Archive for the ‘editorial’ Category

Two Videos, a Free Book and a Link

Angela just sent me an email politely asking where my blog post was. The deadline is on my calendar, but I had not opened my calendar yet. So a few fun things from the past few days.

I like memes. It’s interesting to see how people take a little bit of structure and then get creative. A current meme is stuff people say, and the publishing video was making its rounds earlier this week:

Stuff (or sh*t) Editors and Agents say

Not that the concept of memes in new. In fact, at Harlequin, we decided to highlight the variety of our series by having several authors start with the same opening paragraph and then tell the story as they wanted, and as suited the series they wrote for. We gathered the stories together and asked Christine Bell to write a new steampunk story to represent Carina Press. You can download it free at Harlequin.com. Happy early Valentines Day!

This the opening paragraph:

Charlotte winced as an inebriated party-goer stepped on her foot, but she kept moving determinedly toward the doors that led to the balcony. The Duncans would be delighted with their party; it was clearly the event of the season, and their daughter had been successfully launched into society.

Unfortunately, the noise, the heat and the crowd combined with Charlotte’s pounding headache to make her want to escape for a breath of fresh air. Reaching the balcony doors, she opened them to find two people engaged in a passionate kiss.

“I’m sorry.” The words escaped her mouth before she realized it would have been better to make an exit without being noticed. The couple jumped apart.

Charlotte felt the blood drain from her face as she stared at her fiancé.

“John! I thought you were dead!”

All this, of course, made me a look for a meme about what Canadians say, see below. No, that is not how we Canadians say “out and about” (warning: swearing!).

Last I wrote a post at my blog about why authors should care about synopses — how a publishing companies uses it. Several people have commented they have found it useful so if you wonder why we make authors write synopses, you can find out.

Happy Groundhog Day!

A History of Crushes, Star Trek edition

I love outer space.

So big, vast, and full of nothing-and-everything.

I gravitated to sci-fi at an early  age, helped by a father who let me read from his bookshelf (oh to be young and discovering Douglas Adams again…). Though I read sci-fi for a few years, my tastes widened and in high school, I found myself lost more often in a fantasy, and then in the crime fiction world. But my other media habits, tv and movies, remained firmly rooted in boldly going where no one had gone before.

And it was in those tv shows that I discovered not only the joys of space exploration, but also … boys.

Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered in 1987, and I was seven years old. Maybe a little young to be developing crushes on heroes, but thankfully, ST:TNG had a character who was a safe crush for my target demographic:
Wesley Crusher

Oh hi, Wesley. Be still my adolescent heart.

This kid hit all my “perfect boy” checklist items:

  • Smart
  • No really, so smart
  • Nice to his mom
  • Capable of saving the ship if need be
  • A little awkward and shy
  • Seriously, the smartest kid ever with a super bright Starfleet future

What’s not to love? I know many TNG fans mock Wesley for … well, for everything about him. But when seen through the eyes of a seven-year-old me, he was perfect.

When Star Trek: Deep Space Nine began in 1993, I was just entering my preteen years, and I’d matured. “Smart” still topped my list of admirable boy qualities, but I was ready for someone a little older, a little wiser, a little like…

Dr. Julian Bashir

Yes, Dr. Julian Bashir. Genetically enhanced by his parents, he was super smart. And kindof (okay, very) awkward. And he was a doctor — he helped people! And he had a bizarre friendship with a Cardassian.

I was proud of my new grown-up crush.

When Star Trek: Voyager aired, I was ready for a bad boy. A loner [Dottie], a rebel. A smart guy, sure, but a guy who was more concerned with breakin’ the rules and doin’ his own thing than acing any test. A guy with a sense of humor and a hefty respect for nostalgia.

Enter…

Tom Paris
Vanilla bad boy Tom Paris.

Sure, he’d been in prison. He had a past. But he had a heart of gold, and his badness was never that bad. He seemed just dangerous enough for a shy teenage girl like me. And that episode when he disobeyed orders to help the ocean planet? So great. Take that, Prime Directive!

