Sleepytown Press

FALL Writer's Retreat
November 2nd - 4th at Bolton Camp, near Waldo, Alabama.
Go to the "Writer's Retreat" page for more information.

"NEW" Listings have been added to the Contests Page.

The following Writers have joined The Novel Challenge:

Jeffrey McKenzie
Danielle Sharp
Jacob Walla
Jeaunice Burnette
Leanne Kinkopf
Geraldine Smith-Freeman (G.Free)
Stephanie Clark
Diane Gillette

It is not too late to join and work on your "first" Novel.

Have you checked out Pinterest?

This is a "Fairy" Garden that I made this weekend, after seeing something similar on Pinterest. It is in an old half-cut wine barrel.
I always check out Pinterest to get inspiration and enjoy what others are doing in the creative world.

Interested in details?

Email me at sleepytownpress@yahoo.com for full details and answers to questions.

While you are here, check out Sleepytown Press.

The ground cover plants are small, but they will grow and cover the ground area.

NEW VOICE: Novel Winner

"A Heart's Journey" by Michele Fleming

NEW VOICE: Children's Picture Book Winner

"A Case of the Funny Face" by Romelle Guittap of California

2nd Place: "Beware of the Teacher" by Jason Bardwell
3rd Place: "Bug, Bites, BUG BITES!" by Susan Boskat Murray

The Three Featured Authors of the next Gallery of Voices

Joe Coxwell- Meridian, Mississippi
BellaKentucky- Argentina
Dee Jordan - Mobile, Alabama
*These authors will have lead stories in the Anthology. They will also receive copies of the book, when it is published.

Short Story Anthology
First List of Authors: These authors will be in the "First 2012" volume. (A second book will follow in the Fall.)
Audrey Williams, Mickey Vidakovich, Maggie Veness, Nick J, Nonnie Price, Steve Wade, Matthew Peszek, Kathy Sellers, Soda, Susan Beckman, Jan Wiezorek, Ru Cid, Sean Traynor, Gina Iafrate, John Behan, Linda Silfies, and John Bolen.

Second List of Authors; These authors will be in the "Second 2012" volume, this Fall.
Sherry Kughn, Christian Albrecht, Olivia Dickerson, Rosi Hollinbeck, Diane Tarantini, Malcolm Cowen, Mary Smith, Kyle Owens, Sandie Lee, Temitayo Olofinlna, Aaron Simon, Marianne Locke, Michelle Gluch, and Terri Faith Ward.

*If you have any questions, please email me at sleepytownpress@yahoo.com

We invite you to submit your manuscript to us!

Send me an email to sleepytownpress@yahoo.com and include the following:
1. Your project name and a short synopsis of the story or novel.
2. Picture Book: Include the full manuscript with spacing to indicate page divisions.
3. Novel: Send the first "three" chapters in a Word attachment.
4. Include a short paragraph letting me know what your "vision" is for this project.
5. If you have a web site, please include the URL so that I may give your site a visit.
6. If you have illustrations for a picture book, please send some of them as JPG for viewing.
7. Include any information that you would like to share about your project.

NOVEL CHALLENGE

Are you up for a challenge to start and finish a NEW Novel by November 1st, 2012?
If you take this challenge, the winning entry will be published by Sleepytown Press in December of 2012.

Categories: Fiction (May be `Tween, YA, or Adult)

1. The first draft of each chapter must be written in "longhand." (This allows for going back and making notes in the margin and asking yourself questions. Then, you can bring it to life with details, as you edit the draft and type it on your computer.)
2. Writing Goal: 5 pages a day, when the writing is flowing smoothly out of the pen and onto the paper. (Minimum per day 3 pages.)
3. Chapters: Approximately 15 pages, hand written, if possible. Some chapters may be a little shorter as well as be a little longer.

Your Goal for the First "longhand" Draft: Get the story down. (Make notes in the margin as you write. Do not worry too much about correcting at this point. Talk to yourself in the margin.)

READY TO SIGN UP? Click on the tab NOVEL CHALLENGE at the top of this page to read the FULL DETAILS and fill out the contact form on that page.

