Pitching to authors
Jeremy H. Griffith
I suggest we draft a letter explaining the anthology,
who we are, and what we offer and expect, before we
actually start making pitches. Then we will all have
the same story, which we can of course adjust to the
author involved, except that terms should be consistent
for all authors, IMHO. (I was writing to Kathy about
something else anyway, and just mentioned the list to
her, rather than asking her for a story.)
Also, I'm a member of BroadUniverse, and we could
probably make a pitch to that list, though it might
result in a hefty slushpile to go through. ;-)
Do we want to limit it to published authors? With at
least one novel out from a "regular" publisher (as
opposed to Amazon or Lulu), or what?
Love and Light,
--Jeremy
Shira Lipkin
Do we want to limit it to published authors? With at
least one novel out from a "regular" publisher (as
opposed to Amazon or Lulu), or what?
What about authors who only have short fiction published so far?
--Shira
JenniferD
authors. The biggest names we can get. Isn't that the idea - to help
with the marketing in the beginning?
I snipped this from Nicola's comments in the defining the experiment
thread:
"I think it would be best to start with stuff that's been published
before. I think we should work our
contacts and get reprint stories and poems from the biggest names of
all genres we can reach--Stephen King, Ursula Le Guin, Dorothy
Allison, Mark Doty, Jonathan Lethem, Neil Gaiman, Laurell K.
Hamilton--
and publish them. We contact these writers and tell them we'll
publish whatever they send (therefore cutting out the submission/
editing process, saving time and energy). We pitch it as a grand
experiment, and ask them to do it for free for the joy of it (though
we could probably work out a way to raise enough money to offer each
a
token fee such as $100, if we had to)."
I think you are right about putting together a coherent letter of
intent/request (or at least an outline), Jeremy.
Best-
Jennifer
Karina Melendez
"I suggest we draft a letter explaining the anthology,
who we are, and what we offer and expect, before we
actually start making pitches."
Realmcovet
address Neil Gaiman the other day. :D
> *"I suggest we draft a letter explaining the anthology,
JenniferD
How about first collecting the relevant points here, then someone can
write a draft? Save time/energy by not duplicating efforts.
Jennifer
> *"I suggest we draft a letter explaining the anthology,
Leela
On Feb 3, 2:28 pm, JenniferD <i...@jenniferdurham.com> wrote:
> I agree that we need to get clear on stuff.
>
> How about first collecting the relevant points here, then someone can
> write a draft? Save time/energy by not duplicating efforts.
> Jennifer
no theme question hammered out before we can develop a pitch.
But maybe I'm too linear that way. :)
Leela
Realmcovet
suggested I just share it with the whole group here, because she's
still tired and needs to take it easy. So here's a "repost" of the
email I sent her, anyone and everyone, feel free to pick it apart,
ransack it, slay it, disregard it. It is what it is, and it's just a
way of "getting it out there". Maybe it will help in getting
objectives out there and on the table, what we want, what we don't
want and blah, blah, blah. Hopefully we can all work together here on
what you all feel comfortable in sending out. I'm open to whatever you
all have to say. And it doesn't have to be just "Dear Neil", it can be
"Dear whoever you guys fancy" (just for clarification purposes)..
Okay. So I'll shuddup now and just show you all the letter:
Hi there Nicola! How are you? It's just me, Realm,(Rachel) from
Ozymandias. I wanted to let you know that I've been deep in thought
about draft letters to write to potential big name authors in regards
to the possible anthology we've been working on. I don't mean to
bother you with a personal email, but I've come up with a bit of a
"rough draft" that I wanted to personally share with you. I didn't
want to embarrass you with it by posting it publicly on Ozymandias, in
case you had any objections, so I figured I'd run it by you in a more
"personal" manner, in case there are things in the letter that make
you cringe or such. But yes, here it is.
I thought particularly of Neil Gaiman, just cause I am so enthralled
with his work on the Sandman series. He so seems like he would be
obsessed with you and would want to know of your every work if he had
the opportunity to read any of your works. :)
Please let me know what you think of the "query letter" I've
fashioned. I don't quite think much of it, so slay away if it's not
what you're looking for. At least I will have a better idea of what
you are looking for when it does come time to start sending out
pitches to big name authors.
