the minor character says, "I was looking for ID on the victim. The strange thing is, he had damp sand in his pockets." That's a direct revelation to the detective that this guy's been in the water. He may or may not smell musty. But there isn't too much doubt he's been at the beach, and the field he's now in is a bit of a red herring. This information comes directly to the protagonist. There is no epiphany, but there is a revelation. Now the detective begins to think about beaches in the area and how the victim got from there to here.
Epiphany and Revelation Are Vastly Different
So at first blush, "epiphany" and "revelation" may seem like very similar things; however, they are vastly different. To expand just a little: an epiphany is a personal thing that happens within the character. It is an interior insight that only the character can realize. No one can help her, except by some tangential means, say, by an unrelated remark or an object, a sound, an odor that causes all the tumblers to fall into place with soft clicking sounds and the door of understanding to swing open. The trigger, related by some association only the character can make, results in the knowledge or insight.
In my third Briarcrest Chronicles novel, The Heart's Longing, Trinn, the protagonist, has a flash of insight when she goes back to the late fifteenth century Briarcrest and in a moment, while talking to someone from that time, she has a realization about what part the other main character back in contemporary time plays in the whole Briarcrest history. This sets her on a new path. Back in modern times, she is able to pursue her romantic interest. Her hesitancy vanishes because of this epiphany. No one gives Trinn this information. She comes to it in a flash of insight all on her own-and because of it, the story has a different ending than it might without it.
Revelation, on the other hand, comes from outside the character. Someone may inform the character, either knowingly or unknowingly, giving new information to the protagonist. Revelations may come through spoken word, an object, or any other clue the writer can devise.
In The Heart's Longing, Trinn is privy to some revelations throughout the story. By going back in time, she finds out a great deal of information from the characters inhabiting that part of history. These nuggets help her back in her own time as she and Sidney try to solve the mystery that will preserve Briarcrest's memory for all time. Sidney also has a wealth of information to share with Trinn, and when she and Trinn examine a boxful of artifacts from Briarcrest, some of them prove to be revelations that make Trinn take certain actions as she travels back and forth in time. The information and the artifacts all come from outside of the protagonist herself. They are little discoveries that move the story in one direction after another.
Anatomy of an Epiphany
Epiphanies come only after the stage has been set. The character must be ready for her epiphany or it won't seem natural. This is accomplished by laying the groundwork, getting the character ready. It's called the setup, and, yes, the character is literally being set up for that punch-in-the-gut feeling that comes with an epiphany.
Once the setup has been completed, the trigger is set. Something happens that makes the character come to the realization, the epiphany. That "ah-ha" moment almost knocks her for a loop, and done properly, it has the same effect on the reader. That "ah-ha" moment is the final stage of the epiphany. As she recovers, the illumination she receives sets her off on the journey that will give her (and the reader) the fulfillment they seek. She then turns in a particular direction in order to get the girl, solve the mystery, and conquer adversity. These are the cycles of the story. Each revelation or epiphany resolves a crisis, no matter how small, and the character is able to more onward and upward to the end.
Something to think about: Epiphanies capitalize on character flaws. What type of blinders does the character wear? The flaws can tell the writer where the epiphanies will happen and can hint at ways that they can occur. When the blinders come off, the "ah-ha" moment will be that moment when a flaw is overcome. Try tying character flaws to epiphanies and see what can happen to the character and the story.
The Tempo of Revelations and Epiphanies
Revelations are usually about following a thread that leads to the end of the story. Each revelation gives the character a little more of the string to tug on, moving the protagonist toward the final scene.
By their nature, epiphanies are more momentous than revelations, but revelations are no less important. Think of revelations as those things that move the character in a forward motion, but epiphanies change the direction the character moves in.
One thing of note about epiphanies: the protagonist usually has to pay a price for the experience (and revelations are just given, without exacting much payment at all). This can be manifested as a separation from a lover or potential lover, a misunderstanding, or, in a mystery, the frustration at lack of information or insight. Will the lovers ever resolve their issues and get together? Will the detective ever figure out what really happened and identify the murderer? The cost of the epiphany must be paid to gain the reward. This cost and resulting reward must be measured. It contributes to the tension and relief of each scene, chapter, and finally story.
The writer can't fill the entire book with tension only to gain relief at the very end. Readers would be overwhelmed, worn out, or just plain overloaded. Each story should contain little ups and downs, tensions followed by moments of relief. Think of one of those stock market graphs. Up, down, up, down, but the overall trend is rising toward the apex, just like in a story. Every little rise (tension) is counterbalanced with a slight fall (resolution / relief), followed by another rise as tension builds again. As the story ends, the final "big bang" happens. Tension builds, as the character is set up for an epiphany, the epiphany serves as a resolution that turns the character in a specific direction. As she moves through the story, the set-up begins again and tension builds until the final scene is played out.
The visual of the stock graph also reflects the ebb and flow of revelations in a story, little successes gained, a little ground lost in conflict, misunderstandings or red herrings. Then, another revelation is given to the character; a little piece of information gives her momentum again. This pacing is important to the story. Tension and resolution must be measured in just the right amounts and when relief comes in the form of a revelation-or an epiphany-it should come at just the right moment to allow obstacles to be overcome, the mystery to be solved, or the lover to be embraced.
Epiphanies and the Reader
Since epiphanies are usually deep-seated realizations on the part of the protagonist, they give insight into the character's psyche, thus increasing the intimacy the reader feels with the character. An epiphany can alter the course of the story in a powerful and emotional way. The reader will stand at the crossroads with the character and feel the impact of her epiphany in ways that could not be elicited without it. And because an epiphany will cause a character to make a decision to change, it has it's own built-in "mystery," because there is always the question: will the character accept the new knowledge, change, and move in a different direction? Or will she reject it, refuse to change, and forfeit solving the mystery or getting the girl. For just a brief moment, the reader will hold her breath and wonder.
Identifying Revelation and Epiphany Scenes
To identify where the points in the story are that would benefit from a revelation or an epiphany, start with a list of all the major events that will take place. Think about how revelation might play a part in the scene or event. If the character has a secret or a flaw to be overcome, or if the scene lends itself to exposing some critical information, it might be a good place for one of these devices to move the plot along. Try out this method and see what it does for the story.
Conclusion
Epiphanies are terrific plot devices, a way of altering the course of a story to facilitate it to conclusion. It can also deepen characters and provide intimacy with the character for the reader. Readers want to identify with characters. They want to discover what will happen next, why characters act the way they do, and the secrets or past events that shape their behaviors. Using epiphanies and revelations can be the means to a story that lingers with readers long after they have turned the last page.
