Fantasy Novel:
Glamour in Glass, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)

First Novel:
Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed (DAW; Gollancz ’13)

Novella:
“In the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal Burns”, Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s 1/12)
“The Stars Do Not Lie”, Jay Lake (Asimov’s 10-11/12)

Novelette:
“Faster Gun”, Elizabeth Bear (Tor.com 8/12)
“The Lady Astronaut of Mars”, Mary Robinette Kowal (Rip-Off!)

Short Story:
“The Deeps of the Sky”, Elizabeth Bear (Edge of Infinity)

Collection:
Shoggoths in Bloom, Elizabeth Bear (Prime)

Full list of nominations here.

# of queries responded to week ending 3.15.2013: 104
# of partials/manuscripts requested: 0
genre of partials/manuscripts requested: n/a

# of queries responded to week ending 3.22.2013: 141
# of partials/manuscripts requested: 1
genre of partials/manuscripts requested: fantasy

# of queries responded to week ending 3.29.2013: 112
# of partials/manuscripts requested: 0
genre of partials/manuscripts requested: n/a

# of queries responded to week ending 4.5.2013: 153
# of partials/manuscripts requested: 0
genre of partials/manuscripts requested: n/a

# of queries responded to week ending 4.12.2013: 102
# of partials/manuscripts requested: 0
genre of partials/manuscripts requested: n/a

# of queries responded to week ending 4.19.2013: 0
# of partials/manuscripts requested: 0
genre of partials/manuscripts requested: n/a
[Attended the London Book Fair this week and did not respond to any queries.]

# of queries responded to week ending 4.26.2013: 203
# of partials/manuscripts requested: 2
genre of partials/manuscripts requested: YA speculative fiction, YA fantasy

# of queries responded to week ending 5.3.2013: 144
# of partials/manuscripts requested: 1
genre of partials/manuscripts requested: YA speculative fiction

oldest query in the queue: April 29th (note: this only applies to those sent to the specified query email address query.jjackson@maassagency.com )

Of the last 10 queries I reviewed:

2 were in a genre I don’t represent

1 of them didn’t include the name of the author anywhere in the submission

1 was for a collaborative novel in which the querying author never mentioned the name of their co-author

1 was a re-query dated only 5 days after my response to the initial query

1 didn’t follow my guidelines despite specifically mentioning a site that clearly lists those same guidelines

3 had sample pages but no synopsis

4 followed the guidelines including a query letter, the first five pages, and a synopsis and were in a genre I represent

“Readers will appreciate the realistically warm and loving romance between Jane and Vincent all the more for their flaws and foibles, as their relationship is tested by internal and external forces.” –Publishers Weekly

“The third in Kowal’s stellar fantasy series, Without a Summer is, without a doubt, the best yet of the Glamourist Histories. Setting her tale in the notoriously cold summer of 1816, Kowal imaginatively blends historical fact with her own elaborate metaphysics of glamour. Add to that a well-developed hero and heroine who have become more flawed and yet more likable; the welcome reappearance of the charming Melody; and an emotionally involving story that culminates in a genuinely thrilling climax. With each entry, Kowal’s worldbuilding has only gotten more confident and the series better and better.” —Romantic Times, 4 1/2 Stars, Top Pick!

“Kowal’s third historical fantasy title (after Shades of Milk and Honey and Glamour in Glass) will delight series fans as they reconnect with favorite characters in new situations. The underlying fantastical nature of this Regency England continues to flourish, making a unique backdrop for discussing complex topics of social inequality, superstition obscuring scientific fact, and political corruption. Even as the intricate natural and social elements engage readers, it is the sweet, strong emotional connections that draw them back for more.” –Library Journal

Also available:
Shades of Milk and Honey
Glamour in Glass

* * *

Also out today – Martha Wells’ YA debut, Emilie and the Hollow World.

While running away from home for reasons that are eminently defensible, Emilie’s plans to stow away on the steamship Merry Bell and reach her cousin in the big city go awry, landing her on the wrong ship and at the beginning of a fantastic adventure. Taken under the protection of Lady Marlende, Emilie learns that the crew hopes to use the aether currents and an experimental engine, and with the assistance of Lord Engal, journey to the interior of the planet in search of Marlende’s missing father. With the ship damaged on arrival, they attempt to traverse the strange lands on their quest. But when evidence points to sabotage and they encounter the treacherous Lord Ivers, along with the strange races of the sea-lands, Emilie has to make some challenging decisions and take daring action if they are ever to reach the surface world again.

