Sneak Peek part 2

Personal Demons is available for preorder on Amazon here!!


Enjoy!

(Note: This is an unedited excerpt. Final version may vary slightly.)

Chapter One (second scene)

He continued harping about it all the way through the almost-empty station and into the parking garage. “Your show is a vehicle for advertisers. You understand that, right?” He didn’t even glance at her, which was probably a good thing as she was having difficulty keeping her face blank. “So you must identify the show and the station. You must use your tagline. We put a lot of thought into—”
“I understand.” Opening herself to so many people, so many problems, over the course of two hours drained her more than she expected. All she wanted to do was go home, have a glass of wine and a snack, and take a long, hot bath. None of which she could do while Richard stayed in full lecture mode. “And I’m sorry, okay? It was an accident. I’m still new at this, but I realize the audience needs to be reminded of brand identity, especially when they may have been distracted by something as insignificant as suicide. It won’t happen again.”
“I hope not,” he said, completely missing the sarcasm, or just ignoring it. They walked through the parking garage for a minute, their heels echoing on the gritty cement. Megan shivered. She hated parking garages, with their stale, oil-smelling air. A minor phobia, but one that still bothered her. Even Richard’s echoing monologue seemed preferable to silence here.
“I have an interview set up for you,” he said. She’d been wrong. It was better when he didn’t speak. “Tomorrow evening, a dinner. 7:00 at Café Neus. It’s a reporter for the Hot Spot.”
For what felt like the millionth time in the last few weeks, she cursed her decision to take the show. Just because Richard would have hired Don Tremblay—the Shooter McGavin of local therapists—if she’d turned it down was no reason to martyr herself. She should have just let him do it. Her heavy breather probably wouldn’t have minded, and neither would any of the other callers.
Except Regina.
“Richard…I don’t want to be in that rag.”
“You say rag, we at the station say invaluable source. Do you have any idea how many subscribers they have?”
They reached Megan’s car, sitting all by itself under one dim fluorescent light. “No, but I bet you’re going to tell me.”
“Over twenty thousand. Twenty thousand subscribers, and that doesn’t include off-the-shelf readers or people in waiting rooms. They’re a big deal, and they want to do a big story.”
“One interview isn’t a big story. I don’t think GQ or Vogue do just one brief dinner interview and turn it into—oh, no.” Clutching her purse in front of her like a shield, she said, “Tell me you didn’t sign me up for that “Week in the Life” thing. Please.”
“It’s good publicity. Besides, they’ll do a plug for the Femmel Foundation by writing about the ball. You do want to do your part for charity, don’t you?”
“It’s an imposition.”
“It’s your job.”
Megan glared at him. “Fine.”
Richard waited while she got into the car and settled into the driver’s seat. Just before he closed the door for her, he said, “Wear something sexy. They might take pictures, too.”
By the time she thought of a nasty enough reply, he was too far away to hear it.

Okay...commence sneak peekage...

(The above is a temporary cover, but the final version won't change significantly. Isn't it cool?!)

Personal Demons is available for preorder on Amazon here!!

And to celebrate my preorder status, I'll be posting the entire first chapter here this week. One scene a day, today tomorrow and Wednesday.

Enjoy!

(Note: This is an unedited excerpt. Final version may vary slightly.)

Chapter One

“Welcome back to Personal Demons,” Megan said into the microphone. “Our next caller is Regina. Hi, Regina, how can I slay your personal demons?”
The words tasted like shame. She and Richard had fought over that line, just as they’d fought over the massive publicity campaign he and the station orchestrated for the show.
Richard signed the paychecks, so Richard won. Never let it be said that good taste and actually helping people outweighed silly gimmicks in the media world.
“Regina? Are you there?”
"I'm scared." The rush of images accompanying that small, almost childish voice raised goosebumps on Megan's skin and drove all thoughts of Richard and tacky taglines from her mind. The pale, pointed face of a woman, limp blond hair tucked behind her ears. Blood poured over the vision, red and viscous. Gnarled six-toed feet stepped in the blood, leaving misshapen prints like chinks in a mirror.
Megan gasped, rocking back in her chair. What the hell was that? Instinctively she raised her psychic shields, only to drop them again. Regina was her client now, just like any other. She deserved everything Megan could give to help her.
Bill and Richard gestured at her from the booth, their faces reddening. Dead air was radio’s most mortal sin.
"Sorry, sorry. We had a minor technical problem. You said you're scared?"
"Yes." Regina sniffled. "I can't do it anymore. I can't take it anymore."
Now the initial terrifying flash had passed, Megan received more mundane pictures. A car, a bland pale green office cubicle looking like every other bland, pale green office cubicle. An attractive man, smiling down at her—at Regina. A boyfriend, maybe?
Megan forced her muscles to relax. "Why don’t you tell me what’s happening."
"It’s the voices. They talk to me all the time. When I'm awake, when I'm asleep…I hear them."
"Voices?"
"Evil voices. They tell me to…to hurt myself. To hurt other people. And I don't do it, but I think I might. I have to make them stop."
"Have you spoken to anyone—"
Regina’s sobs shuddered through the phone line. "They won't go away, they won't leave me alone, and they say horrible things, and they want me to do horrible things, and I think if I were dead I wouldn't hear them anymore. I don't want to die. But I can't listen to them anymore either."
Regina didn’t feel organically disturbed to Megan, but mentally sound people did not hear voices. And none of this accounted for that scaly, misshapen foot or the cold panic it inspired.
"Regina, suicide is never the answer. Listen to me. You can be helped. We can find out why this is happening to you, and we can make those voices go away. Okay? You can be happy again. You're a good person, and you deserve to be happy, right?"
"I don't know. I don't think so. They told me I'm not, they told me they're with me because I'm bad."
"You're not bad." Megan sat up straighter in her chair and leaned forward, staring at the microphone as if Regina could somehow see her through it. "Not at all. I bet the people you work with don't think you're bad, do they?" The face of the man in the office flashed up again. "Maybe there's a few people there you can trust, who you can talk to?"
Regina blew her nose, which sounded wonderful on-air. "Maybe."
“Then here’s what I want you to do. I want you to think of those people, okay? Think about them, and think about your parents, and all the people who care about you. When you hear those voices telling you to hurt yourself, you think about them. And my engineer Bill is going to give you a different phone number to call, and the people on the other end of that call are going to help you, too. You don’t have to be scared anymore, all right?”
“Thank you,” Regina said.
“Good,” Megan replied, relieved. “Out time is up for this evening, but I want you to call me back here next week and tell me how you’re doing. Will you do that?”
“Yes. I’ll call you. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. You take care of yourself and call me next week.” Megan signaled Bill to transfer Regina back. He already had the list in his hands to give her the suicide hotline number. At least Regina had genuinely wanted help, unlike most of Megan’s other inaugural show callers. Three lonely hearts, one rebellious teen, a man who thought Elvis lived next door, and one pervert had not made for a stellar beginning.
Thirty seconds to the blessed moment Megan could go home and not come back for another week. “I want everyone listening now to pay attention. There is always a reason to live, no matter how you might feel right now. There are always people who care about you, people willing to listen and try to help you. If you think you don’t have anyone, you’re wrong, because you can call me, here on this show. I care, and I’ll listen. We’re out of time for tonight, but I’ll be back next week.”
Once more the music filled the studio. Bill gave her the thumbs up, but Richard leaned over him and pushed a button. “That was great.” Megan smiled, but he continued, “but you didn’t use the phrase. Don’t ever go to break or end the show without using the phrase. It’s the most important thing you’ll do on the air.”

Epublishing: with Tina Burns, Acquisitions Editor, Liquid Silver Books

*****Tina will be stopping by during the day to answer any further questions you may have!! So please don't be shy!********


1. Do you have any comment on RWA’s recent re-redefinition of “Vanity/Subsidy publisher”?

No. It doesn't affect our readers, and many of our authors qualify for PAN membership, which seems to be their main concern. Many of our authors are RWA and we have never been a vanity press.

2. What do you think a writer should look for from an epublisher, and how should they expect to be treated?

My list isn’t in order of importance as I feel that they all have close to equal weight, so here’s my list:
• Longevity – how long have they been in business?
• Public Standing – are they looked on favorably in the ePublishing community? Are they frequently part of the rumor/blog comment mill? Are they recommended by their authors, by readers? Other Publishers?
• Genreability – I know it’s not a word, but it says what I mean. ;) Know what a publisher publishes. If they publish erotic romance, a time travel mystery book with dueling shifter clans with no romantic elements won’t fit.
• Quality – Want to know what a publisher is like? Buy a few of their books, different genres, different lengths, and read them. Are there mistakes? Even if the story doesn’t grab you, is there a clear storyline?
• Covers – The good, the bad, and the very very bad. This goes along with quality, but I feel it’s a strong enough “must” for its own bullet point.
• Contract - One year should be enough for generic contracts, and rights which won't be exploited by the pub shouldn't be claimed.
• Submission guidelines - These should be simple to understand, and minimal.
• Royalties - Epubs should be able to pay 40+% of revenue on all books.
• Business acumen - Epub is a business, so it should be run by people with business knowledge and experience.
• Editing - It's more than spell checking. Epubs should require necessary rewrites before contract, the content editing should be thorough, and there should be a separate copy editing step at the end.
• Future-proof - Many electronic files from 10 years ago can't be read by today's software and devices. The epub should be maximizing the likelihood of their content being readable in 10-20 years time.
• Customer service - You want your epub to treat customers well, otherwise they won't return and buy your books. Buy from them, then ask a question or make a complaint.

