Sukoshio was a bright student in school. He was called brilliant, prodigy and genius at school. Yet, he isn't at the same place as his friends. Shio is a customer service representative. According to some, coming to Galivaria is a chance to make a name for yourself but Galivaria is far from paradise. Most Galivarians were pencil-pushing salary workers whose only destinations in life were their cubicles, tiny one-room apartments, and ultimately the grave. Until recently Preditors & Editors would have been your first port of call if you had any doubts about a given publisher. This fantastic database kept tabs on a huge number of publishing companies, magazines and agents, tallying reports from writers and flagging up companies that might be operating in a less-then-ethical manner. Unfortunately, despite providing a sterling service to the writing community since 1997, P&E never quite received the level of support it deserved. It’s currently mothballed, awaiting a new caretaker. The story is gripping. The characters are written well by the author. Being in a corporate, I could relate well to Shio not liking his job. I appreciate the vivid imagination of the author in creating the fantasy world in the story. Read this book to know if Shio and Key will uncover the truth. Go ahead with this book without any second thoughts.

These companies work with self-publishing authors to help them bring their books to completion. They may offer editing, proofreading, printing or marketing services in exchange for a fee. Reputable companies will be honest about their role, and will not pretend to be publishers. If you’ve decided that you want to self-publish, but don’t know where to get started (and don’t want to take the time to learn) these companies could be right for you. How a vanity publisher typically works We’d particularly recommend reading a chapbook, as this will give you a clear insight into what we publish. This bi-annual competition is open to short story writers world-wide but entries must be written in English. Not all publishers can afford to pay an advance, but at the very minimum the publisher should bear the cost of editing, cover design, printing and distribution. The author should not pay for the publishing process. Think of it like this: legitimate publishers take risks on your behalf. Publishing a book is a risk – it costs a great deal of money and takes a lot of time and energy. Publishers will take on that risk when they are confident that they can sell enough copies of a book to recoup their investment. If a publisher asks YOU to take some of the risk by paying to publish, it may well mean that they don’t plan to sell a single copy of your book for you – and why would they? They’ve already made a profit by fleecing you! Vanity publishers, on the other hand, have a different approach. They reel in any and all writers they can reach with false promises and flattery. They charge writers to have their book printed, and then wring them out still further by charging for marketing services, promotion, and even for basic fulfilment. They pressure writers to sell to their family and friends, while doing nothing to help. Sometimes they don’t even bother to print the book, and instead simply disappear with the writer’s money in hand.

Neon Books publishes one or two small, odd books each year: novellas, poetry pamphlets, short story chapbooks, or other esoteric projects. Here’s what you should know if you want to put forward a project for publication. Before sending in a proposal… Neon Books is a tiny press with limited resources. To give you an idea of the scale of our press, here are some figures: Proposals are welcome from anyone, anywhere in the world and at any stage in their career. You do not need to have publishing credits or a social media following.

If we like your idea and think it could be a fit, we’ll ask to see the full manuscript, so please only submit if you’re relatively close to completing a draft of your project. How to submit If a vanity publisher has been scamming authors for any length of time at all, it is generally possible to find accounts of their dodgy behaviour on the internet. Search for the name of the publishing company in combination with words like “scam” or “vanity”. This, more than anything else, is one of the easiest ways to make sure you don’t get taken in by a dodgy publisher. Big publishers too Getting an agent can be such an impossible task that your instinct – when one replies to you brimming over with enthusiasm and praise for your work – might be to jump at the opportunity. But be careful: hidden fees could be just over the horizon. Legitimate agents usually make their money by taking a reasonable chunk out of any money that they make by selling your work. If they want paying up front, consider the possibility that they don’t plan on actually selling your work at all. Writing competitions The basic difference is this: legitimate publishers make their money by selling books to the general public; vanity publishers claim to do this, but actually make their money by selling publishing services to unwary authors. Some things which aren’t vanity publishing… Key is a man without a past. The phrase "We're going to do wonderful things to you" haunted his thoughts. He can get a maximum of four hours of sleep. He had gone through the saw pressed against his skin over and over. Now, he is used to it. He wants to put the past to rest.

Before sending in a proposal, please consider whether a very small press is a good fit for your project. We publish work that is intentionally niche. You may wish to seek a larger or more mainstream publisher. What we’re looking for I loved the way Aimee automatically did most of the tasks of Shio and eased his life. Shio's only goal in life is to do his job and stay in the lane. He has heard about people losing their jobs and moving to the lower parts of the city. Shio didn't want that to happen to himself. Yet, he ended up at the other side of the wall. What was Shio thinking when he started chasing the hooded man and the one in the suit? Left for dead three years ago, he woke up with a cybernetic spine and a head full of horrific dreams. Forced into an unlikely alliance, Key and Shio must dig out the truth before time runs out. The world-building in the narrative is undeniably distinctive, though admittedly, it requires some time to grasp its complexity fully. The characters, particularly Shio and Key, leave a lasting impression, making this an enthralling read.