With Star Trek: Enterprise, I’m sad to say I didn’t really watch it as it originally aired. I was a senior in college, and I watched the first episode, heard the theme song, and decided to hate the show on principle. Lately, my husband and I have been working our way through the series on Netflix, and I’ve discovered the wisecracking chief engineer:

Trip Tucker

I hated him in the first two episodes, but Trip Tucker has grown and claimed a small piece of my sci-fi-crushing heart. Smart, good with his hands, and funny — and at some angles, he kindof has a Brad Pitt thing going on, maybe? But more than anything, Trip falling in love with and getting his heart broken by a Vulcan… I hope T’Pol comes to her senses before the series is over. Those two kids are so good together.

And there you have it. A walk through one girl’s discovery of boys via a sci-fi franchise.

Now, none of these crushes hold a candle to my BSG crushes, but that’s a post for another day…

Confessions of a Lazy Reader

Confession: I’m a lazy reader. When I first begin reading a new story, I don’t want to work too hard to be drawn into the author’s world. I want to be captivated almost immediately, so that I sink into the story and soon forget that I’m even reading. If I meet more characters at once than I can easily keep track of, or if I have to wade through too much background information, or if there’s a lot of mundane activity on the page, I may start yawning and move on to another book.

And if the main character is aimless as well as being depressed or bored, I will be bored too…until I’m outta there. If I’m browsing in a bookstore, this means no sale for the published author. And if I’m reading a manuscript submission, this means a rejection.

As a lazy reader, I want the author to do the heavy lifting for me. I want it to be easy to figure out who’s who, and what their background is, and how every character is related to everyone else. I want the author to grab me by the throat, wow me, and not let me go until the ride is over, whether that ride is quietly emotional or full of high-stakes thrills.

I can be hooked by vivid, outsize characters. By an exceptional voice. More than anything, I’m hooked by a character’s goals. If I get caught up in what the protagonist is trying to do, or prevent, or avoid, it’s more likely that I’ll keep reading. And I’m more likely to care when I understand what’s at stake if they fail, and when the characters are so engaging that I start to connect with them and root for their success.

The more unusual the situation is, the more my interest will be piqued. The unexpected is such a delight and will stand out from the same old tired openings. I especially love the juxtaposition of elements that don’t usually go together. In Madeleine Wickham’s 1998 novel The Gatecrasher, the heroine goes to funerals to pick up men. The heroine in Jenny Schwartz’s Angel Thief is in charge of the heavenly library, so we don’t expect an angel to break into someone’s house to steal an ancient book.

Although I’m lazy at the outset, once I’m hooked, a story can become progressively more complex and layered and challenging—in fact, I very much prefer it that way—provided the additional characters, subplots, political agendas, suspects or complications are added in gradually so I’m never overwhelmed (or bored) by an information overload.

How about you? What needs to be on the first page to entice you to keep reading? Have you read any books with standout openings lately?

The Girl Who Loves Wish Lists

by Tara Stevens, Carina Press acquisitions team

With Christmas upon us and a good chunk of my shopping for other people done, I finally have time to revel in a recent addiction of mine: wish lists. I don’t know about you, but with so many fabulous books popping up every day all over creation, it’s hard to keep track of everything I want to devour in words.

Wish lists were probably invented by a Virgo, but sometimes Virgos invent useful things, especially if they’re also geeks. Having your heart’s desires at the ready is especially handy when your parents or partner want a gift idea that doesn’t involve stone-cold cash or a frying pan. I mean, they may know you’re generally a literary type who likes losing herself in other people’s stories, but they don’t necessarily know what particular book you’re craving at the moment. So why not help them (and yourself) out?

Besides being the more prepared way to go, I also think wish lists are a more polite approach to consumerism. (Maybe they were invented by a Canadian Virgo?) In light of recent “competitive shopping” incidents involving pepper spray south of the border, taking the civilized route not only nets you better karma (important at this time of year), but also increases your chances of actually getting what you want without landing yourself in prison.

The good and bad thing about wish lists (specifically book-related ones) is that they can be constantly updated and have the tendency to grow wildly out of control (like your bevvy consumption in December after one too many holiday parties).

