Five Scribes

An Editor's Judgement Day--He He

2012-01-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

I thought this was pretty cute!

Interview with Kerri-Leigh Grady, Assistant Editor at Entangled

2012-01-26T05:27:00.000-07:00

Kerri-Leigh Grady spends her spare time perfecting canning techniques and stockpiling machetes, coffee, and QuikClot. When she’s not preparing for the zombie apocalypse, she drinks an insane amount of coffee and pretends to be just another soccer mom.

She has an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, where she studied urban fantasy, horror, and romance. And tortured the faculty. Who are glad to see her gone.

This week, KL lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Next week, she’ll be wherever the Navy sends her family. KL will be attending the Crested Butte Writers Conference, June 22-24, 2012.

Which categories do you currently acquire? Which category has a special/constant place in your heart?
Answer: I acquire romance. Any flavor, any sub-genre, any trope. My favorite stories will always be thrilling or terrifying, whether that's because of high stakes adventure or because of the bogeyman in the closet. I also love paranormal romance and urban fantasy, though I am sick unto death of kitchen sink worldbuilding. Pick a few beasties, define your world, and work within it. Also: death to vampires and werebeasts! Or undeath. Or something. If I find something compelling in my inbox, but it's not my cuppa, I pass it along to one of my fellow Entangled editors.

What length synopsis do you prefer to see with a partial? Single spaced or double?

Answer: I don't want a synopsis unless it's the two paragraphs in your query. Send the query with the first five pages pasted at the end. If I like what I see, I'll ask for the full. And then, I still don't want a synopsis. They're made of evil and doom.

In terms of submissions, what are you sick to death of and what would you like to see more of?

Answer: No vampires. No werebeasts. Unless vampires are irredeemably evil villains and werebeasts are wild, ferocious murderers stalking the hero and heroine. Then I might change my tune. Maybe. I'd actually love to see some romantic comedies. Dark or light, as long as they're smart (please no slapstick) and make me laugh out loud, I'll love them and cuddle them and call them Susie. Oh, and romantic thrillers/romantic suspense.

What are the most compelling elements you feel are necessary for a good read? What particularly grabs your attention?

Answer: Voice is the obvious answer, but beyond that, a snappy pace, atmospheric setting, and clever worldbuilding (even if the world is a tiny town in Kansas) tend to hook me fast. Consistent pace with escalating conflict are essential to a good read.

For you, which elements in a fiction submission are terminal problems garnering automatic rejections and which are tempting and fixable meriting a look at a revision if a talented author is willing to accept your advice?

Answer: When I read, the first thing I think about is how much time it'll take me to edit the story. If it requires a lot of work or if the missing or flawed elements are major, I will pass. However, I tend to offer a revise & resubmit (R & R) if it's something I think the author can fix. With a few exceptions, a professional writer can fix just about anything. Assuming below that everything else is at least acceptable or even compelling about the story:

Voice Reject
Weak Grammar Depends on how bad it is.
Common plot Reject
Poor character development R&R
Story is too controversial (ie rape, politics, religion—what else?) Controversy isn't an issue if it's handled right, but if the author fumbled or pulled her punch, I'll offer R&R.
Mediocre / uninspired writing Reject
Excessive use of violence or cursing Full request (kidding) - this is an easy fix
Lacking genre –specific requirements like, suspense/sexual tension/ world-building R&R
Pacing is off—plot is too slow R&R
Story starts in wrong spot R&R
Ending is unsatisfactory R&R
Lack of tension R&R

Does meeting an author face-to-face at a conference make a difference in your response time, the submission process, or the rejection process (ie. Form letter vs a few sentences of advice)?

Answer: Absolutely. It helps knowing an author is serious and knows how to connect professionally. It's an important trait to have with your publisher and your readers. Even chatting me up online lets me know you've taken the time to Twitter- or blogstalk me. I appreciate that. Just no actual stalking, if you please.

Besides the writing, the story and the talent, what are the most important elements you look for in an author, ie. contest wins, cooperativeness, affiliations to writers organizations, knowledge of publishing industry, promotability, etc?

Answer: Understanding the importance of using social networking to build a community of readers.

Do you have any pet peeves?

Answer: Interviews. (Theresa: Ouch—I must be high on your favorite people list today thank you for answering a few questions for me, KL)

Also, I very much dislike dealing with authors who refuse to learn and improve craft. I don't care if you've won a RITA or a Nebula. If we've discussed your unnatural relationship with the word "just," I expect you to run a search and destroy on that word before you send me your manuscript. Especially since I've offered to pay for your "just" rehab.

What are you addicted to?

Answer: Twitter. And background noise.

What have you always wanted to do?

Answer: Get my PhD.

Do you have a favorite quote?

Answer: From the poem "The Old Astronomer to His Pupil" by Sarah Williams: "Though my soul my set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; / I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."

Twitter Tips for Writers

2012-01-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I tweeted some tips for writers on how to use Twitter effectively. I got a lot of great feedback, so I'm sharing it with you guys. As authors, it's important to establish your online presence. How involved you are is up to you, but I find that Twitter sucks the least amount of my time yet somehow builds amazing communities. I can post tweets easily from my phone when I'm out, and it gives me a platform to find others of like mind.

Community is what social networking is about, and it should be your central focus when you reach out to readers. Build a community for them to share space with you and others of like mind, and you've built your platform. Engage with your community, show them you're interested, and the readership you build becomes a happy bonus.

Keep these tips in mind when you tweet to most effectively build your community:

Tip 1: Don't hashtag #every #other #word. It's #obnoxious and doesn't #matter unless you're #tweetchatting. Even then, #don't #do #it.

Tip 2: If your tweetstream looks like a billboard, you're doing it wrong. We're not here to look at ads. If we were, we wouldn't get angry about spam.

Tip 3: Social networking is about building relationships and extending your tribe. It's about community. Your content should reflect that.

Tip 4: Respond to people who @ you. Otherwise, you're using Twitter as your bullhorn, and your followers will consist entirely of spambots.

Tip 5: If you want to build community through #ff (#followfriday - a list of recommendations for your followers to follow) or #ww (#writerwednesday - a #ff type of list but of writers only), don't make a list. Give people a reason for following your recommendations. E.g. #ff @theresarizzo b/c she's snarkily delicious and tweets photos of Crested Butte.

Tip 6: Twitter is a constantly evolving conversation. Jump in and take part. Don't holler at us about your book from the corner of the room.

Tip 7: Peppering your tweetstream with tips that don't add to or start a convo is pointless. ;)

Tip 8: Ditto for copy/paste tweets/auto-tweets we've seen every day this week.

Tip 9: If you avoid Twitter too much, we'll find you. #resistanceisfutile Actually, we'll unfollow you at the next housekeeping round.

Tip 10: If you're on constantly, you'll clog our stream, and then we'll either unfollow you or put you on tweet mute. #donotbeatwitterstone

Tip 11: If you clog our stream with awesome, you can ignore Tip 10.

Tip 12: To come up with agreeable content, figure out who your community is. It's like writing to an audience. Give it a try.

Tip 13: Don't expect every tweet to start a convo, but tweet as if it will.

Tip 14: If you're a serial retweeter, you're doing it wrong. Again, offer real content between accolades and reviews.

Tip 15: Don't tweet about your breakfast unless your community involves food and your breakfast was notable.

Exception to Tip 15: When your breakfast is coffee. We all want to know about your coffee. #allhailCaffeina

Tip 16: Don't tweet about your book unless it's an announcement. We'll buy ALL your books if we feel like we're part of your community.

Tip 16.2: And by announcement, I mean big news, not that you were just thinking about your book and felt compelled to tweet your squee.

Tip 17: Twitter is a noun. Tweet is a noun or verb. Mix this up, it's grounds for shanking. This tip is not directed at writers alone.

Tip 18: It's okay if you do more than write. Your community wants to know what else you do. Overlapping communities means cross-pollination.

Tip 19: It's okay to do those "In case you missed it earlier" re-announcements. Once. Not once per hour.

Tip 20: Recommend authors you love to your followers. You'll strengthen and broaden your community by helping others.

Tip 21: If there's something important you want to stay around, don't tweet it. Blog it and tweet the link. Like this list!

Interview with Mary Kole, Agent at Andrea Brown Literary

2012-01-21T05:00:00.004-07:00

Mary quickly found her passion at Andrea Brown Literary Agency and, after a year of working behind the scenes, officially joined the agency in August 2009. In her quest to learn all sides of publishing, she has also worked at Chronicle Books and earned her MFA in creative writing at the University of San Francisco.

  At this time, Mary is only considering adult literary fiction, and, for the children's market, young adult and middle grade fiction and truly exceptional picture books. She prefers upmarket premises with literary spark and commercial appeal. Her favorite genres are character-driven fantasy, paranormal, dystopian, thriller, horror, adventure, humor, contemporary/realistic, romance and mystery.  

She operates the Andrea Brown East office from Brooklyn, NY, and blogs a Kidlit.com. Mary is the C/YA final judge in The Sandy Writing Contest and is attending the Crested Butte Writers Conference June 22-24, 2012.

1) Which categories do you currently acquire? Which category has a special/constant place in your heart?
Answer: Picture books, middle grade, and young adult on the children's end of the spectrum, and food narrative, food memoir, and cookbooks on the adult and non-fiction side of things.

2) What length synopsis do you prefer to see with a partial? Single spaced or double?

Answer: I do not request a synopsis with submissions, but if the writer has one, double-spaced and two pages is the way to go.

3) In terms of submissions, what are you sick to death of and what would you like to see more of?

Answer: Poorly written queries top my list, as do writing samples that do not start in the right place for the story (it's very easy to tell once you've read slush for any length of time). Queries that aren't personalized and that come with attachments (not allowed per our submission guidelines) are the best way to shoot yourself in the foot. I would like to see more voice in writing samples, right off the bat.

4) What are the most compelling elements you feel are necessary for a good read? What particularly grabs your attention?
Answer: Voice, characterization, and starting in action with a very strong sense of conflict and the present moment. I see a lot of writers start with a lot of telling and too much information, or start in a moment but yank the reader into a flashback on page two…that means they haven't found the right opening yet. And beginnings are crucial because that's often the only part an agent or editor will look at.

5) For you, which elements in a fiction submission are terminal problems garnering automatic rejections and which are tempting and fixable meriting a look at a revision if a talented author is willing to accept your advice?

Voice Weak-- Voice or voice that seems incongruous for the character's age (important in children's books) is a dealbreaker.

Weak Grammar-- Also a dealbreaker…if a person can't handle grammar, how will they handle revision and other more important craft issues?

Common plot-- For a popular market like children's books, plot really needs to be fresh. If it feels too contrived, an agent or editor won't go for it.

Poor character development-- Characters are our curators through a story, so if there's a weak character, the reader has no emotional foothold. I, personally, can't bring myself to care about characters who feel too slight or ill-defined.