Have a beautiful day! Rachel (Realm)
(and then here's the draft letter;)
Dearest Neil Gaiman,
Greetings from Ozymandian Google Group! We here at Ozymandias are
interested in reprinting some or any of your work that you would care
to offer up. Ozymandias' aim is to take a stab at the publishing
industry with something new, something avante garde, something
possibly many have thought and hoped and dreamed up, but we aim to
make this dream of many a reality. There are many on board here with
their shared talents, many on board here with hopes and dreams, and
like you, mayhaps once in a past life, had hoped for in regards to
your own musings, wanted for all to see your star shimmer for one
single night? We here aim to make that dream a reality, but with your
help.
First we thought for a theme, to come up with a theme for anthology.
But many are not in favor of theme. Many say it's too constricting. I
say, with anything, Neil has many stories to tell, theme or no, that
could benefit from a reprint. What say you, Neil? Care to offer any
stories up? Us at Ozymandias would be of utmost delight to hear back
from you, whether it be a yay or nay, most stock being put on the yay,
of course.
If you are interested in more information on this group and what it's
all about, feel free to indulge in clicking on the link I have
enclosed in the bottom portion of this letter.
Author Nicola Griffith founded the group, and I think you would be
very interested in her works, if one has not afforded the opportunity
to already indulge in such pleasantries. One such work is Ammonite, in
which a planet filled with mankilling virus seems to be the victor.
To quote the back cover:
"Change or die. These are the only options available on planet Jeep.
Centuries earlier, a deadly virus shattered the original colony.,
killing the men and forever altering the few surviving women. Now,
generations after the colony lost touch with the rest of humanity, a
company arrives to exploit Jeep--and it's forces find themselves
fighting for their lives. Terrified of spreading the virus, the
company abandons it's employees, leaving them afraid and isolated from
the natives. In the face of this crisis, anthropologist Marghe Taishan
arrives to test a new vaccine. As she risks death tho uncover the
women's biological secret, she finds that she too is changing--and
realizes that not only has she found a home on Jeep, but that she
alone carries the seeds of it's destruction..."
Very compelling story...very Bjork-like atmospheres to explore, in my
personal opinion. Upon reading your works, something that you may very
well be in sync with. I hope this gives you a general idea of what we
here at Ozymandias have to offer.
Here is the link for Ozymandias Google Group:
http://groups.google.com/group/ozymandias
Here also is the link for all things Nicola Griffith:
http://nicolagriffith.com/
Sincerely, Rachel Turner (Realmcovet) of Ozymandias Google Group
So slay away all!! :D Let me all know what you want/think?
>
> - Show quoted text -
Adam Lowe
Dear Neil,
My name is xxx, and I'm writing to you today from Ozymandias Publishing [or whatever!] . . .
However, if we're emailing people we already know, it might be best to start less formally:
Hi Neil,
xxx here. I hope all is well [blah blah blah]. I'm just writing to you today because . . .
What do you think?
--
Regards
Adam Lowe
Features Editor
Bent [http://mag.bent.com]
Editor-in-Chief
Polluto [http://www.polluto.com]
Publisher/Editor
Dog Horn Publishing [http://www.doghornpublishing.com]
Mobile: +44 (0) 7906 242 232
Office: +44 (0) 113 279 3573
If you would like to stop receiving these emails, please reply with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject.
Realmcovet
speaks truth. But c'mon now. How could you ever "hate" anything I have
to say? :D
But yes, on a more serious note, I agree Adam. Sounds much less
"spammish" and gimmicky the way you put it.
On Feb 10, 10:07 am, Adam Lowe <beyo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm not keen on the intro. It seems a little spam-like. I hate the whole
> 'Greetings from' bit. Why not start more like this:
>
> My name is xxx, and I'm writing to you today from Ozymandias Publishing [or
> However, if we're emailing people we already know, it might be best to start
> less formally:
>
> xxx here. I hope all is well [blah blah blah]. I'm just writing to you today
>
> What do you think?
>
> 2009/2/9 Realmcovet <rchl_t...@yahoo.com>
Kelley Eskridge
diving in. I also think it might be a little premature. I really
think it's important to sort out what we're doing, what our
intentions are, so that we can present a very simple explanation to
the authors we approach. I also imagine that we'll probably end up
with a few descriptions that we agree on as a group, but that the
letters to authors will, as Adam suggests, be more individual
depending on who is sending them.