Another neat thing about wish lists is that they’re so easy to set up online. With the advent of the interwebs, you just browse, pick and click to your heart’s content. The best part is that you can share your consumerist longings with those closest to you with a few taps on your keyboard. In my experience, you’ll quickly find out that some people know how to follow directions (i.e., keep you happy), while others don’t like being told what to do and go rogue with the nearest catalogue.

While most of my wish list this Christmas is populated by actual books (Blue Nights by Joan Didion, Then Again by Diane Keaton, The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, anything I haven’t gobbled up by Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb), there are some other book-related things I also covet.

As part of the Carina Press acquisitions team, I’d love to see more male/male and witty contemporary romance submissions in my stocking this year. It would also be cool to get more connected editorial in 2012, so that when I find a story or character I love, I know there’s more guaranteed awesome to be had in the same vein coming my way soon.

But enough about me and what I want. What’s on your Christmas wish list (books or otherwise) this year?

The step before Happily Ever After

Happy Thanksgiving to our U.S. readers! For a bit of a fun holiday post, I thought I’d let you in on some non-editing related work I’ve been doing the past few weeks.

When I got engaged in October, the romance reader in me looked forward to riding off into the sunset and maybe one day getting a baby epilogue or two. Most stories end as soon as Boy-Gets-Girl, and I can understand why. Girl-Gets-Stressed-By-Wedding-Planning doesn’t quite have the same ring. Right now, my fiancé and I are tackling what feels like the biggest decision…where to host the special day. Here are some book-themed places we’ve seriously—and not so seriously—considered.

We both agreed that we wanted to forgo the standard hotel ballroom for our reception in preference of a space with a more unique look. And my thoughts immediately turned to a place that, to paraphrase Carrie Bradshaw, “houses all the great love stories.” The Boston Public Library.

Bates Hall Reading Room, Image via Wikipedia

Boston Public Library, Image via Wikipedia

 Beautiful, no? But since our budget is not of Mr. Big proportions, we’re thinking literary grandeur on a smaller scale (OK, maybe it’s just me thinking the literary part).  For example, can’t you just picture Jane Eyre tying the knot in the gothic goodness of Harvard’s Adolphus Busch Hall?

Adolphus Busch Hall, Image via Harvard Art Museums

Or Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy hosting their nuptial dinner in a dining room similar to that of Boston University’s Castle?

BU Castle Music Room, Image via Boston University

Of course, if it was up to me, we’d totally have a Hogwarts-themed affair at Harvard’s Annenberg Hall (aka the freshman dining hall). After all, who needs seating arrangements when you have a Sorting Hat?

Annenberg Hall, Image via Harvard University

Which of your favorite fictional characters’ weddings would you most like to crash?

Carina Press call for submissions!

Hi guys! Several of us freelance editors decided it was time to do another call for submissions we’re dying to get in. Of course, PLEASE note that in the end, what we really want is a good story, so even if yours doesn’t fit the descriptions below, don’t hesitate to send it to us anyway! Sometimes we don’t know what we want until we get it in our inbox. :-) You can find out more info on all the Carina freelance editors on this page.

Now, that said, let’s dish:

Rhonda Helms: I’m always open to pretty much every genre, with or without romance. Sometimes I don’t know I want something unless it hits my desk. But there are certain genres I’m eager to read more of, including: steampunk, atypical fantasy, sci-fi/futuristic, romance (any steaminess level), cross-genre urban fantasy, stories with a mythological element, historicals (especially if they feature real historical figures/events), stories set in unusual locales, gladiators (I LOVE them), thrillers with unusual twists, horror, super-funny stories, books with kick-ass heroines, and anything with a multicultural element.

Gina Bernal: Romance of any subgenre with military heroes or heroines, contemporary romance without suspense elements (including but not only small-town settings), historical romance with an adventurous bent (still searching for those elusive pirates), shapeshifter paranormals, urban fantasy with a unique twist (i.e. beyond the usual vampires and werewolves), and creepy though not necessarily gory psychological thrillers.

Melissa Johnson: Melissa would like to see submissions of any genre that have great worldbuilding, believable and original characters, and deep and difficult conflict.  She works with authors across the range of genres and niches that Carina publishes.  She is especially excited to see manuscripts with series potential that hint of a vast world and even bigger story in the author’s head.