Authors should expect to be treated with respect and in a timely manner. They should expect to receive their royalties within the right of their contracts. I strive to be very approachable. Most times I’m an author’s first point of contact at Liquid Silver and I remember what it’s like to be a first time author, or first time to a new publisher, so I’ve made a point to keep that stressor point for authors very minimal.

3. What are the most common mistakes made by authors submitting works for consideration?

How long can this be? LOL. The biggest mistake I find is that authors submit works that aren’t critiqued by a peer. And by peer I don’t mean their best friend (non-author) who’s going to gush that it’s the best thing she’s ever read. There are many ways to find a critique partner/beta reader in the erotic romance world. Know your genre. Along with making sure a story actually makes sense, the CP will/should help the author catch any grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Yes, grammar and some writing issues can be fixed in editing, but if those problems are so prevalent that the story doesn’t come through, then it’s not submission ready.

My personal pet peeve (hint for anyone submitting to LSB) is head-hopping aka point-of-view switching. I don’t need to know that Fred the bartender thinks Sally’s jugs are mouthwatering, unless Fred happens to be the hero or the villain. Keeping the POV between the main characters keeps the story moving forward and interesting, not brain numbing. Besides, we can’t all be Nora Roberts. ;)

We have a forum for readers and authors: http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/forums/ (**Direct link). We’ve got a thread there for aspiring authors where they (or anyone, aspiring or multi-pubbed) can peruse and/or ask questions. I’ve started a blog/thread of sorts titled “How NOT to get my book published” where I try in a lighthearted yet serious way to give authors writing advice.

4. Although conservative non-fiction has a large following, lately I have picked up on a resistance to conservative leaning fiction. Two well known agents even stated such on their Blogs. This is informative, and it means if you write from a conservative perspective, it would be best to seek representation elsewhere. My question is how pervasive is this attitude among publishers and agents? Do the political views or leanings, in either direction, of the author or characters in a book influence your decision? Would you ask an author to tone such views down to make the book more palatable to a larger readership?

Liquid Silver Books is an imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, which is a non-erotic publisher. The owners have decided that in the current market (meaning buyers market) they’re concentrating on the Liquid Silver end of their company. If, in the future, conservative fiction becomes more of a demand from buyers, then they are very open to re-launching Atlantic Bridge.

I’m not much of a political debater, and because of that I’m going to give a very PC answer so I don’t get myself in trouble. I’ll give an example vs replying with a general answer….

I have gotten a couple submissions where I’ve felt that the story focused on pushing the author’s views of a certain subject on the reader, or that the “emotion” behind the story was “preachy”. In those instances, if the story could sustain itself outside of the politics of the issue, I start a dialogue with the author about it. What’s the point they’re trying to get across? I’ve found that most times, authors don’t even realize their personal beliefs were coming across so strong, and willingly work with us to make the story approachable for all readers.

5. With a primarily digital mode of publication, how do you decide how much to publish? Are all high quality manuscripts that meet the perceived needs of your customers published, or is there a goal for monthly or annual publications?

I don’t make the decisions as to how many books a week we publish, the owners do, but we’ve found that to maintain the high quality of editing, covers, and stories we’re known for, two books a week is a good consistent number. We don’t have a monthly or annual goal to hit, yet at the same time, yes, all high quality submissions that fit our criteria are most often contracted and published. We don’t accept books just to fill a publishing quota.

6. When would you advise an author to seek publication with a traditional print publisher and when is it in their best interests to publish in digital format? The pros and cons are often debated among authors, and I was wondering how the actual publishers saw these issues.

That’s hard for me to answer. It’s my opinion that that question is often an author’s personal choice to go print or ePub. If I receive a submission email from an author letting me know they’re looking forward to seeing their books on the bookshelves of a brick and mortar store, then I let them know that they might be considering the wrong publisher. Liquid Silver does have some books in print. In the next few years we will be printing more and they will be available in bookstores, but we are primarily an ebook publisher and we’re going to stay that way. We’ve set very high criteria for books to move on to the print stage of our business.

Epublishing offers many pros to the publishing world: Quick turnaround from start to finish, a wide variety of genres, and the ability to mix genres to name a few.

Liquid Silver has had many authors make that transition from ebook author to mainstream print, and we’ve no issues with that happening and are very flexible and encouraging of our authors that choose to do so. Sasha White, Jasmine Haynes aka Jennifer Skully, Alyssa Brooks, Amie Stuart aka Celia Stuart, Jodi Lynn Copeland…the list goes on. Some of our authors that have recently gotten print contracts are Shara Lanel and Terri Schaefer, both excellent authors and still write for us.

7. Can you share any sorts of revenue targets you have in mind when purchasing a manuscript? I assume that you need to sell a certain number of copies before the time spent acquiring, editing, and publishing is worth it financially. What is that approximate point? What percentage of manuscripts make this cut-off?

We have some authors whose sales of most books are consistently poor, but we welcome their next submission. Why do we adopt this apparently counter-intuitive approach?

LSB is focused on epub for the long term. We regard the current phase as the learning period--for authors and us--before epub goes mainstream. As such, we want quality stories as #1 priority; good sellers are very welcome, but not necessary.

We can afford this approach because it keeps our business lean, which is a major reason we're still around since 1999--the pay-off is in the future. So to summarize: no revenue targets for a manuscript, but it must (potentially) be a good story well told.

8. By far the most famous epublishers currently are focused on erotic romance. I would guess that far more erotic romance is bought in ebook format than in print. First, is this guess accurate? Secondly, what prospects do you see in the short to mid term for other genres in eBook format? Will we soon see non-romance mysteries or fantasy or manga taking off? Will we see it with your company?

I answered this mostly in number 4, but yes, right now erotic romance is the “it” buying genre at the moment. As far as genre’s we will take, anything and everything, as long as the story is good and it’s erotic romance. I’d love to see a really good erotic historical, especially medieval times. (not-so-subtle-hint)

As an aside, speaking for LSB specifically, the story line must stand alone without the descriptive sex that constitutes the erotic part. If your story is a string of sex scenes held very loosely together by what might be considered a plot, then we don’t consider it erotic romance. The romantic connection between the characters and the storyline are first and foremost in our books, the descriptive sex a bonus. I like to think of them as romance books that leave the lights on.

9. Is there such a thing as a best seller list for e-books?

We’re don’t have a published one, though it is something we’ve considered. We do after a few months use Fictionwise as a bookseller and they have a best seller list that Liquid Silver is a frequent addition to.

10. Since marketing and promotion are a shared venture with publishers and authors, what do you see as some of the best venues and tools to establish the name and work of a new writer?

The best answer I can give … Write another book, and another. The more you write, the more your name gets in front of readers, and word of mouth is the fire that will fuel your sales. Don’t get too caught up in the loops or forums, pretty soon you’ll be chatting and promoting too much to write again. When you do promote, sell you, the author, your name, not just your books. If your name is Sue Black, and your book title is Rainbow Kisses and How I Married the Leprechaun Guarding the Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow, which is easier to remember?

Joke Question:
"I have a manuscript for a erotic romantic paranormal suspense starring Hugo the Were-Alpaca and a famous movie star, Angela Jolee. Angela is fed up with her movie star husband and lost in life until she meets Hugo, a budding author and blog commenter not based upon the author at all, and discovers she can only find happiness when naked with Hugo and using bowls of pudding in intriguing ways. It is complete at 185,000 words and is the first in a series, though it can certainly stand upright and for a long, long time on its own. It is typically ready to be re-read in under 5 minutes. Book 2 features Hugo and Jessyka Albra; book 3, Hugo and Tyla Spanks; and Book 4 explores the possibilities of all four together. Interested?"

If the pudding is chocolate or butterscotch, email me.

Liquid Silver Books – www.liquidsilverbooks.com
Liquid Silver Forums – www.liquidsilverbooks.com/forums
Liquid Silver Blog – www.liquidsilverbooks.com/blog
LS Reader Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/liquidsilverreaders/
Submissions - http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/guidelines.htm

Tina Burns
Acquisitions Director
tina @ liquidsilverbooks.com (*Note: I added the spaces to keep Tina's email away from the spiders, so remove them to email her.)

Thanks so much, Tina, for a fantastic interview!

A couple of quick notes

--I have added the recipes for peanut butter cake, spanakopita, and my fake greek potatoes to the Overflow blog (link on right.)

--I'm just about halfway done with The Demon Inside and I'm going to need a new beta reader when I'm done--someone who hasn't read Personal Demons, because I need to know if the book works without knowing the backstory. Any takers? Email me if you're interested. It won't be for at least another three weeks or so, so check your schedule. I have a hard time critting/beta-ing when I'm working so I try to plan windows.
You don't have to crit; I just want someone to give me their impressions of the book--in detail, if possible, please, especially in its rough(er) form. And I'll owe you a beta back, if you like. (I feel the need to mention "detail" because I really am paranoid and so will bug you to death. Really. Ask poor Anna J. Evans and McKoala. It's not that I don't trust you guys, it's that I'm demanding.)

