Our Team
BELLASTORIA PRESS IS A SELECTIVE HYBRID PRESS
We publish books that fulfill our mission to discover and share well-written, beautiful stories told from the heart. You, as the author, and Bellastoria, as your publisher, share the cost of bringing your book to the world.
We offer authors a personalized, hands-on experience that guides them through the publishing process from manuscript evaluation and editing to production, marketing and distribution.
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The investment you and Bellastoria make in the editing, publication and distribution of your book reflects the care we give to each project, while offering authors a fair and generous return of 50% of net profits.
Our Story
Ann DeFee
Linda Cardillo
Vana Nespor
We are Bellastoria Press partners Ann DeFee, Linda Cardillo and Vana Nespor.
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Ann and Linda met in the early years of our writing careers when we were introduced by our Harlequin editor at a party with a chocolate fountain and “signature” cocktails. Recognizing that we were kindred spirits, we spent the next few years building our backlists and hammering out plots in hotel rooms at conferences.
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A few years ago we began to notice a pattern among our writing friends. Previously multi-published authors were facing increasing difficulty finding a welcome with traditional publishers.
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As we stood on the edge of the chasm that 21st–century publishing had become, we didn’t retreat to our garrets, burning manuscripts to keep warm.
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We decided instead to confront the industry upheaval and unprecedented rejection facing talented writers by founding Bellastoria Press.
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Since we established Bellastoria Press in 2014 we have. . .
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published 29 titles in fiction and memoir and 8 children’s picture books
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added a partner, Vana Nespor, a playwright and nonfiction author, whose vision and energy have helped us both to grow and to offer authors a personal experience on their publishing journey
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won awards and garnered praise for our books
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built a professional team of editors, designers and formatters.
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Now that you know our story...
Process Overview
We welcome high-quality submissions in:
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Fiction
General and women’s fiction
Historical fiction
Magical realism/Fantasy
Mystery
Romance
Suspense and thrillers
Nonfiction
Memoir
Autobiography
Essay collections
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We are no longer publishing children's books and we do not publish erotic fiction.
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Step 1: Submission and Evaluation
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Step 4: Production and Distribution
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Step 5: Marketing Guidance and Support
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If your manuscript is accepted, you will be assigned a dedicated managing editor who will work closely with you to create a beautifully written, skillfully designed, and carefully produced book marketed to the world.
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