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Author Abbie Krupnick Signs With Darkwater Syndicate

12/31/2016

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It is our great pleasure to announce Abbie Krupnick, of Summit, New Jersey, has signed with Darkwater Syndicate to publish her upcoming dark fantasy novel, Holy. The novel tells the tale of Gus Stevens, who unwittingly undergoes a psychoanalytic exorcism adventure to gain control of his life.

Ms. Krupnick writes stories explaining that there is no division between magic and reality, only life was we have it. When she's not writing, she trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu and makes explosive quantities of visual art.

Look for it in 2017.
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Wave Of New Books Coming In 2017

12/28/2016

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​We're still a few hours shy of 2017 but already we're starting the new year off with a bang. Here's just a taste of the many new books coming in 2017!
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First Look: Cover Art For The Man In The Forest

12/28/2016

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Taking inspiration from the realm of contemporary horror, author Michael Warriner's The Man In The Forest is a new dark fantasy. Vincent, a musical prodigy, is caught up in a concert rivalry with a former student. He travels to Romania to settle the score, but what he discovers is the horrific true story behind the song his protégé wrote, "The Man in the Forest." Supernatural phenomena and horrific sights abound, but the locals are tight-lipped about the mysterious goings-on. Can Vincent and his group upstage their rival, or will they fall prey to The Man In The Forest?

​The book is scheduled for release in 2017.
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First Look: Cover Art For Chasing Blood

12/27/2016

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A briefcase full of money lies on the floor. Would you take it? What if the money belonged to a crime lord, and taking it set you running for your life? Still sound good? It did to Ryan, who had nothing to lose.

Chasing Blood is a new book by R. Perez de Pereda. The book takes an avant garde turn and combines elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and crime thriller in a futuristic setting.

It is scheduled for release in 2017.
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First Look: Cover Art For Slasher Sam

12/25/2016

 
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Taking a page from the Scream horror series, Slasher Sam follows the exploits of a horror movie obsessed serial killer who posts the details of each murder to a blog for the world to read. Indeed, the book consists of the killer's actual blog posts -- which is why the killer gets credited as a co-author in a meta-fictional twist. It's written in the first-person perspective, putting readers so close to the action that they're practically in the splash zone when the blood and guts go flying.

And is there ever blood -- Sam's a savvy killer, too well-versed in slasher films to make rookie mistakes, which is why the kill count scores well into the double digits.

When killer/blogger Sam isn't describing the latest kill in gory detail, the blogger discusses personal life, horror trivia, as well as any other thoughts that might cross a serial killer's mind.

​Slasher Sam is scheduled for released in 2017. It will be available in paperback, audiobook, and all ebook formats.

Coming Soon: Gullwing Odyssey Special Hardbound Collector's Edition

12/24/2016

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We're ringing in the new year with a fresh take on a classic. The Gullwing Odyssey will be released in a special hardcover collector's edition on January 27, 2017. The book is a four-time award-winning fantasy/comedy adventure chock full of pirates, dragons, wizards, and knights. Set in a fifteenth-century fantasy world, the book follows the misadventures of Marco Gullwing, a lowly letter carrier, who becomes the hero he never thought he'd be. To give you an idea of what to expect:
"If the Monty Python team wrote Gulliver’s Travels in the spirit of Don Quixote you might be close to just how awesome this is... I guarantee you’ve not read anything quite like this."
This special hardcover collector's edition is treated to a fine blue cloth cover, glossy dust jacket, and cream paper. It's a quality book you'll enjoy for years. Pre-order your copy today.
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Coming Soon: Shadows And Teeth, Vol. 1 Special Hardbound Collector's Edition

12/24/2016

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This year saw the launch of Shadows And Teeth, our horror anthology series, to great fanfare and success. For 2017, we're kicking it up a notch. We're stepping up our game to bring you a special collector's hardbound edition.
"Shadows And Teeth makes for exquisite reading... The anthology delivers tense thrills... Each tale is a surprising celebration not of life, but of death and the things that genuinely frighten us. I recommend Shadows And Teeth for fans of a good scare.​"
Can hardcover contain all the chills and scares? Only time will tell. But this much is apparent: it's a handsome book, done up in a fine cloth cover, glossy dust jacket, and cream paper. Pre-order your copy today. This special edition will be released on February 24, 2017.
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Horror Novelist Nicholas Paschall Signs With Darkwater Syndicate

12/23/2016

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It is with great pleasure that we announce horror writer Nicholas Paschall has joined the Syndicate.

Born and raised in Texas, Nicholas Paschall started his career in writing at an early age, jotting stories onto scraps of paper to later read to his schoolyard friends. The subject matter wasn't entirely school-friendly, but being asked to stop only made him want to press on. Later, after a stint as a journalist and editor, he launched his career as a horror author.

Mr. Paschall has served two years as a recurring columnist for Dark Eclipse Magazine and is a current columnist for The London Horror Society. He is a prolific writer, his work having been published in nineteen different printed anthologies and magazines.

Paschall's upcoming novel, Father of Flesh, explores some dark themes. In it, an occult professor, his hostile nympho student, and a cursed graduate student take on an old god's minions in a struggle to keep the monstrous entity from awakening.

The novel is scheduled for release in 2017.
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Authors: 2017 Is Your Year - Publish With Darkwater Syndicate!

12/20/2016

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Next year is shaping up to be a great year if you're an author. Why? Because we want to publish you. Now more than ever before, we are ready to take on new books by seasoned and starting authors from all over the globe; and that means you -- yes, YOU -- sitting there, reading this screen.