Story is too controversial (ie rape, politics, religion—what else?)-- This doesn't bother me. For children's books, though, keep in mind that it's often a more squeamish gatekeeper who is buying the book, whether it's a parent, teacher, or librarian…they're the ones who tend to have issues with controversial topics, especially for younger readers.

Mediocre / uninspired writing --Complete dealbreaker, same as voice.

Excessive use of violence or cursing-- I don't mind it but, again, see my above comment about gatekeepers.

Lacking genre –specific requirements like, suspense/sexual tension/ world-building --Categories and genre are really important in children's books. I urge writers to learn the guidelines, read what's on shelves, and fit into the mold of today's marketplace (but put their own unique spin on it) before doing any genrebusting or other shenanigans. Learn the rules first, then break them.

Pacing is off—plot is too slow-- A dealbreaker, especially in children's. Tension, pacing, conflict…all of that has to be present, often in spades.

Story starts in wrong spot-- This is hard to pull off until you know better, so it's fixable…if you get editors or agents to read past your problematic opening. Honestly, that might be the bigger hurdle...

Ending is unsatisfactory-- This is also fixable. The elements you can't really fix easily are character, voice, and writing craft. Plot is nothing compared to those.

6) Does meeting an author face-to-face at a conference make a difference in your response time, the submission process, or the rejection process (ie. Form letter vs a few sentences of advice)?

Answer: If the writer left a mark and their story is promising, they will usually get a more personalized message from me. I do tend to look more closely at conference submissions where the author made a good impression.

7) Besides the writing, the story and the talent, what are the most important elements you look for in an author, ie. contest wins, cooperativeness, affiliations to writers organizations, knowledge of publishing industry, promotability, etc?

Answer: Knowledge about how the publishing industry works, a tech or marketing savvy, a willingness to work on making the book a success even after it's published, and a sense of realistic expectations…those elements all make for a dream client. Too often, we meet people who have no idea about the business or unrealistic stars in their eyes. Optimism and energy are great, don't get me wrong, but it's often the practical, resilient, and hard-working authors who enjoy long and successful careers.

8) Do you have any pet peeves?

Answer: Tons. Way too many to discuss here. Plus, listing them all out would just spike my blood pressure. I'd have to say that the biggest is that writers obsess over query letters at conferences and in questions instead of delving deeper into writing craft issues. I understand this, but I also think that writers need to think more deeply about craft first, and then obsess over getting published. Put the horse before the cart, not the other way around.

9) What are you addicted to?

Answer: Cookbooks! And the food they inspire me to cook--dining, food issues, and discovering new flavors and cuisines is a long-standing passion of mine. I used to work in the kitchen of a two-Michelin-star restaurant in California.

10) What have you always wanted to do?

Answer: I want to visit every state in the US, ideally on a cross-country drive in an RV, and sample lots of regional eats along the way. I've been to 34 states so far. After that, I'll move on to countries. I've been to 18 and can't wait to add more to the list. In addition to cooking and cookbooks and food, I honesty think I am addicted to travel.

11) Do you have a favorite quote?

Answer: Too many to mention, but one specifically about children's books is from legendary editor Ursula Nordstrom: "The writer of books about the real world has to dig deep and tell the truth."

Lois Winston Talks about Rejection

2012-01-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

One of the things Five Scribes is known for is that it's a writing blog. Lois Winston is on blog tour of her Readers' Choice-nominated book, DEATH BY KILLER MOP DOLL. Yet she finds time to stop in and talk with aspiring authors. Her articles are frank, but lest I rhyme, when it comes to the publishing industry, you can take her advice to the bank. Please welcome both literary agent and author, Lois Winston. ~ Donnell

Once in the proverbial blue moon, someone writes a first book, gets an agent, and scores a six-figure, multi-book deal, all in the course of a few weeks. For most writers, it takes years, even decades, for that first sale to happen. During that time we deal with lots of people telling us our baby is butt ugly. We try to develop a Teflon-coated skin to keep the rejections from getting to us, but it’s hard. Part of what makes us writers is our emotional awareness. Who among us hasn’t cried while reading or writing a poignant scene? That same heightened sense of emotion is what makes it so difficult for us to deal with rejection.

But publishing is a tough business. It’s run by bean counters, and bean counters are notorious for only looking at the bottom line. Not only do you have to convince the editor you’ve written a wonderful, saleable book, the editor has to convince the bean counters.

The truth about publishing is that you WILL get rejected. Everyone gets rejected, even bestselling authors. If you can’t deal with rejection, stop before you start.

When I started writing, no one told me the facts of life, publishing style. I had no idea the odds were stacked against me. By the time I discovered this, and received my share of form rejection letters, I’d been so infected by the writing bug that I couldn’t stop writing.

If you HAVE to write, if writing is as much a part of you as eating, sleeping, and breathing, then keep writing. But know that you may never get published.

Eventually, an agent liked my work enough to offer me representation. By this time, I had several manuscripts ready for publication. But the rejections continued to pour in. No longer were they form letters, though. I was now receiving rejections filled with praise. The following are comments made about one book:

-- …many intriguing elements involved in this contemporary romance.

-- I found this to be an enjoyable read. I think the writing is solid. The characters were interesting as well.

-- …the writing was strong and the sexual tension high.

-- …a solid writer. She creates an intriguing world that is full of interesting and compelling characters.

-- …the author caught my attention right away with the opening scene and held it with her strong, engaging writing style.

-- …this is very readable, and the author does a good job balancing the romance and suspense elements.

-- The conflict for both the hero and heroine is strong.

But no matter how praise-filled the letters, they were still rejection letters. Few editors indicated the same reason for rejecting, so there was no clear clue as to what was wrong with each manuscript. What one editor praised, another mentioned as the reason for rejecting.

Here are some of the reasons given for rejecting the same book:

-- I didn’t find the characters compelling enough.

-- The heroine isn’t as sympathetic as I’d wish.

-- I felt (the romance) had a “too good to be true” quality.

-- The writing is not as strong as that of other submissions currently under consideration

-- (The hero) was completely unconvincing.

-- The story line didn’t hold any appeal for me.

-- The emotional conflict was not as strongly developed as it needed.

Then I began racking up *near* sales. The reasons for my rejections changed. The senior editor who had to approve the buy didn't like the book. The marketing department didn't think they could sell a book the editor loved because it didn’t fall neatly into one genre. A senior editor wanted one of my books for a new line the publisher then cancelled. The editor who loved the book took a job elsewhere, and her replacement didn’t have the same enthusiasm for the ms.

Do I have luck or what?

Sadly, it’s not good enough to write the best book you can. And it’s not good enough to have an agent who believes in your work. If your book doesn’t wind up on the right editor’s desk on the right day, you don’t win the publishing lottery.

I eventually sold my first book in 2005. Not for 6 figures, not even for 5 figures. For an extremely low 4 figures.

And that’s another sobering reality of the publishing industry. Those 6 and 7 figure deals you read about in the news are literally 1 in a million. The average advance for a first sale to a New York publisher nowadays is less than $5,000, often much less. So if you think that you’re going to write your way into a life of luxury, think again. Many a NY Times bestselling author can’t afford to quit her day job these days.

And just because you’ve sold a book, there’s no guarantee that you’ll sell another. The rejections don’t stop after your first sale. My first two books received dozens of fabulous reviews. Both won awards. Yet after having a release in 2006 and another in 2007, I didn’t sign another contract until 2009.

So if you can’t handle the rejection, get out now while you still can. If you have the tenacity to continue writing against all odds, then each time you receive a rejection letter, pull up your big girl (or big boy) pants, sit your butt back down in front of the computer, and keep writing. If the writing gods are smiling down on you, your efforts will eventually pay off.

The Top 10 Reasons a Manuscript is Rejected (in no particular order)

1. author hasn’t done his/her homework (book not appropriate for targeted editor or agent)

2. sloppy editing/proofing

3. poorly written query letter

4. poorly written synopsis

5. no opening hook to grab an editor’s or agent’s attention

6. poor technical skills (grammar/punctuation, POV, passive voice/telling instead of showing the action, etc.)

7. poor story-telling skills (plot, characters, dialogue, etc.)

8. she’s just not that into you(r voice/style)

9. poor timing

10. book not yet written (pitching or querying on a book that isn’t finished, and by the time it is finished, the editor/agent is no longer interested)

About the Author:
After selling her first book, Lois Winston was invited to join the agency that reps her. Now she experiences rejection for both herself and her clients. Lois is currently writing the critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries published by Midnight Ink. Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in the series, received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. The new year brings with it the release of Death By Killer Mop Doll, the second book in the series. Read an excerpt at http://www.loiswinston.com/excerptap2.html. Visit Lois at her website: http://www.loiswinston.com and Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog: http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com. You can also follow Lois and Anastasia on Twitter @anasleuth.

Throughout January, Lois will be on a blog tour to promote the release of Death By Killer Mop Doll. Post a comment to any of the blogs on the tour to enter the drawing to win one of 5 signed copies of the book. You can find the complete tour schedule at her website and Anastasia’s blog. Lois is also giving away 3 copies at Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/15173-death-by-killer-mop-doll

Interview with Agent Kevan Lyons

2012-01-17T05:00:00.001-07:00

Kevan Lyon has more than 20 years in the publishing business, including 5 years as a Literary Agent with the Dijkstra Agency and 17+ years on the wholesale, retail and distribution side of the business. Kevan's background on the buying and retail side of publishing affords her helpful insight into what types of books will sell and how to market them.

Kevan handles women's fiction, with an emphasis on commercial women's fiction, young adult fiction and all genres of romance. Authors on Kevan's list span a broad range of genres in women's fiction from more literary, commercial projects to all genres of romance including historical, contemporary, suspense and paranormal. She loves to be surprised by a unique plot or characters and is always looking for a new, fresh voice or approach.

Kevan is the mainstream final judge in The Sandy Writing Contest.

Which categories do you currently acquire? Which category has a special/constant place in your heart? Answer: I am looking for primarily fiction – all types of women’s fiction, with an emphasis on contemporary and historical women’s fiction, and all genres of romance, with the exception of inspirational romance. I also love mystery, particularly historical mystery and a good “cozy” series. I am also looking for young adult fiction of all types.

What length synopsis do you prefer to see with a partial? Single spaced or double?

Answer: I generally don’t ask for a synopsis, but rely on the opening chapters of a novel to determine if I want to see more or a full. If I do ask to read a synopsis I will ask for double spaced, anywhere from 3 to 10 pages or so.

In terms of submissions, what are you sick to death of and what would you like to see more of?

Answer: I can’t really think of anything that I am “sick of”, but I would love to see more women’s fiction with a high concept plot or hook (great “book club fiction”) as well as historical fiction of all types and I am particularly look for stories set in the WWI to WWII periods

What are the most compelling elements you feel are necessary for a good read? What particularly grabs your attention?
Answer: The first thing that draws me in is usually the voice of the story. If I love the voice and then the writing I am immediately intrigued. From that point, a dramatic opening that draws me in (and never lets go) is what I am hoping for.

