Update on AVON - from RWA National 2007
***From Cindi Myers eNewsletter***
This week I’m continuing my coverage of the publisher Spotlights from the 2007 RWA National Conference in Dallas.
The Spotlight on Avon was presented by Executive Editor Lucia Macro, Senior Editor Erika Tsang, Assistant Editors Tessa Woodward and Esi Sogah and Editor May Chen. The Avon Romance program publishes a minimum of five to six books a month: one historical romance (Avon Treasure), one contemporary romance, two Avon Romance historicals (where most new authors start) and one romance Super Leader, which may be historical or contemporary. A Super Leader author ships 150,000 plus copies. They also have romance by best sellers like Julia Quinn and Stephanie Laurens on the general list.
Avon editors are looking for sexy historical romance with really strong characters. Victorian, Regency, Medievals. No American settings. They’re open to all kinds of tones, from funny to serious. The stories should be very emotional.
They’re also interested in contemporary and historical paranormal romance. Darker stories have a better chance here.
On the contemporary side, they want sexy, emotional stories. They’re also open to sexy romantic suspense.
All the above should be approximately 90,000 words.
Avon Red publishes one erotica title a month, both novels and short story collections. Stories do best that have strong thematic elements and a strong relationship that doesn’t have to be a romance. They’re not looking for literary erotica or single short stories. But they’re open to short story collections by a single author if the stories have a unifying theme or some element that unites them. Avon Red manuscripts should be 60,000 - 75,000 words.
Avon A is Avon’s trade paper fiction line. Editor May Chen says they’re looking for “fresh, interesting, unique submissions.” Not standard chick lit. The focus in these stories is not necessarily romance, but there may be romantic elements. These stories may be historical or contemporary and are bigger stories than those in the core romance program.
To query Avon, send an email to avonromance@harpercollins.com. Include a brief synopsis and bio in the body of the email – no attachments. Don’t send multiple emails about the same project, no attachments and no all caps. Be clear as to what the book is about and what is unique or different about your story. Follow up if you have had no reply in three weeks or so. The editors receive approximately 100 queries a day.
Avon accepts both agents and unagented submissions.
***From Cindi Myers eNewsletter. Subscribe by sending a blank email to cynthiasterling-subscribe@yahoogroups.com***
Update on SOURCEBOOKS - from RWA National 2007
*** From Cindi Myers eNewsletter ***
This week I began my look at all the publisher Spotlights from the 2007 RWA National Conference in Dallas. First up, Sourcebooks.
The Spotlight on Sourcebooks was an energetic presentation by President and CEO Dominique Raccah and Editor Deb Werksman. Ms. Raccah spoke first, and gave some background on Sourcebooks. She founded the company in 1987 in an upstairs bedroom of her home in Napierville, Illinois. Sourcebooks currently publishes 250 titles a year and has 75 employees. It is one of the top ten independent publishers in the company and the largest woman-owned publisher in America. Sourcebooks has had ten New York Times bestselling titles.
Ms. Raccah spoke at length about what she feels separates Sourcebooks from other publishers. She said they publish careers and authors, not just books, and have a long-term focus. They also put together a marketing plan for every author. She gave the example of an author Sourcebooks took on, Ted Fisk. He’s the author of the Fisk Guide to Colleges, which was published by Random House. The book was the number four college guide in the country when Fisk came to Sourcebooks. Through repackaging and a promotional push, Sourcebooks took the guide to number one. They also came up with a plan for Fisk to produce a number of complimentary materials that could be marketed with the guide to increase his market share.
Ms. Raccah also spoke about a Sourcebooks fiction author, Michael Malone. He’s a southern novelist who has been previously published by Knopf and Harper. When he came to Sourcebooks they bought out his backlist and reprinted it. They developed a five-year marketing plan for his new books and sent him on a pre-launch book tour to meet book buyers before the book was even available. His first new book for Sourcebooks was a New York Times bestseller. “We’re known by our customers for innovation and marketing,” she said. Thirty percent of the company is devoted to sales and marketing. They also have an active sub-rights department.
