More Chances to See Our Authors!

Hey everyone!

I hope you've had a great week so far. I just wanted to update you on some of the author events coming to (a hopeful) location near you.

AJ Tata - Sudden Threat:



TV Interview - Tony will be in Miami, FL on March 31 to make an appearance on South Florida Today at 11am on NBC-6.
Radio Interview - On April 15 (don't forget your taxes people!) he will be on the Todd Ortloff Show on KNOP, Port Angeles, WA.

Joseph Flynn - The President's Henchman:



Books-A-Million - Joe will be in Chicago, IL on April 13 from noon to 2pm. Be sure to show your support for him and his 'First Gentleman', Jim McGill, by purchasing your signed copy!

We would love to hear what you think of our authors and their interviews/book signings. If you witness them, please, let us know your thoughts. Is there someplace you would like them to visit? Tell us where and we will see what we can do to make it happen.

In MEG: Hell's Aquarium news, there's only 55 days left until its release! Don't forget to pick up your copy on May 19 and make it a NY Times bestseller for the month of May.

Steven Savile Opens Up - Please Read

I have been asked many times by people, "Who is Steven Savile - what is he like? What is his writing like?", and my response to them is... "He's European =)>". Seriously though, he's a great guy whose writing I've seen thus far is dark. Due to life experiences? As you will see in his newest posting on Storytellersunplugged.com, you will understand who SS is, what he is about, and how his writing is a form of Catharsis for him. I invite you to read it, absorb it. Not just to get a feel for Steven, but as a hopeful coping mechanism for you as well when things get tough.

For those of you who are in a dark place, hopefully this is what you needed to get out - and don't ever hesitate to ask for help. You're not alone. To the rest of you: just be there.

Take care everyone.

MEG: Hell's Aquarium Off To Printers!

Good day Variance Zealots!



Is this an exciting week for you? Well, if you are a Steve Alten fan, it should be! Steve's latest and greatest MEG novel is being worked on as you read this. There are so many spectacular things about Hell's Aquarium, in particular... it has two limited edition covers! Produced by Erik Hollander, these covers will surely impress anyone walking by. This is also one of the best interiors Steve has ever seen out of his 9 books (quite the compliment). Are you amped up yet? Can't wait for the book to come out May 19th? Well, unfortunately we can't help you there, but you can read the sample here. And be sure to do your part - go out and buy MEG: Hell's Aquarium on May 19 and make it another NY Times bestseller Alten can put on his shelves (and our first)!

On a side note, what is it that you are most excited about regarding MEG: Hell's Aquarium? The good guys? The bad fish? The lesson in cryptozoology? Or something else? Join our discussion on Facebook - weigh in and let everyone know!

In tech news, I just signed up for Twitter and would love to see who else is on that are VP friends/family/fans. I look forward to seeing you on!

The Tata Train Keeps On Chuggin!

As many of you are aware, AJ Tata, or the new Tom Clancy as stated by Brad Thor, has been on a media blitz since November promoting his military thriller, Sudden Threat. He continues this week with three interviews, one that happened today (which you can listen to on his book page linked above), one that you can listen to tomorrow by streaming live at 8:10am EST on the Bulldog and The Rude Awakening radio show, and one for the Oak Grove, LA natives on The Mighty Mess radio show (sorry, no live stream... we are hoping though to get the recorded session from the station to be able to put up for you fans not in that area). Check them out! In a typical interview discussions range from what the book is about, where the proceeds are going from the book, what his plans are for the future, along with many other topics.

If you still haven't bought the book, you should be able to purchase it at your local book store, or through Amazon.com. If you have bought it, keep your eyes open for ROGUE THREAT, the award-winning follow up to SUDDEN THREAT! Also, feel free to contact him to let him know what you think about his book, the work he does for the USO, or even just to thank and congratulate him for his many years of service to our great country (he just retired - congrats, Tony!).

Did He Say... Submissions?

Good day everyone!

