My Story
Founded by Crystal Heidel, Byzantium Sky Press is a small indie publisher dedicated to sharing the voices of empowering, tenacious, magnetic, women writers and writers of the LGBTQ+ community who are not afraid to be who they are and seek to change lives with the power of their words.
Books and the written word have always been Crystal’s passion. For years she has designed book covers for RBWG members, and, under her press, has won multiple awards from the Delaware Press Association’s Communications Contest. Holding her DPA First Place award-winning novel Still Life in Blood in her hands in 2013, she was inspired to put her years of experience and her creative skills to work helping other writers to experience the joy of being published.
Traditional publishers give the author little to almost no say in the publishing process. Crystal structured Byzantium Sky Press to provide the support of a high-touch publisher while working with her authors to establish the publication date, approval of cover design, and the interior layout (for print and EPUB). BSP strives to smooth the publishing process for an author so they can get back to doing what they love—writing!
Byzantium Sky Press is especially seeking submissions of fiction books having interesting and quirky plots/people, people of color, and LGBTQ+ characters, along with independent female leads. Literature, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Alternative History, and Spicy Romance are all on the table!
Please check out our book list for the numerous award-winning novels—there are many!
The current Submission Period is open until June 15, 2023.
Still in the works: the first BSP Short Story Contest! Witch Most Wild will be a compilation of short stories. I’m looking for stories about feminism, LGBTQ+ communities, and stories by BIPOC. Stories can be written as poetry, fiction, and nonfiction/memoir, as long as it embodies everything to do with the witch. It could be a metaphor, an empowering situation, or even a fictional witch who conquers her/his/their world (details on the contest, editors, and rules coming soon; follow Byzantium Sky Press on Instagram and TikTok: @byzantiumskypress).
For those writers who want to write a novel or book, but don’t know where to start, you’ve found the right place! BSP’s sister company, Heimat Coaching, can help (website in the works). Heimat Coaching assists writers who are just starting, or have a work in progress. Heimat Coaching is also available for consultations in self-publishing, including cover and interior design, and other behind-the-scenes work.
Crystal is grateful for the support she has received through her membership in the Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild which inspired her to establish Byzantium Sky Press. She’s also a member of the Eastern Shore Writers Association.
What my authors and clients are saying . . .
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Being in the hands of a dedicated publisher who is also a gifted designer and writer is a blessing to an author. She gets it!
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— KATHLEEN MARTENS
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Crystal’s coaching style is engaging, insightful, and inspirational. Her valuable written comments and Zoom discussions helped me make informed decisions about the direction of my writing.
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— ELAINE OAKES