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I will be posting the entire first chapter of Personal Demons, a scene a day. Can't wait to hear what you all think!!

Perfumes..and time wasters!

Yay! My perfumes arrived yesterday from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab!

I ordered 20 of their sample sized "Imps", in a wide variety of scents. My favorite so far is "O", but I'm also really digging "Siren" and "Blood Amber". I'll try them all, one a day--it's the belated birthday gift that keeps on giving!

I was looking through Personal Demons yesterday and realized the place in that book where I almost gave up, and sat on my hands for almost three weeks because I had no idea how to get where I needed to be, was page 160. Guess where I'm stuck on The Demon Inside? Page 160, you say? Why, yes!

The good news is, I think I have figured out how to get over the hump. I actually got some words in this morning and think I'll do more tonight (after Heroes, of course.)

Also in time-wasting, I decided, for some insane reason, that it would be fun to make spanakopita from scratch. Okay, actually it was kind of fun, but next time I'm using fresh spinach instead of frozen, because that shit was a bitch to thaw and took forever. Plus, phyllo pastry? Fiddly, although not as bad as I've heard. They say to keep it damp, but I actually found it easier to work with a little drier. Less fragile but still quite pliable.

Anyway. That's it. I smell good--or at least I did until I started messing about with spinach and feta cheese--and I'll either eat well tonight or I'll eat terribly. (I'm also doing roast potatoes with garlic, lemon, oregano and nutmeg).

Oh, and I've become obsessed with Dog the Bounty Hunter.

Websites (again)

So I need a Stacia Kane website. Gotta have one, gotta get it all set up, laws yes. M-O-O-N, that spells I'm screwed!

(BTW, I'll have some news about Personal Demons next week--and I'm going to post excerpts Monday and Wednesday! So make sure you come back and get your sneak peek!)


See, when I set up the DQ site, I was just playing. trying to do something dramatic and maybe a little sexy, something fun. Great.

But, much as I like the site, I need a different look for the SK site. And I've been hearing a few things about author sites lately that hae made the process even more confusing.

For instance, I hear the black-and-red theme, especially for urban fantasy writers, is getting a bit dull. And the white writing on a black background isn't easy on the eyes.

So I need a light-colored background. But I'm not, as you all know, a fan of pastels. And gray, which I really like, seems a bit monochrome, maybe? I don't know, I might try it.

I want to create a cool logo, but I'm absolute crap at that stuff. Seriously. My artistic design skills are about on a par with my six-year-old's. I can decorate a house nicely, but placing photo elements and making it look all sexy and cool is so not my forte.

So I'm all in a dither, and I'm spending more time thinking about the damn website than actually writing, and...ugh! But web designers are expensive, and I have all the tools and everything. I just need a little inspiration.

I am excited about the site, though--it's going to be big, and chock-full of stuff. Character bios, deleted scenes, free short stories, more info about the supernatural world of the books, sneak previews, bookstore listings...all kinds of things, and hopefully it will be a lot of fun.

Any suggestions for me? Any sites you know of that you think are especially nice? Any suggestions of stuff to avoid (aside from the obvious--I will NEVER put background music on my site!)

Epublishing: with Raelene Gorlinsky, Publisher, Ellora's Cave

1. Do you have any comment on RWA’s recent re-redefinition of “Vanity/Subsidy publisher”?

Now that they have corrected the wording so that it doesn’t include e-publishers, I don’t have any major problems with it. I do think they now need to quickly determine the details of “eligible publisher”. If we have to pay a fee to participate in the National conference, what is the fee and what is included? And are they going to fairly apply the standard, which may mean that publishers like St. Martin’s Press and Red Sage are not “eligible”.

I think it is good that RWA dropped the “RWA-recognized publisher” designation. The qualification for that was so pointless – a publisher could put a lot of money behind just one book to get its sales over the limit needed, but neglect all their other titles. That criterion had no real value in judging the publisher. Plus the whole problem that authors assumed being recognized meant a publisher had RWA’s approval and was automatically a good and “safe” publisher. Authors need to do their research on publishers.

2. What do you think a writer should look for from an epublisher, and how should they expect to be treated?

They should expect the same things from a epublisher as a print publisher. The format of “publication” shouldn’t change how a publisher deals with authors. The difference really is in size and experience of publisher – small versus large, new versus well-established. You might expect different contract terms from a small, new publishing house, and it has nothing to do with whether it’s an e-publisher or print publisher or both.

3. What are the most common mistakes made by authors submitting works for consideration?

They fail to read and follow the submission guidelines. These vary for every publisher. And don’t send inappropriate material to the “wrong” publisher – know which houses are looking for what, and target whom you approach. Stop sending me poetry!

4. Although conservative non-fiction has a large following, lately I have picked up on a resistance to conservative leaning fiction. Two well known agents even stated such on their Blogs. This is informative, and it means if you write from a conservative perspective, it would be best to seek representation elsewhere. My question is how pervasive is this attitude among publishers and agents? Do the political views or leanings, in either direction, of the author or characters in a book influence your decision? Would you ask an author to tone such views down to make the book more palatable to a larger readership?

Well, it’s not something we run into a lot in the submissions we see. But we do have a policy about staying away from controversial political or religious topics in our fiction. On a few occasions I’ve asked authors to “tone it down” when something had potential to be offensive to readers. We’re not trying to be “PC” or bland, but we are publishing romances and other genre fiction – the story needs to focus on that, not become a platform for the author’s personal political views or religious beliefs.

(Yes, I get the occasional hate mail telling me I’m going to burn in hell for putting out books that contain sex, that portray sex as pleasurable or for something besides procreation – and that even have sex between unmarried persons, gasp!)

5. With a primarily digital mode of publication, how do you decide how much to publish? Are all high quality manuscripts that meet the perceived needs of your customers published, or is there a goal for monthly or annual publications?

We have a set number of releases per week. At Ellora’s Cave, we recently increased that from six to eight a week, and at Cerridwen Press went from two to three (and will likely go to four in January). We balance the number of books we have contracted and in process and the perceived market size. Obviously we wouldn’t schedule more release slots than we can fill. And we don’t want to flood the market with more books than our readers will buy.

6. When would you advise an author to seek publication with a traditional print publisher and when is it in their best interests to publish in digital format? The pros and cons are often debated among authors, and I was wondering how the actual publishers saw these issues.

Hmm, I don’t know that I as an e-publisher have ever said to an author “No, I don’t think you should consider digital books, you should go to print.” Except in cases where the audience was not appropriate for e-books – like children’s picture books, art books (filled with illustrations or photos), and books (mainly nonfiction) that are very visual in nature. In that case, you have to consider whether they can be truly appreciated on a small e-book reading device.

At our new TLC (The Lotus Circle) imprint of metaphysical and psychic fiction and non-fiction, we have some non-fiction books that are print only, not digital. In studying the reader market for these books, we determined that they did not present well online, or just would not sell in that format.

7. Can you share any sorts of revenue targets you have in mind when purchasing a manuscript? I assume that you need to sell a certain number of copies before the time spent acquiring, editing, and publishing is worth it financially. What is that approximate point? What percentage of manuscripts make this cut-off?

We don’t accept manuscripts that we don’t think will sell enough to make a profit. Unfortunately, we don’t have an infallible crystal ball and some books don’t do as well as anticipated. We accept about 4% to 5% of unsolicited manuscripts. We accept a much higher percentage from authors already published with us – but just having books published with us doesn’t mean that we’ll accept anything you submit in future! We reject a lot from our existing authors, or send it back for major revisions.

Yes, there is a break-even point, enough sales to cover the cost of editing, cover art, formatting, etc, etc. But that’s not a number we give out.

8. By far the most famous epublishers currently are focused on erotic romance. I would guess that far more erotic romance is bought in ebook format than in print. First, is this guess accurate? Secondly, what prospects do you see in the short to mid term for other genres in eBook format? Will we soon see non-romance mysteries or fantasy or manga taking off? Will we see it with your company?

E-books have always been most popular for the “fringe” genres, things people couldn’t find in their bookstore – or were embarrassed to buy in person. So erotic romance was a perfect fit for e-publishing. Up until a year or so ago, I would agree that more erotic romance was sold as e-books than print books. But now that most of the big NY publishers have entered the erotic romance market, and in print format, I don’t know if that is true any longer.

Through our Cerridwen Press imprint, we publish all types of genre fiction: non-erotic romance, mystery/suspense, scifi/fantasy, historical fiction, etc. Growth has been slow, and as yet is nowhere near as high as erotic romances. Readers were originally driven to e-books for erotic romance because they couldn’t find them in print; that doesn’t apply with mainstream fiction. Regular fiction e-books are competing with every print book out there. The success of e-books in most genres is going to be dependent on our cultural shift toward online everything – our kids, who expect to be able to do almost anything on their computer or cell phone. So I think we’ve got years to go before e-books are a major part of the general book sales, but we are getting there.

9. Is there such a thing as a best seller list for e-books?

I track sales figures carefully, and I know which books and authors are top sellers. That information does get conveyed to our editors in general terms, so that they know what genres and themes are currently most popular, to help them in making acquisition decisions.

We don’t publish on our site a list of the top-selling books, although I know some sites do. It’s something we may consider in future. I’d like some proof that there is a point to doing that – that listing a book as a “best seller” actually encourages more people to buy it. So far, that’s not proven.

