Eternal Press Now Open For Submissions

Short stories, novellas, and full-length manuscripts, from 5,000-105,000 words —erotica, gay, all sub genres of romance as well as mystery, sci-fi, paranormal, historical, suspense, horror, women's fiction, fantasy, and thrillers. Submit your short story or a synopsis and the first three chapters of your novel to our Senior Submissions Editor, Fran Tann at franklinwrite@gmail.com

Open to new writers but please follow our guidelines

• Submit your manuscript in a Word .doc or .rtf file. We cannot accept a .pdf file or a hard copy.
• Your manuscript should contain either 1-1/2 or double spacing and one inch margins. Use 12 pt. legible font.
• If we accept your manuscript for publication, we will supply you with specific formatting guidelines. You must be able to do edits in track changes.

A word from the owner of Eternal Press

Eternal Press is not a vanity or a subsidy publisher, but rather mainly an e-book publisher

We will give certain authors the option of releasing their e-book in print when we launch into POD. There will be a one-time printer set-up fee (to be determined by the printer) for every book released in print. This fee will be paid by the author to the printer. This will vary depending on the length of the book. Minimum length for POD is 65,000 words.

Eternal Press does not profit from this set-up fee. There are no fees assessed to any of our authors at any time to publish in e-format and it's perfectly acceptable not to execute your option to release in print. And you are not obligated to purchase books in any format.

Eternal Press

Rock Star Mommy & The Mydols - Following Your Dream

My second cousin, Kara really has it going on. She's a wife, mother and successful make-up artist. All the local Detroit area newspapers have done write-ups on her, and in the January 2004 issue of Allure Magazine, Kara was named best make-up artist in Detroit. And those aren't the only things Kara's doing. Not only is Kara a wife, mother and successful make-up artist, she's also the lead singer of the all female band here in Michigan, THE MYDOLS. Some of you may have heard of Mydols, because they're becoming quite popular. Just this month they were interviewed by Donny Deutsch of CNBC's THE BIG IDEA Show. They were on INSIDE EDITION, THE TODAY SHOW, CBS EARLY MORNING and featured in WALL STREET JOURNAL. They play all over Michigan and out of state, too. They have so many things happening, it's unbelievable. When I want to visit my cousin, I basically have to make an appointment! The last time we got together was just before Christmas. But, I understand. I really do, because Kara and her band members are busy living their dream. And they're doing a good job of it. Band member Judy Davids wrote a book about her journey entitled, ROCK STAR MOMMY, which has recently been released and is doing quite well. Judy will be presenting workshops at some of Michigan's local library's (Royal Oak Library, for those of you in the area), she has lots of upcoming book signings scheduled (she'll be at the Royal Oak B&N May 5th), and she has an upcoming interview with some of the local TV new stations and newspapers. She's done podcasts, radio interviews and she'll even be doing a book signing at my city library next month. She's really got this promotion stuff together. Hopefully, she'll give me a few pointers when my book releases. :)

It's hard to believe that not one of these four women ever played an instrument before in their life. They were't singers and they've never been on stage. One day they just got together and decided to start a band. Now they're on national TV, touring all over the place, and writing books. Talk about living your dream! If you're interested in reading about my cousin Kara, the Mydols and their road to stardom, you can do so by going to the band's Official Website or MySpace page. And if you want to learn about Judy Davids and her book, Rock Star Mommy, here's the link to her website and her blog, where Judy's upcoming book signings, workshops and appearances are listed. If you do happen to visit any of the MySpace sites, make sure you check out the pictures. Especially Kara's MySpace page. She has tons of pictures and you can see and read her feature make-up magazine articles and newspaper clippings. See what can happen if you follow your dreams? The Mydols Website The Mydols on MySpace Kara's MySpace Judy Davids Blog Judy Davids Website

New Promotional Resource and Tips Yahoogroup

There's a new group for promotional tips and resources. It's called Writers Promo Tips (writerspromotips) and the group was put together by authors Karin Tabke, Tawny Weber and Edie Ramer. Here's the description from the group homepage:

This group is for writers who want to promote their books. It's a place to share promo ideas or tips to make promoting our books easier. If someone is blogging about promotion, post the link. If you have a promotion question, ask it. If there's something you tried that didn't work, let the rest of us know. If there's something you tried that worked, let the rest of us know. We want to know and share the new promotion ideas and opportunities that are popping up, and we want to know and share the old ones.