The Best Weird Fiction Volume I

Morpheus Tales is a magazine that is published in the UK. Back in 2009, I had a story selected for publishing in their magazine. My story is titled "Soap Sally." Their covers are always "weird" and sometimes "contoversial." They just published their FIRST Volume of the BEST stories from their magazine. I am happy to announce that my story was selected for publishing in the paperback.

This is what Morpheus Tales says about the book:
For the first time collected together in one volume, the best weird fiction from Morpheus Tales, the UK's most controversial weird fiction magazine! Only the very best weird fiction has been hand-picked from the Morpheus Tales archives to create this first collected volume of the magazine Christopher Fowler calls "edgy and dark". Featuring fiction by Lyn Cannaday, Robert T. Canipe, Steven Lee Climer, Nickolas Cook, Garon Cockrell, Nick Day, Vic Fortezza, Ken Goldman, Gary Hewitt, Todd Austin Hunt, Michael Laimo, Kevin Lucia, Adrian Ludens, Christian McPhate, Mari Mitchell, Theresa C. Newbill, Aaron A. Polson, Jonathan J. Schlosser, Tommy B. Smith, Alan Spencer, Wayne Summers, Randy Young, Mark Zirbel, Lee Clark Zumpe. Established horror best-sellers rub shoulders with rising stars and newcomers in this diverse collection of short weird fiction.

Drop me a message at my "contact us" page, if you would like to know how to purchase a copy of the book. The eBook will be availabe soon.

More Great News...

Yesterday, when I got home, I had a package from the Gotham Writers' Workshop. They provide ONLINE Writing Courses as well as in New York City. I had been selected as a "winner" in a writing contest. My prize was a $30 book for writers that gives a lot of information about publishing, editors, and literary agents. I am excited to have the book. It is one of those types of books that I would not normally purchase, but I am very happy to have it for free.

*Why do I share about my writing? I feel like it makes it more personal and genuine, if you know that I not only publish books, but I write, too. Writing matters to me. I am just like you. I write and have dreams and have ideas and seek to learn more.

Are You Looking For A Contest to Enter?

Visit our Contest page to see a listing of various contests that are being offered by various groups and magazines. The contests are listed for your enjoyment. Sleepytown Press does not have any connection with any contest that is outside SP. We listed them as a resource for writers. Some contests are FREE and some ask for a submission fee.

From time to time, Sleepytown Press will include contests that are "exclusive" to SP.

Feel free to drop us an email, if you have any questions.

We do advise you to follow the submission requirements exactly.

Good Luck and Happy Writing!

*The March list of contests have been added to the Contest Page.

NEW: Advertise With Us!

You can advertise with SP in our Newsletter and on our Web Site at a very affordable price.

We offer two options:
$25.00 You get an ad on the HOME page of Sleepytown Press and the same add in our Monthly Newsletter. Ad runs for one entire month.

$35.00 You get an ad on our HOME page and the same add in our Monthly Newsletter along with a "picture" of your book cover. (You may add a book and annotation to this listing for $10.00 per book.)

All ads run for "one" month, with repeat ads offered at a "per month" discount. ($10.00 per month for a repeat ad.)

*You have permission to send the Newsletter to your email contacts as well as in print copy for hand-outs at book signings.

Send your Ad to sleepytownpress@yahoo.com and we will email you a PayPal notice. Pay through PayPal and your add will appear on the same day that the Ad is paid. The Ad will run "one" month, unless you desire to add months to your Ad.

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NEW: Church Plays for Children, Youth Groups, and Adults

Just Published by Sleepytown Press

Author Bobbie Gulley

$15.00

This book features a collection of plays written by Bobbie.

Available now for purchase online through Amazon.com and other online stores. The PDF version of this book is priced the same as the book, since it can be printed and used in a church by a drama team.

The Authors Published by Sleepytown Press 2010 - 2012

Sleepytown Press Authors: Visit the Author pages to read more about each author.

Go to PDF Books: View the covers. Read the annotation for each book. Then order and download a PDF File of our books.

