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 ***
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]