Samhain Publishing

... same as JC, Gary ...

Kiwi

Thanks guys, thanks :0)

Wow, that's great all the major stores stock their titles. I haven't seen any in my local B&N in New Jersey, but maybe I'm just not looking in the right section.

Toni1953 said:

Wow, that's great all the major stores stock their titles. I haven't seen any in my local B&N in New Jersey, but maybe I'm just not looking in the right section.

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try looking either on the TOP shelves or the BOTTOM shelves - unfortunately they seem to be usually placed in sort of out of the way places; probably to keep them from competing TOO directly with the big names.

Sonarbabe said:

My Waldenbooks carries Samhain titles and my local mall is the major one for our county. (I'm in Silverdale, WA)

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I was about to correct you and say "Hold the phone, there's no Waldenbooks in Silverdale!" But you're right - it's that little bugger down between Penneys and Kohls *insert hand slapping forhead*

I completely forgot about that, now that the giant B&N went in Good to know. (or, er, good to be reminded!)

AnneMarble said:

The romance ebook vendors have started to recognize this field. (Ellora's Cave came to it later than others. Their original guidelines once said that they didn't accept gay romances because they were only interested in women's fantasies. )

But bookstores probably don't know what to do with the books. An e-publisher can put something under more than one category -- they can call them romances and still categorize them as m/m as well as under other categories. But bookstores can only put them in one place. They probably realize that if they m/m romance under the romance section, some people will buy them by mistake and then get angry. Let's hope that changes.

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Buy them by mistake?! I haven't seen a gay romance cover yet that didn't make it absolutely clear just what was going on inside the book.
Some of them embarrassingly so.
I'd guess it's just bookstore managers afraid of the more narrow-minded customers throwing a fit over "perverted" titles mixed in with their sacred conventional f/m love stories. And like the folks at Romance Times who are apparently permanently trapped in the '50's, the managers haven't caught on yet that there are multitudes of female readers who adore gay romance fiction.
What's bizarre about that to me is the plethora of yaoi (sp?) titles shelved with the romance and young adult romance novels. It's especially entertaining to me, living in the most conservative county in Texas, to see these young teen girls eagerly browsing the shelves for all the covers with the boys cuddling on the front. I have the feeling that most of the parents don't even realize their children are reading some occasionally rather explicit m/m romances. I'd think most of the parents don't even know these books are on the shelves.
It's good to see it all becoming more and more mainstream. And Samhain's on the ball, publishing it.

Samhain is temporarily closed to submissions again, due to the holidays and what not.
http://samhainpublishing.com/submissions

JamesAllen said:

Buy them by mistake?! I haven't seen a gay romance cover yet that didn't make it absolutely clear just what was going on inside the book.
Some of them embarrassingly so.

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LOL, too true.

JamesAllen said:

What's bizarre about that to me is the plethora of yaoi (sp?) titles shelved with the romance and young adult romance novels. It's especially entertaining to me, living in the most conservative county in Texas, to see these young teen girls eagerly browsing the shelves for all the covers with the boys cuddling on the front. I have the feeling that most of the parents don't even realize their children are reading some occasionally rather explicit m/m romances. I'd think most of the parents don't even know these books are on the shelves.

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Absolutely! I work in both genres ( Young Adult and graphic novels) and it never fails to amuse me how the YA authors are constantly being asked to tone stuff down while thier graphic novel countreparts can quite literally do anything they want. Even though both types of book are usually stocked by the same shops. (I'm not just talking gay romance here btw, but all the other more challanging themes too)

It would appear that publishers of graphic novels ( not just manga) are the only industry chappies who don't run in fear of controversy ... probably because no-one really takes that branch of the industry seriously and so haven't looked that closely at its content? ( though with 'Blankets' and Persepolis' getting all that recognition when they came out I would have thought that would have changed.)

The fantasy genre is also another area where YA authors seem to have a little more freedom, I think parents don't seem to get as excercised about the content in fantasy novels.

(Re: Gay romance)

JamesAllen said:

It's good to see it all becoming more and more mainstream. And Samhain's on the ball, publishing it.

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I agree, it would be nice to see a little sense excercise in this respect. Sigh, here's hoping, but I won't hold my breath :0) Yes, kudos to Samhain, may they reap the benifits of thier foresight.