I don't think we should send authors the message that we haven't
decided what we are asking for from them, you know? I think it's
better for us to hammer out the details first -- that will help us
decide how to best describe it to authors.
And as much as I love Nicola, I don't think the email should be about
her. It's about the idea of the group more than the person behind
it. I think it's fine to mention that she's the driving force, it
will add credibility in the eyes of some of the writers we approach,
but less is more in that regard. Writers can be very peculiar if they
perceive that another writer is self-aggrandizing. We're a funny
breed, what can I say?
Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Thanks very much for keeping this
conversation going by taking this step.
K
Adam Lowe
Realmcovet
Well thanks for the honest feedback. All points well taken, and I
agree with the lot of you wholeheartedly. We most definately need to
broaden what were doing here to a sharper sword of sorts, and also to
be genuine in our collaborative efforts. Thanks for the feedback
all. :)
And you're right in regards to what you said about "promoting" Nicola,
Kelley. I certainly don't want to give the impression that we're
trying to self aggrandize. Thanks for pointing that perspective out to
me.
Rachel
>
> read more »- Hide quoted text -
JenniferD
when the conversation has stagnated.
I do agree that we need to be clear about what we are doing. When we
approach people we need to sound like we are on a mission that we are
fired up about. We can't expect them to get excited if we are not
passionate and clear about what we are doing.
You could not be clear in your letter because we have not been clear.
Thanks-
Jennifer
p.s. I already tried this message once, and it disappeared. Hopefully
it won't show up twice.
>
> read more »
Jeremy H. Griffith
Hi! I'm posting this as an example of what we will need to
produce for an anthology project. It came from Laura Quilter's
FeministSF list; I know some of us (like Nicola) are on it,
but not everyone.
HTH!
--Jeremy
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On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:03:12 -0500, Jason Ellis
<dynamic...@googlemail.com> wrote:
Subject: The Postnational Fantasy: Nationalism, Cosmopolitics and Science Fiction
Greetings all,
The following CFP is for an anthology that two of my Kent State
colleagues and I are putting together. I would like to encourage
everyone with a stake in the debates that our collection engages to
submit an abstract by April 30. Here's the official CFP:
Call for Papers:
The Postnational Fantasy: Nationalism, Cosmopolitics and Science Fiction
We seek chapter proposals for our forthcoming anthology to be
published in Spring 2010. The Postnational Fantasy: Nationalism,
Cosmopolitics and Science Fiction places itself at the nexus of
current debates about nationalism, postnational capitalism, the
reassertion of third world nationalism and its cosmopolitical
counterparts, and the role of contemporary Science Fiction (SF) and
fantasy in challenging, normalizing, or contesting these major
conceptual currents of our times. This new collection of essays,
thus, brings together, in one volume, the interplay of critical and
theoretical insights both from Postcolonial and Science Fiction
studies
In a way SF and Postcolonial Literature both have traditionally dealt
with the question of the other. Thus, while SF has been traditionally
concerned with the issues of the alien and the ontological other, the
leading postcolonial works have usually focused on giving voice to the
silenced colonized others. Just as the SF writer must 'train' the
reader in his or her imagined setting, so does the postcolonial author
feel the need to inform the reader while attempting to represent the
postcolonial subjects. This combination of representation and
didactics, crucial to SF and postcolonial writing, can therefore be an
interesting starting point for bringing the two overlapping fields of
artistic endeavor together, as both have a lot to offer in theorizing
and debating the national, the postcolonial, and the cosmopolitan in
the era of high capital. As of now, not many critical texts attempt to
rewrite postcoloniality through a textual and theoretical reading of
contemporary SF nor has there been a worthwhile attempt in
postcolonial studies to incorporate the contemporary SF in the
cultural and political debates. It is, therefore, one of the goals of
this volume to enrich both Postcolonial Studies and SF studies with a
nuanced borrowing and intermixing of their primary texts and modes of
interpretation, which would, we hope, enrich both fields of study by
sharing their common and particular modes of reading and responding to
the texts. Important also in our study would be the nature of
representation itself, but especially the affective value of the texts
in generating and foregrounding the questions of feelings invoked by
the SF and the postcolonial text, and the impact of this emotive state
on the issues of national, postnational, and cosmopolitan identity
formation.
