A Chat with My Publisher & Another Golden List for Writers & Readers
An excerpt from my fantasy book, book cover gossip, and a list of resources for YOU!
I’m a bit of a cover snob. I try not to judge books by their cover, but an ugly cover scowling at me from a bookseller’s shelf, certainly doesn’t beckon me to open it all that fast. What can I say? I appreciate aesthetic.
The unknowns regarding my future book cover has been a source of anxiety for me since I started querying. I have heard horror stories about book covers gone wrong. “My publisher would only spend $200 on my cover,” one author told me. “It was so ugly, and when I complained about it, they said, ‘That’s the cover you're getting, and we aren’t paying for a different one.’”
So you can imagine my trepidation. What if I get stuck with a hideous cover that makes my eyes bleed? What if it’s so bad nobody wants to buy my book?
This piece alone was so important to me that I actually didn't query any publishing houses whose book covers I didn't like or felt were cheesy or cheap.
When I meet with my publisher in mid-January, the subject of my book's cover came up in the conversation. I'd had a concept in my head for a little while, but I didn't know what my publisher would think of it. When I shared my idea, the response was: “I’ve never seen a cover like that before. I love it! Let’s do it!”
So, yay! There may be several revisions to get it right, but I like how involved they’ve let me be in this process.
Another fun tidbit: the title announcement and preorder for my novel is coming fall 2025!
Unedited Excerpt from Chapter 2 - Taran’s POV
Going forward, I’ll be sharing an excerpt from my YA fantasy debut in this newsletter each month. I’ll get my first round of edits back to me in April, so just know these are unedited passages that I’m sharing.
Taran had no idea what he was getting into, but it was nothing good. Because that was just like him, wasn’t it? Act now, think later. He reached inside his pocket and drew out the note that had been slipped beneath the door of his leaky room that morning, rereading the words:
Verness Hospital. Afternoon. Follow the girl in the red scarf. Yours, Volasi
He’d been waiting for hours, risking more than his life in uneasy obedience to the note. Because he needed Volasi’s information. Because he needed to find Saeri.
A crash sounded across the street and his green eyes snapped up. Two men dumped a crate of bricks into the back of a wagon hitched to a team of draft horses. They were still clearing the street from the bomb that had gutted a restaurant like a melon days before. The Veldvlastian aero-bomber had probably aimed for the hospital but missed.
And wasn’t that just it? Two years of fighting and Ghlasmorr, his vulnerable little country, still stood on its own two feet by luck and a mere ten yards.
A sudden gust whipped up from the Verness Harbor Basin, knocking hats off heads and sending trash skating the length of the street. It was spring, yet cold still gripped the capital like bronchitis in old lungs. Ice crusted the footing of the piers and dykes, and patches of sloppy snow dribbled into gutters.
Curious Minds Want to Know…
What makes you want to read a book? There are so many ways that authors share about their stories, that I am genuinely curious what aspect of that marketing actually gets readers to read their books. I made a poll (because I have a bit of a poll addiction) and I’m genuinely curious!
February’s Golden List for Writers and Readers
Whimsical Publishing Discount Code
I have a discount code! If you want to buy anything from my publisher’s store simply add my code “Alcott” and you’ll get 10% off. I actually love this shop because in addition to books it has so many pieces of original art and classic characters bookmarks.
Contests
6th Annual Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest - Seeks unpublished manuscripts across 10 categories. Awarding $25,000, agent and publisher circulation. Pre-Register: January 15th, 2025 - $25
Genesis Contest - is for unpublished works of Christian fiction. The contest opens on January 2, 2025, and closes on March 1.
Substack’s Short Story Competition - A monthly, ongoing competition. No entry fee. The winner will receive roughly $7,000! WOW-za! See the link for details.
Anthologies Currently Open
Twenty Hills is currently seeing anthology submissions for “Project Sword”
Theme: Dark Adult Medieval Fantasy short stories! Swords, magic, dragons, elves, etc. To keep the tone of the book consistent, we are looking for darker stories, which includes things like horror fantasy, dark fantasy, and the like. (It doesn't need to fall under horror or dark fantasy, but just pair nicely with those tones.) It must feature adult characters, for adult readers, set in a medieval-inspired setting, and be fantasy. Please no romance as the main plot. It can be in the story, but shouldn't be what the story hinges on. In other words, no dark romantasy please. (Bonus points if it's raw, gritty, and unnerving.)
Word Count: Between 1,000 and 7,000 (if you send us something longer or shorter, we will still consider it, but it could hurt your chances)
HenDragon Press - is opening for its first anthology submissions in early 2025. “Through Field and Forests is a collaborative anthology featuring a collection of stories written and inspired by Aesop’s fables. The anthology will be the first official project of the press. We will be open for submissions in early 2025.
Book Marketing
Clean Fiction Magazine - A Christian magazine for reviews and contests offers book marketing for as low as $5. Use code TWENTYHILLS for a $5 discount. Reviews are free.
Traditional Publishers Currently OPEN to Unagented Authors
*I have vetted the information about these publishers to the best of my abilities; however, always use discretion and perform your own research before submitting proprietary works. Submission guidelines and policies may change, so ensure you verify each publisher's requirements and only submit if you meet those requirements.
Everything With Words - Genres: MG and YA fiction over 40K words. Type: General market. Details: UK publisher, I personally think their covers are really beautiful.
Castle Bridge Media - Details: Castle Bridge Media is an independent publisher of predominantly genre books, with particular interest in horror, science fiction, thriller, and fantasy. We also dabble in non-fiction titles as well. However, regardless of the genre, if the work is good, we will consider it. Novels should generally run between 80,000 and 120,000 words.
