Strange Days Books is a cooperative publishing organization based in Crete, Greece.
We publish books by young writers from Greece but we also publish books by writers from around the world. In the past seven years of our existence we have published Greek translations of books by writers from countries such as the USA, England, Spain, Bulgaria. For many of these authors this was their first book ever to be published! Strange Days Books also publish first releases of books by foreign authors in English!
For the past seven consecutive years, Strange Days Books & eyelands.gr coordinate the only international short story contest based in Greece. We publish low cost digital editions and our books are distributed mainly through the internet but also through bookstores and cooperative bookshops. Some of our publications are also available in kindle format from amazon.com and in e-book format from smashwords.com
Strange Days Books is an entirely independent publisher, primarily interested in showcasing the wealth of the new writing voices of Greece. We work closely with our authors in order to create books that will appeal to booklovers, books about the present, books contemporary readers can relate to, books that strive to push the art of literature forward, books written with talent and passion, books that challenge the way we see the world, books that burst with new ideas and intriguing perspectives, books that have something to say and were not written for merely commercial purposes. In other words, we create books with character together, steadily growing into a community of artists and art-lovers that represent and promote the truly new literature of Greece, not only through publishing but also through a literary festival, the only international short story competition in Greece, theatrical play and novel competitions, book events and more.
Every summer we organize Sand Festival – a literary festival held literally on the sand of one of the Greek Islands.
Eyelands.gr literary magazine in collaboration with Strange Days Books organize an annual international short story competition, which is the only international short story contest based in Greece. Every year, writers from all the continents of the world participate in it. The competition consists of two categories; Greek and International (for the international section we only accept stories in English). The competition has been running continuously for the past eight years, offering hundreds of writers the opportunity to see their short story printed in one of our collections, created through the contest entries. For many of these writers it is the first time that a story of theirs is printed in a book or featured online. The jury reads all submissions blind.
The English section of the competition has been recognized as a truly reliable, fair and serious short story competition. Every year, many reputable websites, post the announcement of our contest, which has earned its reputation year after year, by honoring all its promises, following the rules meticulously and meeting all criteria that allow a contest to gain respect and recognition on an international level.
EYELANDS BOOK AWARDS
In 2018, too, we, Strange Days Books & Eyelands.gr decided it was time to launch Eyelands Book Awards and Three Rock Writers’ Residency Program. The former is an international contest that gives the opportunity to a writer to win a great prize; a holiday in Athens, Greece, where he/she will have the chance to talk about his/her work to Greek readers and meet Greek writers in a special ceremony and also gives the opportunity to an unpublished writer to win a contract and see her/his book published by Strange Days Books. It was high time for Greece to have an international book award.
THREE ROCK WRITERS’ RESORT RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Three Rock Writers’ Resort Residency is a self-directed program that offers time and space for writers to work on a creative project of their choice and above all an extraordinary opportunity to enjoy life on Crete. Writers in all creative writing genres are invited to apply. Novels, plays, short stories, poetry, graphic novel, everything is eligible. Our residency is designed for emerging and established writers seeking to dedicate a period of time to a project in any genre. You may choose to stay in a single or shared apartment or in your private studio, at an already well known resort for award-winning writers from everywhere in the world, who have been our guests since 2012. Space is also available for one partner/friend writers would like to bring along at no extra cost
In 2020 with the support of a Creative Europe program we start our plan to publish prize winning books from countries of Europe that normally would never had the chance to be published in Greek. Starting from spring 2020 we will present a novel from Ireland, then one from Denmark and in Autumn another novel – from Albania – will be translated and released in Greek. And this will be just the beginning!See below for all the books we have published in English so far.
James P. Hadley: Prisoner of Love
Prisoner of Love is a novel including the romance of mass market love stories and the suspense of crime fiction paperback novels. But at the same time: love for books and the adventure of every author going through a writer’s block.
It combines two stories; the romantic adventure of the innocent Marcella and the thriller of a desperate Greek fortune-hunter who is forced to write a book, under the instructions of his lover, the famous writer Magdalena Love.
