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Expert: - 2/7/2009


Question
Hello Cathy Clamp, I have written two fiction paranormal thrillers; they each also have a hint of romance, an inter-acting paranormal group, a couple of murders, and involves reborn spirits.  Are there any publishers who handle this type of book?  My books cannot be classified as horror.
They are each between 80,000 to 87,000 wc.
I'm having trouble finding the right publisher.
Sincerely, Jan

Answer
Hi, Jan!

Sure, there are plenty of them. You'll just have to decide which elements are strongest. If they could happily sit on the mystery shelves, you might try Berkley's Prime Crime, which has done paranormal mysteries for years. Or, if there's enough romance to sit on the romance shelves (e.g., the romance ends "happily ever after" and constitutes at least 50% of the plot) then try DAW (an imprint of Penguin) Tor Paranormal Romance or, again, Berkley. DAW and Tor accept unagented manuscripts, but Berkley and several of the other publishers to do "urban fantasy" where the book might also happily sit, are agented only. If you want to try DAW or Tor, just Google this string:  DAW books & guidelines  or Tor Books & guidelines  

For Tor, you'll get a long page of FAQs on the MacMillan site. The submission guidelines are about half way down.

However, IMO, your best bet might be to find an agent who handles urban fantasy or mystery. You can look for one over at AgentQuery (http://www.agentquery.com) or at the Association of Author Representatives at (http://www.aar-online.org) Those are the best places to find a good, selling agent who will push the book to just the right editor.

Hope that helps a little. Good luck.

Cathy

Careers: Writing

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Cathy Clamp

Expertise

I'm happy to answer questions about any aspect of writing articles, short stories and novels, from the beginning kernel of an idea through completion. I can help with writing a query letter and synopsis to an agent or editor. I can explain publishing terminology and acronyms. I can also assist with questions about verifying the credentials of agents/publishers and how to proceed once you've been accepted for publication. I can teach the rules of formatting a manuscript, creating viable plots, characterization and flow in the following genres: romance, science fiction, fantasy, thrillers, suspense, horror, women's fiction, mainstream and mystery. I can also answer questions about writing for major print magazines in the outdoor genre (hunting/fishing/boating/travel.)

Experience

I'm a USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance for Tor/Forge Books . Along with a co-author, I've published fifteen mass market novels since 2004, and have contracts for four more books through 2011. I've also published more than two dozen feature articles in leading outdoor magazines.

Organizations
Romance Writers of America, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Western Outdoor Writers, Horror Writers of America, National Association of Legal Assistants.

Publications
Magazines--Guns & Ammo, Fur-Fish-Game, Rocky Mountain Game & Fish, Deer & Deer Hunting. Many others. Novels/Anthologies--Tor/Forge Books, Western Reflections Publishing, BenBella Books, Running Press, Wild Child Publishing. Many others.

Education/Credentials
Published Author. Published Freelance Writer. Certified Paralegal with specialities in intellectual property (copyright, trademark, patent) and real estate.

Awards and Honors
USA Today bestseller, Waldenbooks Mass Market Paperback Top 20 bestseller, Nielsen BookScan Top 20 bestseller, Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, 2009, Write Touch Readers Award, EVVY Award, The Lories Best Paranormal. Many others.

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