10. Since marketing and promotion are a shared venture with publishers and authors, what do you see as some of the best venues and tools to establish the name and work of a new writer?

Every author should have a website, and update it frequently! It should list all their releases, with blurbs and excerpts and Buy links. Don’t forget the Buy link! That, after all, is the point – to sell your books. The site should also have information about future books, and items that interest readers and entice them to come back.

Online chats seem to have died down in popularity and effectiveness. Blogs are the big thing now to reach readers, but I’m beginning to think they’ve been overdone, readers are overwhelmed with too many and especially too many bad ones.

Ads in print magazines are, in my opinion, only effective for print books, not for e-books. If you have e-books, consider online ads on some of the biggest review or e-magazine sites.


Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions, Raelene!

Read me a story

(Before I start my official post, I have to tell this story. The other day the hubs and I were in the kitchen, sharing a little kiss, like you do. The Faery and the Princess came in the room, because that's what they do. Faery wanted to play, but Princess turned to her and said, "I think they're having sex right now, Faery." Ah, children. What fun.)

So Camille's comment on my last post reminded me of a particular oddity of mine--I can only listen to books on tape if it's a book I've read before. Otherwise my mind wanders. I have a hard time focusing on things people tell me. I guess it's that whole aural/visual learner thing. I'm definitely visual.

My Mom is really into books on tape, and I decided to try one some years ago for a small road trip. I made the mistake of choosing a mystery. Looked great. To this day I know nothing about it. All I remember was something about a mistaken identity and a missing baby. Or something. The thing ended before I even realized it; I'd just tuned out a huge chunk of it.

It's a little easier if it's the hubs doing the reading; we've read a few books together (and one day we'll finished "Kidnapped", honestly.) But even then I prefer books I'm familiar with. That way if I miss something it's no big deal; I don't get lost or find myself wondering who the hell Richard is when he has a line of dialogue.

I do like them when I'm doing things, though. I once spent a long and very enjoyable day painting my bathroom and listening to Maeve Binchy's "Tara Road"; lovely. Or sewing and listening to Josephine Tey's "The Daughter of Time".

Anyone else have a hard time with books on tape? Or being read to in general?

Turn it up

So the other day I was being ultra-cool and listening to Fleetwood Mac as I drove to the grocery store. I know, I know, such hipness as I cannot be looked upon by mere mortals.

Seriously, though, I do like FM. I like all kinds of music. The hubs and I have recently been yeing, of all things, a set of Time-Life CDs, a country music collection with lots of 70s/80s stuff like Crystal Gayle (my parents loved her), Kenny Rogers, Eddie Rabbit of all people, etc. And we want it. As Anna J said, it's what all the hip thirtysomethings are buying these days (this hip thritysomething, btw, turned 34 on Saturday, woe is me.)

FM always makes me think of a friend of mine, whose personal theme song is "Gypsy". And it suits her. And so now, when I hear it, I think of her.

I've always used music to help define my characters, although I haven't been as good with it of late. I even have one or two characters who don't have a theme song, which is odd to me because that's where they used to come from.

Part of it may simply be that music isn't as available here. The radio is a joke. And THEY TALK OVER THE MUSIC, which I HATE with a passion. No radio station can even pretend to be any good when the DJ keeps interrupting the songs to prattle on about his garden or, even worse, sing along. Which I'm sad to say is not unusual here. When I was growing up none of the stations dared to do such things; it was a huge advertising point. KSHE 95 and KS 94 both ran ads, for years, about how they never talked over the music. And they didn't. Which was good.

But I've never really had a theme song of my own. Over the years I've had different songs that speak to me, that say something important. Songs that make me feel a certain way or remember certain things.

Perhaps this is part of my problem. So many songs have so many memories attached to them these days, and as time goes on those memories grow more and more bittersweet until the sweet is all gone. So many bands I used to love, so many CDs I practically wore out, that instead of filling me with the joy and optimism they once did now only make me think of lost opportunities and broken friendships and times I made an ass out of myself.

But it still bothers me, that there's no song that defines me. There's no song that I listen to and think "This is the statement I want to make about myself, these are the lyrics that could have sprung from my own head, written about my own life."

So what's your personal theme song? Or one of your friends? Why don't you have one, if you don't?

Epublishing: with Treva Harte, EIC of Loose-ID

1. Do you have any comment on RWA’s recent re-redefinition of “Vanity/Subsidy publisher”?

Loose Id is not a vanity or subsidy publisher by any definition, so RWA's modifications to that policy won't affect us or our authors.


2. What do you think a writer should look for from an epublisher, and how should they expect to be treated?

Professionalism and professionally. Look at their website for a start. (I got the following questions thanks to an article one of my fellow Loose Id partners wrote recently.) How long has the company been in business? How many titles does the company release each week? Does the company ever promote old titles? What are the contract terms? Are there any rumors flying around about this company? Does the publisher want books like mine?

You may want to check out her article for more info here.

(http://fogcitydivas.typepad.com/dishing_with_the_divas/2007/04/today_i_am_very.html)


3. What are the most common mistakes made by authors submitting works for consideration?

Not doing their research on what the publisher and market wants. Grammatical and plot mistakes can be worked on, but the story has to be a strong one first.


4. Although conservative non-fiction has a large following, lately I have picked up on a resistance to conservative leaning fiction. Two well known agents even stated such on their Blogs. This is informative, and it means if you write from a conservative perspective, it would be best to seek representation elsewhere. My question is how pervasive is this attitude among publishers and agents? Do the political views or leanings, in either direction, of the author or characters in a book influence your decision? Would you ask an author to tone such views down to make the book more palatable to a larger readership?

Other than trying to avoid politics and religion as much as possible in our stories – we sell romance, not politics, and we have no desire to annoy any of our market – we have no particular policy on this.

5. With a primarily digital mode of publication, how do you decide how much to publish? Are all high quality manuscripts that meet the perceived needs of your customers published, or is there a goal for monthly or annual publications?

I’m going to quote very freely from Doreen’s article here—
There's a balance between too many and too few releases. Too few releases may mean that the publisher is new on the block or has a questionable reputation with authors. Even if the company is solid, readers only re-visit sites that frequently offer fresh new titles.

In contrast, some E-publishers release too many titles. With too many new titles, readers become jaded and will often postpone a buying decision, thinking "No hurry...I can wait to see what's new tomorrow before I buy."

Chances are you'll do best with a company that releases a regular amount of new titles every week, because readers visit the site when they know there are new releases on a regular basis.


6. When would you advise an author to seek publication with a traditional print publisher and when is it in their best interests to publish in digital format? The pros and cons are often debated among authors, and I was wondering how the actual publishers saw these issues.

All right, I won’t quote Doreen’s article because she has a very lengthy answer for that. The short answer would be, consider a traditional publisher when you're writing for the mainstream. E-publishing tends to publish certain subject matter in advance of traditional print. If you're blazing a new trail in fiction, you might find a good home with an e-publisher.

7. Can you share any sorts of revenue targets you have in mind when purchasing a manuscript? I assume that you need to sell a certain number of copies before the time spent acquiring, editing, and publishing is worth it financially. What is that approximate point? What percentage of manuscripts make this cut-off?

We prefer to keep our sales targets confidential, but I can say that we don't select books if we don't honestly believe they will strike a chord with our readership. We've been releasing new titles every week for more than three years; by now we're familiar with what our customers want to buy.


8. By far the most famous epublishers currently are focused on erotic romance. I would guess that far more erotic romance is bought in ebook format than in print. First, is this guess accurate? Secondly, what prospects do you see in the short to mid term for other genres in eBook format? Will we soon see non-romance mysteries or fantasy or manga taking off? Will we see it with your company?

We believe that there is a huge market for erotic romance in e-publishing. The nature of electronic media means that the books can more easily be kept private than a print book. Your kids are far more likely to stumble across a print book than an electronic book.

Loose Id has always been on the cutting edge of new trends such as manga-inspired erotic romance. However, we have no plans to branch out into other genres such as non-romance mysteries. Those markets are already being well-served by traditional publishers.

9. Is there such a thing as a best seller list for e-books?

Not at the present time.

10. Since marketing and promotion are a shared venture with publishers and authors, what do you see as some of the best venues and tools to establish the name and work of a new writer?

My marketing partner would say start by writing the very best book you can – one with a great hook and memorable characters. Word of mouth from readers is the best advertising and it certainly helps when you have something you can market easily. Even before that getting your name known (in a good way) on lists and blogs is helpful. After that, there are many useful avenues you can pursue. I’d check with fellow authors and ask your publisher what they will do or recommend the author do.

You may also want to take a look at a new blog that a fellow e-publisher, Margaret Riley of Changeling Press, and I have started to answer epublishing questions. It's here. (http://treva2007.livejournal.com)


Thanks so much to Treva for taking the time, and for the excellent answers and links!!

Just a quickie

My guest blogger is dragging heels, so hopefully that will be ready next week,

So this is just a quick one. We've had a very nice day today, although the birthday cake I made didn't turn out quite as pretty as I'd hoped. Stupid fan ovens are the bane of my existence. They dry everything out (although not the cake, as I've learned to add a little extra liquid) and, especially bad for cakes, make everything bake uneven on the tops. HATE THEM. I forgot to turn the bottom cake upside down for frosting (bright pink) so it ended up like some sort of insane Barbie-land mushroom.

