CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Book Laureate is a new digital magazine for writers, readers, bloggers and others interested in books and publishing.

We feature behind-the-scenes articles by published as well as up-and-coming authors. Focusing on the trials of publishing, the next big idea and what it is like to reside the bowels of the rejection pile, this magazine offers an array of content to pique interest.

Each month, The Book Laureate will feature one prominent author as it's feature with an in-depth interview, photos, and riddled with inside-scoop on how the big-name became just that.

Currently, we are seeking high-quality, well-polished short stories and articles. Articles should focus on themes such as; While I’m Waiting to Be A Successful Author, Moments of Inspiration and the Journey to Being Published. Other ideas will be accepted, these are just a few to get you thinking.

Article length should be no more than 500 words. Short Story length should be no more than 1,000 words. Please include a bio and if you have a published book, a book blurb. Please note content of biography and/or book blurb may be edited in order to fit the page.

To submit, please e-mail us at booklaureate@basedpress.com

We ONLY accept content in PDF. Include your name, website, book blurb and correct contact information.

Submission deadline for our first issue is December 5th, 2009.

If your piece is not chosen, you may resubmit for another issue. Articles and short stories will be chosen for their theme, quality, and how it compliments the featured interview. This is not first come, first serve. We urge you to take care in editing and proofreading your final copy before submission. You will be notified via e-mail if your piece is chosen so you may promote it as you see fit.

We are looking for raw, candid pieces that are original, and on topic of books and publishing. You agree upon submission that the content submitted is original, and has not been previously published in any medium.

**We do not pay for submitted content, and you permit The Book Laureate to use submitted content free of charge.

Book Feature: Cave of Terror, Amber Dawn Bell

Do you believe in vampires? 

I sure didn’t. Not until I found out on my 16th birthday I’m anything but human. And to add the cherry on the freak sundae called my life, I’m the first Vânător born in over 500 years. You see, I’m destined to be a hunter of evil. That’s right; I’m a real life Buffy.

To make matters worse, I’m falling for Ryan—this new guy at school. I never thought I’d be this love struck, hair tossing, dorky teenager. It’s enough to make me want to hurl.

And on top of all this, I have an entity stalking me that wants to use my rare blood for his own evil deeds, a girl at school who lives to make my life miserable, and a gymnastics coach who is determined to see I make it to Nationals.

Yep, things are really looking up for me. Welcome to the never boring, anything but normal, you-never-know-what’s-going-to-happen life of Cheyenne Wilde.

To learn more about Author Amber Dawn Bell, please visit: www.amberdawnbell.com

Our Guest: Terena Scott; Rejection

Rejection. There's nothing that stings so sharply. From the time you were a kid and none of the other kids would play with you, to the Jr Prom when your date ditched you for someone more popular, rejection has been bruising our egos. If you decide to become an artist, you will be dancing with the barbed-wire of rejection on a daily basis.

What do you do when you produce your best work and the only thing you get for your efforts is a big fat NO scrawled on a form letter? What do you do when you keep getting that big fat NO 100 times?

Before you decide you're a terrible artist who should never write again and start drinking Jack Daniels in your underwear at 2 pm, wait. 

I'm going to tell you a secret about rejection. And then I'm going to give you some steps to help defy those rejections

Those rejections are written by people and because they are people they are only giving you their opinion. A person's opinion is not gospel. It is their gospel, not everyone's. Not only that, a person's opinion can change, sometimes hourly. They may have read your proposal at 9 am after a big fight with their boyfriend, so they hate everything on their desk at that moment. But if they'd read your proposal at noon, after the boyfriend called to apologize, they instantly loved everything on their desk, including your proposal.

It's an unfair, subjective, process combing through query letters, and to make it all worse, you are one of a thousand who have sent in a query that week. There's no way you won't get 100 rejections.

But what about those 100 rejections? Should you just ignore them and declare all editors and agents are morons?

Absolutely not. Those rejection letters are trying to tell you something, so pay attention. Your query letter may be boring, or has a spelling error. Because of the overwhelming mass of writers all vying for an agents time, the agents are looking for any reason to ignore a query letter, so make sure it is 100% perfection.