Children's Picture Books:

Randy Young    Sleepytown

Jerilyn Ito         Finding Our `Ohana
                          Double Rainbow Island

Meg Weidner    Alphabet Grace

Steven Whited   A Day With Sergeant Rocky Bear

Annie B. Lee    Amelia and a Million Cats

Justin Pope       Henry and Matild's Adventures in New York

Ellen George     Flutterby

Lois Sullivan     The Rainbow Halo

Michele Verhoosky Hilda McGilda: The Witch Who Was Too Pretty

`Tween, Young Adult (YA), and Adult Interest Books:

Fran Orenstein     The Mystery Under Third Base
                            The Mystery of the Green Goblin
                            Fat Girls from Outer Space
                            The Calling of the Flute

Carol Oschman   Mystery in Troutburg Harbor

Mary Mignerey  Tails in the Woods by Charlie

Adult Interest:

Wanda Lane       Wrinkles in Paradise

Danny McCarty   Men and Women Who Served With Valor

Mary John Lewis Hanging Upside Down from a Chinaberry Tree

Joe Coxwell    The Epsilon Wish

Donelle Proctor   You Don't Need A Bulldozer To Move A Mountain

Women of God   Through It All...God Was There

Various Authors Galley of Voices 2011

Bobbie Gulley   Church Plays for Children, Youth Groups, and Adults

"No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally -- and often far more -- worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond."

- C S Lewis

Sleepytown Press NOW offers eBook publishing on Amazon for Kindle for all of our authors.

*Your B&W book will be formated with a cover, Table of Contents, and text for sale and download on Amazon in their Kindle Store. There is no "extra" cost to turn your published SP Book into an eBook.

Color Books do not show on a Kindle in color. We are working on other readers for color books.
(Amazon has just announced a new Kindle Fire. It is color. This might make color books available for Kindle. We are waiting to see where this leads.)

Currently in the process of being created...

ATTENTION: Most of our books may also be purchased as a PDF file for reading on your computer. This includes Children's Books. A License to use the file on one computer is $3.99 per book. (No sharing, please.) Go to the link PDF Books to check out our list of books.

TEACHERS: You may purchase a license to use a Children's Book on your computer, at school, so that you may show the book to the class through your projector that is attached to your computer. (Most classes have projectors and smart boards in the room. You can show the PDF on the screen and use it as a "story time" or a "teaching tool.") Each Children's Book as a PDF file may be used on one computer, in your classroom only for $3.99.

Power Point of our Children's Books: Sleepytown Press is currently working on a new project for teachers. The project will include Vocabulary, a Story, and Questions and Activities to follow the use of the Children's Book.

Are You Ready to Publish Your Book?

Children's Books, Adult Novels, YA Novels, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Self-Help, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, and Instructional Texts are all Welcome.

Email Submissions to sleepytownpress@yahoo.com

When you tire of receiving rejections from agents and publishers, think again about the small publishing house. Sleepytown Press might be the publisher that is right for you.

Sleepytown Press is a POD publisher with a lot of attractive extras. What does POD mean? "Print-on-Demand" involves digital files which are pulled and printed on demand at any time and on any day. An author may order 1 book or 1,000 books. (You are never required to buy a certain amount of books.) They are printed "on demand." We, like a lot of publishers, use Lightning Source as our printer. (When an author orders books for book signings and gifts, they are shipped directly from the printer to the author's door via UPS.)

Lightning Source is Ingram. Ingram handles the sales to online book sellers as well as brick & morter stores.

Some people have called us an equity publisher because we do not publish everything that is sent to us. This is an honor. It means that we are a step above the others. Why would we choose to not publish a certian book? Some are not workable and some are not items that we feel fit the "vision" of what Sleepytown Press represents.

We don’t charge for services a la carte, but rather understand the importance of the process of publishing and make sure each step is done right. Thus, we charge one project price that includes everything the author needs in order to provide a quality published book.

Sleepytown Press does not collect a percentage of the profits from the publication, and send you what some like to call "royalties." When you choose to go with Sleepytown Press, we stay with you. We are your publisher. We do not take any part of the money that you make for the sale of your book. When you sell books on Amazon and other online sources, you get the full amount that your book earns off those sales. (Exception: Kindle eBooks. Amazon gets 30% automatically. SP get 20% for administration and upkeep of the files and payments. The author gets 50% of Kindle Downloads.)

