"Certain a rival toy company has plagiarized her newest product, Tess Montgomery barges into Darius D'Angelo's boardroom and demands an explanation.... Only, she doesn't expect the tyrant of toyland to have smoldering dark eyes and a hypnotic, persuasive manner anymore than she expects her own fiery reaction to him...."
This steamy description on the cover of Cynthia DiSciullo's novel, Reluctant Heart, promises a tumultuous affair-much like those found on popular romance paperbacks. But, you won't find the adventures of Tess and Darius in any bookstore. DiSciullo's novels are published in electronic format and marketed on the Internet. A new and growing medium, electronic publishing has opened the door for authors like DiSciullo, whose unconventional storytelling doesn't fit the mold prescribed by mainstream publishers.
A writer of romance, fantasy and paranormal thrillers, DiSciullo spent many years trying to publish her unusual novels with the help of three different agents. Her work crossed several genres and even delved into some new ones. "I have these glorious rejection letters. They loved the plotting, but didn't know where to put it. It didn't fit the formula for horror, but it didn't fit romance either," she says. "Then, I discovered electronic publishing. They didn't want the standard, formulized story where the hero and heroine have to meet by the third page."
DiSciullo published her first electronic novel, The Gathering, in 1996, under the pseudonym Angelica Hart. The paranormal thriller was the fifth book published by New Concepts, a pioneer in electronic publishing on the Internet. New Concepts went online in October 1996 and has grown from receiving a handful of submissions to between 50 and 100 per month, according to its president, Madris DePasture. The company now publishes four to six books per month, about 5 percent of submissions, she says.
In the beginning, New Concepts handled romance novels exclusively, but it now features a variety of genres, including contemporary romance, historical romance, gothic romance, suspense, young adult, fantasy, horror, nonfiction, children's, mystery, time travel, nostalgia, science fiction, futuristic, paranormal and western.
DiSciullo notes that, because there are no paper and printing costs, electronic books are less expensive than their hardcopy counterparts. The cost to purchase a novel from New Concepts <www.newconceptspublishing.com> is $3.50 for downloading and $3.99 plus shipping to receive the book on disk. Some "category duets" feature two books, such as DiSciullo's Reluctant Heart and Impetuous Heart, which were published in 1997 as a dual romance (under a second pseudonym of Cynthia Lawrence), for the price of one. Books on disk are sold in packages similar in size to romance novels with the same type of cover art and descriptions as traditional paperbacks. Many bookstores now carry electronic books, and New Concepts' titles also are available via Amazon.com.
After downloading a book or receiving it on disk, the reader can manipulate the font size and style to suit his or her personal preference. The books can be read either on the computer screen or on a hand-held "softbook"--a paperback-sized computer made specifically for electronic reading. Up to 10 books can be loaded onto a softbook at one time, and the cost of this technology has already dropped significantly. "They started at $500 last year and have already dropped to about $300," says DiSciullo. "In time, they'll be just like calculators. You'll be able to pick these things up for 5 bucks."
DiSciullo says she imagines a day when books are sold almost exclusively on disk and interactive stories will allow readers to pick and choose their way to different endings. "Everything in bookstores will be on disk, and there will be terminals where you can preview and download books," she predicts. "I envision a much greater selection of reading material and the ability to customize your book. Your heroine can have black hair and brown eyes if you like. She can choose to accept a date with this guy, or she can say no. The story could end differently every time you read the book."
Recent events indicate that electronic books are indeed having a significant impact on the publishing world. DePasture reports that the Library of Congress recently purchased its first electronic book from New Concepts to use as a test case in determining the best way to catalog
e-books. And, New York publishers started asking for electronic rights more than a year ago.
With the rapid growth of electronic publishing, the only thing holding DiSciullo back is her inability to write fast enough to help meet the demand. Diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome two years ago, her writing time has dropped from a previous rate of 10 hours a day to one or two hours when she's feeling well. Determined to overcome this challenge, DiSciullo has linked up with a writing partner on a fantasy that she says she hopes will become the cornerstone of a trilogy. Ideas for future books sit in wait until she recovers from the illness that causes her to regularly have colds, ear infections and flu symptoms. "I've had a fever for two and a half years," she says, "but my biggest complaint is that I'm not writing more."
- Sharon Huss Roat, AS '87
Cynthia DiSciullo and her husband, Anthony, live in Newark, Del. Their daughter, Tara, is a University of Delaware sophomore.