We went to Forbidden Planet in Bristol, where Princess decided there was something she MUST have:




It's what all the fashionable six-year-olds are wearing these days, and since it was her birthday, we gave it to her. We're not sure why she loves Ghost Rider so much, but she does. She draws him too.

And I got a darling pair of shoes, very unlike me because they're wedge heels but I couldn't resist them, they are so Carmen Miranda/Miami fun (and on sale!):



They're actually a softer shade than they appear here. Just a little present for me, too.

So that was my day.

Once again, life gets in the way

Sorry everyone, I owed you a post on Friday and was a no-show.

Life has intruded, in the form of a WIP that's kicking my ASS. And a husband. And two children.

Which, btw, the Princess turns six on Wednesday, so I will be unavailable most of that day too. We're taking her to Bristol where she can pick out something at Toys R Us and build her own bear at Cribb's Causeway, which is a big mall--the only one anywhere nearby, as far as we know. And I'm going to bake her a yellow cake from scratch, since they don't have yellow or white cake mix here (I don't like chocolate cake. So nobody in my family gets chocolate cakes. I'm cruel that way.)

But, I do hopefully have a really fun guest blogger for you on Wed.--so check back.

Also, the publishing interviews have started coming back, so look for Treva Harte's here on Friday.

The WIP is around 25k words now, and I think it's finally starting to really swing for me. I actually think it's all very good--probably the best thing I've ever written--but I'm finally really getting into the meat of it, the book's first big setpiece after all the initial action and turns and twists. Poor Megan, everything is falling apart around her.


And critting, and trying to come up with a story idea for next year's Ellora's Cavemen anthologies, which I don't know if I'll do or not. I find short stories very irritating and difficult to write. My mind keeps coming up with new twists and turns and before I know it I've plotted a long novella.

I'm also planning a barbeque for the last Saturday of this month, and I need to come up with a dessert. I'll probably make another cake. I'm trying to do an Real American Cookout, you know? Complete with A-1 sauce, which my Mom sent to me and which I hoard like gold. But that's the kind of hostess I am, that I'll share on this occasion.

I love giving parties, I really do. I used to do it all the time. For the hubs' birthdays, for the Princess's birthdays (Faerie never had a birthday in the States.) Really, for any reason I could come up with.

Haven't had one here, really, except for Faerie's first birthday when we still didn't have furniture.

How about you? Parties? Dessert suggestions? Feelings about particular cakes?

Watching the detectives

Well...sort of anyway. But I couldn't resist the title.

Hubs and I are becoming acquainted once again with the magic of television, all thanks to DVD and a multi-region player. We've been watching Dexter of late, and are eagerly awaiting the first series on DVD, which should be winging its way across the ocean to us.

Maybe one of these days the Royal Mail will stop its incessant striking and actually deliver it to us, wonder of wonders.

So. Loving Dexter. Especially the intense Miami versimilitude. Everybody looks sweaty all the time, which is exactly the way people in Miami actually look. The murder scene in the first episode was a hotel here the hubs actually stayed once. The second looked to me like Bayside, where I used to go with some coworkers if it rained and so we got the day off (we worked on the beach selling drinks from trailers.) Sigh, I do miss Miami.

Also just started watching Heroes, which kicks serious ass. The first season comes out on DVD August 28, so we'll be getting that one too.

There's nothing else to do here, after all.

Except read. I just finished "Rises the Night" by Colleen Gleason, and enjoyed it very much, too. I read "Fashion Babylon" and enjoyed it not as much. I read a few other books I thought were only eh. And I'm enjoying the hell out of Necropolis: London and its Dead, by Catharine Arnold. Only a chapter or so in but already having much, much fun. The descriptions of Roman cremations gave me some great ideas--although ever since seeing Conan the Barbarian as a child (regular readers may remember this is one of my all-time favorite films)(how's that for alliteration?) I've been fascinated by the idea of funeral pyres anyway. I just plain like fire.
Also firing (ha ha) the imagination is her description of charnel houses and the many and varied uses for bones in France and Italy.

Including chandeliers.

Totally look for human bone chandeliers somewhere in one of my next books. They'll be there, oh yes.

What have you been watching or reading lately?

(Oh, and: I've decided that instead of placing my book excerpts on my website, I'm creating new blogger blogs for each and posting them there. So if you click on the "Sample Chapter One" links on the site, you'll be led to a blogger page. I've seen a few readers say this is easier on the eyes. Haven't transferred all of them yet but I'm in the process.)

Stuff!

First, the most important thing. I have added an Amber Alert ticker to my sidebar. Mine is the US code; there is one for Canada as well.

I urge all of you to click on the button, or the link above, and add it too, and make a donation if you can.


Second, Anna J. and I got the cover for our January EC release, Demon's Triad. Check it out:




It's a pretty hot cover, no? Except I hate the chick's tacky earrings and necklace. The tank top isn't great either. But all in all, I think it's awesome. Very sexy, very reflective of the mood of the book. (Yes, this is the one we think will be X rated.)

AND, the latest issue of JERR (Just Erotic Romance Reviews) came out, and Blood Will Tell got a 5-STAR review!

"Explosive, orgasmic, riveting are just a few adjectives that describe Blood Will Tell by December Quinn. Ms. Quinn has taken an age-old tale, thrown in modern day lust and action, and has written a story with enough drama and sex to keep you rooted to your spot until the last word is read...Bravo for a story well written."

Until the next issue comes out, the entire review is available only through the JERR Yahoo Group, but once it's been moved to the archives I'll post a link to read the whole thing (or you can join and read it there!)

So color me VERY happy, five stars from JERR makes me feel pretty good indeed!

Not much else going on here. I'm about to start Chapter Five of The Demon Inside (my PD sequel)--I've added a little ticker/counter thingie to the sidebar as well. Remember what I said about avoiding work? Just wait, soon I'll be baking again.)

And we have now gone two entire days without rain.

Okay, ask those questions!

I have a final line-up for my August publishing series!

The following ladies have generously and graciously agreed to answer your questions:


Raelene Gorlinsky, Publisher, Ellora's Cave

Tina Burns, Acquisitions Director, Liquid Silver Books

Treva Harte, Co-owner and Editor-in-Chief, Loose-Id

Angela James, Executive Editor, Samhain Publishing


Y'all, I am so excited about this, and totally honored they've consented to give their time to my readers, so let's think of some really good questions!

Leave yours in the comments. As I said before, I'd like to avoid if possible questions like "What are you looking for". But anything about publishing, the publishing process, their feelings on legitimate publishers and what a writer should look for, what they feel sets their company apart, or anything else you can think of, PLEASE don't be shy!

I'll be picking seven questions or so, compiling them on Monday, and sending them along, so don't miss out on your chance! And check back here every Friday starting next week, for their answers.

The Extra Bits

So my total word count as far as words written for the new demon book is about 12,000.


The total word count that's actually still in the manuscript? 5,000.


I've never stop/started and cut as much as this in the beginning, but since the rest of the book is much better planned than it usually is (I'm a pantser, so I usually have good beginnings planned and then the story peters out into the ether) I figure it will even out in the end.

And the good news is, some of the stuff I've cut isn't bad. I think some of it is simply later in the book.

So it's all going into my "Rewriteable" file. I keep one of these for every book I do. In some it's only a scene or two long. In others (like this one) it's pages and pages.

Personal Demons's rewrite file is about 23,000 words, all told. Quite a few entire scenes, and some snippets of conversation I cut because it didn't move the story forward but I liked the lines so much I figured I'd hang on to them in case they became useful later.

Some of it is, in fact. I have a scene planned for the new book set in a place I used in the first book but cut. So all that description I wrote will be put to use, which is nice.

I also plan to put a lot of it on the Stacia Kane website once it's up and running. Bonus content for readers, like on a DVD, along with a few original scenes just for fun--stuff that would hold back the story in a book but would give little bits of backstory or just scenes I think people might enjoy.

What do you guys think? Would you want to read deleted scenes from a book?

How much do you cut from your books, and do you keep it?

Rainy days and Mondays...

We have officially had over two months of rain here. There's been one or two isolated days with no rain (I think) but aside from that, just rain. Which is actually okay by me, as it hasn't been hot.

I have been fairly absent from the blogosphere since Friday. First I had to go get my Potter book, of course. Then stay up half the night reading it. Then finish it Saturday. Then absorb, etc. Frankly, my head has been so full of Potter lately I'm amazed I've gotten anything done.

But I have! I started my fifth Chapter One on the demons sequel, and it's finally, I think, acceptable. Better than acceptable, even, I hope. I'm almost done with Chapter Two as well, so yay me! So that's where I've been. Reading/thinking about Harry, or working.

Did anyone else read Harry?

The first reviews for Blood Will Tell are starting to trickle in. Two Lips Reviews (No, I didn't pay for a review, and they've discontinued that policy--I think they honestly believed they were doing something nice) gave the book Five Kisses and said:

December Quinn has written a story with sizzling hot sex, explosive action and a riveting plot. Ms Quinn makes her hero sexy and confident, and her heroine strong and independent. This book has just the right mix and you never know what is going to happen next. You don’t want to miss Blood Will Tell; get your copy today.

(Entire review here).