I hope you had a great weekend. As you may know, or could at least guess, being the guy who is in the 'Virtual' limelight as his job, I get a lot of questions about submissions. When are they reopening? What do you accept? Could I send you something (and that is no, I do not even see the submissions - so sending it to me would be going through the wrong channels)? Well, the time is quickly approaching to when we as a company will be officially reopening our Submissions to the world. I can already feel the tension mount... "When" you say... April 1-30. Please see the guidelines below for complete details (and be sure to follow them - they are there to help you know what we are interested in and need).

SUBMISSIONS

Step 1. Query via e-mail, including a cover letter that contains a 50 word max summary of the story and information about yourself and writing experience -- a formal letter please, no e-speak (lols, rofls, : ), ttfns) or unpunctuated sentences.

Also include (as an attachment) a short (3 pages tops) synopsis of the story along with the first two chapters -- 25 pages tops, but no more than two chapters. If your chapters are two pages long each, send four pages.

What not to send: We have received all of the following... but would prefer not to!

• Please, no books under 85,000 words. We are only interested in full length novels.
• Incorrectly formatted manuscripts. Double space, normal font...and standard grammar rules (don't replace quotations with italics for dialogue...for example).
• No anti-Christian, pro-occult, gratuitous sex, over the top profanity or hateful (against any race or religion) works.
• Nothing involving the Templar knights... They're becoming a cliché' of the thriller genre.

Step 2. Wait for our reply. We strive to be speedy, but sometimes back-ups do happen; editors get sick, have babies, what have you. So please be patient. If we manage to not reply within three months, which is highly unlikely, please let us know.

Step 3. If we reply in the affirmative, you will be asked to send a hardcopy of the manuscript. We do not accept files via e-mail because reading on the screen is not very enjoyable and printing a multitude of manuscripts gets expensive. You may feel free to use 1.5 spacing (instead of 2) to save paper. Our one unique request is that you three hole punch the entire ms so that it may be inserted in a binder for easy reading. If your book has already been printed by a POD printer, a finished copy is fine or if you're feeling industrious and send the ms bound already (no brads please) that is also acceptable. All manuscripts should be in an easy to read font like Times, Arial or Garamond. If you want the manuscript back, please send a package with the appropriate postage. No need for a SASE, unless you don't have e-mail.

Step 3. (part 2) If we reply in the negative please take any critique given to heart and with an open mind. Honest critique is the only way you can improve as a writer and being combative or defensive about our opinions of your work does nothing to further your career. Keep in mind that with the large number of submissions received by any publisher and the relatively small amount of books published, this is the most likely scenario. This is not meant to discourage, but being prepared and realistic will make you more open to critique, and by taking critique and applying it you dramatically increase your odds of being published next time around.


OUR CURRENT NEEDS

1) Thrillers of All Genres. We're looking for fast paced thrillers...breackneck paced thrillers. But when we say thrillers, we're not talking just present day, Ludlum-like stories. We want the range, people! Science-fiction, fantasy, historical horror, action/adventure. The gamut. It's just got to be fast paced.

2.) Creature Double Feature. We want your monster stories. If it's not human...but eats humans, we're interested. Think Jurassic Park (Crichton), Relic (Preston/Child), Ice Hunt (Rollins), Subterranean (Rollins), Contest (Reilly), or MEG (Alten).


I think that just about covers it. This will also be posted a few days before we reopen submissions on the site. Have a great week!

--Stan

Author's on the Net

Good day everyone!

Just a few updates for you in case you haven't kept a close eye on our Author Events page.

Starting tomorrow, we will have a string of authors on Sound Authors talking for approximately 15 minutes on their applicable books (all times EST)


--Joseph Flynn, March 6, 3:30pm, talking about The President's Henchman


--Jeremy Robinson, March 13, 3:15pm, talking about Antarktos Rising


--Steve Alten, March 13, 3:30pm, talking about MEG: Hell's Aquarium

In AJ Tata updates, he will have a short meet-and-greet book signing in College Station, TX at the Barnes & Noble starting at 6pm CST. If you've wanted to meet him and will be near by, be sure to show up a bit early to shake his hand and get a book. Also, to honor our heroes, Hooters Magazine is having a special Military Edition in April - in it will have a spot on Sudden Threat and Tata! Be sure to pick it up if you are a fan of Tony's... who knows, maybe the next time he comes to your town you can have him sign that too.



Talk to you soon,

--Stan