The story of Marcella begins as a romantic pursuit of the perfect mate then becomes a chic lit and ends up becoming an adventure with international gangs of illicit dealers in antiquities. Also, it passes through historical writing while you will also find a slight touch of magic.
The story of the Greek fortune hunter acquires an emotional tone as well when, he initially falls in love with his female character, Marcella, and later on, with a woman that looks very much like her. However, he ends up being a prisoner of the Dionysiac and ruthless Magdalena Love as well as Freddo, her brutal bodyguard.
The story is not lacking in certain features of the social crisis Greece has been going through, as its main part takes place one summer on various Greek islands.
B.D. Fischer: Slowly but thoroughly
The indisputable strength of this novel is that «one voice» of the narrator, in its stunning amalgamation of lucidity and obsessiveness, blunt honesty and self-conscious performativity, sensitivity and cruelty, insight and blindness, wide-ranging curiosity and referentiality and self-absorption.
–Evan Carton, Professor in Rhetoric and Composition at the University of Texas
Gregory Papadoyiannis: 52 EYELANDS – A sentimental Journey Through the Greek Islands
This is a “sentimental” guide for travellers, through 52 of the Greek islands. This book has simply been written out of an outrageous love for the islands, to describe what it feels like to actually “live the island” – even for a week – and to find out what it’s like, from how it looks to how it can be characterized in terms of its deeper essence. I liken this process to getting to know a friend, or perhaps even falling in love.
«Sustained throughout 52 eyelands is the voice of a travelling companion who is always careful not to tell you too much, always conscious that travel is about making choices and that since each traveller is different, each has discoveries of their own awaiting them on the islands he knows and loves so well. At last: a no-spoilers guidebook. This could be a thing»
–Lane Ashfeldt (author of ‘’Saltwater’)
2017 EYELANDS 7th SHORT STORY CONTEST
2016 EYELANDS 6th SHORT STORY CONTEST
2015 EYELANDS 5th SHORT STORY CONTEST
2014 EYELANDS 4th SHORT STORY CONTEST
WRITER’S AGREEMENT
This agreement effective on …. 202..
BETWEEN:
Α. Publishing Company by the name ‘’Strange Days Books’’ Publishing
(Paraxenes Meres, Παράξενες Μέρες, εκδόσεις)
Adress: Chimarras 6, Rethymno, 74100, Crete, Greece
which shall herein be referred to as “Publisher” and
Β. Mr./ Mrs.
Name: ……………………….
Resident of:…………………………
Street: ……………….. Street Number: ……….
who shall herein be referred to as “Author”
mutually agreed and accepted the following:
The author states that she has written a literary work in English (or translated in English) :
The author guarantees that this work is original and he/she reserves all intellectual property rights to it (hereafter, this work shall be referred to as “work”).
According to the agreement, the Author cedes to and confers on the Publisher the exclusive right to publish the work in printed form in the English language and trade in it in Greece, as well as worldwide.
The Publisher accepts the aforementioned cession and conferment and the following terms are agreed upon:
1.The Author states that the work constitutes his / her own intellectual property, which, through the present agreement, he / she cedes to and confers on the Publisher, and that publication of the work does not violate a third party’s intellectual or other property, does not infringe upon the rules of the pertinent Greek or international legislation on intellectual property.
2.The author, in lieu of remuneration for the above mentioned cession and conferment of his / her intellectual property rights to the work in printed form, will be entitled to a percentage on the retail price of the book’s copies sold, which are delineated as follows:
– 0% (zero percent) from 1 to 200 copies
– 10% (ten percent) from 201 to 1200 copies
– 12% (twelve percent) from 1201 to 2000 copies
– 15% (fifteen percent) from 2001 copies and over
retail price: ………….
3.It is agreed that the Author will receive for free five (5) copies upon the first edition.
4.In case the Author wishes to obtain more copies of his / her work, he / she will be granted a 25% (twenty five percent) discount on the nominal price. Any such purchases shall count as a copy sold for purposes of determining remuneration as in #2 above.