Ms. Raccah said that whenever Sourcebooks enters a new category, they go into it with the intention of being at the top of the category. She cited their experience entering the crowded calendar market and becoming one of the top sellers, as well as their successful foray into children’s book publishing. Now they are making the same commitment to being a top seller of romance fiction.
In 1997, Sourcebooks bought a company called Casablanca, which had published a bestselling book, 1001 Ways to Be Romantic. Today Sourcebooks Casablanca is the largest nonfiction romance publisher in the world, with books that are especially popular at Valentine’s day. In 2004, Sourcebooks published Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, by Linda Berdoll. This very sexy sequel to Pride and Prejudice has been very successful. That success led Sourcebooks to target the romance fiction market.
Editor Deb Werksman spoke next. Sourcebooks Casablanca is launching its romance fiction list this fall with a mixture of reprints and original fiction by both new and familiar authors. They’ll publish two Georgette Heyer reprints, a new Regency by a debut author, and a time travel romance by an established author. In the Spring they’ll release two more Georgette Heyers, a women’s fiction novel and a collection of erotica that was previously a bestseller overseas, a paranormal by a previously unpublished author and one by an established author, a historical romance reprint, and a contemporary romance with a Navy Seal hero by a debut author.
Sourcebooks is looking for single title romance fiction between 85,000 and 120,000 words – contemporary, historical (any time period to 1900), romantic suspense, humor, erotic romance, paranormal and women’s fiction. Ms. Werksman said she wants to fall in love with the story’s hero, or, alternatively, fall more in love with her husband because of the story. She wants to relate to the heroine. She likes heroines who are realistic and even a bit unusual – no perfect twenty-two year olds. She wants to be taken to another world, “a wholly conceived environment for the characters.” She said authors should be able to sum up their book in a couple of sentences so that the sales people and account buyers can quickly grasp the story.
Sourcebooks accepts submissions from both agented and unagented authors. She prefers email submissions and would like either a simple query or a synopsis with the full manuscript. Authors should receive confirmation of their submission within 21 days and her goal is to reply in 12-18 weeks. Detailed guidelines are available at www.sourcebooks.com/content/authors_romance_submission_guidelines.asp
*** From Cindi Myers eNewsletter. Subscribe by sending a blank email to cynthiasterling-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ***
My Five Goals for the RWA Conference
by Christina J. Riggan
I attended my first Romance Writer’s of America Conference in Dallas, Texas this July of 2007. Since I don’t know anything about anything, and am a first-timer, a virgin, a novice; I thought maybe my perspective might offer some help or insight for a newbie like myself who may be considering attending the next conference in San Francisco, 2008. First to know: wear comfortable shoes, and ship your free books back the first day if you are not staying at the hotel.
I have been writing for about five years and have a completed manuscript so my five goals were:
1. to learn something about publishing, the business, contracts, agents
2. meet new people,
3. score some free books, meet some cool authors, and get some autographs,
4. pitch to an editor or agent,
5. try to decide if I should have a web page and how the heck to do that.
I stayed with a friend in Dallas who kindly offered her home to me and free transportation to and from the Hyatt on Reunion Blvd. Since driving in downtown Dallas is like trying to wrestle a snake, and I had not visited with my friend for over twenty years, I accepted her offer. She was delightful and gracious and I loved every minute of it.
But I have mixed feelings about staying at the hotel where the conference is being held. I have heard that some of the best contacts are made in the evenings after the workshops are finished and the relaxation occurs- usually at parties or the bars.
Maybe after San Francisco I will have a different viewpoint. I am not much of a drinker-either I get sleepy, silly, or cranky, not much for a first impression on an editor or agent. Frankly, I am too old and tired to stay up carousing around until midnight and then get up early the next day for workshops or appointments. .those were for my younger days. As a former teacher, I really do love learning and this event was not a social occasion for me during the day. It was a commitment I made for myself to further my professional career; and one of my career goals to accomplish for the year to convince myself that I am a serious writer. So I wanted to go to the workshops and learn the whole time. Nothing ever works out like you intend it to.