_____ Anna Furtado is the author of The Heart's Desire—Book One of The Briarcrest Chronicles (a Golden Crown Literary Society Award finalist); The Heart's Strength—Book Two of the Briarcrest Chronicles; and The Heart's Longing—Book Three of The Briarcrest Chronicles. Anna is also a featured columnist at Just About Write (JAW) and contributes book reviews to JAW, as well as at the L-Word fan site in the literature section.
Okay, I lied. Last winter I vowed never again to travel from Florida to Rehoboth on Route I-95 any other way than by wide-bodied jet - my days of making the hideous drive were over.
Woman plans and God laughs hysterically. Bonnie and I drove that same ugly highway again in March, on the maiden voyage of our craziest idea yet.
Following our customary pattern of upending our entire lives every decade or so, we've done it again. In the 80s we bought a boat (a hole in the water into which you throw money); in the 90s we moved the vessel to Rehoboth Bay (Ruddertown steel drums at 1 a.m.UGH!) ; at the dawn of the Millennium we moved ourselves full-time to Rehoboth (okay, so who needs a decent paying job anyway?); and now we're on the move and downwardly mobile once again.
Of course, we would never leave Gayberry RFD permanently, but open road here we come. Rather than being the sisterhood of the traveling pants we are now the sisterhood of the traveling house - a 27-ft. land yacht. Ever financially imprudent, we've bought a great big depreciating asset.
RV? Camping? Really? If this seems oxymoronic for this writer, if not plain moronic, let me explain the difference between camping and RVing. It's the same as the difference between camping and boating. While a certain amount of gear schlepping and bug spray is still involved, the chief difference is that boat or RV, there is carpet between your bed and your toilet. Civility.
We knew we'd take to the RV life instantly. Good thing, too, because due to circumstances beyond our control we had only 45 minutes of flight instruction before leaving Tampa, FL for the journey home in the Hindenburg. Gentlewomen, rev your engines.
Naturally I was assigned shotgun, while Thelma took the wheel, guiding our wide load (and its wide loads) down the highway.
"Do you feel like bus driver Ralph Kramden? I asked.
"A little," she said.
"Well, luckily you don't look like him, although your plan to stop at Waffle House later might change that."
"One of these days, Alice, right in the kisser."
Bonnie Was Fearless
I gotta hand it to Bonnie. She was fearless. We considered ourselves lucky we didn't take out mailboxes and parked cars on both sides of the street as our blimp lumbered towards I-95. But within minutes my spouse had expertly judged the Titanic's midsection, checked out the giant funhouse mirrors flanking the bus and learned to love the back-up camera.
We set out at 8:30 a.m. and by noon, when we pulled into the Waffle House parking lot Bonnie was driving the thing like it was a Mini-Cooper.
By nightfall we stayed in our first KOA Kampground, although we did learn that RVs can stay overnight for free in Walmart parking lots (really!). We also conquered our virgin fumblings with plug in electric, leveling the rig and battery management - all without threat of divorce.
The good news is that unlike the boat, our new lodging has a queen size walk-around bed in the back - a far cry from the boat's aft cabin bunks where, to get into bed, we had to crawl on our bellies. Today, more than a decade later, that would not be pretty, if even possible.
"Is it like the RV in Meet the Fokkers? " asked a friend. No, our new house on wheels is not an ostentatious, over-the-top ridiculous rig like Barbara Streisand and Dustin Hoffman drove, but it suits these fokkers well. And it does have a satellite tv antenna. Priorities.
Come morning we took off again and learned a lesson. Like a boat, it is prudent to secure all contents when underway. Braking for a red light sent a 2-lb bag of M&M Peanuts rolling everywhere like little chocolate marbles. From now on we batten the hatches.
Well, we made it back to Rehoboth swiftly and without incident, M&M avalanche notwithstanding. Our return did require a quick stop at our local campground for a sewer hook-up. No, we did not suffer Chevy Chase's disgusting fate in his vacation movie, although Bonnie exacted her revenge for my Ralph Kramden comment. She enlisted me to stand with my foot holding down the hose while we emptied our tank. Once I was firmly in place she ran, laughing, 50 yards away from the stench. Next time I'll get you, my little pretty.
Soon after, we took a second shake-down trip, this time to Chincoteage, VA. We did not swim with the horses, but hung with the Schnauzers, overlooking the water and lighthouse, enjoying the tranquility of our first weekend at a campsite.
Actually we spent most of our time traipsing back and forth between the campsite and ACE Hardware, a mile down the road, hunting things we didn't know we needed until we needed them. By Sunday night we were exhausted but well-equipped.
Now, as we plan our first big trip - a three week Canadian adventure mid-July, we both lust after any excuse to use the rig again before then. Bonnie brought the dogs to our Maryland vet for teeth cleaning in the giant limo, her own personal waiting room - complete with her personal selection of magazines and snacks. Of course, between the fuel bill and the dental bill, we're in the poor house, but at least it's got a queen size bed and plush carpet.
Now that we've entered the world of RV accessories like load levelers, ez hitches and a variety of clamps, coils and hoses (a hole in the highway into which you pour money?) we should have our heads examined. Wave if you see us on the road. I haven't decided which name to stencil on the back: Fay's Folly or Bonnie's Boondoggle. It remains to be seen. Hum it with me, "Trailer for sale or rent, queens of the road..."
_____
Contact Fay at: FayJacobsrb@aol.com
Fay's website: www.FayJacobs.com Fay Jacobs, a native New Yorker, spent 30 years in the Washington, DC area working in journalism, theater and public relations. She is the publisher of A&M Books, featuring the 14 classic Sarah Aldridge novels plus Jacobs's own two essay collections, As I Lay Frying - a Rehoboth Beach Memoir (now in its third printing) and Fried & True - Tales of Rehoboth Beach, winner of the 2008 National Federation of Press Women Book of the Year for Humor and the 2008 Golden Crown Literary Society Award for Non-Fiction. Her third collection, For Frying Out Loud, will be published fall 2010.
Fay has contributed feature stories and columns to such publications as The Advocate, OUTtraveler, Curve Magazine, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Blade, The Wilmington News Journal, Delaware Beach Life, and more.
Since 1995 she has been a regular columnist for Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, and won the national 1997 Vice Versa Award for excellence.
She and Bonnie, her partner of 28 years, relocated to Rehoboth Beach, DE in 1999. They have two Miniature Schnauzers and a riding lawn mower.