Mrs. Giggles gave the book a 78; she wasn't crazy about the story itself but liked the characters well enough, so that makes me happy. At least she didn't think they were morons! That one is here.


ALSO--I have exciting news!

My series on publishers is about to take a really cool turn--I have several interviews lined up for August!
On Friday I'm going to open a post for questions, so start thinking. What about publishing would you like to ask:

Raelene Gorlinsky, Publisher, Ellora's Cave

Tina Burns, Acquisitions Director, Liquid Silver Books

Treva Harte, Co-owner and Editor-in-Chief, Loose-Id

Angela James, Executive Editor, Samhain Publishing


These are all fabulous, extremely well-informed ladies, and they're going to be here to help YOU, so please, do start thinking. Here's your chance!

(Note: if possible, I'd like to keep the questions publishing-related, rather than "What are you looking for". You can find that information in several places already, and I'm sure they've heard it a lot. But please, anything you have about publishing, about how they view the industry, their take on the atmosphere these days, things they are most proud of with their companies, that sort of thing.)

Find the right publisher (Part Five)

So, after a short break last week, we are back!

This is just a shorter post, a general round-up of a few things I'm not sure I touched on. But keep checking back on Fridays, if you've been following the series, as I have some things planned for August that I'm very excited about, and I may need your help too!


So we've talked about how to examine and evaluate publisher websites, how to research a publisher, and whether or not it's a good idea in general to submit to a brand-new publisher. The issue of RWA recognition has of course been eliminated, so there's no need to discuss it further, but I thought of a few more things to keep an eye out for, as they are possible/probable Red Flags:


Calls for Submissions are something to watch; does the publisher keep changing its lines? I don't mean deciding to do a special summer series or set of anthologies, I mean are they asking for new things every month? Are they suddenly starting an erotic line, an inspirational line, a manga-inspired line, a gothic line, an anything-we-hear-might-possibly-sell line? Are they starting them seemingly on top of each other?

There's nothing wrong with a publisher branching out, and I'm certainly not implying that starting a new line is in itself a red flag, because it emphatically is NOT.

But a publisher suddenly totally overhauling their requirements or asking for three or four new kinds of books at once sends a dangerous message if you know how to read it: that the publisher isn't sure what's selling, that their own current releases aren't selling, and that they're desperate to try and find anything, any way to catch on with readers.


Another thing to watch is, if you are an RWA member (or belong to a similar writer's group) the First Sales column. How many books is the publisher acquiring? If you read the column every month you'll see most publishers only have one or two sales reported; that's because not only do they have limited slots, but they have many authors in their stable already. Epublishers can be expected to buy more new authors than NY pubs, but still, does the amount seem excessive? Do the books sound good and original to you, after your own study? Do they sound similar at all (not always important, but something to keep in mind just to see if there's any rhyme or reason to their acquisitions)? Too similar?

A publisher who every month purchases twenty or more new books might be biting off more than it can chew. Allow your other research to guide you here, but remember, even Ellora's Cave (which to my knowledge releases more books every month than the other epubs) releases roughly thirty-two books in a month (if my math is correct), and they never have such a large number of new sales reported.

Why? For one thing, because their authors tend to stick around. A publisher in constant need of new blood is a publisher whose old blood is rapidly bleeding away. (Okay, enough with the bad blood analogy.) If those authors are sending their work elsewhere, there's a reason, and it probably isn't a good one.

For another, because they aren't accepting almost everything, hoping it will catch on. Because they aren't blindly trying to grow in size and so are forcing more and more books out there which may not be as good. (I didn't say they weren't as good, just that it seems excessive to me and a lot of people I know.)

It's not enough to be big; you have to stay big, grow steadily, and not take risks with your authors' work.


How many members does their Yahoo group have, or rather, how many more members does their reader loop have than their Business loop? Not everybody joins a reader loop, of course, which is why this is here in the tag-ends of stuff to be aware of rather than the big important stuff we covered earlier. It's just something to keep in mind.

Have you read interviews with any of the editorial staff or seen them in forums? Do they seem to know what they're doing? Do they make sense? Do they talk about books and reading with passion? Does what they say about the industry gibe with what you've heard elsewhere? Do they answer questions politely, or do they behave like children? (I saw not too long ago on a forum a publisher reacting to basic questions about its business with name-calling and finger-pointing; you can bet I'd never let my work or the work of anyone I know get within ten feet of them.)


Can anyone else think of something I've missed?

Be sure to check next week, we'll be covering some other stuff too, but I believe this concludes this particular series. :-)

Let's start at the very beginning...

A very good place to start.


Unfortunately, you can't start a book with "Do re mi." You have to start it with something that makes sense and is exciting and grabs the reader and has action and drama and pathos and wit...blah blah blah.

I have started my fourth version of the Personal Demons sequel. I hesitate to mention its new title lest I discover, as I did with the last one, that someone else has taken it. (Google might help there, I'll give that a go.)

Anyway.

I lked the first three versions. I liked all of them. I thought that was where the story started, but it turns out I was wrong.

I hate starting new books. Nothing is scarier than writing those first lines--at least, not when the pressure is on.

Usually I just go ahead and start. Anywhere near the beginning is fine, because sooner or later, usually within that first chapter somewhere (although occasionally it's been as late as the third), the actual start of the book will reveal itself. "That's your goddamn opening!" a voice will say, and I'll see that it's right.

But lately, the last couple of books...the opening has been fraught with worry and doubt. Is this the right place? What if I'm wrong? Isn't this all just crap anyway, total gibberish?

They say you should start where the action is, and they're right. But in my head I always carry this too far:
I could start with the car chase...but then there's so much backstory...and that leads into a sex scene, and I don't want to start with that, and besides, the car chase just illustrates a point, I could handle the point with a line of dialogue, couldn't I, but if I do that I don't need the scene on the roof, and really the climax of the story is the big action, so...


And eventually I picture my entire book being this one line:

Some bad stuff happened, but they won in the end.
The End.


But I think I've finally cracked it now. The new opening has a hint of mystery, some humor, a little sexiness, some anxiety, and a healthy dollop of anticipation and "What's going on"-ness without being so overbearing with it that a reader might give up.

Of course, having said that, I'll probably re-read the new opening tonight and decide it sucks, and it will go in the bin (when I say " go in the bin" I in fact mean "stay unopened in the tomb of my hard drive") with the others.


What do you like to see in an opening, especially a sequel? What's the hardest part for you to write?

A Quickie Update

Today is the hubs' birthday, so I'm just popping in quickly with a few little updates.

1. The RWA is beginning its backpedal, as fast as its expensively shod little feet can carry it. They're forming a Task Force to learn more about epublishing. Better late then never? Yes, but it shouldn't have been late at all. If you're going to set rules regarding an industry, you should educate yourself first.

2. The Eighth Wand, my novel for Ellora's Cave's Torrid Tarot series, will be released October 17, 2007. Yay! I'm nervous about this one--yeah, I'm nervous about all of them, but this one makes me different because it is different from my usual stuff. My two main characters are much, much more serious people than most of my H/hs--less joking, more angst. As I've said before, I was dealing with some feelings of isolation and unhappiness when I was writing it, so although it pokes some fun at a few archetypes (pagan "fluffy bunnies"*, take cover), overall it's not a particularly funny book. I still really like it, though, I think it's one of the more emotional and romantic stories I've written. Anyway, October 17!

3. The hubs is currently playing Grand Theft Auto 3, one of his birthday gifts. It's...interesting. :-) The funny thing is at first he kept driving on the wrong side of the road.


*There's a few good definitions/articles about "fluffy bunnies" here and especially here.

We Interrupt this Program

I planned to do a final "Choosing a Publisher" post today--on other warning signs that a publisher is losing its hold--followed by some exciting news for the rest of the summer Fridays. But I feel the need to post about this new RWA debacle, so I hope you'll all tune in next Friday for the Publisher post.


My regular readers know that for some time I've been vocal about the need for RWA to get much stricter about what publishers it deems "Recognized" or "Approved" or whatever. (here) for example). So it was with quite a bit of trepidation that I saw on Wednesday evening that RWA did just what I thought they should do...

Except, NOT.

On the surface, I agree with the changes. These are the new standards:

"After much research, member input, discussion and deliberation, the Board has determined that the blanket application of “Publisher Recognition” to allocate RWA’s resources is not serving its members, many of whom mistakenly perceive that RWA is placing a “stamp of approval” on these publishers. Therefore, the Board has examined its programs and services, item by item.

By substituting the word Eligible for Recognized, and limiting the scope of the term Eligible Publisher so that it deals solely with RWA’s allocation of its programs and resources, primarily at our national Conference, the term and concept of “Recognized Publisher” no longer factors into PAN and PRO eligibility, the RITA and Golden Heart contests, RWR content, and many other sections of our Policies and Procedures Manual.

Commencing with RWA’s 2008 National Conference, for official publisher participation, a romance publisher must verify to RWA that it: (1) is not a Subsidy Publisher or Vanity Publisher; (2) has been releasing romance novels via national distribution for no fewer than three years, with no fewer than two full-length romance novels or novel-length romance anthologies published in each of three consecutive years; (3) provides per book advances of at least $1,000 for all books; and (4) pays all authors participating in an anthology an advance of at least $500.