For you, which elements in a fiction submission are terminal problems garnering automatic rejections and which are tempting and fixable meriting a look at a revision if a talented author is willing to accept your advice?

Voice – critical, and really can’t be fixed. You either have it or you don’t.
Weak Grammar – some can be fixed. If it is a “big” problem may not be indicative of other problems with the writing.
Common plot – Can’t really be fixed, but if the voice is amazing I may give it a shot.
Poor character development – can be fixed, not terminal. But everything else has to be pretty close.
Story is too controversial (ie rape, politics, religion—what else?) probably headed for an early rejection at pitch letter.
Mediocre / uninspired writing – this is often something you cannot see until you read a partial (may have a great pitch letter), and is a pretty quick pass.
Excessive use of violence or cursing – can be fixed, but may not make it past the reading of a partial.
Lacking genre –specific requirements like, suspense/sexual tension/ world-building – probably an early pass – at pitch.
Pacing is off—plot is too slow – often can be fixed, but everything else needs to be strong.
Story starts in wrong spot – can be fixed, but the story has to be worth the effort.
Ending is unsatisfactory – can be fixed.
Other

Does meeting an author face-to-face at a conference make a difference in your response time, the submission process, or the rejection process (ie. Form letter vs a few sentences of advice)?

Answer: Yes, I try to get to them a bit more quickly if I can. But, client stuff always come first.

Besides the writing, the story and the talent, what are the most important elements you look for in an author, ie. contest wins, cooperativeness, affiliations to writers organizations, knowledge of publishing industry, promotability, etc?

Answer: The writing, the story and the talent are key, I need to LOVE the work, and then we both need to make sure that we are a “good fit”. We will hopefully be working together for a long time and it is important that we feel that we are a good match.

What are you addicted to?

Answer: Walking on the beach in the morning so that I can sit in front of a computer all day!

Interview with Thomas Dunne Assistant Editor Kat Brzozowski

2012-01-14T05:00:00.002-07:00

Kat Brzozowski is an assistant editor at Thomas Dunne Books, a division of St. Martin’s Press. She has had extensive experience at literary agencies and has interned at Maria Carvainis Agency, Inc, Writers House, and Foundry Literary + Media. She enjoys a broad range of adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as young adult fiction. Her recent projects include an edgy mystery series set in Santa Barbara, California and Milton T. Burton’s Texan mysteries Nights of the Red Moon and The Devil’s Odds. **Kat is the final judge in the Thriller, Suspense, Mystery category of The Sandy Writing Contest.

1. Which categories do you currently acquire? Which category has a special/constant place in your heart?
Answer: I have a broad range of interests. In my spare time, I read almost everything (except for serious sports and history books). As for what I’m looking to acquire, I love adult books in the genre of mystery, horror, suspense, and thriller. I also like some literary fiction (especially if it has a great voice) as well as certain types of women’s fiction (in the vein of Jodi Picoult). I’m also looking for young adult fiction. My young adult tastes are very broad.

What length synopsis do you prefer to see with a partial? Single spaced or double?

Answer: I like a synopsis to be 2-3 pages. If it’s any longer, I feel like I might as well just read the book! I prefer single spaced, but I’m not too picky.

In terms of submissions, what are you sick to death of and what would you like to see more of?

Answer: I’m sick of certain types of cookie-cutter young adult books, especially if I can tell from the first page what book this one is trying to be (Twilight, The Hunger Games). As for adult books, I’m open to most types of books if they have a great voice and a gripping plot. I like strong women – no pushover, needy types for me!

What are the most compelling elements you feel are necessary for a good read? What particularly grabs your attention?
Answer: I like books with a strong voice. If you have a great voice, you can go almost anywhere with the plot and I’ll be interested. I also like interesting settings.

For you, which elements in a fiction submission are terminal problems garnering automatic rejections and which are tempting and fixable meriting a look at a revision if a talented author is willing to accept your advice?

Voice – very important, as I noted above. Probably my number 1 priority when I read a manuscript.
Weak Grammar - easily fixable, but bad grammar often seems like a sign of laziness to me
Common plot - this can be tweaked, but it needs to have a good basic plot for me to work from.
Poor character development – very bad. I need great, well-rounded characters to stay hooked
Story is too controversial (ie rape, politics, religion—what else?) – I like controversial elements if they have a purpose. I can’t stand them if they’re piled on top of each other just to be controversial
Mediocre / uninspired writing – terrible. Hardest thing to fix, in my opinion.
Excessive use of violence or cursing – I feel mixed. Again, if it has a purpose, I’m fine. Gratuitous violence or swearing seems lazy to me,
Lacking genre –specific requirements like, suspense/sexual tension/ world-building - not as big of a deal to me
Pacing is off—plot is too slow - this can be worked on, definitely.
Story starts in wrong spot – can be fixed through editing
Ending is unsatisfactory – can be fixed through editing
Other

Does meeting an author face-to-face at a conference make a difference in your response time, the submission process, or the rejection process (ie. Form letter vs a few sentences of advice)?

Answer: It sometimes helps, but it can also hurt if the author is too pushy, which signals me that they might be difficult to work with. It’s nice to meet an author in person at some point in the editing process, though. A lot of work can get done in a short period of face to face time.

Besides the writing, the story and the talent, what are the most important elements you look for in an author, ie. contest wins, cooperativeness, affiliations to writers organizations, knowledge of publishing industry, promotability, etc?

Answer: I love to work with mystery writers who are already part of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, among other organizations, especially because it makes things easier when it comes to getting blurbs. It’s always important for authors to have a good social media presence by the time their book publishes as well. Facebook fan pages and Twitter followers are essential in building an author’s platform.

Do you have any pet peeves?

Answer: Misspellings in submissions. Just run a spell check! It’s not hard.

What are you addicted to?

Answer: Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and CW TV shows (which are all pretty bad, admittedly). I also love Project Runway, Veronica Mars, and Nip/Tuck.

What have you always wanted to do?

Answer: I’d love to travel to new places. Ireland, Australia, and Thailand are on the top of my list.

Do you have a favorite quote?

Answer: I don’t! I’ll work on that.

Irreverent Interview: Stacy Abrams, Editorial Director at Entangled Publishing

2012-01-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

Stacy Abrams started in the publishing industry in 2002, most recently leaving a seven-year stint at Bloomsbury Publishing’s children’s division to join the Entangled team. Stacy has edited such award-winning and high-caliber YA authors as Jessica Warman, Tracy Deebs, Alex Scarrow, and Michelle Rowen, among many others, and her books have earned starred reviews from all the major review journals. In addition to editing, she has been a freelance copy editor for several major New York publishing houses. She earned her Bachelor’s in English at Northwestern University and currently resides in New York City with her husband and too-cute puppy. Find her on Twitter at @StacyAbramsEdit.

Entangled is a boutique publisher of adult romance and young adult fiction. For more information, see the website. And be sure to check out the recent article in Publishers Weekly about Entangled's new distribution deal.

What do you acquire?

I acquire generally for the main Entangled line, which means I’m looking for all genres within YA and adult romance. Sometimes I will acquire for the Flirts/Ever Afters lines if I find a novella I particularly love and it fits within their guidelines.

What would you give your firstborn to find in your inbox?

Well, I don’t have a firstborn yet, but I really love my puppy, so I hope it’s still meaningful to say I’d give my puppy to find an amazing new voice in YA fiction—something funny and heartfelt at the same time. I’d also give my puppy for a Bridget Jones-esque contemporary adult romance (guess I like humor?) or an adult mystery that keeps me guessing until the very last chapter.

What makes you want to cut a bitch when you see it in submission?

A lot of authors say something in their query letters about how they wrote their book because there was nothing else like it out in the marketplace (untrue 99.9% of the time) or because they were reacting to all the bad published books out in the marketplace (hello? You’re querying a publisher!). I’ll never understand why people want to insult the hand that publishes them.

In terms of specific writing pet peeves, I lose interest if an author can’t find a creative way to describe his/her main character(s). Most of us don’t describe ourselves when we look in the mirror, so why would our inner dialogue do the same?

What book do you constantly buy new copies of because use it to proselytize the genre to newcomers? And they never give it back. Even when you threaten them.

I tend to point a lot of newcomers to my author from Walker, Jessica Warman, who I think writes the best YA I’ve read in ages. Her newest book, Between, is the perfect example of masterfully literary writing combined with a high concept plot—a combo that equals success in a tough and competitive marketplace. (And no one ever gives it back because it’s such an amazing read!)

Favorite song to edit by.

I’m easily distracted, so I prefer edit to music without words. Anything by Explosions in the Sky particularly (love them!).

Your favorite recipe (preferably for an alcoholic but we'll accept cupcakes if that's how you roll)?

In college, I moonlighted as a cocktail waitress at an Irish bar (even though I am definitely not Irish!), so I’m partial to the Snakebite: ½ a pint of cider and ½ a pint of lager, most usually Harp.

Where do you plan to hole up when the zombie comes?

My parents’ house in South Florida. Not only is it warm and sunny down there, but I’d prefer to die eating my mom’s homecooked dinners. And my dad’s a doctor…

Machete or flamethrower?

Ummm...flamethrower?

Thanks, Stacy, for sharing yourself with us today!

Interview with Ballantine, Bantam, Dell's Editor, Sue Grimshaw

2012-01-12T05:00:00.004-07:00

Sue was the romance book buyer for Borders and Waldenbooks stores for more than a decade. As of April this year, Sue is Ballantine Bantam Dell’s Category Specialist & Editor At Large. A highly sought after expert in her field, Sue has consulted with publishers for many years. At BBD, Sue is working primarily with the digital end of the business and Loveswept, thus learning how to ride the waves of the changes that are ongoing of late in the romance industry.

Sue is the final judge of The Sandy writing contest and will be attending the Crested Butte Writers Conference June 22-24, 2012.

Which categories do you currently acquire? Which category has a special/constant place in your heart?

Answer: Loveswept any subgenre within the Romance genre. Probably historical romances, although I seem to be reading more contemporary than anything as of late

What length synopsis do you prefer to see with a partial? Single spaced or double?

Answer: 1-2 pages, double spaced.

In terms of submissions, what are you sick to death of and what would you like to see more of?

Answer: Nothing – it is all so new I like to see it all.

What are the most compelling elements you feel are necessary for a good read? What particularly grabs your attention?
Answer: Characterization has to be key; a hook and a voice that shows the story.

For you, which elements in a fiction submission are terminal problems garnering automatic rejections and which are tempting and fixable meriting a look at a revision if a talented author is willing to accept your advice?