Up on the podium is a short, wide dyke in a cowboy hat. Next to her is a shirtless gay guy in leather pants, suspenders and cap. They take turns at the mike, exhorting the crowd. Down in the audience a slight balding man in a pink tutu periodically does demi-plies as he applauds the speakers. Back a few rows two white-haired women, one in a wheelchair, are so moved they are crying.
Millions of gay people have now witnessed scenes like this. They've been happening for at least 40 years now. It's an ongoing story with the makings of history even as we live it, even as gay historians document it.
When my first few books were published, readers thanked me for depicting our history. I'd explain at readings that I wasn't writing history, that I was writing reality as it is experienced by many gays who aren't on the ramparts. The stomping diesel dykes who wear high heels to work and effeminate male hairdressers who are still married to women, for example, are not anachronisms. They are alive and well and always would be with us in some form or other.
History happens in daily life. The first time a teacher came out to her school principal, she made history. Teachers continue coming out today. History is an accumulation of these acts.
When I meet young readers I can see that nothing but the present is real to them. The way they see it, a book I wrote twenty-five years ago depicts history, while to me it's my reality. My fictional characters dress with a style that could seem a bit stale to kids with piercings and tattoos, but is true to the dykes I see.
Maybe I've Been Writing History
The irony is that I have always been bored silly by history. I would never purposely write an historical romance. At the library today I was perusing a two-volume edition of Herman Wouk's War and Remembrance. In his introduction, he called those towering novels historical romances even though all the events happened in his lifetime. Maybe I have been writing history all along.
I really hated world civ in college. This weird teacher would climb on the long table at the front of the auditorium and pace, gesticulating wildly with his mic. It was hard to concentrate on Roman Emperors and Visigoths while waiting for him to fall off. In section classes he'd have us, college students, color in maps. He provided the crayons. I learned best from teachers who were passionate about their subjects. Guys like him bled passion out of history.
What if the schools had taught gay history, would I have liked the subject then? Well, they couldn't. It wasn't documented back then. We had no pictures of gay heroes, no Gayttysberg Address to memorize, no significant dates about which to write reports. Gay history was left to the novelists: Gale Wilhelm, Radclyffe Hall, Gore Vidal, Mary Renault.
Today, because our history has become visible, it has also started to look more like our present. The tattooed baby gays are keyboarding us: churning out stories of the here and now that reflect this new world. They're doing love scenes between characters who can legally marry and mysteries featuring party boys unabashedly mobbing the streets.
I don't know why
But "infer" and "imply"
Seem to leave many writers deranged
They seem not to know
As their written words flow
That the words cannot be interchanged.
Just About Write welcomes a new monthly contributor, Carsen Taite. Carsen is an author with Bold Strokes Books with three published novels: truelesbianlove.com, It Should be a Crime (Lambda Literary Award finalist), and Do Not Disturb. She was inspired to enter the world of vlogging by her wife, who suggested that this medium is a terrific, not to mention easy and inexpensive, way for readers to "meet" authors.
For her first installment on JAW, Carsen discusses how to find great selections for summer reading.
Carsen offers several series of video logs at on her youtube channel, http://www.youtube.com/CARSENTAITE , which consist of Carsen rambling about lesbian fiction, Carsen on location at various real life locations from her novels, and a viewer favorite - Carsen interviewing other authors. She's excited to have this regular spot in JAW, and looks forward to many special vlogs in the future.
Because everyone is getting busier and busier, The Lesbian Fiction Herstory and Lesbian Poet Herstory sections will be posted intermittently. I hope to eventually archive these articles on an ongoing basis, so they'll always be available to new and old readers. In the meantime, past articles can be accessed through the links below.
Click the title below and find each poet's history available in the left column of the Lesbian Poet Herstory Page.
The Sixth Annual Golden Crown Literary Society Conference
June 3–6, 2010
During four fun-filled days at the Hilton Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, the Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS) will offer author panels, seminars/workshops for readers and writers and social events such as pool parties, karaoke night and special activities for new attendees. The highlight of the event will be presentation of the Goldies, the annual Golden Crown Literary Awards.
Since the first Goldies were awarded in 2005, the categories have expanded from three to twelve. This year, over three dozen book awards will be given, along with the Trailblazer Award, the Directors' Award, and the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award. Entertainment for Saturday night's awards reception will be provided by Toujours—the singing duo of Ana Iza Otis and Mae Ola Bolton.
Revived at this year's conference are Author Mentoring and Publisher Pitch sessions. In the mentoring sessions, accomplished authors or editors will advise novice writers in how to improve a manuscript for publication. In the pitch sessions, aspiring authors will be offered the chance to pitch book ideas to several lesbian publishing companies. Publishers already signed on include Blue Feather Books, Bold Strokes Books, L-Book, PD Publishing, and Regal Crest Enterprises.
The GCLS Conference is the best opportunity for readers, authors, aspiring writers, editors, publishers, and media to learn about and meet colleagues as they explore lesbian literature. Membership in the GCLS is not required to attend.
For more about the conference, as well as a tentative schedule, please visit the GCLS website at www.goldencrown.org
The Mission of the Golden Crown Literary Society
The Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS) is a literary and educational organization for the enjoyment, discussion, and enhancement of lesbian literature. Our goals are to support and strengthen quality lesbian literature by providing places for readers and writers to interact, to encourage and assist new writers and established authors, and to recognize and promote lesbian work
Editor: Sacchi Green
Publisher: Cleis Press
Story Length: 2500-6000 words
Payment: $50 plus two contributor's copies
Deadline: August 1, 2010
Release Date: Summer 2011
What is it about lesbian cops? It's not just the uniform, the confidence, the sense of authority, the hint of danger, although all those things push our buttons. Whatever it is, it turns us all the way on. Your mission is to channel this irresistible force into erotic stories of policewomen in or out of uniform, on patrol or undercover, on the case or under the sheets, or in any other way that heats your creative juices to the steaming point.
I want, as always, evocative atmosphere and setting, a compelling plot or story arc, and, above all, characters with emotional complexity and depth, strengths and vulnerabilities, drawn at least as much from life as from fantasy. I'd also prefer an underlying sense of respect for those whose commitment is to serve and protect, and I'm willing to consider others like park rangers whose missions are similar. Law enforcement personnel from countries anywhere in the world and from any cultures or ethnicities are welcome.
