Frequently Asked Questions Series: Installment Three

Posted by Imogen Howson, 03/09/09 07:00 AM

Welcome to the third installment in our new series of Frequently Asked Questions!

Over several years of dealing with queries and submissions, we’ve found that some questions get asked more frequently than others. So, over the next few months, on every alternate Monday, we’re putting up two or three of these, together with (because we’re nice like that) their answers.
The comments section will be open for anyone who’d like to ask for clarification, and Samhain staff will be along to provide further details or answers to supplementary questions.
At the end of the series, all the questions and answers—together with any extra ones we’ve gathered along the way—will be put up on the Samhain site as a permanent resource.

(click here to view installment one)
(click here to view installment two)

Topic One (continued): Submitting Your Manuscript to Samhain Publishing

1.9. My manuscript was previously published. Will Samhain consider it for republication?
No. Samhain does consider re-releases, but only from authors who are currently contracted with Samhain—and then only on a case-by-case basis. Send us something new, and if we accept that, then you can talk to your editor about submitting your previously published manuscript.

1.10. May I send a manuscript that I’ve also submitted to other publishers?
Yes! Please just let us know your manuscript is being considered elsewhere. Also please let us know if you decide to withdraw it from consideration at Samhain.

1.11. May I send several submissions to Samhain at the same time?
No. One at a time, please.

1.12. May I send the same submission simultaneously to different Samhain editors or different Samhain email addresses?
No. Our editors are busy—we don’t like them to be reading the same manuscript all at once! Also, please don’t do this in the hope that if one editor rejects your manuscript, you’ll still have a chance with a different editor. All submissions are centrally logged, and finding out that an author has sent in the same manuscript to several different Samhain editors just makes us cranky. You don’t want your manuscript to be read by cranky editors, do you?

Category: | 03/09/09 07:00 AM
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Comments: [2]

  1. 1 Lorelei Bell

    Hi, my name is Lorelei Bell;

    I’ve just recently self-published my own adult fantasy, about a sorceress, Zofia Trickenbod, (originally from Euphoria, in another galaxy), who is hiding out on Earth (she calls it First World, because it was where her ancestors are from), and has to hide the fact she, her aunt, and two children are from another planet. Why is she hiding out on First World? Because a dark ex-wizard is after the Stone of Irdisi—which she is keeper of. The book’s title “Spell of the Black Unicorn” indicates there is a black unicorn, and there is. He figures into Zofia’s salvation at the end.

    It took me 3-4 years to develop Zofia’s world where she is from, words used for spells, and so forth, their religion was a real challenge, since they have gods, goddesses, demons, as well as wizards who are part god—one of the hunks in my story.

    It was also fun to build the characters strong enough to be lovable enough for people to want to read a series about them, as well as introduce the more darker characters (like demon Erebus) who will come back in another book.

    I think what tips the scale for me to move toward writing fantasy is that you can pretty much do anything—if you want someone to be able to fly, you can. Plus, if you want to invent something (object), or a new race or anything (I’ve invented a ghostly servant named Biddle in my story, just to add to the comical segments, and you never know what the invisible servant might do in front of humans)

    I like using vampires in my stories, and Zofia’s husband—once a very capable wizard—has been turned into a vampire and comes to Zofia, after she believes he’s been dead for 5 years—boy is she ticked off at him!

    So, I’m just saying fantasy is great. I’ve had a lot of prase from people who’ve read it. I got them with the “surprise” ending.

    The second book I’ve still got some things to work on, and meanwhile I’m working on my vampire novel.

    Happy Writing!
    Lorelei Bell

    Comment by Lorelei Bell · Mar 9, 07:37 AM
  2. 2 Julie Robinson

    Another great informative post! Thank you, Imogene.
    These posts are providing me with my own “How-To” book.

    Julie

    Comment by Julie Robinson · Mar 18, 04:35 PM

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