“A rollicking adventure yarn with plenty of heart – Emilie & the Hollow World shouldn’t be missed.” -USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguirre

“Emilie is the best kind of adventurer — curious, courageous, stubborn, resourceful, and quick to make friends. I can’t wait to see where she goes exploring next.” -Sharon Shinn, author of the Twelve Houses series

“Martha Wells’ Emilie and the Hollow World is a lovely little adventure story that brings a modern sensibility to a classic pulp trope, re-enlivening and re-envisioning it for a contemporary audience. The hollow world, the accidental stowaway, steamships, airships, the gentleman or gentlewoman adventurer–these are elements that would be at home in a story told in the thirties. The clever and competent young heroine on the other hand–well that’s another story entirely, and one that Martha Wells handles beautifully. Unlike those thirties pulps, this a book you wouldn’t be embarrassed to give a thirteen year old soccer player who can’t see any reason she won’t grow up to be a physicist and the next president of the United States. Deft writing and consummate storytelling make a classic story fresh again for a new audience. All in all, Emilie and the Hollow World is a ripping yarn for a modern audience.” -Kelly McCullough, author of the WebMage and Fallen Blade series

Read the first chapter.

Bear’s astonishing world building is in full swing here, and she builds the arcs of her two major characters into what hopes to be a brilliant whole in the forthcoming final book. Temur and Samarkar still search for Edene, captured by the leader of the Uthman cult, who are bent on sowing war in the lands of the Celadon Highway. Edene, escaped, travels under the deadly sky of a vanished empire. The wizards’ city is besieged, a sickness felling the population. Tsering is at the heart of studying it, and she is a tremendous force despite never having developed the wizard’s power. Temur and Samarkar’s journey, under the skies of many people, is epic. But Bear maintains the nuance she is so capable of, in the way characters interact with and respond to new places, not quite subverting genre but pointing out how much more it should be. This is a novel with no padding: everything is necessary and linked, and the politics that run through the various empires are rooted solidly in believable human motivation. — Booklist

Also available: Range of Ghosts, the first book in the Eternal Sky.

# of queries responded to week ending 2.22.2013: 143
# of partials/manuscripts requested: 0
genre of partials/manuscripts requested: n/a

# of queries responded to week ending 3.1.2013: 164
# of partials/manuscripts requested: 1
genre of partials/manuscripts requested: speculative thriller

# of queries responded to week ending 3.8.2013: 118
# of partials/manuscripts requested: 1
genre of partials/manuscripts requested: fantasy

oldest query in the queue: March 1st (note: this only applies to those sent to the specified query email address query.jjackson@maassagency.com)

Of the last 10 queries I reviewed:

3 of them did not include the first five sample pages requested in my submission guidelines

1 was a sample only but included no letter or synopsis

1 of them was nonfiction, which I do not represent

1 of them was a repeat query that was declined a few weeks ago

1 was via a business emailer distribution list

1 had a full manuscript attached (query guidelines specify no attachments)

3 followed guidelines and were for a genre I represent

Just a quick look into some first impressions of queries….

“For her latest dark fantasy series, Bishop (Twilight’s Dawn, 2011, etc.) invents an entire Earth-like world, Namid, populated by a fascinating array of supernatural Others—and the humans who are their prey.

On the continent of Thaisia, humans are tolerated for their technical and inventive talents, but they tread very carefully, knowing that if they transgress, they’ll be lunch for shape-shifting wolves, raptors, bears, vampires or worse. Into the northeastern city of Lakeside, in the middle of winter, staggers Meg Corbyn, freezing, friendless and desperate. A cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn sees the future when her skin is cut—for her, the result can be agony or ecstasy. She and a number of like young women were slaves of the Controller, whose rich clients pay well for their visions. Naive but resourceful Meg escaped and now seeks refuge in the Lakeside Courtyard, the business district operated by the Others. Against his wolfish instincts—Meg is human, but doesn’t smell like prey—Simon Wolfgard hires her as Human Liaison, a job that entails running the local delivery office. And Meg proves adept at looking after Sam, Simon’s orphaned nephew, so traumatized by his mother’s death that he’s locked in wolf form. Simon has other problems too: pushy Asia Crane, secretly a spy for the mysterious Bigwig; disturbing and unaccountable reports from out west of humans and Others running berserk and slaughtering both each other and their own kind; and the human police, who have been instructed to urgently locate someone who looks very much like Meg Corbyn.