Kink is fine, and if you can make vanilla just as spicy, all the better. Noir, hard-boiled, quirky, lighthearted, transformative, sweet; it's all good. Strength and even heroism are okay, but no more so than comfort and healing after the stress or trauma that can come with the job. I'll be using a wide variety of stories, so your best bet is to write about what captures your imagination as well as about what turns you on.
If you're so inclined, you can check out my previous anthologies (Rode Hard, Put Away Wet; Hard Road, Easy Riding; Lipstick on Her Collar; Girl Crazy; or Lesbian Cowboys) for examples of what I like. But I also like to be surprised.
Send manuscripts as attachments in MS Word (.doc, not .docx) or .rtf to: sacchigreen@gmail.com.
Special Feature:
Interview with Novelist Morgan Hunt
Excerpt from Morgan Hunt’s Fool on the Hill
And MORE!
Come visit us at http://www.gay-e-magazine.com and be entertained!
Requiem: A Soldier's Tale The forgotten victims of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
Straight soldiers die in combat, their spouses/children get everything. Gay soldiers die in combat, their spouses/children get nothing.
Cheyne Curry is raising funds to produce the short film "Requiem: A Soldier's Tale." The forgotten victims of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
"We would like to get our film known and submit it into film festivals to make people aware that repealing DADT is great but there is a problem if the spouse/partner/children's rights aren't also equal to that of all military dependents. The time for this film is now while the topic is hot and highly misunderstood."
This project will only be funded if at least $12,000 is pledged by Jun 12, 11:59pm EDT.
Please click on the graphic above to see the trailer and consider donating funds for this important and sadly neglected cause.
Alpha World Press is producing book trailers for its most recent releases - and all future releases. The trailers add a unique way for our authors to get their titles out there. The trailers can be viewed on our website - www.AlphaWorldPress.com - or on YouTube, Google video, yahoo video, etc.
Emoria fans! Wave your swords and yodel a battle cry! Tigh and Jame are back and still battling the bad guys in Past Echoes, Book 3 of The Tales
of Emoria by T.J. Mindancer. The ebook edition has been released from the digital scriptorium. The print edition is coming soon.
Six years after the events in Present Paths, Jame, a peace arbiter and Emoran Princess, and Tigh, a peace warrior with a notorious past, answer a
summons from the Queen of Emoria. Jame and Tigh battle ghosts from their pasts to prevent a mad, vengeful Wizard from unleashing the most powerful
army the world has ever seen.
Learn more about Past Echoes and read an excerpt: http://bedazzledink.com/?page_id=356
Get out your swords and staff and join in the fun with the ebook edition at the Bedazzled Book Peddler:
http://bedazzledink.com/bbp/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=37
If you haven't discovered the world of Emoria yet, join Jame and Tigh as they embark on their remarkable lives as peace arbiter and peace warrior
in Future Dreams, Book 1 of The Tales of Emoria. The ebook and print editions are available at the Bedazzled Book Peddler:
http://bedazzledink.com/bbp/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=13
Their adventures continue in Book 2 of The Tales of Emoria, Present Paths:
http://bedazzledink.com/bbp/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=14
All books at the Bedazzled Book Peddler are 10% off.
You can order our books from your favorite bookstore or, if you live in the United States, you can order them from the Bedazzled Book Peddler
(http://bedazzledink.com/bbp). International buyers can also buy them from an Espresso Book Machine. Go here for a list of locations:
http://bedazzledink.com/?page_id=674
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Shop for our books and ebooks at http://www.bedazzledink.com/bbp
Visit us at http://www.bedazzledink.com for more news.
Please see our Call for Submissions for Nuance Books in the Ongoing Announcements and Calls for Submissions section below.
Please see our Call for Submissions for Mindancer Press in the Ongoing Announcements and Calls for Submissions section below.
We’ve jumped on the eBook bandwagon. Visit Bedazzled Book Peddler for ebook editions of your favorite Bedazzled Ink books.
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Bedazzled Ink is always looking for proofreaders, so if you have a good eye from catching typos, missing words, turned around quotation marks, and other goofy things that somehow appear in a typeset, drop an email to Carrie at editor@bedazzledink.com.
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Bella Books will bring out four more of Ellen Hart's older Jane Lawless mysteries starting with
Robber's Wine in May.
Congratulations to our Bella and Spinsters authors who have been shortlisted for 2010 GCLS awards.
Saxon Bennett,Family Affair, General Fiction Victoria Brownworth,Day of the Dead, Speculative Fiction Blayne Cooper,Stranded, Contemporary Romance Marianne Garver,October's Promise, Debut Author Gerri Hill,The Scorpion, Romantic Suspense and Ann Bannon Popular Choice Gerri Hill,No Strings, Contemporary Romance KG MacGregor,Worth Every Step, Traditional Romance and Ann Bannon Popular Choice KG MacGregor,Small Packages, General Fiction Robbi McCoy,Waltzing at Midnight, Debut Author Tracey Richardson,No Rules of Engagement, Romantic Suspense and Ann Bannon Popular Choice Tracey Richardson,Side Order of Love, Contemporary Romance Claire Rooney,The Color of Dust, Historical Romance Dillon Watson,Keile's Chance, Debut Author and Contemporary Romance
All of our eBook readers have been asking and we've been listening. Instant downloads. Order now. Start reading in minutes. Total Instant eGratification! The entire library of eBooks from Bella authors can be accessed from www.bellabooks.com.
Bella also carries ebooks from a number of other publishers.
Please see our Call for Submissions notice in the Ongoing Announcements and Calls for Submissions section below.
Blog Radio Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women's Fiction
Author Promotion Opportunity
Meet Lara Zielinsky
Lara Zielinsky began producing her radio show "Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women's Fiction" in December 2008 trying to get the word out about her own writings in the genres. After a very short time she had exhausted her own work and the notion of talking about herself.
When she had upcoming publication of a couple short stories in collections, she invited other authors in those collections onto the show to talk about their stories, too. This eventually widened into the show's format today. She still talks a bit about her own writing, but it is so much more fun to talk with other writers and share that airspace as a conversation.
Listen live and participate or download later and listen at your leisure.
http://blogtalkradio.com/lara-zielinsky
Hear about the latest fiction today!
http://blogtalkradio.com/lara-zielinsky
See the website for dates and times, and announcements of upcoming guests.
http://blogtalkradio.com/lara-zielinsky
Upcoming Guests for June 2010:
June 3 - 10:30 pm Eastern - LIVE from GCLS in Orlando, Florida
June 10 - 10:30 pm Eastern - Georgia Beers - Starting from Scratch)
June 17 - 10:30 pm Eastern - Chris Paynter - Come Back to Me
June 24 - 10:30 pm Eastern - JD Glass - The Charm Alarm
July 1 - 10:30 pm Eastern - Llachlan Leavitt - Glass Houses
Do you have a signing, reading, book launch party, book club, conference, festival, or other event of interest to readers of lesbian or bisexual women's fiction coming up?
