Seventh Star Press

Under submission guidelines:

Seventh Star Press does not accept or open unsolicited manuscripts. We are currently focusing on our 2009 release schedule and are not adding any new authors/projects at the moment. Please feel free to check back here, as any changes regarding this will be posted here.

Just MHO, but if they haven't updated their website in 4 years....probably aren't top of their game in promotion.

VanessaNorth said:

Just MHO, but if they haven't updated their website in 4 years....probably aren't top of their game in promotion.

Click to expand...

As one of their authors, I have to respond on this point to say that as a small press, Seventh Star Press does a ton of promotion for its authors, as one author's current 36 day blog tour and another's 25 day blog tour that begins shortly can attest. From physical materials provided to individual authors for their own events (sharp art cards, bookmarks, banners) , in addition to hardcover, softcover, and eBook editions, to online blog tours, and other promotions, you can talk to any author aboard about their experience with SSP versus previous publishers they have worked with.

Also, the website is very much updated, as you can tell from the home page: http://seventhstarpress.com/index.html

I wouldn't judge the entire site from that one date.

I copied the guidelines to show they are not open for submissions. This is typically one of the first thing an interested writer looks for.

Otherwise, the site has a nice look to it.

Vandal said:

I copied the guidelines to show they are not open for submissions. This is typically one of the first thing an interested writer looks for.

Otherwise, the site has a nice look to it.

Click to expand...

Thank you, and I would be glad to talk about my own experience or answer any questions . And I have sent a note to the webmaster to correct that one date oversight, as I assure you that is not reflective of the site as a whole.

Stephen Zimmer said:

Thank you, and I would be glad to talk about my own experience or answer any questions . And I have sent a note to the webmaster to correct that one date oversight, as I assure you that is not reflective of the site as a whole.

Click to expand...

Stephen,

Are you the owner of SSP? Was it started as a self-publishing venture?

~brianm~

brianm said:

Stephen,

Are you the owner of SSP? Was it started as a self-publishing venture?

~brianm~

Click to expand...

Hi Brian,

Thank you for your interest in our development. The history is not too lengthy. I was the first author, and SSP was started around one editor, an artist/layout director, one person doing part-time PR, and myself as the first author. It was a small press from the outset with a definite plan and multiple individuals involved. We are now up to 7 authors, 2 artists (one of whom heads up layout), 4 editors, and the part time PR person (who I work with as well in outreaches). So the family has grown quite a bit over the past couple of years. 3 new titles out (Steven Shrewsbury's Overkill, Jackie Gamber's Sela, and Michael West's Poseidon's Children), with my sixth novel coming out next month, Spirit of Fire (epic fantasy). All titles are release in limited hardcover editions, trade paperback, and eBook.

I do have a vested interest in SSP business wise due to the considerable about of time and work I put into it with a year round convention/appearance schedule, pretty constant PR activities, and everything else involved, but I am far from the only one in that regard. Because of my presence online and at conventions I have become a representative face person for SSP on the business side (again, I don't mind this, as my passion is to see a great home grow for authors here, and my fellow authors on the roster can vouch for my level of commitment here).

I think the modern author has to wear a few hats, whether you are in small press or self-published, but I am excited about our group and the titles that we are putting out there.

If you would like to see an example for no cost, you can pick up Michael West's new Poseidon's Children (urban fantasy) for free tomorrow and Thursday as part of a big Kindle Promotion. It contains interior artwork from Matthew Perry (who goes back to the beginning), and was edited by Amanda DeBord, both of whom go back to the start of SSP. I think Michael's book is a good representative of where we are at. Please do check it out, at no cost, just check for Poseidon's Children on the Kindle tomorrow or Thursday.

Stephen Zimmer said:

Hi Brian,

Thank you for your interest in our development. The history is not too lengthy. I was the first author, and SSP was started around one editor, an artist/layout director, one person doing part-time PR, and myself as the first author. We are now up to 7 authors, 2 artists (one of whom heads up layout), 4 editors, and the part time PR person (who I work with as well in outreaches). So the family has grown quite a bit over the past couple of years. 3 new titles out (Steven Shrewsbury's Overkill, Jackie Gamber's Sela, and Michael West's Poseidon's Children), with my sixth novel coming out next month, Spirit of Fire (epic fantasy)

I do have a vested interest in SSP business wise due to the considerable about of time and work I put into it with a year round convention/appearance schedule, pretty constant PR activities, and everything else involved, but I am far from the only one in that regard. Because of my presence online and at conventions I have become a representative face person for SSP on the business side (again, I don't mind this, as my passion is to see a great home grow for authors here, and my fellow authors on the roster can vouch for my level of commitment here).

I think the modern author has to wear a few hats, whether you are in small press or self-published, but I am excited about our group and the titles that we are putting out there.

If you would like to see an example for no cost, you can pick up Michael West's new Poseidon's Children (urban fantasy) for free tomorrow and Thursday as part of a big Kindle Promotion. It contains interior artwork from Matthew Perry (who goes back to the beginning), and was edited by Amanda DeBord, both of whom go back to the start of SSP. I think Michael's book is a good representative of where we are at. Please do check it out, at no cost, just check for Poseidon's Children on the Kindle tomorrow or Thursday.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your response but you haven't actually answered my question. Was the company started by the other three people you mention and you were the first author placed under contract or did the four of you start the company?

~brianm~

brianm said:

Thanks for your response but you haven't actually answered my question. Was the company started by the other three people you mention and you were the first author placed under contract or did the four of you start the company?

~brianm~

Click to expand...

I am glad you express such a keen interest in the company's inception, and sorry if I was not clear above.

The way it came together is that I submitted a manuscript for my first series to the person that became the first editor, for consideration (a friend had told me that there was a speculative fiction editor in the area and connected me to her). She met with me over dinner a few weeks later and indicated that she liked the book and wanted to work with my series, at which point I indicated I would give a full commitment to PR/support of the titles due to my having a media background in television/etc. (I am also a filmmaker), at which point SSP was given birth with the individuals I mentioned above starting it up (4 individuals). I think that is as specific as I can possibly be. And don't take just my word for how things have gone since, please feel free to reach out to any of the artists, authors, or editors to ask them about their experience with us.

Timely for this discussion, one of the authors (Steven Shrewsbury) received a copy of his newest book today and this is the unedited response he put on Facebook about it:

"The UPS guy just delivered a copy of OVERKILL. The folks at work will get a look tonight. DAMN am I impressed. And its got my name on it...cheers to Seventh Star for producing a great product!"

Coming through for the author in presenting a quality book, supporting that author afterwards, and being timely on royalties and the business end, is the ultimate goal of any press, and I think that's the most important thing here, at the end of the day, but hope your questions have been answered.