Submission Blitz – Day 27

April 28, 2013 at 12:42 am (fantasy, writing) (customs, dark fantasy, epic, mythology, novel, research, submission, synopsis, zombies)

I found courage in a glass of wine and sent out my submission query to a bigger publisher for “Sleep Escapes Us”, which included a 10 page partial, per the publisher’s specs. I really hope I find a good home for it someday. I described the story in brief as “an alternate history, zombie dark fantasy tale with a foundation in ancient Thracian mythology. The story is one of courage, self-sacrifice and perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds.” And for a lead in to my brief synopsis: “When a simple hunter, Zelmis, is chosen by lottery to be a sacrifice to Zalmoxis, the Thracian god of death, he chooses to instead slay the living god with the help of Cerzula, a witch of Hecate. The horrific results, the dead turning and rising as undead, dooms their realm to many years under the tyrannical rule of necromantic generals, a situation that only Zelmis’s daughter, Alina, can rectify.” I then went on to outline the four sections of the book, also in brief.

I certainly enjoyed doing the detailed research for the novel into the mythology, the history, customs and cultural aspects of ancient Thrace and things like flora, fauna and herbalism. It has an epic feel to it but it is a very basic story as far as the heart of the tale is concerned. It definitely isn’t your typical zombie story, to say the least.

I’m expecting a “no”. I’m a no-name writer with no agent and my work doesn’t fit into the cookie-cutter world of big publishing. I’m lucky to have (and to have had) a few people in my life who have a lot of faith in my work. That’s honestly what keeps me trying. Maybe I’ll find someone out there with the ability to bring me some significant exposure who feels the same way.

Only time will tell.