... mmm, not sure that I'd run mainstream and gay romance in the same sentence. There's a growing acceptance of gay relations (often begrudging/and uncomfortable in nature), but there is a long way to go before the discrimination and prejudice afforded this community is done away with in a manner that could be called mainstream. I guess when the charmed circle of sexual relations and practices is truly extended beyond the hetero frame, and we see gay romance sitting comfortable on the shelf next to hetero romance, then we can begin to talk about mainstream.

My concern is that religious bigotry and conservative small mindedness will never let this happen.

And yup, ten stars to Samhain for being a bastion (of sorts) for progressive change.

Gay and het romance sits side by side at most epublishers now. That's one reason why I submit there.

interesting how innovation and the 'other' often go hand in hand, sociologically speaking.

Hope you all had a great holiday, mine was wonderful.
This coming saturday will be twelve weeks for me now and I have not heard anything yet. I think with the holidays I may not hear anything until the first of the year.

Jennifer Robins

Jennifer, I think that's wise. Fingers crossed for sometime in the New Year. That said, twelve weeks, hmmm, that's getting long. Would it be okay to send a follow up in the new year? What do those who have signed with Samhain think?

Hope everyone is enjoying the festive season bty.

Kiwi

Samhain just made the announcement on Dear Author today that when they reopen, they'll be focusing only on romance oriented submissions. Most likely due to their readers' high interest in the genre. Angela James said they're getting a good amount of reader requests for more urban fantasy, futuristic and interracial yet not enough submissions in those areas. (Hint hint.)

MissLadyRae said:

Samhain just made the announcement on Dear Author today that when they reopen, they'll be focusing only on romance oriented submissions. Most likely due to their readers' high interest in the genre. Angela James said they're getting a good amount of reader requests for more urban fantasy, futuristic and interracial yet not enough submissions in those areas. (Hint hint.)

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But . . . but . . .

I've got a full with them right now. They asked for revisions, and I made them, and . . . it's a thriller . . .

Oh, MAN. I've lusted after Samhain for sooooo long . . . (not in that way. In a writer/publisher kinda way. Sheesh, where's your mind been?)

*siiiiiiigh*

I hope they'll still consider it. I really, really hope.

... hmmm, looks like there are going to be a whole heap of rejections coming our way soon.

That said, if they're not getting the sales out side the erotica/romance niche, then they're likely doing authors of other genres a favor by making this change.

MissLadyRae said:

Samhain just made the announcement on Dear Author today that when they reopen, they'll be focusing only on romance oriented submissions. Most likely due to their readers' high interest in the genre. Angela James said they're getting a good amount of reader requests for more urban fantasy, futuristic and interracial yet not enough submissions in those areas. (Hint hint.)

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That's good news to my ears - they have my full romantic suspense now.

swvaughn said:

But . . . but . . .

I've got a full with them right now. They asked for revisions, and I made them, and . . . it's a thriller . . .

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I think you'd be okay since they may be referring to future submissions after they re-open.

MissLadyRae said:

I think you'd be okay since they may be referring to future submissions after they re-open.

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Me fingers is crossed.

I also have a full with them and it is the second time I had to send it to them. the first one was lost or they just didn't get it. Mine is also a thriller, might say paranormal because it deals with Astral-travel. There is some erotica scenes in it. Like I said above, it will be twelve weeks come Saturday and still no reply.

Any way, Happy New Year everyone,

http://wandascountryhome.com/newyear/cheers.html

Jennifer Robins

Keeping my fingers crossed for everyone who hasn't heard yet. May no news be good news...

or as Gary Gnu would say, "No gnues is good gnus."

anyone remember Gary Gnu??

Who?

**sighs**

Gary Gnu was a gnu (duh - slaps forehead ) on this kids' show called The Great Space Coaster. He would do the news report and end it by saying "No gnus is good gnus".

Ok - that joke's dead. I'm going to go bury it now. **grabs shovel, heads for door**

Yeah, I pretty much plotzed today.

Still working out how my books are going to fit in with this new plan. I've got the first two of a YA series coming out with them next year, and hate to try and take a partial series and start somewhere else. We're hammering things out though. I can see why though. Romance pretty much has cornered the market on e-books, and YA isn't as profitable or popular. Kids don't read e-books, in general.

But you're all going to get copies, right? Help me make Crown of Zeus a best seller? RIGHT????

I'm not afraid of hard work.

Hmmm... my daughter is 7 - a very old 7. Would she be able to read it now or would I have to put it away for a few years?