The Press Release

Apparently I jumped the gun a little bit last month when I announced that the new edition of Queen Ann in Oz was out, as my publisher had intended the Winkie Convention to be the official release for not only that but a couple other books as well. He's now prepared the press release, however, so I thought I'd better share it here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 09, 2014
Media Contact:
theroyalpublisher@thewizardofoz.info

Classic American Fantasy Returns in Three New Novels!

Valley Stream, NY—Need an escape from the stressful world of long hours and constant bad news? New York-based company, The Royal Publisher of Oz, is sending people on a journey into imagination with a line of fantasy books set in the expanding universe of Baum’s Land of Oz!

L. Frank Baum’s legendary Oz series was the very first American fantasy series, spawning numerous Hollywood films, Broadway plays, animated series and collectibles! Continuing where Baum and his successors left off is this exciting new series of fantasies that go beyond the Yellow Brick Road into dangerous and exciting territory!

The Law of Oz and Other Stories is a journey through time! When two best friends, Button-Bright and Ojo decide to get lost, they wind up two hundred years in the past! There, they uncover the secret behind the very enchantment of Oz, the ancient evil of the Phanfasms, and the mysterious shape-shifting Yookoohoos, who hold the key to a mind-shattering truth! Four stories and three illustrators in one book! Available everywhere in trade paperback, $21.99.

Queen Ann in Oz picks up where Baum left off, as would-be conqueror Queen Ann goes on a quest to find her missing parents, lost for decades! With the help of a vagabond named the Shaggy Man, a loyal dragon and a squabbling pack of volunteers, her journey through the mists of Oz to a land called Forgetville may well be her undoing! Includes the new novella Jodie in Oz, loads of illustrations, and much more! Available everywhere in trade paperback, $15.99, and in a deluxe hardcover with 15 full color plates (exclusively at Lulu.com)!

In The Magic Umbrella of Oz, the intrepid heroes of The Law of Oz and Other Stories are back, but this time with strange new powers! When the Magic Umbrella is stolen by a dark spirit they’ve unleashed, it is up to the best friends to return to the past and help the Wicked Witch of the East retrieve her most precious magical item, the Silver Shoes! Available everywhere in trade paperback, $15.99, and in a deluxe hardcover with full color plates and unique deluxe-edition dust-jacket (exclusively at Lulu.com)!

ABOUT THE ROYAL PUBLISHER OF OZ:
Founded in 2012 by Joe Bongiorno, The Royal Publisher of Oz is a New York-based publishing company dedicated to producing Oz and fantasy books that match the look and style of the classic fantasies of old. Our Oz books are edited with an eye towards maintaining continuity with the original Oz series and Borderlands of Oz books as delineated on The Royal Timeline of Oz. To view a complete listing of available and upcoming titles, visit www.theroyalpublisherofoz.com.

If I get the chance over the next few days or so, I hope to talk a little bit more about the new edition of Queen Ann in Oz and how it came back.

The (Second) Coming of the Queen

Way back in 1993, a little book called Queen Ann in Oz came out. The writers were my long-time Oz friend and second mom, Karyl Carlson, and Karyl's Ozzy bonus fifth son, me. It did well, it had its fans, but it went out of print a few years ago. Karyl and I got the rights back, and then we were approached by a new outfit, The Royal Publisher of Oz about putting out a new edition. Karyl and I jumped at the chance, and we've been working hard the last few months to not only whip it into shape, but also provide some extra material. Karyl had already been at work on a sequel novella, which is in the new edition, and we also uncovered the script for a little skit, "Another Adventure with Ann", which we performed at the 1988 Winkie Convention. Our editor and publisher, Joe Bongiorno, even got the original illustrators, WIlliam Campbell and Irwin Terry, to create new illustrations. Well, guess what? The new, expanded second edition of Queen Ann in Oz is now available for you to buy at Lulu.com. You can buy it in a standard paperback edition or a deluxe hardcover edition with color plates.

But if you're going to be at the Winkie Convention — which starts only three weeks from today! — I would advise you not to get it yet. Karyl and I will be selling copies at the convention, and of course we'll autograph them. But the best part is that William and Irwin will also be there, and they can autograph books, too. This will actually be the first time Karyl and I have met them, at least in person, and we're doing a four-headed presentation during the convention. So get a fresh copy at the convention, then have four people deface it. (Of course, if you do decide to buy a copy ahead of time, or have the earlier edition, and bring it to the convention, we'll sign that, too.)

The 2013 Winkie Conventon Research Table

(I'm putting this up in just about every Oz- and writing-related forum that I can think of, I may as well include it here.)

2013 WINKIE RESEARCH TABLE

Submissions are invited for the 2013 Winkie Research Table. Our goal is to put on a great research table, with a large number of quality submissions, to encourage new writers and artists, and to explore a large range of Oz expression.