Voice – terminal – if the voice is absent the book is dull.
Weak Grammar -fixable
Common plot-fixable
Poor character development – this could also make a submission terminal – characters are so very important to the story that if they are flat readers will not want to follow them.
Story is too controversial (ie rape, politics, religion—what else?)-this could also evoke a rejection.
Mediocre / uninspired writing – part of the voice so yes.
Excessive use of violence or cursing- fixable
Lacking genre –specific requirements like, suspense/sexual tension/ world-building- fixable
Pacing is off—plot is too slow- easy to fix
Story starts in wrong spot-easy to fix – most of them do.
Ending is unsatisfactory- easy fix
Other – 1^st person can be a rejection for me – no hook –or characters that no one will like.

Does meeting an author face-to-face at a conference make a difference in your response time, the submission process, or the rejection process (ie. Form letter vs a few sentences of advice)?

Answer: No – type of story is what draws me and is what moves up a submission on my reading list.

Besides the writing, the story and the talent, what are the most important elements you look for in an author, ie. contest wins, cooperativeness, affiliations to writers organizations, knowledge of publishing industry, promotability, etc?

Answer: None of the above – the only other factor to their having a book I want to buy is that they

are willing to edit & alter the story as needed. Believe it or not, there are some authors that are not willing to do that.

Do you have any pet peeves?

Answer: Not yet – too new to have developed any.

What are you addicted to?

Answer: Just a good story.

What have you always wanted to do?

Answer: My job is my passion – what propels me is finding that special book for our readers – that’s about it.

Do you have a favorite quote?

Answer: Feel what you are writing so when the reader reads it they’ll feel it too. By Sue Grimshaw

Voice and Genre: Does It Carry Over?

2012-01-09T08:32:00.003-07:00

I just finished reading one of my all-time favorite authors. She's on my auto-buy whenever she has a new release. And although, the plot grabbed me, her characters were great, I felt like she was straddling the genre between her old category romances and her widely successful branch into mainstream stardom.

Which got me to thinking. If you try different genres, are you careful not to let one genre or the other interfold? I'm thinking about authors like Jayne Ann Krentz. Writing historicals, futuristics and women's fiction. I would love to know how she does it.

I have a favorite historical author who writes thrillers. Although I love her historical voice, I easily can resist her thrillers.

What do you think? If you have an author you love, would you follow them to the ends of the bookstore? Or, like me, are you noticing the difference?

Interview with Tor/Forge Editor, James Frenkel

2012-01-07T08:30:00.006-07:00

James Frenkel has worked for Dell Publishing/Delacorte Press, Grosset & Dunlap, Macmillan Publishing, and for the past twenty-five years has edited books for Tom Doherty Associates (Tor Books/Forge Books). He has edited hundreds of books, ranging from a potpourri of non-fiction (self-help; health-and-fitness; biographies/memoirs; cookbooks; crossword-puzzle books; comic-strip books; science; history; sports; the occult) to a wide range of fiction: contemporary fiction; mysteries and thrillers; historical fiction; fantasy; science fiction; romantic fiction; adventure novels; Young Adult fiction; film and tie-in novels. He is currently a Senior Editor for TDA, and for twenty years has been the packager of The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror anthology series published by St. Martin's Press.

Jim is the fantasy/SF final judge of The Sandy writing contest and will be attending the June 22-24, 2012 Crested Butte Writers Conference.

Which categories do you currently acquire? Which category has a special/constant place in your heart?
Answer: I am acquiring science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, urban fantasy, historical fiction, and some non-fiction, especially science and sports. If forced to choose, I ould have to say that science fiction is the nearest and dearest to me. But it’s an unfair question, because I also love fantasy, mystery, thrillers, and historical fiction . . . not fair to make me choose—it’s like saying, “We are going to drown one of your two children. Which one do you want to save?”

What length synopsis do you prefer to see with a partial? Single spaced or double?

Answer: Always double-spaced; between five and seven pages, generally.

In terms of submissions, what are you sick to death of and what would you like to see more of?

Answer: There’s way too much urban fantasy right now. I’d love to see more really good mysteries, especially cozies.

What are the most compelling elements you feel are necessary for a good
read? What particularly grabs your attention?
Answer: characters that I can really care about are the most important thing. And of course, a big concept is always helpful.

For you, which elements in a fiction submission are terminal problems garnering automatic rejections and which are tempting and fixable meriting a look at a revision if a talented author is willing to accept your advice?

Voice—if the voice is not strong, that’s terminal.
Weak Grammar—can be fixed.
Common plot—deadly, unless there’s a special twist to it.
Poor character development—people define character development in different ways. It’s always helpful if characters are well developed; it’s _crucial_ that they be people the reader relates to.
Story is too controversial (ie rape, politics, religion—what else?)—not a problem. If it’s a terrific book otherwise, controversy isn’t a real problem.
Mediocre / uninspired writing—that’s a killer.
Excessive use of violence or cursing—depends on the target audience.
Pacing is off—plot is too slow—can be fixed.
Story starts in wrong spot—can be fixed.
Ending is unsatisfactory—can be fixed.
Other—storytelling—if the narrative doesn’t compel, nothing else matters. It’s dead in the water.

Does meeting an author face-to-face at a conference make a difference in your response time, the submission process, or the rejection process (ie. Form letter vs a few sentences of advice)?

Answer: Sometimes. Authors need to understand that it’s the work that matters. Whether one gets a form letter or advice depends more on the quality of the work than whether I’ve met the author. I always try to be polite and considerate, regardless. I don’t really do form rejections, regardless.

Besides the writing, the story and the talent, what are the most important elements you look for in an author, ie. contest wins, cooperativeness, affiliations to writers organizations, knowledge of publishing industry, promotability, etc?

Answer: If everything else is equal, it’s always helpful if an author has some clue about promoting his or her work on the internet and in the real world. Being realistic, cooperative and having a clue about how publishing works is all helpful.

Do you have any pet peeves?

Answer: I tire of writers who think that tricksy gambits—odd narrative approaches such as first-or-second person p.o.v., present tense; short, sharp sentences in abundance . . .

What are you addicted to?

Answer: great story.

What have you always wanted to do?

Answer: be an astronaut.

11. Do you have a favorite quote?

Answer: This is doubtless a paraphrase, and I don’t remember who said it: The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

The Problem with Social Networking

2012-01-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

To piggyback on Theresa's excellent post, I'd like to take a moment to chat about social networking in general. Whether it's on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, e-mail lists, forums, or anywhere the digital world can take us, we see authors pimping. And well they should. The Web offers so many ways to get the word out about new books, but these authors miss the most important point.
Social networking is meant to network us...socially. You can do what you like with your blog, your tweet feed, your online presence in general. But how you put yourself out there will affect your relationship with readers.

I'll say it again: Relationship. Social networking builds relationships between people. That's the primary reason folks use Facebook - to connect. And the masses are often very annoyed when all they see in a feed is pimping. They unfollow, unfriend, unlike, unhook. They disconnect.

The best way for you to sell your books is not to tell us all about them every time you have a second and 140 characters to spare. That's not why we're watching you. We want to connect with you. Even if you're only comfortable telling us about your writing journey, your perspectives during the editing cycle, your dread at the insane blog tour schedule your publicist has given you, that's preferable to an endless reminder that you're trying to sell your book. Even better, if you can share some details of your life -- under the guise of your author persona -- we will connect with you. Interact with us, respond to us in these public forums, and you might have a fan for life.

Authors who only log on to Facebook or Twitter or Bigtime Authors Discussion Board or Awesomesauce Word Divas Group Blog to tell the world about the release date or links to their next book will lose their online audience. Poof! Gone. And then all that work they've put into building a community is lost.

Don't be that author. Build your community. Build your tribe. Invite us in. Offer us a place to connect.

That's how you sell books. That's how you build your audience.

Warning--Publishing Can be Hazardous to Your Friendships

2012-01-05T08:17:00.006-07:00

A friend drew my attention to a great post by a writer I've never heard of, February Grace. In her post, she respectfully voices her opinion that with this new age of Indie publishing where anybody can publish a book . . . that she's been unhappy to realize the negative effects this has had on many author relationships.

Her post is an interesting read. Check out her post, Why I Won't Try to Sell You my Book.

Those of you who know me and have seen my Writing Journey Video know that over the thirteen years I've been writing, the greatest blessing to me is the friendships I've made on the journey. Sure, I've enjoyed writing my 5 books and improving in my craft and the contest finals and wins are always rewarding, but the best most enduring blessing is the dozens of wonderful people I've met through writing groups, conferences, my work as coordinator of The Sandy Writing contest and the Crested Butte Writers Conference.

And now that anybody can publish a book--and are--it seems the publicity frenzy is reaching all-time highs. I'm certain it's a simple matter of economics--the law of supply and demand. The supply of new fiction books is even greater now, that authors are becoming even more competitive (dare I say, even desperate?) in their publicity campaigns. We haven't reached the levels of annoying politicians campaigning--and God help us if we ever do reach that soul-destroying place.

I'd like to blame editors and agents for fueling this competitive publicity frenzy, but I'm not so certain that they are. For the most part I hear them telling authors to spend more time writing a stellar next book than encouraging their authors to spend hours every day aggressively selling themselves and their books.

So right hear and now, I ask each of you to gently refer me to this post if ever I turn into an annoying, overly-aggressive marketer. I do have a strong competitive streak. It's genetic. Yes, I'm going to blame my parents for this one. However, I want to always remember what is most important to me --people. I want to give, entertain, and build us all up. Not just through my blogs, contest and conference, but through my writing. And I don't want publishing my books to change this!

Success is fickle and fleeting. Family and friendships are far more enduring.

What are your observations? Have you noticed a new wave of aggressive publicity campaigns among writers?

***ETA--Just to be clear, I am NOT saying anything negative against self-published or E-published books. My only point is that with these non-traditional avenues proliferating, there are a LOT more authors "hawking their wares" so to speak. There are more published authors now competing for the same readers. Supply and demand.

On Being a Writer and an Editor

2011-12-30T02:30:00.000-07:00

I've been writing since I was wee, so when I first pursued publication *mumble* years ago, nobody in my family was surprised. I love everything about writing, from the act itself, the process encasing it, other writers' processes, teaching it, reading about it, flirting with different methods, etc. I never suspected I'd enjoy being in the editor's seat quite as much as I do, though. I'm now part of someone else's process, and it's pretty cool.

But it's still not mine. I'm taking someone else's work and helping that artist to flesh it into something even better and more marketable. I'm hopefully making the stories more compelling, the characters more realistic, the conflicts more intense, but I'm only doing so by direction. The stories aren't mine, and though I have a huge personal investment in each story, I don't feel the satisfaction of having carved a piece of myself into something amazing that I can share with the world.

So though I don't have a lot of time these days, I am still writing. I still want to publish with a reputable company that stands behind its releases. And this creates a conflict.