Brother Mockingbird - Will open to unsolicited submissions February through March 2025. Genres: Action/Adventure, Chick Lit, Commercial, Contemporary, Crime/Detective/Cozies, Historical, Horror, Humor/Satire, Literary, Multicultural, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Upmarket, Western, Women's Fiction, Young Adult.
Type: General Market. Genres: Poetry, inspiration, humor, children’s books, comics and illustrated humor. Details: Review their catalog to ensure a good fit.
Mountain Brook Fire - This publisher hasn’t opened to unsolicited queries in years, and I just happened to check and — voilà! They are currently seeking fantasy and science fiction. “Manuscripts need not be explicitly “Christian”–in fact, we prefer general market. However, we’re looking for fiction that is clean. Books having a Christian worldview without having a faith thread are appreciated.”
Storm Publishing - “We’re excited by gripping, dramatic stories that have us turning the pages and by real, flawed and passionate heroes who make us care. Those ingredients matter more than anything else.”
Next Chapter - “is a Rapid Versatile Publisher (RVP) that combines the professionalism and quality of traditional publishing with the creative freedom of independent publishing.” MY NOTE: A friend was published through them and said her experience has been super positive.
Kingsley Publishers accept submissions for consideration “from a wide range of genres, from fiction to non-fiction, biographical, memoirs, Christian books, and children’s books. "It's important to read through our submission guidelines before sending in your manuscript to ensure it meets our specifications.”
Olympia Publishers - Open to both hybrid and traditional contracts.
Auctus Publishers - winner of Best Book of YA Agath Awards in 2020. Auctus is a traditional publisher seeking submissions from a wide range of genres, both fiction and non-fiction but not academic.
Clavis Publishing - Do you think your story or art is right for Clavis’ list of books for babies, toddlers and children? We want to hear about it! Submit your manuscript or artwork and we will gladly take a look.
Yeehoo Press is dedicated to publishing fun, enchanting, and socially responsible children’s books for audiences around the world. Our books are published and sold in simultaneous English and Simplified Chinese editions.
Pegasus Publishers - A small, traditional publisher that published anything from fiction to autobiographies to novellas.
Moondust Production - We are accepting all genres and combine traditional publishing with more creative freedom like that of independent publishing. Manuscripts don't need to be "Christian" we accept both Christian and general market.
Baen - Is looking only for science fiction and fantasy with “powerful plots with solid scientific and philosophical underpinnings…As for fantasy, any magical system must be both rigorously coherent and integral to the plot, and overall the work must at least strive for originality.”
Flash Light Press - Targets readers 4–8 years old. Seeking stories under 1000 words with universal themes such as family or social situations.
Entangled Publishing - is a mid-sized, traditional publisher open to unagented authors. With many imprints covering a host of genres, check it out to see if any of your stories are a good fit!
Red Adept Publishing - “We are currently accepting only the following genres: Women’s Fiction, Romance, Chick-Lit, Mystery (General, Police, Cozy), and Thriller-Suspense.”
Luna Press Publishing - “We only publish Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy (and their sub-genres). For our purposes, speculative fiction deals with elements that are nonexistent in reality, covering various themes in the context of science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternate history, utopian and dystopian fiction, and supernatural fiction, as well as combinations thereof (e.g. science fantasy).”
Wild Rose Press - “We only accept manuscripts between 15,000 and 100,000 words; for print eligibility, the manuscript must be at least 45,000 words. We wish for books that have well-developed plots, strong conflicts, and memorable characters. We aim to give our readers the best reading experience and for our authors to succeed in their writing careers.”
Coffeetown Press - “We look for fiction and nonfiction—including memoirs about other cultures or works that have a strong theme that will appeal to a specific audience. Series proposals are welcome. We prefer the word counts between 50,000 and 100,000 words. We are NOT currently accepting works of horror fiction, sci-fi/fantasy, poetry, or children's titles at any of our imprints.”
Firefly Hill Press - I did a quick search on this one, their conference schedule on their site is five years out of date, and they are on Instagram, but their last post is 14 weeks ago. It does seem to be releasing books, though. Focuses on YA and speculative fiction, open to submissions both series and standalone.
Twisted Road Publications is now accepting submissions for their upcoming “Survivors” series. They are looking for both full-length manuscripts (fiction and non-fiction) and shorter works (essays and short stories) for inclusion in anthologies.
Kensington Publishing Group publishes a range of popular genres such as thrillers, romance, historical fiction, cozy mysteries, and non-fiction, as well as true-crime, western, sci-fi, and speculative fiction titles.is open to unagented submissions, but they have very specific needs at this time. Please review guidelines thoroughly.
Adobe Press Chapbooks submissions is currently open for submissions and will close on November 30th! Seeking Poetry = up to 30 pages and Hybrid and Fiction = up to 60 pages. Abode Press mission dedicated to uplifting underrepresented voices.
Golden Scales Publishing is a new publisher established in 2024. They are ready to accept our first submissions for fantasy, romance, or paranormal genres.
Charlesbridge is currently open to picture book and YA submissions.
Austin Macauley Publishing accepts manuscripts — fiction and nonfiction in almost every category.
Aethon Books is accepting all genre fiction, focusing on Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Enclave Publishing is accepting adult and YA manuscripts for Christian speculative fiction.
Book Highlight
Emily Barnett’s book Thread of Dreams ebook is on sale for .99 until the end of the month. If you don’t know Emily, she is a talented author who also writes an amazing (and hilarious) serial on Substack. I’m linking that here too if you care to subscribe.
Conclusion
I hope some of this was helpful and thank you for choosing to be here!
Love and Light,
Bethany
Love it! Excited to read the whole book!
Great newsletter, as always!! Loved your excerpt!!