Archive for 'Dorchester-Publishing'
I have a real affection for Dorchester because it takes a lot of risks. In a market in which we readers complain of homogeneity, Dorchester is providing variety. There is its new Shomi line of which Driven by Eve Kenin is a keeper. In October, the first of CL Wilson’s epic fantasy romance cross breed will be released. Ned, the DH, read the two CL Wilson books in two weeks. That’s akin to saying that he devoured them. This month, a WWII romance novel which Jayne read and reviewed (to be posted later today) is available for purchase. As Jayne says, Perfidia by Elspeth McKendrick doesn’t skimp on the historical details nor does it lack a strong romance. If you are looking for something different, Dorchester is the publisher for you.
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To give a brief history on our company, Dorchester Publishing has been involved in the publishing of mass market books since 1971, making Dorchester the oldest independent mass market publisher in America. From our founding, we have strived to bring the best fiction to millions of fans. Although mostly known for romance, Dorchester also publishes world-class horror, thrillers …
A few weeks ago, I started reading Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L Wilson. It was sold to me as a epic fantasy meets romance tale. I was skeptical. I hadn’t ever read an epic fantasy + romance and frankly, I didn’t know that it could be done. Epic fantasy, at its core, relies upon complex world building, the quest, and a whole raft of characters, many of whom are in jeopardy and die (known as the Boromir effect). Romance really is ill suited to main characters dying off. The best example I have read of epic fantasy + romance was the “Chronicles of the Warland” by Elizabeth Vaughan and even that lacked the sweeping epic nature of say Elizabeth Haydon’s Symphony of Ages series or George RR Martin’s Fire and Ice series.
This is not to say that I think CL Wilson is George RR Martin, but I do think her Tairen series could give Haydon’s books a run for their money.
The first story in Wilson’s Tairen series, Lord of the Fading Lands, tells the story …
Dear Ms. Liu:
 I had never read you before and as the Dirk and Steele series became longer, I became more intimidated by the idea that I would have to read 3 or 4 or even 5 books to catch up. When I was sent Soul Song as part of Dorchester’s Buzz Campaign, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try. After all, the book was free, and if I didn’t like it, I could always set it aside without having wasted any money and very little effort. I was intrigued from the very beginning when the protagonist is forced to steal the soul of a woman against his will.
Kitala Bell is a world class violinist. Her concerts are sold out everywhere because her music has a way of striking to the heart of the listener, evoking emotional responses. Kitala is obviously no ordinary musician and her skill with the violin is not her only otherworld quality. Kitala is cursed with seeing visions of people’s deaths, usually violent ones. Most days she attempts to ignore these visions but one day she sees a woman with death stamped on her face …
The April 23, 2007, issue of Time magazine contained an article on buzz marketing. Proctor & Gamble signed up 500,000 mothers to evangelize P&G products. P&G sends those women marketing materials and coupons but the volunteers can say anything they want, even negative things, about the products. Recent research has indicated that most people, however, will keep their negative opinions to themselves.
Dorchester Publishing is trying something similar by giving away a number of Advanced Copies of New York Times Bestelling author, Marjorie Liu’s July release, Soul Song. Dorchester will decide who gets the ARCs but there are no restrictions on what you can say about the book. Ms. Lui says:
If you are chosen to participate in the buzz campaign, please post a review on a) Amazon, BN.com, Powell’s and/or any online bookstore of your choice; b) write up a review on your blog; or c) let folks on the message boards know what you think of the book! Please don’t feel obligated to post a good review if you don’t like SOUL SONG.
You have to fill out …
So you may have noticed that the blog and the forum were down at various times since Friday. I moved DearAuthor from Bluehost to Media Temple and due to my inexperience, it was kind of a shaky move. But everything seems to be working, including our controversial pink theme (which will be changing one of these days). If it isn’t all quite working for you, let me know.
In other news, I received the grandest package from Dorchester on Friday full of RITA nominated books. I’ll be giving away books tomorrow from my package to ballots that have already been filled out and new ballots. If you haven’t yet, go and fill out a ballot. Random entries will win a book. In the meantime, you can check out Dorchester’s latest series called The Immortals.
Is it just me or does it seem like the publishers are really being awesome? I know that it is free publicity, but we aren’t giving out solely positive reviews on …
Dorchester Publishing, publisher of the upcoming exciting (to me at least), Shomi line, is asking for Reader’s opinions. It is clear from the comments here on the blog and at the Celebrate Romance event, that readers want the publishers to hear their voices. So go make a difference and participate in the Dorchester Reader Survey.
 Leah Hultenschmidt is an editor with a unique perspective. She majored in Journalism and English; did internships at newspapers; was an editorial assistant at Dorchester and was Dorchester’s Director of Public Relations. In 2002, she was named in the Who’s Who of Professional Management. Two years ago, Ms. Hultenschmidt took over the editing at Dorchester. Authors like Alesia Holiday are so enamored with Ms. Hultenschmidt’s tireless work on their behalf, characters are named after her (Shop ’til Yule Drop).
Can you briefly describe what an editor does? I think that readers assume that you get to do what we all dream of doing and that is get paid to read for a living. I suspect that the truth is less romantic.
There's really no such thing as a daily routine. One of the things I love most about my job is its versatility. Because Dorchester is a relatively small company, the editors are responsible for a lot. We read submissions, negotiate with agents, help devise cover concepts, write the back blurb, write marketing copy, keep an eye on sales figures …
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