New 44 card Deck: The Self-Transformation Oracle

[Uma]

I have just completed a 44-card deck of oracle cards (my own writing and illustration) plus the manuscript for the book that goes with it, and am looking for a publisher. The illustrations are water colour backgrounds (in a style associated with Rudolph Steiner -- see www.arscura.org) and simple pen and ink sketches overlaid. The energy source for this is the work of Sri Vasudeva, see website: www.blue-star.org and it is based on his teachings. It is a very powerful deck that deals with all life issues and can work with you all the way to enlightenment. If anyone resonates with this and can offer me some assistance/suggestions in finding a publisher/literary agent (I'm unpublished), I'd be most grateful.

sincerely,
Uma

 

[Fulgour]

Hi Uma ~ Welcome to AT

Because she is a favourite of yours, perhaps there may be something to
be gained by contacting the publishers who represent Doreen Virtue?

Her work and reputation are highly respected, and Hay House does
offer the following link with information on submissions guidelines:

Hay House, Inc.
Customer Care
Manuscript Guidelines
http://www.hayhouse.com/guides.php

Doreen Virtue, Ph.D.
Authors
http://www.hayhouse.com/authorbio.php?id=84

 

[HudsonGray]

Uma, you should put this over on the Deck Creator's Board, rather than in New Members, more of the artists would see it over there & offer you some suggestions.

The big 4 that do tarot decks are Lo Scarabeo, Llewellyn, US Games & A.G. Muller. But not all of them will do oracle decks. Bear and Company does spiritual type decks, but they're much smaller. There are a few others, though not very big companies. That's why a lot of decks get self-published. The standard book publishers don't always want to handle something outside their main merchandise, so they often aren't worth pursuing. It's a rather limited market.

Try posting to the other board & see if anyone has some ideas for you.

 

[Adjustment]

welcome!!

 

[Uma]

Thank you for the advice. I'm wondering what the market for spiritual oracle cards is. Isn't the best seller Zen Osho tarot deck a spiritual deck? Is there any marketing research on who buys these decks and how best to distribute? Are there literary agents who are interested in this genre and how could I get in contact with one? Thanks in advance!

Uma

 

[HudsonGray]

The bookstores should have the new "Writers Market 2005" on the shelves, or you could check the reference section of a library for the older copies (they come out yearly). Agents are listed in them, as are publishers and all sorts of venues for writers. They used to have a section on contracts too, but I think that was dropped a few years back. I'm not sure about where to find marketing research on decks though.

 

[M-Press]

Hi Uma!
Congradulations on completing the Work!
I looked at your links, but still not sure to the style of your work. You coulp post here one card, so we can have an idea?

tarot decks and oracles, are very difficult to get them published. And finding teh target market even more so. Ithink that in this kind of work, you either nail down your target market before you start on a project, and then try to make it work for that purpose, or you just do what your heart tells you, work hard and maybe you'll be lucky.
the big companies don't do Oracle decks, but it's really worthy to look into teh submission guidelines of them all. Sometimes, a publisher will need you to submit the idea in a format they already have, so tehy can consider it. meaning, that the research is really in what each publisher DOES.
In anycase, this issue is a journey by itself, and quite an endless one, i would say.. but don't give up!
Try also to dig threads here on publishing and self-publishing, many good ideas and thoughts an dfacts were discussed here.
Good Luck!