Or maybe your book isn't as great as you think it is. No, I'm not saying your a bad artist! I am encouraging you to take a step back and evaluate it with the keen eye of a master artist. A work of art can always be made better, just ask Michelangelo as he was finishing the Sistine Chapel. Your writing may be wonderful, but how is the plot? Are there places where the writing is dull or bogged down with too much description, or not enough? Does it start with a strong scene, or lovely prose that doesn't really grab the reader's attention? Use those rejection letters as an opportunity to rethink your project.

I wrote a novel and sent it to an agent I met at a writer's conference. When I pitched the idea and showed her a sample of my writing she loved it. So I was pretty confident that when I sent her the entire book she'd send me a contract. Wrong. She sent me a lovely rejection letter, praising my writing skill, but "I'm not in love with it." I burst into tears and swore I'd never write again. After the despair (and the Jack Daniels) wore off I took another look at my novel and discovered I had written a boring book. Great characters. Compelling idea. Lovely writing. Boring plot.

I set the book aside and after five years I only now feel that I have the skills to fix this book and make it great.

Never give up. Believe in the work, but be honest with yourself. Delusion can be worse than rejection.

And the good news is, you don't have to rely on an agent or a publisher anymore. You can do it yourself, or work with a micro press who may be more willing to work with a new author. Like me.

Terena Scott is the owner/publisher of Medusa's Muse press, a small, indy press located in Northern California. Her book, "What you need to know to be a pro: the start-up business guide for publishers" shows authors how to start their own presses and become indy gurus. You can read more about Terena and her struggles with her sadistic muse while managing a small press at the Medusa's Muse blog www.medusasmuse.blogspot.com

Valentine's Day Writing Contest From Breathless Press!

Romance is in the air and Breathless Press wants you to express your love.

Valentine’s Day is the most romantic time of the year and we want you to share with us your tales of desire, lust and love.

Breathless Press is holding a contest and only two lucky entrants will win a signed contract as well as a video trailer and a month long blog tour to help promote their winning book.

All you have to do is submit your breathtaking love stories of Valentine romance.


Anything to do with Valentine’s Day is welcome.
Contest ends December 1st so hurry and get your stories in!


Length: We classify our lengths as follows:
Flirts: under 1,000 words

Temptations: 1,500 - 5,000 words

Novelette: 5,000 - 10,000 words

Novella: 10,000 - 50/60,000 words

Novel: 50/60,000-100,000 words
File format: We will only accept electronic submissions. Please send a query letter in the body of the message along with the full manuscript: .doc-compatible (or .rtf) file as an attachment.

Send query to: acquisitions @ breathlesspress dot com

http://www.breathlesspress.com/

Book Feature: The Weight of Silence, Invisible Children of India, Shelley Seale

Dog’s Eye View Media proudly presents a true-life story straight from today’s headlines.  

Shelley Seale’s narrative non-fiction book follows the lives of just such children as those brought to life in the movie Slumdog Millionaire. 

The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India depicts Seale’s journey into orphanages and through the streets and slums of India where millions of innocent children live without families. 

During her three years of writing The Weight of Silence, Seale has befriended and told the stories of many such children – and has born witness to their struggles first hand. 

Foreword by Joan Collins, with endorsements by Geralyn Dreyfous (Executive Producer of Born Into Brothels), Dominique Lapierre (Author of City of Joy), 

Save The Children, Human Rights Watch and more.

To Learn More About THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE INVISIBLE CHILDEREN OF INDIA and AUTHOR SHELLEY SEALE PLEASE VISIT THESE LINKS:

http://www.shelleyseale.info/ 

http://weightofsilence.wordpress.com/

Book Review: Curse of the Tahiera

ISBN: 978-1-60145-839-1

Curse of the Tahiera by Wendy Gillissen is one of those rare books that simply is a gift to the reader.
One of those books that will take you away into other worlds, reach out and fully grab your attention, immersing you completely into a rich and delightful story.