It all adds up to a stunningly original yarn, deeply imagined, beautifully articulated and set forth in clean, limpid, sensual prose. A must for fans desperate to move beyond boilerplate urban fantasy.” –Kirkus, Starred Review

Also available today in paperback: Bridge of Dreams. Return to New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s Ephemera, a world of strange and magical landscapes connected only by bridges—bridges that may transport you where you truly belong, rather than where you wish to go.

* * *

Today is the official release date for The Tempted Soul by Adina Senft

Carrie Miller longs for children, but after ten years of marriage, that blessing eludes her. So she fills her days with caring for her home, making artistic gifts and fancy cakes, and caring for her flock of chickens, every one of whom has a name and who under no circumstances will go in the soup pot. Carrie also finds support in the friendship she shares with her two best friends Amelia and Emma, and relishes the weekly afternoons they share working on their quilts.

Carrie and her husband Melvin love each other, and together have survived many lean years. If not for the kindness of their church community, they would have had to miss more than one meal a day. But now, Melvin has found work that finally provides a good living. Carrie hopes that having more to eat will finally allow them to start a family. Yet month after month, they remain childless. So when Carrie overhears two English women talking in the fabric store one day about medical options available to non-Amish women in her situation, she takes it as a sign from God. Melvin and the bishop see it differently, however. Is it really God’s will that she pursue this, or is her longing to be a mother tempting her to stray from her Amish beliefs?

FOUR SOLDIERS. ONE WAR. Asteroid miner Mary Rodrigo and freighter owner Mattim Abeeb are green draftees of the Society of Humanity, forced to fight for Earth—a planet they’ve never even seen. Major Ray Longknife and his lover, Senior Pilot Rita Nuu, are career soldiers, invested with the cause of the Unity Party—and its ambitious new president. These four soldiers on opposing sides of the battle are about to discover the true nature of this terrible war: a quest for profit—from the high command of both sides. What they will risk is nothing less than their lives. For although truth may be the first casualty of war, it’s not going to be the last…

“As the Society of Humanity and the Unity Party wage a war in the far reaches of space, soldiers on both sides of the battle realize the bitter truth that underlies a conflict based on profit and power. Moscoe’s fast-paced military sf adventure presents a grim look at the reality of war and the cost to those who risk their lives for the causes of others.” –Library Journal

If you recognize the name Longknife in the above description, it’s because this was a prequel series to the Kris Longknife books (Ray is her grandfather).

Book Two: The Price of Peace is available for pre-order (coming in May)
Book Three: They Also Serve is currently scheduled for September
Book Four: To Do or Die is a brand new story in this series and will be out early in 2014

And the winner is… Martin Cahill — congratulations!

Photo credit: Karen Westerholm

Shattered Pillars is the second book of Bear’s The Eternal Sky trilogy and the sequel to Range of Ghosts. Set in a world drawn from our own great Asian Steppes, this saga of magic, politics and war sets Re-Temur, the exiled heir to the great Khagan and his friend Sarmarkar, a Wizard of Tsarepheth, against dark forces determined to conquer all the great Empires along the Celedon Road.

“Bear maintains the nuance she is so capable of, in the way characters interact with and respond to new places, not quite subverting genre but pointing out how much more it should be.” — Booklist

To enter: Post a comment on this entry captioning the above picture of the author.

Only one entry per person. Domestic (US) and international entries accepted. This is for a signed review ARC, not the hardcover edition. Contest starts now and runs until Wednesday February 13th, 5pm Eastern (or until I dig out – just kidding). Winner will be randomly chosen.

A couple random tips from this side….

* Got an email asking if I was open to queries. In case anyone wasn’t sure, the answer is yes. Though if that person was reading this blog they may have already surmised that from previous posts about queries. Pre-queries just add to response time. And make it clear that the writer hasn’t done much research at all.

* Getting a noticeable number of queries for things with too small of a word count. With regard to adult fiction, I’d prefer at least 80,000 words and preferably around 100,000 words or more (especially if it’s epic fantasy). YMMV with specific subgenres such as cozy mysteries and category romance. In YA, Jennifer Laughran posted this great guide a while back and I still refer to it. Of course, these are just guidelines and there’s always something out there to disprove the rules. But evenso, 26K probably won’t qualify as a novel-length work. Related note — 350,000 words is probably more of a trilogy than “the first novel in a series.”