We foster close working relationships with our authors because your success is our success. You and your work matter to us. We offer:
- Royalties that are better than prevailing rates
- Professional editing, cover art, and formatting
- Global distribution through over a dozen partners
- Distribution to major online markets and brick & mortar bookstores
- Quality production of ebooks, audiobooks, and physical books
- Mentoring for first-time authors
- Support and sales for experienced writers

Interested? Visit our Publish With Us page for our submissions guidelines and online query form. We're looking for full-length books in five genres: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, thriller, and comedy. While we give preference to Florida authors, we're certainly open to great writers no matter where located.

Click the button below to get started.
Publish With Us
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Four Strategies Authors Can Use To Increase Readership Right Now

12/19/2016

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You've sat at your keyboard for weeks, and now, finally, your book is ready for the world. Pat yourself on the back, but don't get too settled because your job's only halfway done. No one will read your book if no one knows it exists, and as the author, you're in the best position to spread the word.

Writing a blog and using social media are a given, so we won't discuss those here. For tips on leveraging social media, see this post.

Face to face interaction is one your most powerful selling tools. It's one thing to view an emotional painting or read a particularly moving passage, but to be able to say, "I met the person who made this" leaves an emotional memory on your audience. It also instills trust -- people are more likely to buy your book if you meet them in person.

Here are four strategies you can use to increase your readership.

Prepare A Presentation
Consider this: you've written a book. With all the research you put into it, you are now an expert with respect to its contents -- this applies equally for non-fiction as for fiction. But you're more than just that, because in the process of writing your book and getting it published, you're likely also more well-versed in this field than most. All this is fine content for a presentation.

A word of caution: do not make your presentation strictly an informercial for your book, or your audience will quickly lose interest. You will need to consider what information might be of value to your audience, and this is a question that must be answered on a case by case basis. Some genres, particularly non-fiction, are more amenable because you are sharing what is -- hopefully -- interesting or useful information.

It's a bit trickier with genre fiction. In this instance, you may wish to discuss how your genre fiction applies to current events and issues, or perhaps anecdotes on your personal publishing journey. You can talk about what it's like to be a published author, what your interests are, what strategies helped you become published, and then tie it back into your book. Everyone these days wants to be an author, and they'd love to hear about your successes. Once you establish yourself in a genre and have a few more books under your belt, you can refine your message.

It's up to you to decide what strategy will work best for your audience, given the nature of your book.

Prep A Media Kit & Materials
You will need one media kit for every book, although some materials are reusable across several books.
- At a minimum, your media kit should include:
- A short (50-word) biography.
- A press release relevant to the current event.
- A one-page book synopsis.
- A sample chapter from your book.
- Your contact information.
- A professional photo (headshot is preferred).
- An image of your book cover.

You will need to put thought into your media kit because of how brief many of your materials will be. Consider your biography and your work as a whole, and then distill it down to the most important or salient points. Reporters are always struggling against deadlines, and the best media kit is the one that makes their job easiest.

It also helps to have on hand the following materials, which can be printed inexpensively:
- Business cards: These are for any professional contacts you might make at your event. Freebies (below) are for potential readers.

- Freebies: Bookmarks, flyers, your book cover printed on card stock and autographed by you, etc. Have them printed with your name, your book's cover, your website, Twitter handle, and other information readers can use to find your books online. Have these printed in color.

- Signage: Every venue is different, so you will need to plan ahead. Most will have no problem with a tabletop stand-up sign (about 24" x 10"), some (like conventions) will permit you a collapsible floor scroll banner (60" x 24"). Make certain you know what's permissible and what isn't before you bring your materials with you.

Reach Out To Libraries
To be clear, the point of this section isn't to show you how to sell books to libraries -- that's tricky business in itself, as budgets are tighter than ever and purchase orders must go through a great deal of red tape to get approved. This section is about using libraries as a way to spread awareness of your book.

Libraries are not obsolete in the era of Kindles and ebooks -- far from, in fact. Not only will you find physical books in libraries, but also a collection of ebooks in their catalogues. The library has evolved with the times to become multimedia information center.

Call or visit branch libraries and ask to speak with their director of community events. Barring that, ask to speak with their head librarian. Oftentimes, the library staff will permit you use of their floor space for your presentation at little to no cost. After your presentation, you'll host an author meet & greet, where you will offer autographed copies for sale to attendees.

Another word of caution: most libraries will likely not have any qualms with you selling your book at their venue, but always ask permission beforehand.

Reach Out To Bookstores
Make a list of the bookstores in your area. Phone them and introduce yourself to the store managers. Inquire whether they would be interested in hosting you for a presentation or author meet & greet at their store.

Large chain bookstores oftentimes host local author events, and these are great opportunities to leverage because larger stores tend to have greater traffic. With the big chain stores, you'll want to give plenty of lead time before your event. Store managers have discretion as to how (and whether) to hold events like these; and while some have no problem having an author walk in on a given a day, others prefer to wait until they can host several authors in one sitting.

Before reaching out to store managers, be sure to prepare a brief and compelling business case. Whatever your aim may be, for the store manager, it's all about how your visit will generate book sales for the store. Above all, be polite -- managers are always pressed for time, and you are asking to be invited to their store.

You may have greater success with smaller, local bookstores. Many often host open-mic nights where writers can read their work (think of these as "free samples" for the reading public); some even set aside certain days of the month for local author presentations or "meet the author" nights.

Final Thoughts
As the creator of your work, you are in the best position to spread the word about it. After all the effort you put into writing your book, you owe it to yourself and your work to go that extra mile and share your creation with the world.
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