The story takes place both in the physical world and in the many levels of the spiritual world. Truly, it is a spiritual adventure, taking the reader through the cycles of life, death and rebirth, without stoppage in plot or character development.
 The wise Shaman, Yldic, finds Rom, whom he has been dreaming of for many years and recruits him to travel north. Young Eald joins the journey. These three characters journey together, forging strong bonds.
Rom, figures out whom and what he is while the youthfulness of Eald provides a nice balance to the serious matters that Yldich weighs.
Rom has constantly had dreams of his past and among his dreams he finds the hidden tool to use against the Tahiera.
The authority to the south represents the new world trying to override the old and makes you question which side will win in the end.
With a surprise ending, an unexpected love interest and a cast of rich characters, this book was impossible to put down.
Wendy Gillissen’s prose is lyrical and colourful, captivating and engaging.
Curse of the Tahiera, is an unique intelligent fantasy book, one that offers the reader an adventure not to be missed.

To learn more about Author Wendy Gillissen and CURSE OF THE TAHIERA, please visit:

http://www.wendygillissen.com/indexenglish.htm

Thoughtful Thursday: Imagination!

Artwork courtesy of Christopher Chamberlain. All Rights Reserved. 

http://c21.deviantart.com/ 

 

You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'”
George Bernard Shaw

 

 

Imagination is the eye of the soul.

                                                          Joseph Joubert




You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. 
 Mark Twain

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

              Albert Einstein

Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.

 George Bernard Shaw

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death.
Robert Fulghum

Book Feature: A Tale For All Seasons by: Jo Lynne Valerie

A Tale For All Seasons

Magical Stories for Heart & Soul
By: Jo Lynne Valerie

As the seasons of nature ebb and flow one into the other... So too do they work their magic in our lives...

BECOMING JAC: Tip-Toeing Between The Worlds
It is Autumn... As he walks to school on a brilliant jewel-toned day in Fall, a teenage boy struggles to remain emotionally intact after the senseless death of his older brother. No one wants to hear that Joaquin has seen the spirit of his dead brother. In time, his family completely breaks down. At school, Joaquin is bullied and seems ready to accept his dismal fate, when an unexpected friendship offers hope. New adventures and opportunities for growth take Joaquin to new heights and then... A second ghostly visit begins a chain of events that in the end, heal Joaquin’s heart, crack the unsolved case of his brother’s murder and lead him into his future.

PHOENIX RISING: The Longest Night
It is Winter... As heavy snows fall outside, an artist awakes from the mysterious, terrifying nightmare that has haunted her for years. Suddenly finding herself inspired, Holly paints from sheer imagination, a character portrait for a best-selling author’s forthcoming novel... She is never more shocked however, than when just a few days later, she meets - face to face - the very man she painted, in the flesh! The whirlwind that results takes Holly across the country and draws her into the most hidden chambers of her heart, there to affirm her belief in Divine Intervention, and to solve the mystery of her nightmare, at last.

GIFTS OF THE EQUINOX: And Then There Were Five
It is Spring... On a rainy Seattle evening, a newlywed EMT rescues the sole survivor from a devastating car wreck--- a four year old baby girl. Steve Garrett’s wife Jenny meets him at County General Hospital, where she is a nurse - and somehow connects with the little girl who has gone silent after witnessing the death of her mother. Steve and Jenny discover the little girl has an older brother, and that the two children have been left utterly alone in the world. What ensues is nothing short of heart-wrenching as the young couple encounter the assistance of first an endearing hospital chaplain with an Irish brogue, then a Wiccan Priestess. Hearts and angels converge to create one miracle after another on the Spring Equinox, that delicate time when all things hang in the balance.

FORGED IN THE FIRE: There And Back Again
It is Summer... A graduate student and bona fide glamour girl finds herself in the middle of a rude awakening when she is jilted by her lover--- a married man who is also her college professor. Sophia travels willfully to the Amalfi Coast, there to nurse her wounds. But a very different experience awaits... In a bistro kitchen and later, an enchanted herb garden, Sophia experiences personal epiphany and suddenly realizes she must rectify the mistake of disowning her family. As she speeds toward an Italian airport in a silver Maserati, Sophia is also speeding toward her own destiny - and coming full circle, at last.

A Tale For All Seasons is sure to enchant and captivate the reader with a magic which inspires heart and soul, all it's own.

EXTRAS! Audio Excerpts are available to listen to on Jo Lynne’s website at
www.JoLynneValerie.com.



You can purchase your copy of Jo Lynne's enchanting novel on her website or on Amazon.

The contest for this post in a FREE SIGNED COPY of A Tale For All Seasons! Please leave a comment below and a winner will be drawn at random. Contest ends November 11, 2009.