Alison Janssen: I want to see more:

  • Scifi, especially space opera.
  • Gaslight and/or steampunk. (don’t we all, lol!)
  • Medieval.
  • Small town contemporary romance (or contemp. where setting plays an important part).
  • Redemption stories—any genre, really. I love, love, love themes of characters struggling to redeem themselves in the eyes of a parent, lover, community —or even their own eyes.

Denise Nielsen: It’s harder than it seems to narrow down genres I’d love to see. Just as my mind settles on one thing, another pops up. I’m still looking for solid contemporaries, steampunk and/or suspense stories or novellas, but with the gloomier weather kicking in, I find I am more in the mood for plots and characters that have a darker edge. Not so much shape shifters, but more danger and mystique, more human characters with secrets. I would love to see something gothic come my way with a hint of suspense perhaps…think smugglers, highwaymen or soldiers of fortune; think mysterious heroines and a world where not everything is as is seems.

Historicals are still something I’m keen on and anything to do with norse or medieval themes would especially capture my interest. Feel free to incorporate legend and myth to give it more of a fantasy flavour too. I also maintain that a novel set among the spies and resistance fighters of world war II would be intriguing…there is so much room for developing a strong heroine in that period. What I don’t want is a history lesson…the focus needs to be on the characters, but please do weave in authentic historical details to give depth to your story.

Take a risk with cross-genre blends, or stick to your favourite genre. But do it with strong characters who take an active role in their own plot. Give me conflict (both internal and external) and character development, and if there is a romantic element to your story, show me the fire—whether that is a slow burn or instant passion—between the heroine and hero.

Lynne Anderson: I’d particularly love to see cross-genre stories, and interracial, multicultural, and/or LGBT relationships. However, I’m always interested in reading well-written, engaging stories in all genres (truly—I enjoy them all!), of any length. What catches my attention is a distinctive writing voice, a certain flair with language, unusual premises, new and interesting takes on standard tropes, and imperfect, genuine characters with depth. I look forward to reading your submissions!

Deb Nemeth: On my wish list are high-stakes thrillers and cleverly constructed mysteries featuring a compelling detective who a series can be based on. One of my favorite genres is historical romance, especially English and Irish settings from Celtic to WW2 but also any European (medieval, Crusaders, Renaissance, buccaneers), as well as unusual settings such as Asia and Africa. I can’t get enough steampunk, so if your invented world is full of gears and gadgets, I wanna read it. I’m also actively seeking contemporary romance mss with strong conflict—something more than an I’ve-been-hurt-before hesitation to commit—and passionate characters. I’ve been longing to acquire Asian-inspired urban fantasy, space westerns, futuristic mystery/suspense and Arthurian fantasy. In all genres I’m looking for m/m and multicultural stories, and I’m open to all heat levels. I’m attracted by intense characters, both lawmakers and lawbreakers, and crisp writing.

Elizabeth Bass: What would I like to see more of? Historicals! Romances, of course, but I also would be interested in historical mysteries or thrillers. I’ve really been craving more Western historicals, Regencies, and books set in the medieval period. (Although from the Carina submissions I’ve received and acquired, I’ve discovered any historical period can be great if the writer finds the story to make it click!) Also, it would be fun to see submissions from authors who have branched out into twentieth century historicals–romances, mysteries or thrillers set during the World Wars or the years between. I’d love to see more thrillers or police procedurals with a hero/heroine detective who has series potential. Cozy mysteries, too.  I’ve been rereading Sparkle Hayter’s Robin Hudson series and I’m craving a fun cozy series with a woman detective. Finally, a great zombie/creature apocalypse thriller in my inbox would make my day.