We invite essays of 5,000-6,000 words in length exploring the
following themes, or any other themes that might fall within the
purview of our stipulated vision of the anthology:
• Issues of nationalism and national identity in SF and fantasy.
• The idea of the other in the context of geopolitical identities.
• The setting/background of the fantastical in the context of
contemporary debates of the cosmopolitical.
• The postcolonial imagination of SF and fantasy from the Third World.
• The affective value of SF and its connotation in the context of
global politics.
• SF as an additive of resistance or postnational alternative.
• The questioning of gender and heteronormativity in SF in an age of
cosmopolitanism.
We strongly encourage young scholars and advanced graduate students to
contribute to the anthology. Please send your proposals, not more than
200 words, along with a brief bio by April 30, 2009. Send your
proposals to the editors at pnfa...@gmail.com. Include your proposal
and bio in the body of your email and also as a Microsoft Word
attachment. Essays selected for inclusion in the final volume will be
peer-reviewed by specialists in the field.
About the Editors:
Dr. Masood Raja, Assistant Professor of Postcolonial Literature and Theory
Department of English, Kent State University
Swaralipi Nandi, PhD Scholar
Department of English, Kent State University
Jason W. Ellis, PhD Scholar
Department of English, Kent State University
--
Jason W. Ellis
PhD Student, Kent State University
Publicity Director, Science Fiction Research Association
Visit my Science Fiction Studies blog at http://dynamicsubspace.net/
_______________________________________________
Feministsf mailing list
Femin...@lists.feministsf.net
http://lists.feministsf.net/listinfo.cgi/feministsf-feministsf.net
Jeremy H. Griffith
Here's another example of a "Call for Submissions", from the
[broaduniverse] list this time.
--Jeremy.
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On Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:22:53 -0700, Lady K'Lyssia <Pe...@msn.com> wrote:
I'm putting together another open call anthology through my micro-press WolfSinger publications and am sharing the submission call with you. Feel free to repost or share with anyone who might be interested.
All About Eve
Eve - the first woman - some call her Pandora. Both the Christian and ancient Greek myths make her the reason man was plagued with the ills of the world. Whether in convincing Adam to taste of the fruit of the forbidden tree of knowledge or in giving in to her curiosity and opening a forbidden box that contained all of the plagues.
Well, it痴 time she had a chance to tell her story.
WolfSinger Publications is looking for stories about the first woman created by the gods. Be imaginative and draw on more than just the traditional Christian and Greek stories. Let her tell her side of the story - whether she was manipulated and tricked into her actions or whether she acted willfully and in full knowledge of what her actions might bring. Or maybe - just maybe she acted out of spite for some wrong done to her.
Tell us her side of things - make the reader look at the old myths and stories in a new light and also at the differences in the genders in a new way. BTW: Don稚 forget about Lilith either - in some stories she was Adam痴 first wife, before Eve.
Stories should be 3000-5000 words long.
Payment will be $5.00 plus equal share of 50 percent of royalties
Please send your submission to edi...@wolfsingerpubs.com as an .rtf attachment. Put 摘ve Submission: 禅itle - Last Name樗 in the subject line.
Deadline is 31 August 2009 (planned for a November/December release)
Preferred genre is Fantasy, but most will be considered if the story works. Please no erotica.
barbara sanchez
| Are we going to have a theme? Are we not? If we are going to pitch the authors we discussed are they going to be tied down to a theme? I know we have discussed all this, but not clearly enough for me, because I am still confused. Any thoughts? --- On Tue, 2/10/09, JenniferD <in...@jenniferdurham.com> wrote: |
Leela
On Feb 16, 5:04 pm, barbara sanchez <sanchez-barb...@att.net> wrote:
> Are we going to have a theme? Are we not? If we are going to pitch the authors we discussed are they going to be tied down to a theme? I know we have discussed all this, but not clearly enough for me, because I am still confused. Any thoughts?
what we're doing, which right now hinges on the question of theme.
Let's take the theme conversation back to the "Anthology's Theme"
thread.
:)
Leela, your friendly organizer