This post is going to be a shorter one because I’m writing it up from my hotel room in New York City in between practicing for the two presentations I’ll be presenting tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Tools of Change conference. There are somewhere around 1000 publishing professionals here for this conference, and though I certainly won’t be presenting to a large percentage of them, it’s still enough to make me nervous!
Last week was a good week for Carina. I talked some more on the blog about submissions, including giving a glimpse into what we loved about the books we eventually acquired and what the editors are specifically looking for. I also shared the first official Carina Press cover, and will be sharing more of them this week on the blog as I’m able. I’m afraid it will be a bit of a slow week on the blog (see paragraph one).
I’m still working on hiring copy editors. Some of you have heard from me and others have not, because I’ve been visiting and revisiting emails and tests. I won’t get to that again this week, but it’s on my list of things to address when I’m in the Toronto offices next week.
I had a question I wanted to ask those of you who visit the blog. I’ve asked the webmaster to add a few things to the blog (like a subscribe to comments plugin) and I wondered if there was anything you’d like us to change/do differently on the blog, that would make it more user friendly? I’d like to hear your suggestions.
Tags: Behind the Scenes
I’m not sure if its the same thing as “subscribe to comments” but I would love if there were an option to subscribe to the blog posts themselves. I follow two other blogs that have this feature (Guide to Literary Agents and Miss Snark’s First Victim). I reall enjoy getting the emails that have the new posts.
Good luck with your conference presentation!
I’m with Rebecca. I come and check out the blog everyday to see what is happening with submissions so some kind of subscription would be great (although I’ll keep coming back).
Please don’t complicate it. I love the simplicity of the blog and the ease at which you can navigate to different pages but then still find the one you had originally. Busy blogs just alienate and give people headaches!
Keep up the awesome work =)
Bronwyn.
I know it is already too late for me to ask this for I’ve already submitted my manuscript last week, but I was wondering what Carina Press ISN’T looking for. I know that you want to see everything from every kind of genre, but this has been bothering me since my submission.
Are you guys okay with having material that contains graphic content such as strong profane language, gorey details such as blood and murder, sexual assault, etc?
How about love stories that don’t fit the criteria of romance, for example, tragic endings when the hero or heroine don’t live in the end?
I’ve been checking the blog everyday, and I’ve also been looking through the submissions guidelines and FAQ, and I don’t see any particular reason for me to worry, but I can’t help it.
Either way, whether you reject it or not, I’m very thankful just like any other author who has had the oppurtunity to submit their entire work to a publisher. It’s not often that a publisher wants to see an entire work of creative fiction without a query letter that doesn’t give the work any bit of justice.
Keep up the great work, guys! I look forward to the launch in June! SQUEE!
I too read the blog almost everyday and I am totally content with the format. Sometimes I have trouble passing the security check to post but that is more of a ‘me’ problem than a ‘you\ problem
How about an ability to search the blog to see if you’ve ever mentioned a specific topic before that might not appear in a title.
Good luck with the presentations, Angela! It sounds exciting.
Tami
A most recent comments section in the sidebar might be nice.
I have carina saved in my google reader. There’s a feed link somewhere, but I’d love if there were a search option on here to look through old blog posts. And maybe pictures of the books coming out….hehe.
Hi Angela,
The web site let alone blog is simple, easy to navigate, and provides the necessary information for published and, aspiring authors.
With your time in short supply in setting up Carina Press, why make life any harder with complicated blog and too many peripheral things to worry about.
I do have two questions:
Why RTF files for submission instead of Word?
Are you interested in romantic suspense novels set on foreign soil, as in UK based with American hero?
best
Francine
http://www.tgunwriter.blogspot.com
I agree that the site is really simple to navigate as is. I’m one of those who stops by almost every day, sometimes several times a day. Blog and content are great. Don’t over-complicate!
I’m not sure if it’s possible because I’m not sure what platform this is, but I’d love a mobile version.