Mallory Braus: Mallory looks for characters first. Three dimensional and relatable characters—with depth and vulnerabilities—pull her into a story faster than anything else. She’s looking for all genres, but there are a few things she’s especially keeping an eye out for:

  • I’m still hoping to find a zombie hunter romance in my inbox. Though, I will read all things zombie related.
  • Psychics – Especially if you have psychic FBI agents or members of a special government agency…
  • I’ve been keeping an eye out for quirky characters. Nerdy/dorky heroines or heroes. Funny relatives. Etc.
  • Gritty thrillers.
  • Historical Mysteries.
  • “Band of Brother” type series. Examples would be Nora Roberts’s trilogies, Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters, or J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood. Where an emphasis is on the building of multiple characters’ relationships.
  • Stories with unique worlds/setting, including, but not limited to: steampunk, post-apocalyptic, futuristic sci-fi and urban fantasy

So, if you have anything that fits the editor requests (or even just a great book in general!) to submit, visit our submissions page and follow the directions there. You can address your submission to one of the editors above, or the editorial staff in general. Thanks, and we look forward to reading your amazing stories!

Drinking the Kool-Aid

So, did you preorder a Kindle Fire tablet yet? I have to admit that, up until Wednesday morning, I had avoided drinking the Amazon Kool-Aid. My trusty Sony PRS-300 (love making collections to sort books!) and original Kobo have served my ereading needs well, and as a coupon hound I’ve enjoyed taking advantage of special sales at a variety of ebook retailers. But ever since the iPad debuted, I’ve been lusting for a tablet…I just couldn’t fathom dropping $500 on a gadget I didn’t really need. Want, want, want, yes. Need? Not so much. However, the Fire’s price tag (minus a couple gift cards) set off my shopping impulse and I surrendered.

The thing I wonder is, how—if at all—will owning a tablet change the way I read? Back when the original Kindle launched and ebooks became big news, I confess, I was a naysayer. I didn’t think a gadget could satisfyingly replicate the experience of holding a book in my hands. Then I borrowed a colleague’s first-generation Sony for the weekend… “Duh, Gina you big goober,” I probably said to myself, “it’s the stories that make you love reading not the feel of the paper.”

Now I’m a huge fan of dedicated Eink devices—though I may occasionally sniff a new paper book now and again. I love how I don’t have to choose only a couple books to bring on vacation. How I can start a new book at midnight without leaving my bed or even reaching for the nightstand. And especially how well ereaders hide my book hoarding tendencies from my significant other.

I also know how much fun it is to waste hours playing Angry Birds or streaming random PBS documentaries on my iPod. Will having a nifty new gadget with more than just books on it mean my reading time will have even more competition? Or will the color browsing and same-place access to book blogs and Amazon’s one click make book shopping that much more fun? Guess we’ll see come November!

What’s your favorite device to read on? Are you tempted by Amazon’s new Kindle offerings? How have ebooks changed your reading habits?

Why Does the Heroine have No Friends?

I was originally going to write a post about secondary characters and how they can add so much to a story when I realized what I really wanted to ask, especially when I read slush: “Why does the heroine have no friends?”

Memorable secondary characters can affect a book. The people who immediately popped into my head were  Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice, Sir Fotherby Nugent  in Sylvester and all of Bridget Jones’s friends. I realized I really wanted to write about how a writer can and should create a full and complete world for her  hero and heroine by including specific, unique, memorable secondary characters.

So often I read a romance novel, or a mystery or a sci fi adventure, where the heroine’s world seems to revolve around her career and that’s it. A token friend or two is mentioned, but once the hero and heroine meet – especially in a category romance – they seem to live in a bubble. Don’t they have any friends? Don’t they go out for coffee (think of the endless brunch scenes in Sex and the City), take lessons or belong to a book club?  If they are incapable of maintaining a friendship why should the reader believe they can maintain a romantic relationship?

Some writers have clued in but only deliver in the most simplistic manner. A token friend arrives on scene to help move the plot forward. Yes, that’s helpful but oh-so-predictable. Couldn’t these friends be memorable? I loved Bridget’s super successful banker friend who spent hours on her mobile in the loo talking about her boyfriend; the male friend who was living off the residuals of his one-hit wonder (I am thinking the movie version here). These characters are only in short scenes but her friends help both make the book and Bridget. I would not have liked Bridget  nearly as much or believed Darcy could fall in love with her unless I thought she was a good friend.

Bridget’s friends

Think of Mr. Collins. He’s pompous, insecure, pious, critical, a social-climber and he has a thing about closets! He sets plot points in motion: his proposal to Elizabeth; his subsequent marriage to Charlotte; Elizabeth’s visit with the married Collinses.  Elizabeth’s reactions to him and to his marriage to Charlotte show differing characters beliefs (or hopes) about the roles of true love and marriage. Charlotte states she cannot afford to believe in love. Elizabeth, no matter the costs, does.     