I love the publisher I work for. I think it's the best business model around, and every time I talk to the senior editors or bigwigs, I'm reminded that--though we are a business, and our business is producing NY-quality books for shelves and e-readers--the authors come first. They get the biggest chunk of money as part of their royalties, and because of our reputation and the quality of our books, they also get some pretty amazing foreign rights sales. Our contracts are, we've been told, the fairest in the land. Every author is assigned a publicist who has a stake in the success of that title, and our authors get feedback and advice on their websites, their social media presence, and other publicity methods. In a word, the publisher I work for is the best in the industry.

And it's where I'd publish...if I didn't work there already.

For years, publishers that also publish their editors' work have given me pause. I don't assume the worst, but I do question what's going on. Don't judge--I remember when e-publishing and then digital-first publishers started because authors didn't think they and their friends wouldn't publish in New York because of [insert an excuse: unagented, NY doesn't take chances on new authors, NY doesn't take chances on historicals set anywhere but Britain or perhaps America, NY doesn't like dark/edgy stories, NY doesn't like comedy, NY is too busy dumping millions of dollars on their bestsellers, etc.]. I don't think this is as much of an issue these days, especially considering the advent of easy and affordable self-publishing. I also know in a few cases how classy the publisher and its published editors are. But I do still wonder if there's a conflict of interest nestled in that relationship between the author-editor and the publisher.

Entangled does publish stories submitted by a few of its own employees. Our editors, publicists, lawyers, financial gurus, etc. go through the same submissions process and receive the same consideration the droves of unagented and agented authors do. First and foremost, we want to produce marketable and high-quality stories. Nobody in the submissions pile is a precious snowflake.

Even though I believe there is no conflict of interest at Entangled, between the ethics of those who acquire, the emphasis on quality, and the stake each person in the publishing process has in each story, I'm uncertain whether I should pursue publication here. It'll take a while before I figure it out, but in the meantime, I know one thing for sure: I'm not yet a good enough writer to publish at Entangled, so I have time before I have to make that decision.

Results of the Entangled Pitch

2011-12-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you, everyone, for participating in the pitch session for the Flirt and Ever After lines at Entangled. (ETA a missed request below!)

If your manuscript was not requested, we're happy to take a second look at your first five sample pages. Please send your query with first five pages pasted into the e-mail to our general submissions:

Ever After submissions (20k-40k words) to everafter-submissions(at)entangledpublishing(dot)com, and include EVER AFTER in the subject line.
Flirt submissions (10k-15k words) to flirt-submissions(at)entangledpublishing(dot)com, and include FLIRT in the subject line.

The following editors have requested these manuscripts. Please send the full manuscript attached in RTF format, and be sure to include REQUESTED in the subject line.

Adrien-Luc Sanders (adrien-luc(at)entangledpublishing(dot)com) requests "Geek's Guide to Survival" by Leigh James.

Libby Murphy (libby(at)entangledpublishing(dot)com) would like to see "All Fall Down" by Lee Anonymous.

Kerry Vail (kerry(at)entangledpublishing(dot)com) would like to read "Shadow Self" by Nu Yang and "Wish Upon a Starfish" by Melania Tolan.

Kerri-Leigh Grady (kerri-leigh(at)entangledpublishing(dot)com) and requests "Neighbors" by LS Murphy.

Senior Editor Heather Howland (heather(at)entangledpublishing(dot)com) made a sneak visit and would like to request "House of Deliliah" by Barbara Sheridan.

Pitch to Entangled!

2011-12-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

Entangled Publishing is looking for short romances. Post your two-sentence pitch and the first 100 words of your story in a comment for this post before midnight tonight. Four Entangled editors are waiting (mighty hungry, mind you) for great stories to acquire for the Flirt, Ever After, and Indulgence lines.

For more information about Entangled, wish lists, and other details, see this post.

Pitching will close at midnight PST, and editors will post their invitations to submit during the weekend. Be sure to check back! [Edited to fix the link above.]

Recent Wall Street Journal Article on Self-Publishing

2011-12-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

"How I Became A Best-Selling Author ...in a few easy steps...I was rejected by 12 publishers and more than 100 Agents..."

Read on, here is the link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204770404577082303350815824.html?KEYWORDS=alexandra+alter

Ciao
~LA

Pitch Opportunity

2011-12-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

This Friday, four Entangled editors will be here to take blog pitches for the following lines:

Flirt (10k-15k words)
Ever After (20k-40k words)
Lori Wilde's...Indulgence (50k-60k words)

Entangled is a boutique publisher of romance fiction. We pride ourselves on quality stories and commercial covers, and our innovative business model offers our authors the best of indie and traditional publishing. To find out more, see our website. And don't forget to look through our current open submission calls.

Pitches will be accepted in comments on Friday, as soon as the blog post goes live until midnight PST. Editors will fight over the pitches and post submission requests over the weekend. To participate, have a two-line pitch and the first 100 words of your story ready to post as a comment. Be sure to read the line descriptions linked above. Any level of heat works as long as a romance is central to the story, and the plot is intimately entwined with the building romance. Stories must end HFN or HEA.

The Editors

Adrien-Luc Sanders, Senior Editor

His current interests run towards sci-fi, contemporary, and urban fantasy—the darker, the better—with a love for gritty dystopian, cyberpunk, steampunk, supernatural, and that rare cross-genre gem. He likes stories falling into that gray area of the battle between good and evil, with strong antiheros and believable villains, or heroes who face temptation and corruption and don’t always get away unscathed, though he can also be won over by quirkiness, sweetness, and humor, with a love of oddball characters and whimsy. He’s also interested in stories that portray people of color and LGBT people as mainstream characters whose cultural, ethnic, sexual, and gender diversity are enhancements to their character rather than the primary focus of the story. Adrien-Luc was interviewed here recently.

Libby Murphy, Associate Editor

Libby would like to see submissions for adults and young adults written with a killer voice, and she especially loves quirky characters and plots. She loves sci-fi with aliens, robots, and high tech; urban fantasy and time travel; contemporary romance; women’s fiction with a strong romantic element; and suspense and mysteries. She craves humor, anti-heroes, and underdogs, and strong, capable heroines are a must. For Indulgences, she's looking specificaly for the following: Best friends, best friend’s younger sister, millionaire playboy, athletes, relationship because of a bet, arranged marriages, bad boys, revenge plots, reunions, adventure (Indiana Jones meets Bridget Jones!), romantic comedy, forbidden love, geeks (hero or heroine), and military heroes. I’m not likely to request sheiks or royalty, but if the royalty is the heroine, that’s definitely more likely. I’m a huge sucker for snarky heroines, funny heroes, and heroes who are the strong, silent type. Libby was interviewed here recently.
Libby is especially interested in Flirts and Ever Afters that fit the following:

Scientists or inventor-types who walk the line between good and bad (like Batman)

Paranormals with a villain hero/heroine who is redeemed by the end

Disaster or apocalyptic events in which people find love, despite everything falling apart around them (can be sci-fi, fantasy, or contemporary featuring a natural disaster, for example)

Quirky contemporaries or paranormals—humor is a must!

Sci-fi, especially if it has a Tron, I, Robot, or a Terminator type setting

Thrillers set in a small town

Zombie hunters :)

Romantic Comedy (would love to see a trilogy about a group of girlfriends finding love)

Kerry Vail, Associate Editor

Kerry loves the whole spectrum of speculative fiction, from hard scifi to space opera to sociological. She loves dystopian futures and alternate histories, especially when combined with a compelling voice and an unusual twist. She also enjoys urban fantasy, high fantasy, and paranormal thrillers, and gravitates toward strong female leads who are intelligent and can save themselves and fall in love. She is open to stories of love in any of its many forms and any heat level.

Kerri-Leigh Grady, Associate Editor

She loves paranormal romance and UF worlds that aren’t complicated by numerous mythical beasties, smart romantic comedy, dark comedy, romantic thrillers/suspense/horror, dystopian romance including steampunk, reunions, BFFs falling in love, marriage of convenience, [strong] woman in jeopardy, man in jeopardy, supernatural elements, clever monster elements, multi-cultural characters, alpha nerds, high stakes adventure, and general hilarity. She’s open to F/M, F/F, and M/M pairings in all heat levels. For Indulgences, she's looking specifically for the following: reunions, BFFs, marriage of convenience, ugly duckling, [strong] woman in jeopardy, man in jeopardy, road trip, alpha nerds, high stakes adventure and suspense, forbidden love, fish out of water, and smart romantic comedy. I’d love to find a military hero where the romantic conflict rings true and is related to the challenges of being a mil-girlfriend or milspouse.

Interview: Venessa Giunta, Senior Editor at Loose Id

2011-12-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

Venessa Giunta is made of awesome. She has an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University (so you know we met there), and she survived the mentorship of Dr. Michael Arnzen. For that reason alone, we should all bow to her. Welcome, Venessa!

What does Loose Id primarily publish?
We publish erotic romance of different and varying flavors (m/m, m/f, menage, BDSM, etc) across a broad range of genres (paranormal, historical, suspense, contemporary, fantasy, etc). Feel free to have a gander at our submissions page for lots more detail!
What do you acquire?
Great stories. :) I'm open to most genres. I can't think of any off the top of my head that I wouldn't be interested in looking at. I'm not a big SF fan, but there's not a lot of hard SF in erotic romance, in my experience. I really like good urban fantasy especially. I don't have a gender pairing preference though I'd like to see some more m/f stories.
What would you give your firstborn to find in your editor inbox?
I am interested in adding a good BDSM author to my roster. I'm also still looking for a great steampunk story (aren't we all?). More folklore-accurate faeries would be kind of awesome too. (ie - they're not particularly benevolent) I'd be super-happy with some interracial too! So, I guess I'm pretty flexible all the way around :)
What makes you want to cut a bitch when you see it in a submission?
When there's a great intro letter and an awesome first two or so chapters, then the story falls flat on its face. I hate it when it looks so promising, then doesn't follow through. Writers: put as much revision work into the rest of the ms as you do to the first chapter or two. It will be worth it, I promise! Oh, also, when someone "just finished" their manuscript. Seriously, we can tell a first draft a mile away. Revision is a *huge* part of the writing process. Do not skimp.
Favorite outfit to wear to fight club and/or while editing.
Fight club = leather corset...woo! Editing: umm...jammies :)
What social issue compels you?
Lately, I've been on a male privilege jag. Beyond that, equal rights (women, gay, disabled, etc) is always a big one for me. I think everyone is entitled to choose their own destiny. Another social issue that I advocate rabidly that most people don't consider a social issue is personal responsibility.
Your favorite recipe (preferably for an alcoholic beverage, but we'll accept cupcakes if that's how you roll)?
I'm currently doing hot, adult beverages (versus hot adult beverages, which are great too!) due to the temps, so here's Hot Buttered Rum:

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1.5t vanilla
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch salt
Bottle dark rum
Boiling water

(Optional ingredients: 1t allspice (in place of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves), 1/4t ground ginger)

Directions
In a bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla and salt. Refrigerate until almost firm. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture into 12 small mugs. Pour about 3 ounces of rum into each mug (filling about halfway). Top with boiling water (to fill the remaining half), stir well, and serve immediately.
Where do you plan to hole up when the zombie apocalypse comes?
My friend Jeff's. I swear he has more survival skills than I have editing skills! And that's saying something ;)
Machete or flamethrower?
Fire, fire, fire, fire!!
It's badass smackdown! Who wins and why? (pick three or so if you don't dig them all or are bored now)
1. Robert Heinlein vs Orson Scott Card
  Umm... much to my husband's chagrin, I would have to pick Uncle Orson. I like Heinlein (he wrote Stranger in a Strange Land, ffs), but Uncle Orson is modern awesome!
2. Edward Cullen vs Buffy
  Seriously? Vampires don't sparkle. Though they do shine a whole lot with a stake to the heart :p
3. Snape vs Spike
  This is a hard one! I will have to go with Spike tho. Because, know, bad boy. Nom. (Yes, I am sometimes ruled by my female-ness!)

