This just in from Jeff Gerke:
Well, the third set of original Christian speculative fiction from Marcher Lord Press has been out for two months now and is selling well, especially through Amazon.
Marcher Lord Select, my experiment in fiction acquisitions, is also going very well. Phase 2 voting is completed and Phases 3 and 4 will be conducted this month.
The big news for this update is that I'm able to announce two of the three books that will comprise list 4, which releases in April 2010.
Jeff Gerke
Publisher
| Announcing List 4 from Marcher Lord Press I've rarely been able to so early announce what books will comprise a release list from Marcher Lord Press. But because of a special situation this time around, I can do so. As in the previous lists, I will release three novels in the Spring 2010 list. Two of the three I can name now. The third I'll be able to name in next month's update. The special situation is that the first two books are sequels to books already released by MLP, and the third is the book that will win the Marcher Lord Select contest, which is now in its latter phases.  The first book from list 4 is the eagerly awaited sequel to By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson. To Darkness Fled, Book 2 of The Blood of Kings, picks up right where the previous book left off. As you may recall, By Darkness Hid ends with characters entering the mysterious darkness that shrouds the land of Er'Rets. To Darkness Fled begins with these words: "What do you mean she's gone?" By Darkness Hid is Marcher Lord Press's bestselling novel by a wide margin and readers have been clamoring to know what happens after the cliffhanger ending of that book. That Book 2 is releasing soon is cause for rejoicing. And it's a monster too: 664 pages in its unedited form. The second book in the fourth release list from Marcher Lord Press is also a sequel. The Word Unleashed is the sequel to The Word Reclaimed, Book 1 of The Face of the Deep series by Steve Rzasa.  Steve originally wrote this 2-book series as a single (massive) book. Epic space opera at its best. I divided the book into two parts. The great thing about that is that Book 2 was already written even before Book 1 released. So we are able to bring you the second installment in the release cycle immediately after the first one debuted. A MLP first. The cover at left is, as you can see in the fine print in red and yellow, not a final cover, but it gives you a good feel for the direction we're going with it. Book 2 follows Baden in his ongoing struggle, both physical and spiritual, to come to grips with what this banned holy book means and is doing to him. It also chronicles the betrayal of the secret police--Kesek--and their attempt to overthrow the crumbling monarchy binding the five worlds together in uneasy peace. List 4 is going to be a very exciting release cycle. And now you know about 2/3 of it way in advance. For the third book, I have to turn to Marcher Lord Select. |
Marcher Lord Select: The Final Phases
I hope you're a voting participant in Marcher Lord Select, my acquisitions experiment in which you are a member of my editorial board and you get to tell me what book to publish next.
Marcher Lord Select began November 1 and will end on New Year's Eve, with the winner being announced at midnight.Phases 1 and 2 are now complete. From the 36 full manuscripts that began the competition, we have honed it down to the top 8 entries.
Now things get really tough. In Phase 3, you and your fellow editorial board members will read the first 30 pages of those 8 entries and will vote in mid-December to narrow the list to the top 3 candidate manuscripts.
Then you'll read an additional 30 pages of the remaining 3 entries and vote, in late December, to pick the book that will fill the third slot in the Spring 2010 release list from Marcher Lord Press. Pretty cool, huh?
But if that weren't cool enough, consider this: I will be holding a drawing to give one or more prizes to people who vote in Phase 4. Not only do you get to decide what book I publish next, you could take home awesome MLP swag. Prizes to be determined, but could include MLP books, apparel, artwork, and/or sundry goodies.
The other part of Marcher Lord Select is the premise-only conest, the top three winners of which will receive priority acquisitions attention from me. That contest is also in its latter phases and has some incredible Christian speculative fiction creativity.
Phases 1 and 2 of that contest are complete and the initial group of 49 entries has been reduced to 20. In Phase 3 you'll read the 1-page synopses of these 20 entries, and in Phase 4 you'll read the first 500 words of the remaining 10 entries. The top 3 winners will be announced at midnight on New Year's Eve.
Both contests are terrific fun and you're able to rub elbows with many other folks who love Christian speculative fiction as much as you do. So come on out to The Anomaly forums and join the party.
Thank you for your support of Marcher Lord Press!
Jeff Gerke
Publisher
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