                                                                       

Mr. Collins, always greatful to his patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh

Many of the secondary characters in Georgette Heyer’s novels are just plain funny. If you haven’t met Sir Fotherby Nugent and his tassled boots in Sylvester rush out and get your copy now and start reading. (It’s one of my personal favorites.)

So if you want to make your story really come to life, if you are looking for original and creative ways to express your ideas, don’t forget your secondary characters!

“Polished” Hessians — very important to Sir Nugent!

The holiday steampunk collection announced!

I was reminded that I didn’t announce the authors and their novellas that were selected to be in our 2011 steampunk holiday collection, releasing December 2011. The call for submission, which went out this spring, was the only such themed call we’ve done to date. It’s been asked if we plan to do more, and right now the answer is probably not more than once a year. For now, we’ll keep the majority of the collections/anthologies we do by-invitation-only, with the possible exception of one a year.

The steampunk holiday call was highly successful for us. Not only did we acquire four novellas for the holiday collection, but we also acquired five others, for release in 2012, and sent out revise and resubmits for an additional three! The calibre of the submissions, as you might tell from just those numbers, was outstanding and incredible. Thank you to everyone who submitted!

With that said, I offer my congratulations to these for authors, who will appear in the 2011 steampunk holiday collection, and will have their novellas release both separately and as a bundle. We welcome two new-to-Carina authors, and two returning Carina authors.

Far From Broken by J.K. Coi

Untitled steampunk novella (set in Australia!) by Jenny Schwartz

Untitled steampunk novella by Stacy Gail

This Winter Heart by PG Forte

As a point of interest, our other two holiday collections, which were by-invitation-only will include:

Josh Lanyon, K.A. Mitchell, Harper Fox and Ava March in a collection of m/m romance tales.

Jaci Burton, Alison Kent, HelenKay Dimon and Shannon Stacey in a contemporary romance collection.

You can purchase all three of these collections, or the individual novellas, on December 5, 2011!

Now hiring: Freelance Developmental/Content Editors

Yes, it’s that time again, my favorite time of year when we go looking for some fresh victims talented team members in the form of freelance developmental editors.

Now, before you get all excited and shoot off an email, please read what we’re looking for carefully. Respondents who don’t meet the requirements or who don’t include the requested material will not receive a reply.

Requirements:

* One year paid experience editing fiction. In lieu of paid experience, I will accept editorial and agent internships in which the applicant worked with fiction and provided editorial feedback.

* Understanding of the difference between editing and polishing a book/offering insight into editorial issues and rewriting or interfering with an author’s voice.

* Ability to communicate editorial revisions to an author in a professional manner.

* Genuine love of editing, reading and the craft of writing.

* Ability to self-motivate, stay on task and meet deadlines consistently.

* Ability to take direction and feedback, while also offering critique.

* Interest in working in a freelance environment with a team feel.

* Desire and ability to help an author build her career.

* Interest in working in the digital industry, being part of a growing business, and being a leader in the digital industry.

* Willingness to engage in other activities, both paid and unpaid, such as contest judging, offering critiques, guest blogging and interacting with editorial and author peers in an online environment.

* Willingness to attend virtual editorial team meetings.

* Desire to learn about digital book marketing, as well as other aspects of digital publishing.

* Thorough understanding of and insight into the genres you choose to edit.

If you meet these qualification requirements, are willing to work in a freelance capacity for a flat, per-project/per-assignment fee, and would like to learn more about the freelance editorial position, please send your CV and a letter of interest, detailing your qualifications and stating why you are interested in working for Carina Press in particular, as well as what genres you feel you’d be qualified to edit, to my attention at generalinquiries AT carinapress.com I will respond with some further information about the position. From there, we ask all applicants to who move forward with the process to perform an editorial evaluation on a manuscript, so please be prepared to go through this process if you apply.

Please note that reply may be sporadic, as I will be traveling quite a bit in the month of June, and will not always be able to reply promptly to letters of interest.