If you've read this far and like what you see, Venessa will be taking part in a Loose Id pitch opportunity this Sunday on Twitter. For more information, see Venessa's blog and follow her on Twitter: @troilee.

Could Be The Most Important Post This Year - Online Backup Services

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, this post may be one of the most important posts you read all year.

Nope it's not a writing tip, it's a career saving tip. So read on and meet Syndee Rogers-Nuckles, not a writer per se, but a creator of wonderful images that I found though a fascinating site called Scrap Girls. Please welcome Syndee.

Syndee's

Blog

LA: Syndee, before we begin, tell us a bit about you.

SN: I'm a freelance graphic artist and the mother of four. I love reading, painting, drawing, going to antique stores looking for treasures and pretty much anything with a creative spin! My working experience includes working in management, designing artistic rubber stamps, teaching classes, self-publishing craft books and the list goes on. And I've been very fortunate to work with a great bunch of artists at Scrap Girls www.scrapgirls.com/ for the past 5 ½ years.

LA: So why did you become interested in online backup services?

SN: LA, have you ever had your heart sink? Feel the sting of tears streaming down your face as you realized all your files had disappeared?

I have.

LA: Me too!! It's a horrible, HORRIBLE FEELING!

SN: Yup, the worst. In a total panic I searched my computer looking for any sign of hope, I shook my head trying to awaken out of what had to be a nightmare.

So, does any of this sound familiar to anyone reading this, other than LA and me? Or were you one of the few lucky ones that had backups of all your files on another EHD (external hard drive) or DVD's?

Or perhaps it's just been another thing on your ‘to do’ list?

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to backup your files, but it can be so time consuming and overwhelming. Like so many of you I am stretched to the limits of available time so after trying at least a dozen different strategies for backing up I finally hit upon something that really works for me.

Now, I use the ‘triple threat’, not just having a single backup copy but two so that you have three copies of all your important files.

For instance I have the following:

1- Original files: all my business files like documents are kept on my computers built-in hard drive. My original design files are kept on my main External Hard Drive.

2- Backup 1: I try to make copies of all my important files as I create them to a second EHD that I keep hooked up to my computer. I try to back this up at least once a week.

3- Backup 2: This is where the online backup service comes in. I LOVE this! I use Backblaze which just runs in the background whenever my computer is on saving all my files for me! My files are backed up to a secure offsite server so if something were to happen to my computer I can still get to my files from another computer!

Online Backup Services:

Backblaze

http://www.backblaze.com/

Features:

Unlimited Storage
Backs up your External Hard Drives
Free Web Restore
Military-Grade Encryption
Free Customer Support
Continuous Backup - Backblaze by default, backs up all the time so you don’t have to remember to but you can schedule backups if you wish.
I will automatically find all your photos, music, documents, and other irreplaceable files and then compresses, encrypts and backs them up.
Supports Intel-based Mac OSX 10.4 and newer, Windows XP, Windows Vista 32 and 64 bit, Windows 7 32 and 64 bit.
Access your files from any web browser anywhere
$5.00 a month or purchase a full year for $50
They offer a Free Trial

This service was easy to install and was backing up my files in minutes! One of the best things about this company is that it features unlimited storage. I was using Mozy before and they changed their pricing structure so much that it priced them right out of my budget. I have been so happy with this service, I totally forget it’s running on my computer!

Carbonite

http://www.carbonite.com/

Features:

Unlimited Storage
Encrypted Files
Access to your files anywhere
Easily Restore Files
Backs up photos, documents, music and most user-generated content, compresses and encrypts them
Free Customer Support
Supports Windows 7, XP, Vista, Intel based Macs with OS X 10.5 or 10.6
$59 a year for the Home/Home Office plan
They offer a Free Trial

I have heard good things about Carbonite. The biggest drawback is that they do not offer backups of your EHD’s, which is something I can’t live without. But if you are not using any EHD’s they are worth looking in to.

Mozy

www.mozy.com

Features:

Backs up EHD’s
Backup any files you like
Military-Grade Encryption
Restore just a few files or all (MozyHome users are limited to one restore in the queue at a time)
Backs up automatically in the background while you work
Supports Windows 7, 2000, XP (32 and 64 bit), and Vista (32 and 64 bit), as well as Mac OS X 10.6, 10.5, and 10.4
Submit tickets or chat live with Mozy Support
(Pricing and information is for the MozyHome Plan)
$5.99 a month for 50 GB
$9.99 a month for 125 GB
add an additional 20 GB for $2 a month

I had trouble installing Mozy on my Mac when I switched over from a PC, and when I contacted customer support and followed the instructions they gave me it still did not work. It was around the same time they changed the pricing structure so I cancelled my account and signed up with Backblaze.

Keep in mind that these online backup services are not meant to be an addition storage system, if you delete the files off your computer these companies will delete those same files after 30 days.

A good plan of action might be to try out the Free Trials from these companies and get a feel for each one before deciding which one to go with. I just love the piece of mind having an online backup service gives me, I can sleep a lot easier knowing my important files are safe!

Be safe and backup!

LA: Syndee, this is great information. And after reading this article (after all, I got first lookee :) ) I decided to try Backblaze just before vacation. Little did I realize it was going to take more than 20 days to back up all my info. Did you run into this as well?

SN: Yes, the initial backup can take quite some time depending on how many files you have. It actually took 2 months for all of my files to be backed up but to be honest I completely forgot about it since it just runs in the background.

LA: And I decided to do continuous backups, which does slow down a bit my DSL. So would you agree with me, to leave the computer on at night and let it back up everything then, then turn it off during high volume time for internet usage? Or is this simply a DSL issue. I have a pretty high speed connection?

SN: You know I didn't have any slow down issues at all, it really could be a myriad of different reasons that it caused your computer to slow down. I would actually check with your service provider, they might have a few tips. I didn't leave my computer on all night, it makes me nervous because there has been some theories that leaving a computer on all the time causes it to become hot and therefore can result in hard-drive failure. I just left my computer running during the day and let it take a nap at night. LOL

Thank you Syndee for your research!!

Syndee promised to check in to answer questions you all might have.

AND thank you Ro, CEO of Scrapgirls, for offering a $20 gift certificate to one of our comment posters in a random drawing.

Back up your career, and have a wonderful and hopefully now, a worry free Holiday Season.

Ciao
~LA

Wonderful Regency Author, Christina Brooke

2011-12-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Christina Brooke is a former lawyer (we won’t hold that against her ) who staged a brilliant escape from the corporate world and landed squarely in Regency England.

She was the first Australian to win the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award for her first published novel and was nominated for a RITA award for her second historical romance, writing as Christine Wells. Her books have also been nominated for RT’s Reviewer’s Choice Award, Bookseller’s Best and the Australian Romantic Book of the Year Award.

Christina makes her home in sunny Queensland, Australia with her husband, two small boys and one enormous girl dog called Monty.

Welcome to Five Scribes, Christina,

Hi Theresa, thanks for having me on your blog today.

1) How long were you writing before you were published?

I was writing with a view to publication for about five years before I got the call back in 2006.

2) I’m curious, do you have a greater following in your home country or Australia or here in America?

I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it. That kind of thing is hard to judge. I’m sure I sell more books in the United States just because of sheer population volume. Letters come from readers all over the world, though. That’s such a thrill.

3) Was it difficult getting an agent? How did you find Helen or did she find you?

I’ve had two agents. The first time around, I had sent out about 10 query letters to my dream agents. I suppose I’d heard back from about four of them with rejections before I received an offer to buy my manuscript from an editor who had judged the manuscript in a contest and requested the full. So I then made a lot of phone calls and emailed back and forth with the remainder of the agents on my dream list with an offer in hand. I think that definitely made it easier to get an agent, but by the same token, a smart agent knows they have you for the space of a career, not just one or two books, so an offer from a publisher does not guarantee an agent will jump at representing you. Once I signed with my chosen agent, it took less than a week to sell the manuscript to Berkley.

Second time around--I had heard good things of Helen Breitwieser. All of her clients have great things to say about her and she is an agent who genuinely loves romance and historicals in particular. She has a stable of authors I respect and admire. Helen had read and loved WICKED LITTLE GAME, which I published under the Christine Wells name. This time around, I was a lot more cautious and took my time getting to know Helen and her working style before I committed. In a way it was easier to get an agent this time because I had a track record and I knew so many published writers who were generous enough to introduce me to their agents.

4) Your scenes are full of sexual tension and love scenes are hot and thorough—yet not prolonged enough to entice me

skip pages. Many writers I know find them very difficult to write, but it seems like you might be the exception. Do you enjoy writing love scenes? Are they difficult to write?

Oh, thank you! Actually, I love writing love scenes! Maybe I’m strange, I don’t know, but this is one of the times our characters are at their most vulnerable and that’s wonderful grist for the mill as a romance writer. These are important moments and I don’t think we should let them go to waste. The way hero and heroine treat one another in bed is very revealing—I think it’s the same in real life. I’d hope that if anyone skipped the love scenes in my books they couldn’t follow the rest of the story very well because there is always a subtext throughout the scene and an emotional shift. The lovemaking changes everything—often for the worse, even if the act itself is pleasurable.

for Berkley—now I can go read those while waiting for Rosamund’s story. You wrote a book a year for Berkley, yet Heiress in Love came out mid June and Mad About the Earl is due out Jan 3^rd. That’s less than 6months between books—that’s not a lot of time to write a book and maintain the quality. Is this short time between releases your preference or St. Martin’s?

5) Heiress in Love is your first book with St Martin’s, but I was delighted to find you’ve written 4 books as Christine

Thanks, Theresa, I hope you enjoy them! These days I think it’s important to get books out quickly to build readership and St. Martin’s and I were in agreement about the timeframe. I’m not sure that the quality suffers when you write fast, actually. I think sometimes it makes the book better. Most who have read MAD ABOUT THE EARL say they like it better than HEIRESS IN LOVE and yet it would have been written in probably half the time.

