About Us
California Coldblood Books is a small publishing company dedicated to science-fiction, fantasy, and speculative writing.
We are an imprint of Rare Bird Books and are distributed globally by Publishers Group West.
California Coldblood Books is a small publishing company dedicated to science-fiction, fantasy, and speculative writing.
We are an imprint of Rare Bird Books and are distributed globally by Publishers Group West.
Adam, a captain in the United States Army, has been writing fiction most of his life. He is a contributor to several online periodicals, and absorbs as much science as his mortal body can take. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his fiancee, and plans to keep writing until his fingers fall off.
Meg Eden's work has been published in various magazines, including Rattle, Drunken Boat, Poet Lore, and Gargoyle. She teaches at the University of Maryland. She has four poetry chapbooks, and her novel "Post-High School Reality Quest" is forthcoming from California Coldblood, an imprint of Rare Bird Lit. Check out her work at: megedenbooks.com
Robert J. Peterson is a writer and web developer living in Los Angeles. A Tennessee native, he graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He’s the founder of California Coldblood Books.
Beth Woodward enjoys traveling, going to sci-fi/fantasy conventions, watching movies, and reading voraciously. She is a rabid Doctor Who fan and spends a lot of time with her two cats. She currently lives in the Washington D.C. area.
Robert J. Peterson founded California Coldblood Books in 2013. He's also the company's head of acquisitions, art director, lead editor, typesetter, and webmaster. He's the author of seven novels, a few of which will see life under the CCB banner, including the imprint's debut title, THE ODDS.
His friends call him Bob.
Lauren Rock handles all areas of publicity and marketing for CCB, as well as managing CCB's social media platforms. In addition to her duties with CCB, Lauren is an accomplished voice over talent. You can see her personal website (and listen to her reels) at LaurenJuliaRock.com.
California Coldblood is open to submissions at this time.
What that means is we’re looking to establish a relationship. We want to connect with an author who’s seeking a home for the near and foreseeable future. That means you’ve put some work into your craft, you’ve “run out the brown water,” so to speak, and you’ve got two or more novels under your belt.
Agented submissions and trusted referrals preferred.
If you’re coming out of another career that’s given you the training to be a writer, then think about submitting your first novel to us, but by and large, we’re looking for authors who've discovered a voice and honed their craft. Before you submit, think long and hard about where you are as a writer.
We often get asked if we consider other forms besides the novel — short stories, poetry, and novellas. The answer is yes, primarily because we’re planning to put out an anthology at some point, but by and large, we’re looking for novels. Young adult and up is our preferred age range, in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, or speculative. If you’re unsure of the definition of “speculative,” that’s okay. It’s a fairly wide umbrella. You’re welcome to check out the Wikipedia page, but for me, “speculative” fiction includes any and all fiction where the world looks familiar, but one or more elements are askew. Examples of the form (for me) include 1984, Anathem, by Neal Stephenson, and most dystopic narratives.
If you think your — or your client’s — work is ready, then email a query letter to:
robert at californiacoldblood dot com
I’m pretty relaxed when it comes to queries. I’m not going to give you a hard time if your message doesn’t adhere to this or that format. Just tell me what your book’s about — and have fun.
Warmly,
Robert J. Peterson
Editor and Publisher
California Coldblood Books