I am looking for events to add to my calendar segment on "Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women's Fiction" http://blogtalkradio.com/Lara-Zielinsky
Send the details to me at laraz@lzfiction.net
Minimally I need:
1) Event title and/or event location -- international events are welcome! Include city/state/country as my show is heard across the U.S. and Canada. Even folks in the UK, Germany, South Africa, and Australia have come to listen (I've had fan mail!)
2) What's going to happen (ie. reading, signing, a play, a music performance, etc.)
3) Who will be there
4) Time frame (i.e., 2 to 4 pm.)
5) a website URL or phone number to get more information
I look forward to hearing about your events! My listeners will too!
Lara Zielinsky
laraz@lzfiction.net
http://www.lzfiction.net/
Host of "Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women's Fiction"
http://blogtalkradio.com/Lara-Zielinsky
Goldie finalists in the thriller/mystery category, Joan Opyr, with From Hell to Breakfast, and Erica Lawson, with Possessing Morgan.
Congratulations, too, to our two Ann Bannon Popular award finalists, Chris Paynter, author of Playing for First, and Val Brown, author of In the Works.
Also, Jane Vollbrecht's Detours is a finalist in the Dramatic/General Fiction category as well as Emily Reed's Diminuendo in the Poetry Category.
All of these authors will be at the Golden Crown Literary Society Conference in Orlando in June, so make sure you stop by the Blue Feather table and get your signed copies of these fantastic books!
Blue Feather Books is delighted to announce that we have contracted with noted actress Ms. Aleshia Brevard to publish her memoir about her transsexual journey, The Woman I Was Born to Be.
Blue Feather Books is also pleased to announce the signing of Thirty Days Hath September, a paranormal romance by Jamie Scarratt.
Blue Feather ebook titles will continue to be made available through Bella Distribution, at www.bellabooks.com. Available formats are Mobipocket eBook, PDF, ePub, and Sony.
Please see our Call for Submissions notice in the Ongoing Announcements and Calls for Submissions section below.
Bold Strokes Books is pleased to announce the acquisition of Jess Faraday's new historical suspense novel, The Affair of the Porcelain Dog, scheduled for release in 2011 from Bold Strokes Liberty Editions.
*******
Bold Strokes Books congratulates its Lambda Literary Award winners:
Lesbian mystery - Death of a Dying Man by J.M. Redmann
Lesbian romance - The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin by Colette Moody
IPPY Awards
The Independent Publisher Award (IPPY) medalists have been announced. The Independent Publisher Book Awards, launched in 1996, were designed to bring increased recognition to titles published by independent authors and publishers. Established as the first awards program open exclusively to independents, the "IPPYs" received 3150 titles entered in 61 categories. Books are judged by booksellers, librarians, and other industry professionals. Congratulations to the Bold Strokes Books medalists: Radclyffe (2), Kim Baldwin, Justine Saracen
Bold Strokes Books is pleased to announce its Gold and Bronze medalists in the ForeWord Review Book of the Year Awards. 1200 titles from independent publishers were submitted and judged by a panel of librarians and booksellers.
Gay and Lesbian Fiction
Gold: The Middle of Somewhere by Clifford Henderson (Bold Strokes)
Bronze: Beggar of Love by Lee Lynch (Bold Strokes)
Bold Strokes Books is pleased to announce Secrets in the Stone by Radclyffe has been named a finalist for the 13th Annual Prism Award of the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter of the Romance Writers of America. The awards will be announced at the national Romance Writers of America convention in July.
*******
There are now 2 professionally produced Unabridged Audiobooks: Above All, Honor by Radclyffe and The Middle of Somewhere by Clifford Henderson, available to buy at www.DogEarAudio.com.
*******
Click Here to read the current Bold Strokes Books Newsletter.
Please see our Call for Submissions notice in the Ongoing Announcements and Calls for Submissions section below.
Intaglio ebooks on sale now!
Follow the link below* to our ebook store. Currently we are only offering the Mobi format, but new formats will be coming soon along with new titles. If you don't have a Mobi reader, and would like to download a free version to your computer, visit here: www.mobipocket.com
April's Khimairal Ink issue is available at: http://bedazzledink.com/khimairal-ink/current-issue/
Thanks for your patience! We have some great stories in this issue: "The Gift" by Elaine Burnes, "Wet Paint" by Vicki Hsu, "Spring Fever" by Jean Roberta, and
"A Light for Revelation" by R. G. Emanuelle.
L-Book ePublisher produces quality Lesbian Fiction and Non-fiction in the media of today and continually looks to the future for the newest formats and innovations. Although we specialize in electronic books, we offer paperback and audio eBooks and have no intention of limiting its vision to just today's medias.
In addition to the quality products we offer, L-Book is proud of the quality stories written by our authors. Our policy is not to limit story sizes but rather to focus on and encourage well written books ranging from nano-stories to full length novels of 100,000 words and up to 200,000 words that commuters can enjoy to and from work. In addition we also publish Poetry and Cook Books. Whether it is a Romance, Crime, Historical Fiction, Sci-Fi, Paranormal or Mystery, L-Book is the publisher that takes pride in its diversity and its quality. We will continue to look for new authors, new stories, and new technologies that will allow us to bring the best product to our listeners and readers.
Special Announcement:
The Whispers of the Muse, a literary site, did an exclusive interview with L-Books' author, Jae. The interview was conducted by Deborah Riley-Magnus. To see this special author's spotlight visit:
L-Book.com is now a Multi-Format eBook web site. This means you can purchase an eBook for download and receive it in all formats produced by L-Book ePublisher. We have always had a format exchange policy. That is still in effect for any customers who may change their reader software or devices, now or in the future. See our Tech Support Page for details.
Our eBooks are available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, eBookStore.Sony.com and Mobipocket.com
Our Audio L-Book purchases now include all eBook formats for Free. Our audio eBooks are narrated by Samantha, our own computer generated voice, designed and created to read fiction using today's voice technology.
eBooks are available on Micro/SD Memory Cards (all formats) from retail stores, and our own web store. Bookstores can now sell our eBooks along with the dedicated readers.