A Subsidy Publisher or Vanity Publisher means any publisher that publishes books in which the author participates in the cost of production or distribution in any manner, including publisher assessment of a fee or other costs for editing and/or distribution. This definition includes publishers who withhold or seek full or partial payment or reimbursement of publication or distribution costs before paying royalties, including payment of paper, printing, binding, production, sales or marketing costs; publishers whose authors exclusively promote and/or sell their own books; publishers whose primary means of offering books for sale is through a publisher-generated Web site; publishers whose list is comprised of 50% or more of its books written by authors who are principals in the publishing company; and publishers whose business model and methods of publishing are primarily directed toward sales to the author, his/her relatives and associates."


The business of the advances has angered and upset quite a few epublished members. Since most epublishers don't pay advances (and the one who does, Samhain, pays, I believe, $100 or so), this new standard automatically excludes all epublishers. While this doesn't please me entirely, I'm really okay with it. RWA should be making sure the publishers it allows to solicit authors at its convention are able to provide a decent amount of money to authors. This is a step in the right direction.

Personally, I think an epublisher should be able to prove average earnings of over $1000 or $2000 per book, and thus still be eligible. It's all about the money, or at least it should be.

So this is good. I like that they're trying to provide for their members.

The problem, the shameful problem, somes in their definition of Subsidy/Vanity publisher. Did anyone catch it? It's this line here:

publishers whose primary means of offering books for sale is through a publisher-generated Web site;

Which basically means, every epublisher.

This apparently caused quite a stir at the general meeting yesterday, as well it should have. To imply that epublishing automatically means vanity publishing is frankly disgusting.

We all know there are epublishers out there who will seemingly accept just about anything. We've all read epublished books that are essentially crap: poorly written, poorly edited, dull, ungrammatical, etc. But that certainly doesn't mean all epublishers accept anything, and RWA does writers a disservice by both implying they do, and failing to distinguish between the good and the bad. They should be helping their members do that, not ignoring those questions.

When this fact was brought before the board, they claimed to be shocked. Shocked! They enlisted a publishing attorney to help them draft this definition of vanity publishing--an attorney whose name they have not given, and who is apparently a total moron--and they never, ever intended to imply epubs like EC, Samhain, and Loose-id--publisher who were Recognized by them until this convention--were vanity publishers.

But they have not as yet changed the wording. This is highly disturbing.

Whatever the current board says, in an attempt to cover up their shameful ignorance and lack of research into the most basic facts about epublishing, the fact remains that this definition as written equates all epublishers with vanity presses. This board will be up for re-election in a couple of months; who's to say the next board won't choose to rule by the language and not the intent?

The board claims they meant the definition to mean publishers whose only form of distribution is their own websites, and not Fictionwise or Ingrams or any other form of distro.

But the correct wording for that--which one would certainly expect a group of published authors to know--would be "publishers whose exclusive means of offering books for sale is through a publisher-generated Web site;", not "publishers whose primary means of offering books for sale is through a publisher-generated Web site;".

The fact that none of them caught this is cause for real concern. That one reason alone is more than enough to vote against every member of this board when they come up for re-election soon, and it's exactly what we should do. That they claim to represent us and be the face of all of us with regards to the romance industry, and yet apparently can not adequately use or understand written language or do any amount of basic research to benefit their membership is grossly incompetent.

We all know they're trying to prevent another Triskelion-style blowup, and that is admirable. But hiring the Keystone Kops to protect the President is a bad idea, and keeping any member of this failure of a board in office would be irresponsible for any member of the RWA to do. Today they're ignorant of how epublishing works; who knows what new issue they'll be incapable of dealing with next?

This new rule also does NOT address in any way how they will treat epublishers when it comes to the problem of e-piracy. Will the RWA aid epublishers in their efforts to prevent it?

I am quite upset that Ellora's Cave has lost its status with RWA. I am quite upset that Samhain and Loose-id, after finally winning Recognition only a few months ago, ahve now been demoted (apparently, the RWA hasn't officially said yay or nay but these new rules leave little doubt of their intent.) I am quite upset that the RWA isn't taking changes in the industry into account.

Of course there's more; the board managed to claim the reason they haven't added an erotic category to the RITA is because nobody could give them a definition of erotic romance, which is probably one of the silliest excuses I've ever heard (we could give them one, and next year they'll try and tell us their dog ate it).


I've done a lot of thinking over the last couple of days about whether I want to keep my RWA membership. I don't know for sure. As I've said repeatedly, RWA does pretty much nothing for me; in my eyes it's basically a useless organization full of silly women who spend most of their time behaving like they're back in high school. The much-vaunted PAN (Published Author's Network) doesn't, to my knowledge, offer much for its members either, although I'm hoping that now it's harder to get into they'll expand it and make it worth a damn.

For the moment I'm staying in; my membership isn't up until October anyway. Beyond that, we'll see.

But please, if you are a member, and you're reading this, join me in voting against every member of this board. They failed at the very basic tenets of their job, which is to understand the industry and the authors they're supposed to represent, and they do not deserve to keep their offices.

It's OUT!!!

Wheeee!!!

Blood Will Tell is available on the EC site! Buy it here!

*jumping up and down*

My book is out! My book is out!


Did I mention my CONTEST?

I've put (among other things) a small reference to "The Breakfast Club" in this book. It's actually more of an allusion, but let's not quibble.

Find the reference. Email it to me (you don't have to give the page number or scene, just quote the line or paraphrase it for me, whatever you like.) Do this before August 11 and be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift certificate!


I'm so excited! (Can you tell?)

...Looks like I too have now been struck by the Blogger-won't-let-you-title-your-post ghost.

Just a quickie here, my post is up over at Bam's blog, so go check it out and get yourself another chance to win Blood Will Tell!

Blood Will Tell releases Wednesday!

And I'm all in a tizzy. Part of me thinks it's a great book, part of me is convinced everyone will hate it, that the dialogue I thought was sharp and clever will just sound stupid, etc. etc. But it comes out on Wednesday anyway and I am very, very excited!

So not much of a post today. Tomorrow I'm blogging over at Bam's (although I have no idea what to blog about, so if you want to suggest a topic that would be great!) So you can read a real post from me there tomorrow, because today I'm taking advantage of this last chance to urge everyone to join my Yahoo group! Joining enters you in a conest to win a free release-day copy of the book, so don't be shy!

And here's another little excerpt too. Julian and cecelia are dining together, and he's just offered to let her stay at his house to protect her from the vampires who want her dead:

“I guess I don’t have much choice, do I?”
“We all have choices. You just only have one right choice.”
“I still don’t really trust you. I don’t think you’re a very nice man.”
“Do I have to be?”
She considered it. “I guess not, although I’d probably enjoy staying with you more if you were.”
“My dear,” he said, leaning in closer. “I seriously doubt that.”
This time she couldn’t hide her response. Heat flowed through her, blood rushing to her face.
He continued speaking in the same soft tone. “I somehow don’t think that a nicer man would be man enough for you.”
Her mouth was too dry to speak. She looked down, aware that by not answering she had answered him in the most eloquent way possible.
She could feel his gaze on her, almost as if his hands were caressing her. Soft and cool, running across her taut, sensitive nipples, making her gasp as her eyes closed involuntarily.
“You look stunning when you do that,” he said quietly. His voice caressed her too, sliding down her bare arms. “Beautiful enough to make an army of men fall to their knees.”
The compliment made her even warmer, but she opened her eyes. “You?”
He smiled a wistful smile that made him look younger. “I’m only one man. It’s nearly enough to kill me.”
He wasn’t joking. The knowledge made Cecelia a little weak herself.
“If you won’t let me die,” she said, surprised at how breathy her voice was, “I won’t let you die, either.”
“As tempting as dying from the beauty of you is,” he said, “it’s a deal.”
She nodded. “Can I call my lab assistant and let him know where I am?”
He was thoughtful, switching quickly back from “Julian the Romantic” to “Julian the Businesslike”. “No, but you can tell him you’re staying with a friend. Make something up so he won’t expect you at work. But don’t give away your location.”
“I don’t think all this is entirely necessary.” She was trying to trust Julian, but he wasn’t making it easy.
“Then you are far less intelligent than I have given you credit for.”
She sighed. Just when she was starting to feel all warm and squishy toward him, he turned that acid tongue on her again and reminded her that underneath the sex appeal was a viper. An intriguing viper, but one who could still hurt her. “You really are an asshole, aren’t you?”
“I prefer to think of myself as a realist. And realistically, your naiveté will get you killed before you even have a chance to see it coming.” She opened her mouth to speak but he held up his hand, stopping her. “No, Cecelia. You know a lot about what you do. This is what I do. Please give me credit for knowing how to do it.”
“You’re asking a lot from me.”
“Yes, I am. But I’m offering you your life in return. Either your life is important to you or not. Either you want to live or not. Honestly, I don’t imagine you want to die, even though your life is terribly dull.”
“It isn’t.”
“It is. But that’s not the point.”
“We’re getting awfully close to that cab, Julian.”
He rubbed his eyes with his thumbs, his face hidden. The gesture was at once vulnerable and masculine, and for some reason Cecelia felt a rush of triumph. He really didn’t want her to leave. She could feel how much he wanted her to stay, sense it like a living thing.
He didn’t want to give in to her, though. He wanted to say whatever the hell he wanted—he was obviously used to saying whatever the hell he wanted—without repercussions.
Arguing with him may have felt like some kind of bizarre foreplay that both pissed her off and turned her on, but Cecelia had a line. He wasn’t going to cross it, no matter how beautifully he complemented her or how attracted to him she was. The sooner he learned that, the better.
“Please don’t go,” he bit out, his face still hidden by hands that now massaged his forehead as if he had a headache. “I will try not to insult you by implying that your life is boring.”
“That’s a little better,” she said, enjoying herself now.
Until he looked up and caught her smiling. He narrowed his eyes. The deep color of them seemed to intensify, darker and darker, leaving her breathless. “Now you are smirking,” he said.
She stood her ground. “Yes.”
He surprised her by shrugging and pouring some more wine into his glass. “As long as you admit it. Enjoy your little victory, my dear. It may be your last.”
“I bet it won’t.”
He smiled. “I’ll take that bet.”
“What does the winner get?”
His smile grew wider. “Whatever they want, shall we say?”
She knew she shouldn’t agree to it, but honestly, she didn’t care. All night her heart had been beating below her waist and she was tired of trying to pretend that she didn’t want him as badly as he seemed to want her. “Fine.”
“Excellent.” He looked far too pleased with himself to make her comfortable.
Cecelia blushed and looked away, catching the eye of their waiter. He was leaning against the wall, glaring at them. “I think we should go,” she said. “Our waiter looks ready to kill us.”
“It is a bit late, isn’t it?” Julian took her hand. “Shall we go back to my place?”
The innuendo was so heavy that she laughed. “My mother warned me about men like you,” she said.
He raised one eyebrow. “Come with me,” he said, kissing her hand. “I’ll show you why she was right.”


