Leaf Books: March Newsletter.

From the Leaf Books March Newsletter....

L e a f B o o k s
March Newsletter

And a happy March to you all. I hope you'd realised that the Finnish call this month 'maaliskuu', which I'd much prefer, frankly, but there we are. It's also a very busy month on the reading side of things since we've a million micro-fiction and short stories to get through, as well as the ongoing production of our new and beautiful anthologies, both of which are attractively-designed and neither of which mention 'maaliskuu' as being Finnish for March.

Other than that, we've no announcements of immediate or urgent nature, other than to say that we're planning an ENORMOUS birthday party for Leaf to celebrate the 100+ new and established authors we've published in the last year. Quite a feat, we feel, and something to dance maniacally about. Keep an eye or two peeled.

Otherwise, and since we're so massively hip, we've made ourselves a MySpace. Far be it from us to preclude the E-masses, and if you'd like to add us as a friend and chat with us there you're more than very welcome. We can be found here: http://myspace.com/leafbooks.

With our fondest regards,

Team Leaf.

In this Newsletter:

- The Better Craftsman & Other Stories

- Novella Submissions STILL OPEN

- Brief Leaf and Root Creations

- Competition Listings - including our new Poetry Competition

- Contact Details.

News

JANUARY SALE TRANSFORMS INTO FEBRUARY SALE AND RUNS FURTHERMORE INTO MARCH AND MOST DEFINITELY REMAINS ON

First up, a reminder that *all* of our pocket-sized Leaf Books are now £1 only. Not only that, but all of our bundles are half-price and postage and packing is free. You're welcome to order online via the website, where you'll find all of the titles here: http://leafbooks.co.uk/readers/books.html.

Not only that, but Razzamatazz & Other Poems is a bargain at £6.99 per copy, while The Final Theory & Other Short Stories -- our collection of stunning and original micro-fiction is £6.99 per copy too. On top of that you can both together at a price of £12, saving yourself more than enough to buy a drink to enjoy them with.

NEW ANTHOLOGY WITH AN E.T.A OF VERY SOON

Coming this month: The Better Craftsman and Other Stories. Containing the winning entries from the Leaf Books Summer Short Story Competition, these ten unremittingly brilliant tales cover subjects as diverse as a student's getting the most out of a maverick academic, a couple's raising a family in a never-ending traffic jam and a landlubberly boy's first visit to the seaside. The competition was judged by the Leaf Team. The anthology will cost £6.99 per copy and will be available through the Leaf website or the usual channels. There'll be details and cover shots and all sorts on the website in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for its 70s Morrocan cover and enjoy it as much as we tend to.

Also coming soon is Coffee & Chocolate--containing all of the winning pieces selected from the Coffee and Chocolate competitions we ran towards the end of last year.

NOVELLA SUBMISSIONS OPEN

Leaf Books is looking for novellas.

Traditionally, the novella is the somewhat unfortunate book that falls somewhere between a long short story and the typically-lengthed novel. We’re not sure that many novella-writers have an easy time when searching out a market, so we thought we’d lower our submission drawbridge in a heroic attempt to assist them.

Not only have we produced a beautiful range of pocket short-stories, but our new larger format books – collating poetry and micro fiction – have also opened up new possibilities for us; a novella now being something we’re keen to publish.

Mostly, we’d like to see quality stories of between 20,000 and 40,000 words, written in any genre and about anything you’d like us to read, but below are some more specific guidelines:

Send us the first twenty pages of the novella, with your name, address and contact details on a covering sheet.

Unlike our competitions, we’re not accepting online submissions, so it’s postal only, please. If you’d like your manuscript returned to you, please enclose a S.A.E with the correct return postage fee. Any manuscripts that don’t have this accompanying them will be presumed disposable!

Similarly, if you’d like acknowledgement of receipt then please enclose a stamp-addressed postcard with your manuscript.
Type and 1.5/double-space your entries, please, and don’t make your typefonts illegible or unnecessarily colourful.

Please allow up to three months for a response. Obviously we’re a collection of very busy bees, however, and if you feel unfairly ignored then please don’t hesitate to prompt/remind/shout at us.

See the website for more of this type of thing. http://www.leafbooks.co.uk/readers/books.html

*COMING SOON* - BRIEF LEAF AND ROOT CREATIONS

BRIEF LEAF – our new online writing game.
- Submit micro-fiction: intro price £3
- Entrants judge and critique one another’s work: extra critiques by the Leaf Team
- Constructive and encouraging feedback
- Community and friendly atmosphere guaranteed
- Winning pieces published online
- Cash prize based on entry money: the more entrants, the higher the prize
- New game every month

Watch the website for further details.

ROOT CREATIONS - Leaf Books is Branching Out

ROOT CREATIONS is here to help you get your work out there. Anthologies for Writers’ groups; poets who’d like something to sell at readings… we’re here to help. See our website for more information here: http://leafbooks.co.uk/root/

ONGOING COMPETITIONS

Below are the details of our ongoing contests. Kindly note our astoundingly fair and unusual caring judging policy: every competition entry will be read by at least two members of our reading panel; the short-listed entries will be read by up to ten panel members. Top that.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Competition

Short stories in the genres of science fiction and/or fantasy. Word limit 6,000.
Entry fee: £5.00 per submission.
All selected stories will be published in a Leaf Book Anthology. Overall winner receives £200. Runner-up receives 10 Leaf Books.
Closing date: 30th April 2007

*NEW* Spring 2007 Poetry Competition.

Poems on any topic. Maximum 50 lines.
Entry fee: 1 entry - £3, 4 entries - £10.
Free entry with every copy of Razzamatazz & Other Poems purchased (£6.99 per copy).
All selected poems will be published in a Leaf Books Anthology. Overall winner receives £200.
Runner-up receives 10 Leaf Books.
Closing date: 30th June 2007

All entries can be made by post or online.

See website for competition guidelines: http://leafbooks.co.uk/writers/guidelines.html

CONTACT

contact@leafbooks.co.uk

01443 665704

Leaf Books Limited, GTi Suite, Valleys Innovation Centre, Abercynon, Rhondda Cynon Taff CF45 4SN

Leafbooks.co.uk