Five Easy(?) Pieces-- A Blog by Our Editor

Deb's Blog Part I

Beyond Heaving Bosoms

First, I must tell you about a book I've been reading while on the road the last week and a half--BEYOND HEAVING BOSOMS by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan, paperback, $15.00, ISBN 1416571221.

This is the NEW, highly anticipated book by the Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books--it's a comprehensive look at romance fiction and why we LOVE IT SO MUCH and why all those snobbes who look down at romance readers just so don't get it.

I can't possibly do justice to the hilarity of the writing in this book and its complete and total dead-on-ness because I myself am not a writer, just a lowly editor who has the privilege to work with other people's brilliant words, but let me tell you, you will laugh fit to bust your bustier, and if that's not enough, you'll read about a whole mess of fabulous books that you just have to run out and read immediately or your life won't be complete (if you're one of my authors, however, you still must not miss your deadline).

Deb's Blog Part II

Romantic Times Convention

I just got back from the Romantic Times convention, held in sunny, beautiful Orlando, Florida, where I had a wonderful time with some of my very own authors: Robin Kaye, Judi Fennell, Kathryne Kennedy, Mary Wine and Ashlyn Chase. Another reminder of what a GREAT group of women write romance fiction--if you're not already active in a chapter of RWA, or participating in great events like RT, get going! The support and inspiration are limitless.

Deb's Blog Part III

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

In February 2010, we'll be publishing a brand new book by Laura Kinsale--her first in over 5 years. VERY EXCITING! Watch for details, this is going to be a big launch.

Deb's Blog Part IV

One Editor's Criteria

As you know, I've been talking forever about my 4 criteria for submissions:

1. a heroine the reader can relate to
2. a hero she can fall in love with
3. a world gets created
4. a great hook (in other words, I can sell it in 2-3 sentences)

I'm adding one more criterion: A career arc for the author

Because, like potato chips, we can't publish just one!

If I buy your debut novel, and it's successful, guess what's going to happen? My sales people are going to come back to me and want to know--what's the next one and how fast can we have it? This is definitely what we call a high quality problem, but you should start thinking about it very early on, and include that info in your submissions:

• what are you envisioning your next 3 books are going to be?
• how fast can you realistically write a book--one per year? two per year? more?

Deb's Blog Part V

A practical matter relating to email submissions.

It would help me enormously if submissions would have filenames that identify them, and if the filename for the synopsis and the manuscript start out the same.

For example, GOOD:

Tale of Two Cities synopsis.doc

Tale of Two Cities manuscript.doc

NOT SO GOOD:

Synopsis.doc

Manuscript.doc

Partial.doc

First Three Chapters.doc

You see, uploading to my Kindle, I can't change the filename, and the files then get separated and are indistinguishable from the 19 other files with the same name.

Ok!
Rant over!
Bring it on!