Our books are now available in Paperback from our web store, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and retail stores. Our paperback book covers differ a little from our eBook so that readers can easily tell them apart.
Our paperback books are also available from the Espresso Book Machine systems located in retail stores and universities around the world. This is the printed version of eBooks download immediately but they are printed while you wait.
We are very pleased to announce that Moondancer Drake's book, Natural Order, is available for purchase at your favorite bookseller!
Also, we are very happy to announce that Anne Azel has signed with us to have her novel, Dark Matter Command and Geonn Cannon has signed with us to have his novel, Silence Out Loud to be published in Fall 2010.
AND, we have a long list of congratulations to give to our hard working authors!
Lois Cloarec Hart's Kicker's Journey was awarded a Bronze Medal in Canada-West - Best Regional Fiction category from the Independent Publisher Regional Book Awards. Congratulations, Lois!
Josh Aterovis' All Lost Things is a 2010 Lambda Literary Society Finalist: Gay Mystery.
The following authors are finalists for the 2010 Golden Crown Literary Society Awards:
Debut Authors: Cheyne Curry and Glenda Poulter
Dramatic/General Fiction: Geonn Cannon - Gemini
Historical Romance: Mickey Minner - Fireweed and Lois Cloarec Hart - Kicker's Journey
Mystery/Thriller: Geonn Cannon - World on Fire
Paranormal Romance: Moondancer Drake - Ancestral Magic and Nene Adams - Barking at the Moon
Speculative Fiction: Crystal Michallet-Romero - The Veil of Sorrow and Anne Azel - Iron Rose Bleeding
PD books are available within as well as outside the United States. Please contact us directly if you are unable to find our books in your local bookstore or through the sources listed on the Books or Info for Booksellers page at our website. Please let us know if there are ways in which we can make our books easier for you to have on your bookshelves.
Phoenix Rising Press represents a new paradigm in lesbian publishing—a philosophical shift that is designed not to supplant, but to complement traditional publishing models. Phoenix Rising Press has been created with the intention to provide a home for well-established, seasoned authors who are looking for maximum creative freedom and ownership of their work. Phoenix Rising Press does not accept submissions or solicit authors who are presently under contract elsewhere.
Phoenix Rising Press is a consortium. As such, authors invest in their own success and receive a substantially larger monetary return on sales of their work than traditional publishers can offer. At Phoenix Rising Press, the author's imagination is encouraged to soar, the editing process is rigorous, the book cover is created with artistry, and the price is set to ensure that, as a reader, you get your money's worth.
Every Phoenix Rising Press title will be widely available at all bookstores, from online retail book sellers, and at the Phoenix Rising Press web store.
The principals of Phoenix Rising Press have nearly twenty years of experience in publishing, a quarter of a century in public relations and marketing, and more than thirty years in editing.
Lynn Ames's five existing novels will be the very first off the line, beginning with Heartsong and One - Love (formerly The Flip Side of Desire). Check out the gorgeous new covers, and the brand-new bonus surprise at the end of those two romances.
There are many choices in fiction, and Phoenix Rising Press pledges to ensure that every Phoenix Rising Press book will be held to the highest standards in the industry. Thanks for your consideration.
Sweet Afters is our third collection of distinctive stories from talented lesbian authors.
In this anthology, we are delighted to feature Joan Nestle, Janis Spehr, Georgia Beers,JD Glass, J.E. Knowles, Vicki Stevenson, Amy McDonald and poet Natasha Carthew. And for the first time, Read These Lips presents a visual entry - photography by JRen.
Sweet Afters is about the last course, the indulgent pleasure afterwards.
We hope this issue of Read These Lips satisfies in the best way.
Click Here to download Sweet Afters for free, in either pdf or mobi format.
Click Here to view Spinifex Press's range of e-books.
Please see Read These Lips's Call for Submissions notice in the Ongoing Announcements and Calls for Submissions section below.
We are very pleased to announce the signing of a new Brenda Adcock title - The Other Mrs. Champion. It is tentatively scheduled for a June 2011 release.
We are very pleased to announce the signing of a new Linda Morganstein title - On A Silver Platter. It is tentatively scheduled for a September 2011 release.
We are happy to announce the signing of a new title, The Danmun Alliance, by M. H. W. Weckseler. This will be his debut novel. It is tentatively scheduled for a March 2011 release in the Quest line.
In case you haven't already heard from or about us, we are ALPHA WORLD PRESS. We are a new, exclusively lesbian publishing company with fresh, intelligent, and sophisticated books. All of our books are available through Baker & Taylor or Ingram. You can - if you prefer - also work directly with us. We pride ourselves on our quality books and also offer outstanding customer service. No matter what the question, you can expect to hear from us within 24 hours. That's our guarantee. Let us know that you're carrying our books in your store or talking about them on your site and we'll add your store/site to our website to give you a little more exposure, too.
Our authors are scattered through North America, so if you're interested in interviewing them or having one (or more) of them visit your store for a signing, we'd be more than happy to help arrange it.
We're currently looking for stories that are positive, quirky, clever, funny, light, breezy . . . you get the idea. No stories driven exclusively by angst or melodrama or excessive navel-gazing or endless strife or paint-by-number plots. We love stories that make us laugh, or at least smile a lot, and stories that stray from the garden path of expectation in amusing ways. In other words, stories that are fun and original and entertaining and if they have an out-of-the-blue surprise or two, or clever twists, even better.
The protagonist must be a lesbian and the story must be character-driven, well-written, and well-plotted. We are looking for literary, mystery, action/adventure, romance, and those quirky stories the defy category. We're not interested in horror, erotica, strong sexual situations, over-used profanity, or extreme violence.
We're also interested in out-of-print books that deserve to be back in print again for our new Nuance Classics imprint. We welcome suggestions of your favorite out-of-print books, and queries and submissions from owners of the rights for these books.
55,000 words and up.
Special Categories:
Dove Feather Romances - 50,000 to 65,000 words. Short, sweet, funny, quirky romances, with an emphasis on romance rather than sex.
Digital Dove Feather Romances - 20,000 to 45,000 words. Ebook Editions with an option to be included in print collections of novellas.
Cryptic Quill Mysteries - 55,000 to 70,000 words. Light, breezy mysteries that surprise and amuse and contain unexpected twists and turns on the way to solving the mystery.
Digital Cryptic Quill Mysteries - 20,000 to 50,000 words. Ebook Editions with an option to be included in print collections of novellas.