5.The duration of the present agreement is set at five (5) years, commencing as of today, and is renewed for the same amount of time, unless one of the two parties asks, in writing, for a definitive termination termination of all terms of the agreement, two (2) months before the termination of the present agreement. The Author may also terminate all terms of the agreement at any time upon payment of 2,000 euros to the publisher. The Author may also terminate the agreement in the event that the Publisher does not for any reason or is not able to make the book available for normal sale for a period longer than 90 days.
6.Liquidation of the account will be held on December 31st, every year. The amounts payable to the Author which will accrue from each liquidation will be paid to the Author within three (3) months of the following year. The payment of the royalties will be made by the Publisher in a way agreed upon by both parties, and will be made in one of the following ways : postage of money, postal cheque, remittance, deposit into an account.
7.The text of the work will be submitted in an electronic format by the Author to the Publisher on time.
8.The present agreement concerns a book publication only in the English language. The Author reserves the right to cede the book rights for a publication in any other language. Should these rights be ceded to another publisher, or should the Publisher publish the book in any other language, the Author shall be remunerated on a schedule not less than the one outlined in #2 above. In this event, the count of books sold shall not revert to zero, but shall continue from the number of books sold in English.
9.The Publisher accepts the responsibility, at his own expense, to publish the work in printed form / also available in kindle or e-book format, within six (6) months of the date appearing on the present agreement.
10.The shape, appearance, the picture on the book cover, as well as the number of copies to be printed each time, the wholesale or retail price and, generally, what concerns the publication, clientele selection and trading of the book in question will exclusively be decided upon by the Publisher.
11.The Author’s first name and surname will be mentioned on the cover, as well as the spine of the book, where also the title will appear. At the bottom will appear “Strange Days Books”. On the blurb, some information about the book will be provided. Corrections and proof-reading will be held by one of the Publisher’s editors.
12.The Author acknowledges that her remuneration, as agreed upon above, fully covers her labour’s worth and corresponds to the current rates of trading books and royalties, thus she lays no further claims, economic or other.
13.On all the aforementioned terms, for the duration of the present agreement, all intellectual property rights to the specific work are conferred by the Author exclusively upon the Publisher, for the English language only. For as long as the present agreement applies, the Author has no right to use, directly or indirectly, the whole work or part thereof, for the purposes of any other printed work in any format in the English language, except if this is done for advertising purposes
14.The Author cedes to the Publisher the right to negotiate the agreement for TV or cinematic rights of the work only in the English language. The proceeds accruing from the TV and/or cinematic rights of the work will be apportioned, as follows: 25% (twenty five percent) goes to the Author and 60% (sixty percent) goes to the Publisher.
15.In case the Autor fails to represent his interests accruing from the present agreement, the Publisher will immediately acknowledge the Author’s legal beneficiaries.
16.Reproduction of this work (book cover, pictures or, generally, lay-out) electronically, by photocopying or in any other way, such as type-setting or pagination is prohibited, without the licence of the Publisher. This protection remains after the expire of the present agreement, which also means it is binding for the Publisher in relation to the Author, for as long as the protection of intellectual property rights applies.
17.The signatories state that, regarding the work and the specific book, they have not come to any other agreement, orally or in writing, apart from what has been declared in the present agreement. Any modification to the present agreement applies in the future, inasmuch as it is in writing and bears both parties’ signatures.
18.The Author is entitled to a 20% (twenty percent) discount on the retail price of all the books published by Strange Days
Expected publication date:………………………
This agreement has been drawn up and signed in two (2) copies.
Date: … 201……
THE PUBLISHER/ THE AUTHOR
Costis Malousaris
chief executive officer
Email: strangedaysbooks@gmail.com
Webpage (Greek): www.paraxenesmeres.gr
Webpage (English): www.strangedaysbooks.gr
Facebook: www.facebook.com/STRANGEDAYSBOOKS
Sand Festival: https://sandfestival.wordpress.com/
Strange Days Workshops: https://strangedaysworkshops.wordpress.com/
twitter: https://twitter.com/paraxenes_meres
Strange Days Books
Social Cooperative Publishing House
Eyelands Book Awards 