6) Why did you change names from Christine Wells to Christina Brooke? And how did you choose your pseudonym?

I changed names when I went to St. Martin’s because this series was going to be a bit of a departure from the last three Wells books I wrote, which had spies and suspense elements in them. The Ministry of Marriage books concentrate solely on the romance and marriage of the hero and heroine. Even though there are quite a few secondary characters, they all focus on that romance.

As for the name, I agonized over that pseudonym! I can’t remember where Brooke came from. None of my family names were suitable—they were either too long or already in use. I wanted to use a place name in England for a surname but everything I tried had been taken by other historical writers. I do like being shelved in the Bs rather than down in the Ws, I can tell you that.

7) I have to ask . . . or perhaps it’s a request . . . you are going to give us Duke Montford and Lady Arden’s story one day aren’t you?

I’m so glad you asked--I would certainly like to. I enjoy writing these more mature lovers who are too guarded and clever for their own good. But so many things are in the laps of the publishing gods, aren’t they? And of course it’s still up in the air about whether they actually will get together. At one stage I threatened to marry Montford off to a governess, which horrified Helen. LOL

8) Any words of advice or tidbits you wish someone had told you before you got published that you'd like to share with fellow writers?

I can’t think of anything that hasn’t been said before, but a piece of advice close to my heart is Nora Roberts’ ‘you can’t fix a blank page’. I try to remind myself of that when I’m humming and ha-ing over what comes next, scared to take the wrong turn in case I waste a lot of time and words writing myself into a corner. Just make the decision and write it that way. You can always fix wrong turns later and most often it was the right decision, anyway.

Thank you for having me here today, Theresa.

An Irreverent Interview with Adrien-Luc Sanders, Senior Editor at Entangled Publishing

2011-12-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

Adrien-Luc Sanders is one of my favorite people in the world. We met when he submitted a beautiful M/M romance to an anthology I'm editing. After reading the story, I immediately Twitter-stalked him. Imagine my delight and surprise when I found out my boss had approached him about an opening for a Senior Editor at Entangled (and he blogged about this experience). He now works as another one of my bosses, and in a very short period of time, he's become a friend. Adrien-Luc spent some time at Lyrical Press as an editor, but now he's Senior Editor of the Flirt and Ever After lines at Entangled.

What does Entangled primarily publish?

Adult, upper YA, and New Adult novels and novellas with strong plots and a well-woven romantic element, in the contemporary, historical, romantic thriller, sci-fi / dystopian / steampunk, paranormal / urban fantasy, and fantasy genres. Our books focus on memorable characters and brilliant writing, with solidly developed stories and a "happily ever after" ending.

What do you acquire?

I acquire for the Flirt and Ever After lines. Flirts are short, tantalizing standalone reads in the 10-15k range, while Ever Afters are 20-40k and give a little more room for character development and intrigue. While I acquire for all genres Entangled accepts, we're currently looking to expand our roster of contemporaries. My personal tastes run towards darker stories with a theme of redemption, though in contrast I also love light, witty, romantic comedies with a unique twist. Tight, intelligent, original stories and beautiful writing win me over in a heartbeat regardless of genre, though.

What would you give your firstborn to find in your editor inbox?

Right now I'm hungry for a good girl geek story. I don't even remember what triggered the craving, but I swear, I desperately need to read this. Something quirky and fun with a charming heroine whose geekiness is about more than proving she's as good as the boys, as that's played out. We know girl geeks are as smart as male geeks, if not smarter. I want to see a real story about our girl geek finding romance, and maybe some adventure on the way--with a voice that feels authentic, from the POV of someone who understands the things our girl geeks over.

What makes you want to cut a bitch when you see it in a submission?

A full-on list-style description of our POV character's appearance and personality traits in the very first paragraph, especially if we're in first or deep third POV. It's bad enough when we use the mirror trick for this, but even worse is when it's just there, as if the POV character is sitting there thinking about themselves like the ultimate narcissist. It just doesn't make sense. And if the POV character isn't observing it, it makes me wonder who is. Their alternate personality? A disembodied pair of eyes floating around in their wake? See through your POV character's eyes when writing. Not through your own.

What book do you constantly buy new copies of because you use it to proselytize the genre to newcomers? And they never give it back. Even when you threaten them.

Less a book than a series--the Coldfire Trilogy by C.S. Friedman, starting with Black Sun Rising. It's one of those strange books that starts off as fantasy but turns out to be science fiction, and it's woven together very well with a very compelling story that forces a righteous man to reexamine his concepts of good and evil while partnered with an antihero so deliciously foul he'd be a villain if not for their circumstances. Friedman's writing style, plot, pacing, and characterization are beautiful, with a certain lyrical flow that doesn't feel overdone. It's an older trilogy, but still stands out to me as some of the best writing I've ever read, and it inspired me to start writing in high school. I've been losing copies of this trilogy to friends for almost ten years now, and I've gotten to the point where I just buy it for them in advance so I can keep my own.

Favorite song to edit by.

Oh. Um. This is actually kind of embarrassing. I mean, I love all kinds of music from various genres and even various cultures, but your readers are going to think I'm--oh, screw it. "Hide & Seek" by Namie Amuro, okay? I'm not ashamed.

Favorite outfit to wear to fight club and/or while editing.

...I don't think I own any outfit that doesn't involve jeans, a t-shirt, a button-down shirt, and combat boots, so I guess there's really no other answer.

Favorite movie.

Just one? I don't even know. It changes with what I'm in the mood for. Last week it was Disney's Enchanted. This week it's The Charge of the Light Brigade. Last month it was HALO: Legends. I'm fickle, people. Don't make me pick just one.

What social issue compels you?

There are tons. LGBT issues, obviously, but also gender theory and gender-based social inequality in general. Political bipartisanism and how it affects the mental, social, and cultural development of successive generations can really get me going. So can discussions of assumptive complacency and positions of privilege in the Western world.

Your favorite recipe (preferably for an alcoholic beverage, but we'll accept cupcakes if that's how you roll)?

Blue raspberry vodka snowcones. All you need is a little Grey Goose (if you touch Ketel One I will shank you, but I'll accept Skyy or Effen), a cheap bottle of blue raspberry snowcone syrup, and one of those dinky little party ice shavers you get for kids in the summer. The trick is in layering it; if you dump the vodka in first, on top of a full cup of ice, it'll just cut through the ice and sink straight to the bottom. Fill the cup about a third full of shaved ice; then add the snowcone syrup, let it sit for a ten-count to soak through and crystallize, then slash the vodka on top. Quickly fill in the next third of ice in time to pack it into the holes left by the vodka (and there will be holes). Rinse and repeat: syrup first, vodka second, fill to the brim. After you've layered the syrup and vodka, it's up to you whether you want to top it off with an extra cone of ice or just take the cup as-is and dive in. Just don't try it with whipped cream or condensed milk like you might with a regular snowcone. The dairy and the vodka will not mix well.

Where do you plan to hole up when the zombie apocalypse comes?

A data center. Ever been inside a really solid one? Those things are fortresses. Actually, some of them are converted bunkers. I will brain the shit out of a zombie with a server rack, yo.

Machete or flamethrower?

Machete. Flamethrowers run out of fuel.

It's badass smackdown! Who wins and why?

...I'm not even touching this. Honey badger would own all their asses. So there.

Ha! Thanks so much for joining us, Adrien!

RWAs Kiss of Death Chapter Home to Romantic Suspense

2011-12-01T08:21:00.001-07:00

When I began my writing career in 2001, I did so because I'd fallen in love with authors like Sandra Brown, Catherine Coulter and Linda Howard. Their storylines surrounded a compelling heroine in a bad situation who meets up with a strong heroic man. These talented authors put these characters in such straits that while turning page after page, I thought, how on earth are they going to get out of this mess, much less be together?

Well, thanks to my active kids, I'd quit my newspaper and magazine jobs and decided I'd like to try to write books like these amazing authors. I mean, how hard could it be?

I'm here to telll you, it's very hard. Nonfiction isn't anything like fiction. In nonfiction we're told not to editorialize, in fiction we're told to get inside a character's head. In nonfiction a passive sentence isn't going to send you to the woodshed, in fiction it'll topple your story.

Realizing I knew little about writing fiction, I decided I'd better become educated. Moreover, because I wanted to write romance, I thought the perfect place would be to start with my local chapter in Colorado Springs. Pikes Peak Romance Writers http://www.pikespeakrwa.org/ was indeed a great place to start and I'm still a member. I joined my first critique group here, and here these wonderful women taught me to write fiction. To a point.

Not many in my local chapter were writing romantic suspense, and when writing romantic suspense, there's a fine line between overdoing the romance -- because suspense readers, after all, want to read about women in jeopardy. As I received my critiques and contests scores back, often there was one word written all over the pages. Why? Explain why they're doing this.

Dear readers, a good mystery is all about why and setting up a compelling mystery. I didn't want to answer their questions in the first or second chapters. I was writing a mystery, and to this end, knew immediately, I needed to go in a different direction. But where?

Eventually someone told me about a wonderful RWA chapter that might be able to help me. To a romantic suspense writer, this was the proverbial coast guard sailor throwing (I bet he was cute, too) a life preserver. Turns out, this chapter was called rwamysterysuspense.org

This chapter reeled me in from the depths, introducing me to authors like Kylie Brant, Cindy Gerard, Suzanne Brockmann to name a few. This chapter had amazing courses called Murder One and Coffin, which not only taught the craft of writing, it taught about police procedure, forensics, how to hide a body and more. What's more, if you were a member the courses were $15, a virtual steal when knowing this information was vital to my career.

The Kiss of Death Chapter also had a group called Lethal Ladies. Here I discovered murderously inclined romantics like me who didn't write WHY all over my pages, because they UNDERSTOOD what I was writing. That cute coast guard guy had not only thrown me a life preserver, he'd handed me a blanket and I was no longer shivering in the cold. I was learning, about the genre I loved to write: ROMANTIC SUSPENSE.

And finally the reason I've been a member of KOD these many years? They have an amazing contest. Not only for unpublished authors but for published authors as well. THE DAPHNE DU MAURIER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MYSTERY/SUSPENSE.  I was so grateful to KOD and all it had offered me, I got involved in this contest.  I got to see the amazing talent out there and that Romantic Suspense transcends many levels. Mainstream, Single Title, Paranormal, Historical, Category and Inspirational. I had cousins all over the place in my chosen genre.

Many people can write more than one genre. I've seen it happen. They can easily switch between straight romace, Young Adult, Erotica, whatever is popular in the market.  Through it all, I have had one passion. I've stuck with Romantic Suspense--It solves my craving for mystery and a happily ever after. I've also been told that I've got the thriller aspect nailed down, too. But for my purposes, RWA's Kiss of Death Chapter easily fulfills my needs and thanks to KOD and to Bell Bridge Books, http://bellebooks.com/ I've achieved my dream of publication.