So go on! You know you want to read it! And I'll announce the winner nice and early, so there will be plenty of time for you to buy the book if you don't win.

/>
Click to join DecemberQuinnNews

Find the right publisher (Part Four)

The Honeymoon Period

I see the same sad story all the time, and so have you if you've spent any time in writing communities.

A new publisher opens. Their site looks good, they post Calls for Submissions in all the big places, they seem intelligent and enthusiastic.

Writer X sends them a book, and it's accepted. Instantly, whenever this publisher--let's call them Books of Love, because I don't know of any publisher with that name and doubt it would be used, because it's pretty awful--whenever Books of Love are mentioned on any forum or in any chat, instantly Writer X pops up to say how happy s/he is, how great everyone at BoL is, how professional they are. Often this is echoed by several other Xs, all saying the same thing.

Here's the problem(s). One, unless Writer X is already published with several other places, they really can't say how professional BoL is, because they have nothing to compare it to. Two, being "great and nice" is, well, great and nice, but doesn't mean the staff at BoL is actually professional either. Three, none of this has anything to do with what the actual job of an editor and publisher is, which are respectively to edit your book to professional standards, and to sell that book to the public.

Writer X, high on the rush of a sale and thrilled at the idea of publication, is in The Honeymoon Period.

This is the period of time between contract and royalty statement, and it's the one time when you should probably pay little attention to Writer X's effusive compliments.

The Writer X I'm thinking of specifically for this example was thrilled when BoL signed her, and continued to be thrilled while editing, while getting cover art, while receiving emails from BoL's staff saying how her book was the top seller, and wasn't it exciting?

Do I need to elaborate on what happened to Writer X when she got her royalty statement? She sold three copies.

Three copies in three months.

It wasn't Writer X's fault. It wasn't BoL's fault, either--they had done the best job they could. But BoL was new. BoL had not built a reputation or a readership. Which made BoL a bad choice for an author looking to place her/his novel.

This Honeymoon Period is eveident everywhere, on every blog and forum and website. A new publisher opens, people start selling to them, and before you know it Teh Internets are full of happy, chattery writers, encouraging all of their buddies to sub to BoL, discussing how they're going places, they're doing great, etc. etc. All of it meant kindly. All of it honest--neither BoL or the authors are trying to scam anybody.

But the fact is, and it's one any writer should know and a writer interested in epublishing should tattoo on their arms, that ebook readers tend to be loyal to certain publishers and certain authors. They're not necessarily going to take a chance on a new book by an unknown author from an unknown epublisher. (There are of course exceptions to this, but in general.)

Is this a set rule? No. If a new epublisher is opening its doors and the first books released ar by Patrice Michelle or Jaci Burton or Lora Leigh or any other big name, that publisher becomes a much safer bet. Chances are those authors are over there because they know these people, which means these people are connected and know what they're doing. And readers will follow those big names, and reputation spreads from there.

But anyone can open an epublisher. It's as easy as building a site and posting Calls for Submissions. No advances are paid in epublishing, so it requires little money to start up.

What this means is that every day, it seems, another publisher opens up. Every day new writers submit to and are accepted by those publishers. And every day a writer realizes they've made a huge mistake.

This is the one thing I only skimmed over in my last posts, and one of the most important things there is. Does this publisher have a reputation of sales? Have you heard of them? Have you heard of the authors talking them up all over the place? Are those authors discussing how good the sales are, or are they talking about how nice everyone is?

Don't trust anyone talking up a publisher while they're in the Honeymoon Period. It doesn't mean anything.

Don't submit your work to a start-up publisher unless you know someone in the organization and/or their background. Isn't it better to wait however many months to get acceptance from a publisher you know, than to have your book out there and nobody knows about it?

Yes. It is. Don't gamble with your book. Give it to someone you trust because they've proven they know what they're doing, not because they seem really nice.

More next Friday.

Continue to Part Five

Just a quickie, I'm afraid

Today is the 4th of July.

When I was a kid this was a big deal, despite the fact that it pretty much rained every year. My brother and I would watch it glumly all day, praying it would clear up by nightfall so we could go outside and draw colored shapes in the air with sparklers, and use a punk to light those black snakes (the only fireworks we were usually allowed to light), while Dad set off the big stuff and the dog cowered terrified inside.

On the Bicentennial we went to a local park (whose name I've been trying to remember all damn morning and can't, and apparently the name has changed because Google doesn't help). My parents laid out the Snoopy sheet we used for picnics and to make tents, and we all sat on it and watched what promised to be The Greatest Fireworks Display Ever. I remember it was pretty cool, too, although being only almost 4 I was awfully tired. We used to be in awe of Bicentennial quarters, too, with the soldier on the back and the flag? That was coool, man. Special coins! Because it was America's birthday!

One year my Dad got chased by a Roman Candle. It tipped over and shot a fireball right at him. He ran out of the way, and it ricocheted off the side of my little playhouse and followed him. I don't remember how it all resolved. I presume he beat it to death. He used to tell us about the Roman Candle fights he got into with his brothers when he was a kid. I was in awe.

A few years ago the hubs and I grabbed a pizza that night and drove home listening to some sort of "Patriotism Mix" on the radio. The Fourth was irritating in our neighborhood, because the people behind us were, like magpies, adoring of Bright Shiny Things and turned the 4th into "America's Six-Week Birthday". The fireworks would start in early June and last until mid-August. When we went onto our back porch it was like the apocalypse was nigh and people were huddling around burning trash cans for warmth.

I miss it all.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone.


(BTW, I haven't been making my usual rounds much this week, and probably won't, because I am up to my neck in work. I did 6k words yesterday. My goal for today is 7500. Everything came due at once--unexpectedly, it wasn't like I lazed about. Pray for me, I'm going in.)

Is it Monday already?

Man, where did that weekend go?

I fully intend to continue my "Choosing a publisher" series, but I'm not continuing it today (as I said, I'll probably do it on Friday and it will likely run all summer). I'm not sure why, since I have no other topics prepared (note to self: when compiling blog ideas in a file, don't drunkenly jot down something and assume I'll remember) but those posts are long and complex to write and as I'm just about to finish a novella I'm working on I don't want to lose the flow. So we'll be quick today. Sort of.

Everyone is gearing up for the big RWA conference next week, and I'm gearing up for my first EC novel release next week (Wednesday), so it seems we're in a bit of a lull. Nobody's writing, nobody's submitting, nobody's leaping on submissions (I assume) because soon it will be time to fly off to the conference.

I've never been to a writing conference of any kind, except for that panel where I acted like a big dork at DragonCon. But that's not really a writing conference. It was fun, though.

So far in our Summer Movie Education program we've shown the sd: Jaws, Speed, Rear Window, Shaun of the Dead, Enter the Dragon, Rocky Balboa, and The Thing. (Tonight we plan a double bill: Face/Off and Hot Fuzz.)

I love The Thing. But I hate the ending. It's my big problem with John Carpenter films. he loves those ambiguous endings.

The hubs likes them too. I hate them. I wonder if it's a gender thing? Because I've never known a man who didn't think the ambiguous ending was somehow cooler than an ending that, you know, actually ends and resolves the story. And I've never known a woman who wasn't irritated by them. At least none that I've talked to about it, because watch, I'll say that and every lady I know will comment how much they love ambiguous endings and I'll feel like a big dumb dummy.

The exception to this, of course, is Gone With the Wind. Because it's Gone With the Wind, so it can have whatever ending it wants.

Books going into series often leave us with unanswered questions, but we know there will be a resolution at some point.

What do you think? Which questions are okay to leave open, and which ones need to be closed? How do you feel about ending a book or movie and not really feeling like you got a resolution?

And was MacCready a Thing?