And we’re back with another exciting edition of our Get To Know series. Today we’re meeting Michele Harper, Suzanne Hartman, and Phyllis Wheeler.

 

michelMichele Israel Harper of Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing, LLC

Tell us a little about your company:

Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing, LLC was launched July of 2015 after three years of preparing for our debut. Michele Israel Harper, owner and founder of L2L2 Publishing, spent those three years studying the publishing industry and recruiting a team of cover artists, marketers, formatters, and legal to make her company the very best it could be. We love clean or Christian speculative fiction and are always on the hunt for our next story. Michele is thrilled with being able to represent L2L2 Publishing at Realm Makers this year. Thank you for having us!

What genres are you looking for at Realm Makers? 

Absolutely anything in the speculative fiction genres. Science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, alternate history, utopian, dystopian, etc. for audiences YA, NA, or Adult. We prefer full-length novels but will consider novellas as well. We are searching for gripping stories masterfully told.

What do you expect attendees to bring to an appointment? l2l2-logo

A one sheet, business card, and 2-3 sample chapters. Here is a link to a brief article on Rachelle Gardner’s blog:http://www.rachellegardner.com/what-should-i-bring-to-a-conference/ Of course, a proposal would be absolutely magnificent. Come prepared with a three-minute pitch. Tips: A verbal pitch should be roughly 3-5 sentences with a setup, hook, and resolution. State clearly and concisely what your book is about and be prepared to answer any questions. Submitted manuscripts must be complete.
Michele’s bio: Michele Israel Harper, owner and acquisitions editor of Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing LLC, spends most of her time hunting for, editing, and publishing gripping manuscripts with her team. An author herself, she could not be more thrilled doing what she enjoys most—bringing the best speculative fiction possible to readers. Visit www.love2readlove2writepublishing.com to discover if L2L2 Publishing is the right place for your manuscript. She cannot wait to hear from you.

 


Suzanne Hartmann and Phyllis Wheeler of Castle Gate Press

suzanneTell us a little about your company.

Castle Gate Press began as the vision of Phyllis Wheeler and Suzanne Hartmann. Both have a heart for helping new authors and saw a need in the Christian market for a traditional publisher that would carefully curate novels that didn’t quite fit in the standard genre definitions of the larger publishers.phyllis

We are proud to say that we announced the creation of Castle Gate Press at the first Realm Makers conference and began taking submissions several months later. We now have four books available, with others due to be released later this year. Our tagline is Fiction with a Touch of the Fantastic, and our first books are fine examples of this. You can read more about them (and the twist of the strange in each) at our website: http://www.castlegatepress.com/books/.

We will be raffling three free critiques at Realm Makers. Be sure to visit our spot in the bookstore to sign up!

 What genres are you looking for at Realm Makers?

castelgateWe’re looking for well-written stories. The genre doesn’t matter, as long as it’s written from a Christian worldview and there’s at least a twist of something unusual going on. We love fantasy and science fiction and all of their sub-genres, and we also like strange mixes, such as a romance with a scientist who constantly creates crazy inventions or a suspense novel told from the perspective of the angel assigned to a secret agent (by the way, both ideas are wide open if anyone would like to take on either concept).  

We love Realm Makers because everyone there has stories that fit the niche we seek to fill, and we enjoy hearing their story concepts. Authors interested in submitting to Castle Gate Press can find more information about the expectations we have for our authors as well as submission guidelines here: http://www.castlegatepress.com/submissions/.

 What do you expect attendees to bring to the appointment?

We like to take a look at a sample of their writing, and we highly recommend that their stories have been reviewed by other authors (critique groups or an editor both work well). A one-sheet is a great asset too, as well as a one-page synopsis. These give us a summary of the type of information normally found on a proposal, which helps us evaluate a manuscript. A well-rehearsed elevator pitch is nice, but mostly we just like to hear authors tell about their story and let their passion for the plot and the characters show. We’ll ask questions to help them do this, and we often give some suggestions or tips that will help their writing. 

Suzanne’s bio: Suzanne’s love for the written word has led her to work in nearly every aspect of the publishing industry, from library clerk to her current work as an author and editor. She writes the Fast Track Thriller series, where pseudo-science meets suspense.

Her editorial work began with a freelance editorial service, followed by several years as a consulting editor with Port Yonder Press. She is known for her easy-to-understand writing advice, which can be found in the Revision Prompts on the Castle Gate Press blog (http://www.castlegatepress.com/category/revision-prompts/) and in her book of writing tips, Write This Way (http://suzannehartmann.wix.com/suzannehartmann#!write-this-way/zh7te).

 Phyllis’ bio: Phyllis’ analytical mind and knack for writing have led her on divergent career paths, from daily newspaper reporter to engineer to editor, writer, and publisher. A curriculum publisher since 2003, she now helps open the door to publication for other authors through Castle Gate Press.

Phyllis offers professional editing services through her website, PhyllisWheeler.com, and also reviews fantasy books from a Christian perspective at her blog, The Christian Fantasy Review. She writes on the writing craft at the Castle Gate Press blog and on marketing too.