I joined a few days ago, created a sub-folder in my Outlook Express, formatted all my writerpromotips emails to download directly into the folder, then forgot all about it (I'm really bad about doing that). When I did remember to check my folder a couple of days later, there was already over 250 emails! This is a hopping group, people. 250 emails in two, three days - whoa! There's some really good resources in that eloop, too. I started a promotional file and it's packed with tips and ideas. So, if you're a newly published author (like me) and you don't know how or where to start when it comes to promotion, or even if you're a old pro at the game, this group is for you. I highly recommend it. :) To join, send a blank email to writerspromotips-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or by going to the group home page writerspromotips homepage http://groups.yahoo.com/group/writerspromotips/?yguid=327010276

I Have A New Website

I’ve taken the plunge and created a website. It’s nothing special, just one of those do-it-yourself jobs, but, hey, it’s better than nothing. I’d love to have it professionally done, but, man, have you seen the prices for that? Gee, whiz, it’s expensive. Maybe I should get into web design instead of writing. No, I wouldn’t trade writing for the world, but if I was going for money instead of love, I suppose I’d look into it. Maybe I should look into it anyway. Hmmm, something to think about... I did enter a contest for new and aspiring authors to win a professional website design, but there isn’t a drawing date, and I haven’t heard anything more about it. Maybe I should check on it. Who knows, maybe I won. :) Anyhow, my new website addy is www.carolburge.weebly.com Come on over and take a look-see!

Happy Easter

Myspace Comments

Check Out the Contest(s) at Lyrical Press!

Renee Lyons, my publisher (I love saying that!) blogged over at Title Magic a couple of days ago. Renee talked about what a Lyrical Press author can expect when contracted with Lyrical Press, what LP is looking for, and about their upcoming contests. If you're interested, you can read Renee's blog post here. I blogged about Lyrical's American Title contest a couple of weeks ago. For those of you who missed it, here's a brief re-cap:

Lyrical Press is hosting a Best First Kiss Contest, and the winner will receive a contract with Lyrical Press, Inc! Visit the Lyrical Idol page to read the official contest rules.

Sound good? If that's not enough to get your creative juices flowing, Lyrical Press is putting together another contest! I don't know all the details, but I do know that Renee designed a Gothic/Medieval book cover, and I believe the contestants are to send in a story to go with the cover. As I mentioned, the official rules aren't posted on the website yet, so this info may change, but you can read about the contest in Renee's Title Magic blog post. If you'd like to see the book cover and get a head-start on your entry, here it is. :)

Happy Contesting!

Lyrical Press

Lyrical Idol Contest

Title Magic Blog

Register for The Muse Free Online Writers Conference

The FREE Muse Online Writers' Conference, sponsored by Lea Schizas and Carolyn Howard - Johnson, is accepting early registration. Nearly 2,000 attended last year and openings are limited. Learn more about this year's conference, October 13 to 19th, and how you can assure your spot in 2008. We will present an all - new program soon. Go to: www.freewebs.com/themuseonlinewritersconference/presentersregistration.htm To see the growing list of presenters go to: http://www.freewebs.com/themuseonlinewritersconference/2007workshops.htm

Dangerous Desires Has A Release Date!

Wow, this is happening so fast. Two days ago my Historical Western Romance Novel, Dangerous Desires, was accepted for publication by Lyrical Press and today, I learned I have a release date!

Dangerous Desires will be released in ebook format September 1, 2008 then in print December 1, 2008! Woo-hoo!

I've allowed myself the weekend to celebrate and let it all sink in. Come Monday, though, it's down to business. I've created a writing schedule, and come hell or high water, I plan to stick to it. This was my usual daily routine:

Coffee and email first thing in the morning then on to my favorite blogs. From there, who knows? I do whatever I feel like doing. But, no more.