Digital Nuance - Ebook editions of books that are currently in print by other publishers or are out-of-print. If you've published a print edition of a book that features a lesbian protagonist and the book is literary, mystery, action/adventure, or romance and you own the ebooks rights, we would love to publish the ebook edition for you.
Visit http://nuancebooks.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/ for more information.
We look forward to your submissions.
Call for Submissions Bella Books, Inc.
------- Claiming our Past, Present and Future through Lesbian Literature -------
At Bella Books, we believe stories about lesbians are an essential of life-and so do our readers. If you are an author with a great story about gay women to tell, we want to hear from you.
We're looking for imaginative and entertaining stories that illuminate and celebrate possibilities, fantasies and realities in
lesbian lives. Novels that celebrate the girl-next-door, the best friend, the love of our life and the superwoman that exists in all of us.
Our readers have high standards for exciting, fresh plots, and they relish hours spent with engaging characters. They want books they can't put down, stories they think about for days afterward, and characters so compelling they wish they were real.
To provide our readers with the kinds of stories they demand and deserve, we publish general lesbian fiction, romance, mystery,
action/thriller, science-fiction, fantasy, and erotica. If you believe your manuscript will meet our needs, we welcome your
submission.
Click Here to learn more about our Guidelines for Submission and answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
------- About Bella Books -------
As the largest lesbian-owned publisher of lesbian fiction, with over 250 titles in print, Bella Books' editorial and production expertise is completely focused on books for lesbians. Bella authors reap the benefits of accumulated decades of experience, with editorial mentoring and support. Behind each of our writers stands a team of editors, typesetters and proofreaders working together to produce wonderful, absorbing reading.
Linda Hill, Publisher
Karin Kallmaker, Editorial Director editorialdirector@bellabooks.com
Call for Submissions Blue Feather Books
Blue Feather Books, Ltd., is looking for completed manuscripts, mainly in our core market area of lesbian fiction, but are also willing to consider manuscripts outside that genre that feature strong female characters.
The BSB New Author Development Forum is a small online mentoring group for unpublished writers of lesbian romance and mystery who are working on a novel they wish to submit to Bold Strokes Books. The Forum is a venue for craft and manuscript development. BSB senior consulting editor Jennifer Knight will guide members toward making their stories publishable during a series of online workshops. Discussion will be both manuscript-specific and topic-focused. BSB publisher, Len Barot, and other guests will also offer their advice and expertise periodically. The Forum is open to:
Unpublished, uncontracted writers who intend to submit a MS to Bold Strokes in the near future.
Writers who have already submitted a manuscript to Bold Strokes and plan to re-submit the same story with revisions or submit a new manuscript.
Writers who have had a novel(s) accepted for our Eclipse Ebooks line and are now working on a project to submit for one of our other lines.
BSB provides this resource to writers whose work shows potential for our list requirements. Forum discussion is strictly limited to matters of craft. We offer other BSB online forums for general discussion. Membership is limited, for practical reasons, and there is no guarantee of publication, but we will carefully consider all manuscripts developed within the Forum.
To enroll, please send your request to Jennifer Knight at: knight.bsb@gmail.com. With it, send a letter introducing yourself and describing your project and to which BSB line you intend to submit your MS. Please include a 1-2 page synopsis and your manuscript in progress. A minimum of 50 pages is necessary.
Bold Strokes Books offers a diverse collection of LesbianGayBiTransQueer general and genre fiction. BSB category fiction includes romance, action, adventure, crime, mystery/intrigue, speculative fic (sci-fi/fantasy/horror), and erotica. BSB Victory Editions includes literary and popular fiction as well as non-fiction that explore the LGBT experience in its many forms (contemporary, historical, saga) while telling strong human stories with universal themes. BSB Matinee Books are sharp, entertaining romances designed to be fun, relaxing, sexy reads.
We are interested in quality works from serious authors. The review of a manuscript is a time-consuming and, upon occasion, costly procedure. Therefore, we do not review manuscripts that have been simultaneously submitted to multiple publishers. A confirmation email is sent within 48 hours of receiving a manuscript. Please query us if you do not receive one. Every manuscript is individually reviewed, and every attempt is made to provide the author with a decision regarding our interest in publishing the work in a timely fashion. Our average time to decision regarding publication is 12 weeks.
Call for Submissions Clover Valley Press
www.clovervalleypress.com
Clover Valley Press, LLC, specializing in producing quality books written by women of the northland (primarily Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan), is currently accepting submissions for book-length manuscripts.
Please send a query letter and sample chapter to Clover Valley Press, LLC, 6286 Homestead Rd., Duluth, MN 55804, or e-mail charlene@clovervalleypress.com.
Clover Valley Press offers editorial and design services, assisting authors with the process of turning their manuscripts into finished books. Owner Charlene Brown has worked as a free-lance editor for Spinsters Ink and as a development editor for college textbooks. For more information, go to www.clovervalleypress.com.
Call for Submissions
Intaglio Publications
Intaglio Publications is currently accepting submissions for our current publishing schedule. Intaglio Publications is seeking well-written novel length manuscripts for gay and lesbian genre. Manuscripts should be between 40,000 and 120,000 words.
Intaglio Publications accepts original fiction only, no UBER or Fan Fiction please. Intaglio Publications does not accept manuscripts that have been simultaneously submitted to multiple publishers.
Please indicate if the submitted manuscript has been previously published.
Khimairal Ink is a literary magazine dedicated to the best in both genre and mainstream lesbian fiction. The protagonist must be a lesbian and the story must be character-driven, well-written, and well-plotted. Let your imagination soar and send us only your best writing.
We are looking for original unpublished stories but will also consider previously published stories and short excerpts from novels if the excerpts stand on their own. We don't want to see stories that are widely available on the Internet, but will consider stories previously published in e-zines. No simultaneous submissions please.
Length: Up to 8000 words
For Submission Guidelines and more information, Click Here.
Khimairal Ink is a quarterly publication issued in October, January, April, and July. The format is a full-color pdf e-zine that readers can download for free.
Artists who are interested in doing cover and story art please send a query to queries@bedazzledink.com and we'll send you instructions on how to submit samples of your work.
Authors and artists, we look forward to seeing your work. Readers, stop on by and enjoy our diverse offerings.
Call for Submissions L-Book ePublisher http://L-Book.com
We are seeking all categories of lesbian and women-centric literature - fiction, non-fiction, poetry, etc. L-Book has no length requirements (minimums or maximums). Novels, commuter-length novels, anthologies, collections, poetry, short stories, and more are welcome.
