Cindi Myers Market News's Blog

Zest. Gusto. How rarely one hears these words used. How rarely do we see people living, or for that matter, creating by them. Yet if I were asked to name the most important items in a writer’s make-up, the things that shape his material and rush him along the road to where he wants to go, I could only warn him to look to his zest, see to his gusto.
Ray Bradbury

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I want to thank Beth Groundwater for turning me on to a great blog. In Six Questions For… Jim Harrington interviews editors from a number of small presses to find out what they’re looking for. For instance, on Jim’s blog I’ve learned that Colorado’s Flying Pen Press is looking for Steampunk novels. Check it out. 

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Writers of speculative fiction who live in the British Commonwealth should check out the Terry Pratchett Prize competition. If you write fantasy, alternate history, futuristic or similarly inventive stories, you could win a publishing contract with TransWorld Publishers and an advance against royalties. The deadline to enter is December 31, 2010. You must submit a complete manuscript of between 80,000 and 150,000 words, along with a synopsis of the book. Sorry, this one is only open to residents of the United Kingdom and other British territories.

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Dystopia Press is a new small press looking for dystopian and post-Apocalyptic fiction. You can find an interview with editor Mark Long here.  He’s interested in complete manuscripts from 80,000 to 100,000 words, both adult and young adult. Check out the writer’s guidelines for more info.

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My new novel, Things I Want to Say will be in stores next week. Read an excerpt from the book here.

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As always, feel free to share the information from this blog. All I ask is that you give me credit and provide a link to the blog. Thank you.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”  Albert Einstein

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Aspen Mountain Press is an e-publisher that offers erotic romance, historical romance, horror, and much more. July 21st they’re launching a new imprint, Aurora Regency. The new line will focus on traditional Regency and Regency romance. Aspen Mountain Press is also looking for horror, erotic romance, gay male romance, mystery, westerns  and some paranormal romance. They accept queries only from authors new to them. Completed manuscripts should be between 20,0o0 and 90,000 words. Aspen Mountain pays royalties monthly. For more information, check out their submission guidelines.

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In related news, I’m contracting with Aspen Mountain Press to re-release all my western historicals (books originally written under the name Cynthia Sterling) in the coming months. They’ll also be releasing a brand new western historical from me. Watch this blog for more information.

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Gumshoe Review is now accepting submissions of short mysteries, 1000 words or less. The editors prefer noir stories, but any good mystery can qualify. According to their guidelines, they want stories where the detective is the protagonist and the focus of the story is on solving a crime or seeking justice.  Payment is 5 cents a word (maximum $50).  See their submission guidelines for more detail.

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Things I Want to Say  is available now at eHarlequin.com. Look for it in stores in early August.

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As always, feel free to pass on the information in this blog. All I ask is that you give me credit and that you include a link to the blog. Thank you.

Hello everyone. This will be a short post, since I’m crunched for time. I don’t have a lot of market news, but I do have personal news to share.

I’m happy to announce I’ve agreed to write a new book for HCI Books. The people who produce the popular Chicken Soup books are moving into fiction with a brand new line of reality-based romances. Some of your favorite authors will take people’s real-life love stories and transform them into romance. The first three books, by Julie Leto, Allison Kent and Judity Arnold, wil be in stores in early October. My book will be out next February — just in time for Valentine’s. Here’s a sneak peak at the debut books.

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My newest book, Things I Want to Say won’t be in stores until August, but you can buy a copy (or download the ebook) now at eHarlequin.com. And if you buy the book now, you can get a free book to go with it. Check it out here.

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Stacy Boyd is the new Senior Editor for Silhouette Desire. Stacy has previously worked with Harlequin Nascar books, Intrigue and other Harlequin and Silhouette projects.  If you want to know more about Stacy, check out her blog.

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This weekend I’l be at RomCon in Denver. Stop and say hello if you’ll be there.  If I hear any market news while I’m there, I’ll be sure to share.