This is my new schedule. It may change, but for now, this is a start:

• Morning - Coffee & email (to wake up)
• Write - I've yet to decide how long or how many pages or word count
• Break - 15 minutes. I may add treadmill time to this, and extend the break time
• Write - until break time
• Break - walk, stretch, get something to drink, whatever
• Write - until my daily writing goal is met
• Reward - If, and only if, I meet my daily writing goal, I'll read my favorite blogs. I will have to cut down and pick only a few of my favorites, though. Right now my blogroll is way too long.
• Dinner
• Online time - this will be for email, surfing, whatever.
• Bedtime

I like schedule's and structure, so once I get used to it, I'll be fine. It's just that I haven't worked for over a year, so I haven't had a schedule of any kind. Changing my daily routine will be a little hard to get used to, but I can do it. I'm the kind of person that, when I make my mind up to do something, I do it. That is, if I really want to do it. And I really want to see my book on the shelves. :) Wish me luck! Dangerous Desires Coming September '08 From Lyrical Press!

Woo-hoo! I Got the Call (or, rather, the email)! Yes!

I'm very excited to announce that my Historical Western Romance Novel, Dangerous Desires, has been accepted for publication by Lyrical Press, LLC! Woo-hoo! I'm a published author! Yes! I've been doing the Snoopy Dance all day. I'm walking on air. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am. We're still ironing out all the details, and I don't have a release date as of yet, but I do have a cover! Yes! Are you ready? Drum roll please... Isn't it gorgeous? Author Renee Lyons, aka Renee Rocco, my publisher, did the cover art. Isn't she great! I absolutely love it! In addition to author and publisher, Renee is a Cover Artist at Eternal Press and Cover Art Director at Dark Eden Press, so she knows her stuff. :) Thank you, Renee! I'm thrilled to be a part of Lyrical Press, and to have Frank and Renee Rocco represent my work. They're great people, and I'm blessed to have found them. Happy writing, everyone!

Free Author Branding Workshop Tonight

Katie Grant has years experience teaching people how to ‘brand’ themselves and promote themselves to their best with the objective of becoming famous. She writes grants and earned her clients $12million last year. She can teach authors how to get free promotion from charities and how to use a use promotion to become famous. She has offered to host a 2 hour workshop to help authors learn how to promote themselves, and use charities to build a PR campaign that will launch their career. Authors should work to become famous before their book is finished. All authors have the tools needed to become famous – they just need to learn how to use them.

Place: www.inspiredauthor.com

Link: Click the chat room link at the top of the page

Memebership: Not needed. Just enter a screen name and enter

Time: 7 - 9 Eastern - drop in any time

A Call For Submissions At The Long and the Short of It

I don't know if this call for submissoins will be of interest to anyone since it's non-paying, but I thought I'd post it anyway. For those of you who aren't familiar with The Long and the Short of It (like me), this is a reviewers site. The following blurb is from thier website:

The Long and the Short of It hopes to contribute to the Romantic Fiction world in a positive way. Our philosophy is: If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. You'll only find positive reviews on our reviews blog. This doesn't mean we like everything we read -- far from it. What it does mean is, we only post reviews of those books we like. There are enough reviews sites and various blogs that are "snarky" or negative. We do not choose to be one of them. Our policy: If we have a book or story submitted to us for review, and the first reviewer doesn't like it, it is reassigned to another reviewer. If that reviewer doesn't like it, it is forwarded to one of the owners of this site. If we agree with their assessment, an email will be sent to the author, declining to review their story. We strive to be both honest and positive and hope that this resonates with you. To request a review, please click here.

They have a small article archive, and if you sign up for their newsletter, you''re automatically entered for their weekly contest plus a drawing for a $5 Amazon gift certificate. It looks like a fun site. If you want to check it out, you can do so by clicking here or on one of the links below.

The Long and the Short of It is issuing a call for romantic short stories (1000 words maximum). To read our guidelines, go here . At the moment, we are non-paying, however we do offer as compensation for using your story one free month banner or book cover ad (a $10 value) or $10 off our Author Spotlight on the front page of our site (a week-long focus on you and your work). Thank you and we're looking forward to reading your stories.

The Long and the Short of It

Wanted: Reviewers at Manic Readers!