Contact at us: http://L-Book.com/authors.html or Submissions@L-Book.com
Call for Submissions PD Publishing http://www.pdpublishing.com
PD is continually seeking fictional novels for print publication. Authors do not have to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT), but submissions should be of interest to the LGBT communities. At this time we are not accepting novels intended for children or young adults.
Additional guidelines can be found at www.pdpublishing.com/submissions.html. Submissions should be sent to submissions@pdpublishing.com.
Promotion for Authors, Published or Online
From Lynne Pierce
I have an opportunity that authors may be interested in as a way to
promote their work. On the Lesfic_Unbound group I've started posting
excerpts called Sneak Peeks submitted by authors for the group to read.
The author sends me a chapter or selection from a work that is
published, going to be published or that is online and I post one every
few days for the members to read. So far this has had a good reception
from both the authors and the readers. A number of members have
mentioned that, by having a chapter to read, they've decided to try a
book that they wouldn't normally think they would be interested in.
There is a variety of stories being offered from a range of authors,
including excerpts from Lois C. Hart, Fran Heckrotte, Erin O'Reilly, JM
Dragon, Bett Norris and others.
So far I've only had submissions from group members, but I'm willing to
open it up to other people. Of course, to read the comments when your
selection is posted, you will have to join the group. Go to Yahoo
groups, request Lesfic_Unbound and request membership. It's not hard.
I let everyone in.
These are the provisions:
* the selection can come from a book already published, one that is
going to be published, one you hope to publish or a story that is online
or you want to be online. (I think that covers everyone.)
* whatever condition you send it to me in is how it will be posted.
I'm not doing any clean up or editing.
* I prefer selections be in a Word document since anything else
strains my technological abilities.
* if you have a web site, blog or any other contact information you
would like included with the selection, be sure to include it.
* if the book is slated to be published, give me some idea when so
that I can let the group members know when to expect the book.
Something like Spring 2008 is specific enough.
* the selection will not be used for a review; however, group members
may make comments. Those comments may include points they think will be
helpful to the author.
* the only purpose for doing this is to give authors a chance to
promote their works and to give readers a Sneak Peek at something they
might be willing to read.
* it isn't intended that you write something specifically to post on
this group. This isn't a challenge of any type, just an opportunity to
highlight your work.
If you aren't interested in joining the group, you can still send me
your submission attached to an email. Again, however, you won't be able
to see the comments without joining the group. I will TRY to remember
to notify you when your work has been posted if you don't join the
group.
Work from group members will be posted before those
who do not belong to the group. This looks like it's going to be an
ongoing feature, so whenever you have something you may submit it. I
hope some of you decide to participate.
Read These Lips is a free e-book project dedicated to lesbian literature. In our fourth year, we are inviting submissions to our anthology series.
We seek multi-dimensional literary writings that speak the possibilities of lesbian lives. We feature popular genre as well as cross-genre works.
Please read our Submissions Guidelines carefully, and our previous anthologies for guidance: http://www.readtheselips.com/RTL3subs.html
Early expressions of interest are encouraged.
All correspondence to submissions@readtheselips.com
************************
Two Lists Available: Lesbian-Attentive Publishers
and Bibliography of Anthologies
Over on our Read These Lips site, we've conducted extensive research to collate two great resources for writers and readers. One is a list of lesbian-attentive publishers (http://www.readtheselips.com/RTL2pubs.html) and the other is a bibliography of lesbian anthologies, poetry, and literary collections with a strong lesbian bent: (http://www.readtheselips.com/RTL2bib1.html).
The publishers list is, we think, an innovative concept where we, as a publisher, are providing links to other publishers--not just one or two, but 70 publishers. We found these publishers to be both conscious and encouraging of lesbian content in all its forms. To compile that list, we reviewed and trimmed off publishers that were GLBT friendly in name but not sufficient in practice, or presses that appeared restrictive of the kind of female content they would allow. Our aim is for lesfic writers to consider the wide world of publishers available. Naiad, A&M, and Haworth, are three publishers who have ceased being active, but we felt they were so influential in the history of lesbianlit that they deserved to be mentioned.
The second and faster growing of the two lists is our bibliography that is focused on collections of lesbian stories, poems, and such, not on GLBTIQ collections or het/bi anthologies. At present, the bibliography has 175 entries, excluding serials, including international and out of print anthologies. We plan to include single-author collections soon.
We hope you find these lists useful. Feel free to drop us an email about any content we might have overlooked. We welcome additions and comments about both lists.
The kudos for this go to our bibliographer, Renée, and Evecho.
Linda Lorenzo
Editor
www.ReadTheseLips.com
http://readtheselips.wordpress.com/
To Have Your Work Showcased
in JAW
Send by email your bios, reviews, covers,
and any pertinent articles you would care to submit, to pruferblue@aol.com ,
with "JAW Submission" in the Subject line. Please
remember, this newsletter not only hopes to provide
useful information on the writing craft, but also is
available for showcasing your work.
If you would like your
home page link added to my Resource Links list, please
email me via the Contact link at the left.
If you want your
newly released or about-to-be-released book featured in JAW,
send me full information by the fifteenth (15) of
the month preceding issue: synopsis, cover jpg,
publisher, ISBN number, cost, number of pages, and genre. If
you provide an URL for an excerpt, I will include it.
For full details
on submitting contributions, click on the Submission
Guidelines link to the left.
PLEASE NOTE OUR REVIEW POLICY: Because
of the number of independent reviewers on staff, JAW receives as many reviews each month as we are able to handle. JAW, therefore, will no longer accept requests from authors for reviews. Please check the list of reviewers on our Reviews page and contact an individual reviewer with your request.
Subscribe to monthly
announcements of issue posting: E-mail pruferblue@aol.com
and put "Subscribe to JAW" in the Subject line. ____________________________________________________________________ Unsubscribe: E-mail pruferblue@aol.com
and put "Unsubscribe to JAW" in the Subject line. ____________________________________________________________________ Submissions to this newsletter are
for promotional use only. Contributors retain their own
copyrights and all rights to their submitted work. Requests to
reprint should be directed to the individual
contributor—email addresses are included in their signature
boxes. I respectfully ask that the authors' credits state
previous publication in JustAboutWrite.com. All other
material on this site—unless specified otherwise—is
copyright 2004 to Nann Dunne.
Disclaimer: All submitters are
responsible for acquiring permissions to publish any
copyrighted material in this newsletter. Nann Dunne and "Just
About Write" will not be held responsible. If the material
submitted is not accompanied by proof of the permissions, it
will not be accepted.
