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Musa Publishing

IceCreamEmpress

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I share the hesitation a lot of people have about a brand new publisher, but I don't think we can realistically expect a start-up e-pub to do as much as, (or more than!) the Big Six.

No, and this is a very good point. My concern was more with Ms. Eastwick's seeming misinformation that the strategies she described were "outside the box" in terms of publicity.

"Not necessarily standard practice for an epublisher" might have been more accurate (though I am on the mailing lists of some historical reenactment and study groups, and I see other epublishers doing affinity marketing to them).
 

Catadmin

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As someone who sold a short story to Musa as an ebook just a few months ago, I want to put my two cents out here.

My book is due out in June 2012. From the moment that I was accepted, I have received nothing but the best professional support I have ever seen. I've only ever published small press, so was completely overwhelmed by the experience is Musa. It's like Big House in a Small Press. They have an authors' forum for exchanging promotional ideas and passing information along, they have an electronic system for getting the ebooks set up and for checking the status of sales & royalties, they have a full support staff that appears to be on the job 24 x 7...

I'm so busy with my day job and all my writing projects (only one of which is Musa right now), that I am literally unable to keep up with the author's forum. However, there is a ton of good information there and the staff has proven themselves as experienced professionals with a clue. I'm not even published with them yet and already this is one of the best experiences I've ever had. Of course, my bleeding manuscript has yet to be returned to me for edits, but what's a little spilt ink between friends, right? @=)

If you want to get published by Musa, be prepared to be a part of the process. Authors are expected to carry some of the load here, Musa can only do so much work to make you successful. However, they are willing to show their authors how to get it done, which is a lot more than a small press usually does. Expect to be treated like a real author by these people, which means you should be on your best professional behavior with them too. Golden Rule and all that.

Hopes that helps anyone wondering if they should submit.
 

Dominique Eastwick

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No, and this is a very good point. My concern was more with Ms. Eastwick's seeming misinformation that the strategies she described were "outside the box" in terms of publicity.
Thank you Icecream Empress, you are right "outside the box" was the wrong wording. Perhaps outside the computer internet box would be a better way of stating it in response to the questions of what we are doing off line to support the marketing and promotion of our authors.
 

IceCreamEmpress

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Thank you for taking my comment in the spirit in which it was intended! :)
 

Richard White

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Pleading ignorance, here, but what is space opera, some sort of sub genre?

One definition I've heard to describe Space Opera is "SF-Light".

Sure, it's set in outer space and yeah, you're visiting strange new worlds, but stuff happens that's not hard science. The future is the setting, but the story could happen almost anywhere. The aliens are convenient backdrops for your characters to interact with. It's usually a story where the rules of physics and relativity are bent without attempting to explain why. It just is. For example: you couldn't dogfight with star fighters in a hard SF story, but you certainly can in Space Opera.

Think Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon or Star Wars for space opera.
 

Creative_Solitude

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One definition I've heard to describe Space Opera is "SF-Light".

Sure, it's set in outer space and yeah, you're visiting strange new worlds, but stuff happens that's not hard science. The future is the setting, but the story could happen almost anywhere. The aliens are convenient backdrops for your characters to interact with. It's usually a story where the rules of physics and relativity are bent without attempting to explain why. It just is. For example: you couldn't dogfight with star fighters in a hard SF story, but you certainly can in Space Opera.

Think Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon or Star Wars for space opera.

Ahh, very interesting stuff. Thanks for explaining it for me. I plan to branch out and read some space opera in the not too distant future.
 

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Ahh, very interesting stuff. Thanks for explaining it for me. I plan to branch out and read some space opera in the not too distant future.

Try Lois McMaster Bujold--she hass some free books up at Baen.

She's a fine writer, with multiple awards.
 

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Response times

Musa looks like a great new publishing house. I am particularly interested in the Euterpe line as I write both MG and YA fiction. I'm wondering, what is the typical response time? Does anyone know?
 

Mclesh

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Musa looks like a great new publishing house. I am particularly interested in the Euterpe line as I write both MG and YA fiction. I'm wondering, what is the typical response time? Does anyone know?

In my experience, it was ten weeks from my initial query to contract offer.

Good luck!
 

Gravity

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My SF novel The Radiance will be out this Friday from Musa (the Urania imprint). The staff is excellent and caring, and the galleys were very attractive. Dealing with such a professional group of folks has been a real pleasure!
 

sheadakota

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the galleys were very attractive. Dealing with such a professional group of folks has been a real pleasure![/QUOTE said:
I second this- I am currently doing Galleys for my book and it is beautiful! Small details in formatting and text that really make a huge difference.
 

J.S.F.

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Sent off a query and submission of manuscript the other day for a YA novel. Hopefully, it will make a good impression. If not, there are other publishers out there.:)
 

Haunted_October

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I just signed my contract with Musa two days ago- for my horror short story- and I'm very excited to start working with them!