Authors, Researchers and Artists are invited to submit their work for consideration for awards at the 2013 Winkie Con. The three categories that will be judged are Fiction, Non-fiction, and Art.

There is no entry fee. All work must be original, related to the world of Oz, and not previously published of exhibited in any form, including online and digital publication. Items may also be submitted for the 2013 Winkie Convention Program Book or may have already been accepted for publications to be released after the convention, but please send a separate copy in to the research table.

Fred Otto Prize for Oz Fiction

$100 First Prize
$50 Second Prize

"Oz Fiction" is defined as any original, fictitious story about or pertaining to the Land of Oz as originally created by author L. Frank Baum in the book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and its sequels, but stories need not be confined to Baum's vision. Submissions about or pertaining to the Land of Oz in any of its forms will be accepted. Stories may follow on from Oz books, Oz plays, Oz movies, Magic Land, or any other version of Oz.

Maximum length for submissions is 10,000 words long. Excerpts from longer pieces will also be accepted. Work should be submitted electronically. Hard copy may be submitted if needed.

Use standard manuscript style: double-spaced, 12 point type, 1 inch margins, page numbers at top right. Include your name, mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number at the top of the first page of each submission. Include the title of your submission halfway down the first page and at the top left of every subsequent page.

Electronic submissions in .pdf, .txt, .rtf, and .doc formats will be accepted until April 30, 2013 at research@winkies.org. Put the words "Oz Fiction" in the e-mail subject line. Hard copy submissions will be accepted until April 15, 2013 at Eric Gjovaag, 1521 S 15th St., Sunnyside, WA 98944-2513. All submissions will also be submitted to the editor of "Oziana", the International Wizard of Oz Club's annual fiction anthology, for consideration.

Warren Hollister Prize for Oz Non-Fiction

$100 First Prize
$50 Second Prize

"Oz Non-Fiction" is defined as any original, non-fiction article or essay about or pertaining to the Land of Oz as originally created by author L. Frank Baum in the book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and its sequels, but stories need not be confined to Baum's vision. Submissions about or pertaining to the Land of Oz in any of its forms will be accepted. Submissions may follow on from Oz books, Oz plays, Oz movies, Magic Land, or any other version or aspect of Oz.

Maximum length for submissions is 10,000 words long. Excerpts from longer pieces will also be accepted. Work should be submitted electronically. Hard copy may be submitted if needed.

Electronic submissions in .pdf, .txt, .rtf, and .doc formats will be accepted until April 30, 2013 at research@winkies.org. Put the words "Oz Non-Fiction" in the e-mail subject line. Hard copy submissions will be accepted until April 15, 2013 at Eric Gjovaag, 1521 S 15th St., Sunnyside, WA 98944-2513. All submissions will also be submitted to the editor of "The Baum Bugle", the International Wizard of Oz Club's journal, for consideration.

Rob Roy MacVeigh Prize for Oz Artwork

$100 First Prize
$50 Second Prize

"Oz Art" is defined as any original expression that does not fall into either of the other two categories, and is about or pertaining to the Land of Oz as originally created by author L. Frank Baum in the book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and its sequels, but stories need not be confined to Baum's vision. Submissions about or pertaining to the Land of Oz in any of its forms will be accepted. Submissions may follow on from Oz books, Oz plays, Oz movies, Magic Land, or any other version or aspect of Oz.

Artwork will be judged at the Winkie Convention. Therefore all art submissions need to be either brought to or sent to the convention, or arrangements must be made by the artist to deliver and, if needed, return pieces. Any portable form of art or craft work is acceptable, but costumes are only eligible for either the research table or the costume contest, not both.

If you wish to enter art for the research table, please inform the research table folks at research@winkies.org and provide a description or electronic version by May 30, 2013. Put the words "Oz Artwork" in the e-mail subject line. Hard copy submissions will be accepted until April 15, 2013 at Eric Gjovaag, 1521 S 15th St., Sunnyside, WA 98944-2513. All submissions that can be printed will also be submitted to the editor of "Oziana", the International Wizard of Oz Club's annual fiction anthology, for consideration.

Awards

Prizes will be awarded at the 2013 Winkie Con, June 21-23, 2013. To enter and win you need not be present at the Winkie Con, though attendance is encouraged: http://hungrytigerpress.blogspot.com/p/winkie-convention.html http://hungrytigerpress.com/winkiecon_registration_2013.pdf To enter and win you need not be a member of the International Wizard of Oz Club, though membership is encouraged: http://www.ozclub.org/The_International_Wizard_of_Oz_Club.html Winners not in attendance will be notified in the week following the 2013 Winkie Con and prizes mailed. To keep things fair, each winner will be limited to only one award in a category.

For further inquiries and questions, e-mail research@winkies.org.