I received the below information about the reviewers site, Manic Readers, from a writer group I belong to, and thought I'd share. :) * * * Manic Readers needs you! We’re growing by leaps and bounds, but we need your help to get these fabulous ebooks and print books reviewed! The volume of books we’re receiving for review has exploded over the last month and we need YOU to help us get it all done! We are a volunteer based review site and therefore we do not pay reviewers. However, you’ll receive free books to feed your reading addiction! If you are interested in being a part of our Manic Family send us a sample review (approx. 200words) at info @manicreaders.com (NO SPACES). Here’s a sample review to give you an idea of what to submit: Book Title: Dr. Gnome Author Name: Donna Michaels ISBN #: 1-59998-851-8 Publisher Name: Forbidden Publications Date Released: December 2007 Genre: Paranormal Romance Book Format: ebook Rating: 4 stars Summary: Double O Fang Agent Pierce DeVein is smooth, confident and a hit with all the ladies. Shifter Intelligence Agent Kitty Kat is brash, impulsive and devilishly sexy. When the world’s gold supply starts to come up missing and nations are facing economic downfall these two unwilling agents are paired together as partners. Will they be able to stop the evil Dr. Gnome from destroying the world’s finances and keep their hearts in check at the same time? Opinion: Donna Michaels establishes a whole new world in just a few short paragraphs drawing the reader in from the start. You feel the attraction of the two characters instantly despite their funny insults to each other and don’t want to put the book down for fear of missing part of the mission. Michaels writes a winner with this fast moving comical adventure. Reviewed By: Nicole Whether you currently review with other sites or have never tried it before, all are welcome to submit a sample review!! Manic Readers http://manicreaders.com/ * * * This is the first I've heard of this site. Looks like they're kind of new. Also, you published authors might be interested in submitting your book for review. As far as the site itself, I found it to be pretty user-friendly. You can do a search for book reviews through the database by book title, author or publisher, and you can add your own comments to them. To access the reviews and add comments you have to be a member, but registration is free. And if you're a published author, you get a FREE complimentary author page with registration. Seems they have a MySpace page and a Yahoogroup, too. If you want to advertise with Manic Readers, looks like they have pretty reasonable rates. I'm really not sure what's considered "reasonable" advertising rates, but from what I could see, their prices looked pretty good. I'd try them out. :) If you want to check them out for yourself, here's the link to their site: Manic Readers Happy Writing (and reading - and reviewing, too)!

New Line of Illustrated Romance Novellas at Medallion Press

Medallion Press will launch a new line of illustrated romance books in November. The line features novellas described as "adult fairytales," illustrated by Cherif Fortin and Lynn Sanders. The first book will be Passion's Blood. Medallion Press publishes historical, contemporary, and paranormal romance and romantic suspense, as well as mainstream fiction, mystery, suspense and thrillers; science fiction and fantasy, horror and paranormal fiction; and young adult fiction. The Chicago-based publisher launched in June of 2003. They publish in mass market, trade paper and hardcover. Manuscripts must be between 80,000 and 120,000 words. They recently launched Medallion Radio, an internet radio station to promote Medallion Press titles. For more information and to review their guidelines, go to http://www.medallionpress.com/guidlines/index.html#po Medallion Press http://www.medallionpress.com Anyone can sign up for Cindi Sterling's Market News Newsletter by sending a blank email to cynthiasterling-subscribe@yahoogroups.com www.CindiMyers.com www.myspace.com/CindiMyers *Reposted with permission per Cindi Sterling Market News Newsletter

Bookends Contest #4 - Contemporary Romance

Bookends has announced the winner of the Erotic category, and now they're moving on to Contemporary. Deadline is tomorrow, so hurry if you want to enter. Here are the rules: 1. We’ll only accept entries that are posted in the comments section of this blog article. No e-mailed entries will be considered. 2. Include your title and the first 100 words of your book. Now, we’re not saying to leave us hanging mid-sentence here. Stop wherever the previous sentence ends, but do not exceed 100 words. 3. The same work cannot be entered in more than one genre. If you think your book straddles more than one genre, you’ll have to pick one. We will, however, accept multiple works from the same author in the same or different categories. 4. Once the material is entered, it’s your final entry. We won’t allow revised versions of the same work. 5. We’re accepting excerpts of both finished and unfinished works. 6. The deadline is tomorrow, March 4th, at 9:00 a.m. EST. Winner gets a critique of the query letter, synopsis, and first chapter of the winning entry! Good Luck! Bookends Blog