(Special Note: Not long ago, it was said that Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble sell more books online than the brick & morter store. Could selling online bring you more than selling in a book store? It depends on whether the book store promotes your book or not.) Do book stores promote every author. No. They promote the "Big Name" authors that everyone knows. So, what happens to authors who are virtually unknown? They promote their own books. (In many stores, a book gets maybe six weeks or so to show that it will make money for the store. If it does not sell, the book is often removed from the shelf.)

You can make money off your book. You might not make enough to retire, but it is fun knowing that part of the retail price comes back to you. (When you order books and sell them at book signings or workshops, you keep everything that you make from those sales.)

We can not promise that any book will make you a million, but we can guarantee that we will do our best to provide you with a professional product that any author would be proud of calling their own.

We can not guarantee that a book store will choose to stock your book. In fact, there is a very informative article on the "Marketing" page titled "Do You Really Want to Sell Your Book in Bookstores?"

Sleepytown Press is currently working with two book stores to include our books in their stores.

There are no confusing levels, packets, or packages. Every author gets the same benefits when publishing with Sleepytown Press. Once you decide to go with Sleepytown Press, all of the extras come along with your project. There are no hidden charges that creep up to cause you a headache later. The publishing fee is $500 for any type of book. (Coupon Code: z825 "When submitting a manuscript, include the above "code" in the subject line and you will receive $100 off the publishing fee of $500.)

We are connected with Ingram, their books are listed on Amazom.com, including Baker & Taylor and Partners, so your books are available to chain booksellers, independent booksellers, online booksellers, and libraries. While we will never promise a bookseller will decide to carry your book, we assure you that your books are available to them if they choose to order or carry them in their stores.

If you choose to go with Sleepytown Press, you get the following:

1. Paperback Book (Hardcover adds $6 to the cost of the book.)
2. A fully designed and author approved Cover
3. ISBN and BARCODE for your book
4. Author Copies at a GREAT affordable Price
5. Bookmarks designed for your book (By request)
6. Marketing Ideas PDF
7. Your Book listed with Bowker and Books in Print
8. Web Page on Sleepytown Press Site
9. Ingram Distribution
10. You keep YOUR rights to your book
11. You set the retail price
12. You set the discount that you allow (20% - 55%)
13. You MAY sell your own book on your web site
14. A formatted and author approved text (You say when the book is ready to send to the printer.
15. Your book will be displayed or have an opportunity to be displayed, when SP goes to Book Fairs
16. You say "when" the text and cover is ready for publishing
17. Special Note: Your book will be available online (Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Books-A-million.com, AbeBooks.com, alibris, Powell's Books, and others. Your book may also be ordered through any bookstore by title, author, or ISBN#.)
18. Special Note: Press Release "NEW"
19. Most books will be formated for sale or download at Amazon.com for Kindle. Color Books do not work well on Kindle. We are exploring other avenues.
20. You will be featured in one of the Sleepytown Press Newsletters that are sent out via the net.
21. You may choose to allow Sleepytown Press to sell your book as a PDF for reading on any computer.
22. Children's Book Authors may choose to allow SP to create a Power Point of your book to offer to School Teachers.

Taken from the New York Times about publishing outside of traditional publishing:

Last year, according to the Bowker bibliographic company, 764,448 titles were produced by self-publishers and so-called microniche publishers. (A microniche, I imagine, is a shade bigger than a self.) This is up an astonishing 181 percent from the previous year. Compare this enormous figure with the number of so-called traditional titles — books with the imprimatur of places like Random House — published that same year: a mere 288,355 (down from 289,729 the year before). Book publishing is simply becoming self-publishing.

The article goes on to say that People , just like you, have decided to take their books into their own hands and do something about it. Today, books published outside the traditional house are getting more respect as being REAL BOOKS, too. Times are changing! I knew that it would.

FALL Writer's RetreatNovember 2nd - 4th at Bolton Camp, near Waldo, Alabama.Go to the "Writer's Retreat" page for more information.