As I've grown as an author, I've joined many chapters. I love them all and each serves an important purpose. But if I was down to my last red cent and could only belong to one, it would be rwamysterysuspense.org   If you love Romantic Suspense, I promise this is the chapter for you.

Happy Writing.

Donnell

Interview: Kiersten Cherry, Editor at Loose Id

2011-11-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

I first met Kiersten Cherry in the bathroom at Seton Hill University. I was trying to read her tats (which looked like Deutsch and said something about blood), and she might have been contemplating a roundhouse kick to my face. Kiersten is badass but fiercely awesome, and I hear tell her editing at Loose Id is the total shiz. Welcome, Kiersten!

What does Loose Id publish?
Loose Id publishes erotic romance that pushes the boundaries to unleash our readers' innermost fantasies. We look for love, romance, and hot sex between any pairing: m/m, m/f, menage, f/f, or any combination. For specifics, check out our submission guidelines at: http://www.loose-id.com/submissions.aspx

What do you acquire?
I work with authors who write various genres and pairings. I have no bias because I feel that a good story is a good story and hot sex is hot sex. If asked to choose, I would say I favor epic fantasy and SF because of the intricate world-building, moral dilemmas, and high level of peril. Overall, I prefer character-driven tales where the heroines and heroes move and shape their worlds, where the risks are high, and the characters grow--both as individuals and as a romantic unit. I enjoy strong female characters of any sexual orientation. As a rule, I pass on stories where rape is presented solely as a means to torture a character.

What makes you want to cut a bitch when you see it in a submission?
To be honest, submitting your work is never easy. I'm an author as well as an editor, so I sympathize with how hard it is for a writer to put their beloved work into the hands of a stranger. That being said, the submission process is a necessary part of publishing and the business of writing, so it behooves a writer to learn the ins and outs. With the vast amount of reliable information on the Internet, there's really no excuse for a writer to be in the dark. Identify the successful writers, check out their blogs, follow them on Twitter, and put your social networking skills to use for your writing career. That being said, like most editors I find there are some things that raise warning signs that the author may be an amateur. First, let me qualify that statement by saying there's a difference between being a first-time author and being an amateur. A first-time author is one who takes the time to learn the process, submits appropriately, and presents herself as a professional, but hasn't been published yet. An amateur is someone who doesn't learn and/or follow the proper submission process, who blames the editor or the "publishing world" for their own ineptitude, and who refuses to learn from her mistakes. Here are some of the hallmarks of an amateur.

They didn't follow the submission guidelines. This is the biggest offense, in my humble opinion, because there's no need for this kind of mistake. Every house that accepts submissions will have a guidelines page. Follow it! Your willingness to adhere to the guidelines shows 1. You can follow directions and 2. You are serious about your work and the time the house will spend developing it.
The synopsis is longer than the partial. Unless otherwise indicated in the submission guidelines, your synopsis should be one page, maybe two if direst need prevails. Stick to the main facts and main plot. Who are these interesting characters? What trouble do they get into? How is it resolved? My favorite reference book on this subject is Pamela McCutcheon's Writing the Fiction Synopsis.
The cover letter tells me what I should think/feel about the submission, or worse, rates the sensuality level of the story. Have you ever had a friend who sits next to you in the movie theatre and tells you everything that's about to happen and what you should think about it? Annoying, isn't it? Also in this category is mentioning what your mom, dad, girlfriend, and/or beta readers thought about your story. Without sounding too snarky, the editor is perfectly capable of forming her own opinions, thankyouverymuch.
Grammar and spelling errors abound, especially ones that Word. Has. Already. Flagged. Everyone misses a word here or there. That's not a big deal. That's why we have content editors, line editors, and proofers. But when it becomes obvious that the author made no attempt at spellcheck and did not heed the magical green line in Word that tells you what is wrong...yeah, that just hurts my brain. It's like wearing a chum suit in shark-infested waters.
The email address is something like: sexxybunny69@gmail.com. This is a minor peeve but worth mentioning since I've seen it a lot lately. Email addresses like this are fine for casual use, but for professional purposes you should use some form of your name or pseudonym. Think of it as 1. a way to show you're serious about writing as a business and 2. another way to get your name in front of the editor/publisher. Repetition is key. When editors start seeing your name on well-written submissions, they'll remember.

What book do you constantly buy new copies of because you use it to proselytize the genre to newcomers? And they never give it back. Even when you threaten them.
The Silmarillion. I'm not sure if they keep it because they have read it or because they haven't!

Favorite song to edit by.
White Rabbit by Emiliana Torrini

Favorite outfit to wear to fight club and/or while editing.
My tailor-made Babydoll replica costume, Colt M911A1 and katana included. Yes, in fact, I do bring a knife to a gunfight.

Favorite movie.
Sucker Punch

What social issue compels you?
I find privilege of any kind to be both insidious and infuriating. It's so hard to identify, yet so easy to fall prey to.

Your favorite recipe (preferably for an alcoholic beverage, but we'll accept cupcakes if that's how you roll)?
Oh, Midori Sour, how do I love thee?

1 oz Midori® melon liqueur

1 oz whisky sour mix

2 oz Sprite® soda

2 cherries

Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the midori, sour mix and sprite, give a quick stir, and add cherries.

Where do you plan to hole up when the zombie apocalypse comes?
I can't tell you that in case your brain gets eaten and the zombie horde assimilates your thoughts and memories.

Machete or flamethrower?
Machete. I prefer weapons with only one working part.

It's badass smackdown! Who wins and why?

Buffy Summers vs Rachel Morgan. Buffy. Originally played by Kristy Swanson, she delivered the best retort ever, after chopping off her vampire adversary's arm: Vampire: "We're immortal, Buffy, we can do anything." Buffy: "Oh, yeah? Clap."
Robert Heinlein vs Orson Scott Card. Heinlein. His number's in the phone book.
Edward Cullen vs Buffy--Buffy. She's immune to smoldering eyes.
Snape vs Spike--Snape. He's Alan Rickman, second only to Chuck Norris in badassery.
Chess Putnam vs Mackayla Lane--ummm, who?

Thanks, Kiersten!

Thank you, Kiersten!

Interview: Libby Murphy, Associate Editor at Entangled Publishing

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

Of the bevy of associate editors at Entangled Publishing, none have better taste in movies and humor than Libby Murphy. She edits Rosalie Lario, Rachel Firasek, Inara Scott, Nicola Marsh, Rayka Mennen, Misa Ramirez, and Jennifer Probst. She acquires Flirts and Ever Afters for Entangled. Welcome, Libby!

What does Entangled primarily publish?

Entangled Publishing is a boutique publisher of romantic fiction for adults and teens.

What do you acquire?

I’m acquiring works for adults and young adults. I have a serious weakness for a fantastic voice, quirky characters, and high concept plots. Send me your sci-fi, urban fantasy, contemporary romance, women’s fiction with a strong romantic element, suspense, and mysteries. Anything that can make me laugh is great, and strong heroines are a must.

What would you give your firstborn to find in your editor inbox?

Oooh! Asking the tough questions, I see! Well, because I haven’t seen anything like this come my way yet, I’m going to have to ask for something along the lines of TRON, Transformers, or The Terminator. Give me a high-tech adventure, complete with geektastic heroes and heroines, electronic super-baddies, motherboards, and lasers. *fans self*

What makes you want to cut a bitch when you see it in a submission?

A book with zero conflict…or worse, contrived conflict.

What book do you constantly buy new copies of because you use it to proselytize the genre to newcomers? And they never give it back. Even when you threaten them.

Even though I do have a wicked front snap kick, Karen Marie Moning is the absolute shiz, so I should just get over it, right? She has a voice that makes demons weep, humor that makes me all endorphin-y for weeks, morally ambiguous characters I’d gladly sell my soul to (helloooo, Adam Black!), and her romance is top notch. Buy her books. Study them. Sweet dreams are made of this, people! A close second? Julie Garwood’s historicals. I’ve worn all of her books out, I’ve read them so much. They’re things of beauty.

Favorite song to edit by.

I can never pick just one! Soundtracks are my thing, and I’m all about matching the music to the book so I get the full method editing experience. I’ve got Harry Potter, TRON, Transformers, Last of the Mohicans, Pirates of the Caribbean, and it’s not really a soundtrack, but Rodriguo y Gabriela. The exception is Britney Spears. I edited Patricia Eimer’s Luck of the Devil to Britney, and it turns out Patricia wrote quite a bit of that book listening to her, too. Freaky.

Favorite outfit to wear to fight club and/or while editing.

Kevlar, leather, and anything with reinforced seams (which is actually code for sweaters, flannel, and fuzzy socks).

Favorite movie.

I am such a Transformers geek it’s not even funny. But Bridesmaids (and anything Judd Apatow has made) and Thor are way high up there, too.

What social issue compels you?

Bullying. It seriously just breaks my heart, whether it’s a kid or an adult who’s on the receiving end.

Your favorite recipe (preferably for an alcoholic beverage, but we'll accept cupcakes if that's how you roll)?

I brew my own beer, but let’s keep it simple. I love cherry bourbon. It’s lovely on the rocks with Pepsi. I even mix it with brown sugar and use it to baste my Thanksgiving turkey (bonus: shingle your turkey with thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon and you have the best dang thing since cream cheese, my friends).

Where do you plan to hole up when the zombie apocalypse comes?

Hole up? I don’t need to stinking holes! I’m taking those b@stards down!

Machete or flamethrower?

I’m a Leo, so I’m going to have to go with the flamethrower.

It's badass smackdown! Who wins and why?

Buffy Summers vs Rachel Morgan: Buffy. She’s got the whole sneak attack thing down. You’d look at Rachel and expect bad things to happen, but Buffy? She’d take a bad guy down before he had a clue what was happening.

Edward Cullen vs Buffy: Buffy would turn Edward to ashes before he could stop angsting over another pretty girl wanting to get close to him. Poor Edward.

Snape vs Spike: Yeah, I’m going with Snape here. Spike has to bite you, but Snape could take you out merely by overpowering you with his awesomeness. I’m not exactly sure how strongly it radiates, but if I were Spike, I’d stay at least 50 feet away if I wanted to be safe.

Chess Putnam vs Mackayla Lane: One can see dead people but the other can see way more…well, things. So I’m going to suggest they get together with Buffy and start some unholy trinity of smackdown power.

Pick your own! Megatron vs. The Terminator (let’s go with the model in T2: Judgment Day). Discuss amongst yourselves.

Thanks so much for having me! Thanks for joining us, Libby! Have questions for the awesome Libby? She'll be around today to answer whatever you bring. Interested in submitting your short works to her? Check out the submissions guidelines at Entangled, and if you think Libby's the right editor for you, shoot your query letter to libby (at) entangledpublishing (dot) com.