[stylist] Trifecta Books seeking submissions

[goldbeckjm at comcast.net]

Hello Everyone, 
I wanted to share with you Trifecta Books is seeking submissions for e-book publications.  Trifecta Books is a smaller, but growing publisher you may not have heard of and I wanted to share their information with you in case you are interested.  Their email is at the bottom of this email.  They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter. 
Julie 
  
Trifecta Books is now open for submissions.  
E-book only publication with print to follow based on sales.   


*** 

It is not necessary to have an agent before you submit, although we will work with agents as well. 
  
What We're Looking For  - 
  
Trifecta Books publishes clean contemporary and fantasy novels for the young adult market and uplifting shorter fiction for the middle-grade market. We have also just launched a new line of short romance novels called the Sweet and Clean Romance Collection. This focus may expand as the company grows, so check back often to see what we've added.  
  
When we say "clean" novels, we mean free of crass language, sex, overt sensuality, gratuitous violence, homosexuality, and use of the occult. We are a Christian company and adhere to those standards in what we choose to represent. However, your book does not have to be Christian in subject matter to be considered, and your personal religious affiliation is not a deciding factor.  
  
What is an ideal Trifecta book?  


    * It will have a compelling plot with three-dimensional characters. 
    * It will keep the reader hooked and turning pages through an exciting plot and emotional connectivity.  
    * It will leave the reader satisfied, meaning that the plot is resolved in a way that brings hope. Not every ending must be happy, but there must be resolution and a way to move forward. 
    * It will handle sensitive topics in a respectful way. 
    * It will be well written. 
    * It will demonstrate growth in the characters from the start of the book to the end. 
    * The trials the characters face will be appropriate to the age level of the reader.  
    * Books for the Sweet and Clean Romance Collection should be 45,000 words or less. Young adult submissions should be 100,000 words or less, and middle-grade submissions should be 40,000 words or less. A few exceptions may be made. 

We accept novels written in all points of view, but prefer that you stick with just one point of view per scene rather than showing us several at a time. 
  
Before You Submit -  


    * Make sure your manuscript is ready to be considered by asking several people to read it for you. These people could be a critique group, educated friends and family, readers, other authors, or editors. Take their constructive criticism and use it to improve your book from every aspect. Note: if they can't find anything to change, ask someone else instead. Every book has something to improve. 
    * Read your manuscript over carefully to eliminate grammar gaffes, punctuation problems, head hopping, incorrect word choices, extra spaces, random words, repetitive words, wordiness, clich é s, over-explaining, filler, and stiff dialogue. Do not send in your rough draft - Trifecta will only accept manuscripts that have been carefully crafted and are presented professionally. 

  
How and What to Submit - 
  
Trifecta strives to be as paperless as possible. Please e-mail your submission to us at info.trifectabooks at gmail.com. In the subject line, please indicate which genre your book best represents and if it's for our young adult line or for our Sweet and Clean Romance Collection.  
  
Include in the body of the e-mail: 


    * A cover letter telling us a little bit about you, including previous publications, and a short synopsis of your story. No cliffhangers, please - tell us how it ends.  
    * Links to all your existing social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and to your blog/website. 

  
Include as attachments (in Word only): 


    * Your full manuscript in Times New Roman 12, double spaced, only one space after a period, with each new paragraph indented. 
    * A list of your marketing ideas and any connections you might have to reviewers, media representatives, bookstore owners, etc. 
    * Your full author bio. 

  
Then What Happens? 
  
After you submit your manuscript, you will receive an e-mail confirming that it was received. It will be read by our submissions staff and reviewed for quality of story, quality of writing, marketability, uniqueness, and adherence to the guidelines posted above. 

Then, a decision will be made in one of three ways:  


    1. The book could be rejected with an explanation of why, which you can use to strengthen your work as you pursue publication elsewhere.  
    2. You could be asked to revise and resubmit, meaning that we liked your book but found issues that would need to be addressed before we could make a final decision. We will provide a letter to you outlining the changes that need to be made. It's up to you if you'd like to do this revision - if you would rather not, you're under no obligation to submit the story again. Note: if we ask you to revise and resubmit, this is not a guarantee that we will publish the book.  
    3. You could receive an acceptance. At that time, we will send you a letter detailing any changes we feel need to be made to the story and provide you with an author packet, which will outline your relationship with Trifecta and explain how things work in our company. We ask that you read this information over very carefully before making your final decision. We will answer your questions, and if you decide that Trifecta is a good fit for you, we will then send over your contract for you to read over to make your final decision. We do ask that you respond with your answer within three weeks of receiving the contract. 

You will hear back from us within twelve weeks of submission. 

Frequently Asked Questions: 
  
Q:   What if I send in my manuscript and don't hear back that it was received? 
  
A:   We will always reply within forty-eight hours. If you haven't heard from us by two days after submission, send us an e-mail. If for some reason your e-mails are going to our spam filter or not coming through, you can also contact us on our Facebook page. 
  
  
Q:   How can I skip over the slush pile? 
  
A:   We look at each manuscript in the order in which it was received. Hang in there - we will get to yours. 
  
  
Q:    Do you read every manuscript from start to finish? 
  
A:   No, not all of them. If a manuscript just isn't a fit for reasons of crude language or sex, we don't read the whole thing. We also don't finish it if the characters are flat, the writing is poor, the plot is uninteresting, etc. However, those manuscripts with the most potential will be read through carefully. No book will ever be put under contract unless it has gone through a very exacting vetting process.  
  
  
Q:    Are there any topics that you're specifically not interested in? 
  
A:   There are a few.   We feel that the other publishers are covering the vampire/demon/werewolf market quite well, so we're choosing to focus on other topics. We will not be publishing books featuring abortion or homosexuality. We're open to discussing a wide variety of other topics as long as they are handled respectfully and fall within the guidelines mentioned above. 


Q. You mentioned what kind of books you want - what kind of author do you want? 

A . We are looking for authors who work hard to perfect their craft, who aren't afraid to take constructive criticism, and who are willing to talk about their books in public venues. We want authors who will promote online, who will be positive in their interactions with their readers and peers, and who will help us create and maintain a strong and professional atmosphere for our company. 


Q . What is your royalty rate? 

A . Trifecta authors earn 50% on e-book sales and 12% on print sales. At this time, we are publishing e-book only with print to follow based on sales.  
  
* * * 
  
If you have any additional questions regarding the submission process, please let us know by sending an e-mail to info.trifectabooks at gmail.com.