I attended the Pro Retreat first and loved it except for the chatty women in the back who kept me from hearing everything the speakers had to say. My advice: move to the front and practice your evil look and your best frown.
The speakers were spectacular. Sherrilynn Kenyon’s story touched me so deeply that I bought one of her books, and one she recommended by Anna Campbell. The PRO session alone helped clarify my direction for agents, contracts, publishing, and web pages. But I was in the back for a reason. I had cancelled -ten days prior- my appointment with the head editor of a large publishing house. Believe me, I had a good reason, and it was the right thing to do. So I wanted to slide in and out of the PRO session to sign up for an appointment. I was desperate, and desperately confused. Should I sign up for an agent appointment or an editor appointment? Ultimately, I slipped in and out for two short intervals and snagged the luckiest break of my writing life…so far.
On the first day and for every day that I attended thereafter, I met one truly cool author. Two were published, and the others were unpublished but like me searching for the right break, the best agent or editor to ask to see their work. Three were from Chicago, and just delightful. One of the authors from Chicago wrote westerns and I loved talking to her, especially. The others wrote suspense, and YA. One author was from Japan and a teacher overseas who usually taught literature but had been teaching math to diplomats’ and executives’ children. She was a photographer, writer, and teacher and about 21 years old. I met an author who wrote comedy and asked me to come to her free book signing- which being a newbie, I didn’t know about. I went to the signing and got some great books from authors I had read about or had taken a class from.
One of the best classes I took was “The Hot Historical…” There were two agents and two erotic authors on the panel. I really wanted to know what was too much, what was not enough, when a writer knows he/she has traversed the line between sexy or passionate, and just pornographic. Most advice was that no one really knows except when they see it; and don’t write about dogs and other such. A session with Harlequin Spice actually stated they want sensual, graphic but heterosexual only. I went to the Spotlight Session because a lovely lady at breakfast suggested I try attending one. It was also one of the best sessions.
The luncheon with Lisa Kleypas as the speaker was truly all-encompassing- a laughing, crying, and inspiring speech. I guess everyone thinks they have it made when they are a best-selling author. But troubles can darken anyone’s life. Lisa shared with us a truly tragic moment in her life and how she and her mother both picked up a romance book as part of a survival kit to make it through those dark times.
I bought the workshops on CD’s for myself, telling myself this is for professional growth and I simply couldn’t go to every session I wanted and hearing them at my leisure over time is a better learning style for me.
But my best moment was my pitch to the editor. I lucked out and got an editor appointment at the last minute. I swear a guardian angel was by my side, and the forces of Karma swirled around me at just the right moment. I nervously sat with the other group of women. I wondered if I should go throw up first, my stomach was roiling with anxiety.
But she was the best I could have hoped for. Witty, she put me at ease immediately. After a short introduction, she asked what my book was about. I asked her if she wanted me to read my mini-synopsis. She offered to read it herself. When she finished reading it, she said, “Beautiful.”. I have to tell you, whether rational or irrational, that was one of the best moments of my writing career. Silly, isn’t it? To be so pleased by such a simple word. But from the mouth of such an esteemed lady, who is known for no BS, I floated for a second. She asked for my full manuscript, and I sent that puppy immediately when I got home. Now, I may get rejected, or I may not hear from her for months but I think I can wait and I think can handle it. What a perfect end to my first ever pitch and my first ever conference.
So if you are debating whether Conferences are worth it, I humbly offer my opinion that it was a great experience, and worth every moment and penny.
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Christina J. Riggan, twenty-five year veteran of public schools, turns writer in old age.
Currently she has a published nonfiction book How To Be A Great Teacher and is searching for an agent for her finished manuscript In A Single Breath - a spicy historical fiction.
Julie Ortolon’s newest a Booksense Notable Pick
Julie Ortolon’s newest release, Unforgettable, has been named a Booksense Notable Pick for September! [8/4/07]