Writing for a Publisher's Established Line - A Foot in the Door

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well.

It's been an exciting month for me, after releasing my first indie title, Alien Adoration, and working on edits for two more stories releasing soon from Decadent Publishing. One of the stories is Another Night, Another Planet, an erotic sci-fi romance that is part of both the 1Night Stand and Elatia lines at Decadent.

Now, I've written for several of the lines at Decadent, Elatia, 1Night Stand, The Edge, and The Challenge series. Why? For many reasons. My first story published was Celestial Seduction, a 1Night Stand story. The series had just started, and Rebecca Royce suggested I write a story for it as my foot in the door to being published. And it worked. The story not only increased my confidence in my writing, but exposed me to so many other opportunities, through my publisher, fellow authors, and more. As a newly published author, I also had a book in the same line as several well known authors who already had established readers. Because I had the same editors, readers could expect the same quality of story from me as the other authors.

With any line, there are established parameters that the author must follow in order for their story to qualify for submission. Usually, you can find that information on the publisher's submission page, or by contacting the editor(s) of the line.

For me, the Elatia line had the most guidelines, including a well-written world bible. Depending on the individual author, that can make writing the story easier or harder.

With my upcoming release, it is a hybrid of two lines, so I had to follow two sets of guidelines. And it was much easier than I expected, since I had already written for both of them, and knew them well. I hope you'll check out Another Night, Another Planet when it releases on June 14, 2013.

So, if you are an aspiring author, or looking to broaden your audience, consider writing for an established line at a publisher. Decadent Publishing has so many lines in multiple genres. Musa Publishing has several lines as well, including the Wiccan Haus, which I've heard a lot about lately, and Finally Ever After. There are several more publishers with established lines, too. If you know of any, please share them in the comments section.

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

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Are You Ready To Send In That Submission?

by JoAnne Kenrick

I've been so busy through the summer break with releases left right and center (check my amazon page for the latest - vampires, zombies, Irish pubs... the list is extensive). It's been very exciting, and I love the online buzz my new releases have generated. I've just had my tenth book with Decadent Publishing accepted, and that will be my last release for 2012 (Hot Winter Kiss, Irish Kisses book 4). I'm now working on three new projects, with new arsenal in my thumb drive; during the past year with all that writing, submitting, and editing, I've learned a very valuable lesson on what I NEED to do before I send in a submission.

I’m an impulsive person by nature. I get to a point where I think I couldn’t possibly edit my manuscript anymore, but that desire to end it all and hit send is often overwhelming.  I find myself having to walk away from the computer, chewing at the cord wanting to hit send.

Nathan Bransford’s--if you’re a writer, you should know this blog. If you don’t, go subscribe NOW--blog post by about revision fatigue got me thinking...and nodding my head in agreement.

“There comes a point when you think the book is a colossal, irredeemable mess and you can't for the life of you figure out if it's actually any good or not.” -- Nathan Bransford

Yes, I thought, I am not the only one. I am not a Highlander; well, there can be only one of those.

When I think my story is a mess, I let it sit for a while and go back in for more edits a few days later. It’s after that process that the ‘hit send’ urge hits me.

Maybe it could do with another edit? Maybe there’s a plot point that has a gap, or maybe I forgot to check continuity with a fine tooth comb and missed something. Those are all questions that used to race through my mind after hitting send.

I’ve since learned a neat little trick that keeps me distracted until the book is ready for submission. I mean actually ready, not almost ready.

I now have a check list of all my writing weaknesses, and I make myself go through it if I get a sudden urge to hit send. Search and find for my big no-no words, checking eye and hair color, double checking location research and whatnot. and cliches. I’ve got a long list of those to check for. By the time I’ve finished checking, another full round of edits have taken place because I typically find more ‘little’ things along the way. I can see then that it's almost there, but not quite. It's almost like you've got fresh eyes on the project after running through a checklist on it. Another round of edits takes place and then I typically feel 'right' about sending it in with hopes of getting a resounding YES from an editor.

I've found this to be a useful program; AUTO CRIT wizard - free trial . It doesn't replace beta readers and critique partners, but it does give a cleaner look at where things could be improved technically.

What do you make sure to do before you hit ‘send submission?’

Got any tips to share?

By JoAnne Kenrick [www.joannekenrick.com ]

Bestselling author of romances, both contemporary and paranormal.

Grab Dracula’s Kiss this October; a Decadent Publishing 1NS story set in actual Scottish castle ruins that inspired Stoker when writing Dracula. A tasty treat not to be missed this Halloween! Available to purchase for just 2.99 at your favorite e-book stores.

http://www.amazon.com/Draculas-Night-Stand-Series-ebook/dp/B005XN7H2S

The Submission Process--What do you do when you're waiting?

The other day on Twitter, and it’s amazing how many conversations and blogs I can start with that phrase, I was chatting with some other authors that I deeply admire. We realized we were all in the same situation: we had a submission out there that we were waiting to hear the results from. Nail biting, nerve wrecking, waiting.

Sigh.

For me, I’d like to say that I act really cool, that I forget that I’ve submitted the work, that I move on and let fate happen as it will.

I’d like to say that but I can’t.

I check my e-mail just about every ten minutes.

It’s a sad state of affairs.

What do you do? Do you have any tricks to pass the time?

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

It really is.

 

Below is an example of what my day is like while I am waiting to hear back on a submission.

 

Rebecca wakes up in the morning and runs to the bathroom (Too much information?) I’m 30 weeks pregnant with our third child, what can I say?  The children get up and my amazing husband and I somehow tag team them into eating breakfast, getting dressed, and out the door so, at the moment (at least until the end of August) my older son can go to camp.  I come home and stick on my computer.

 

Okay, I’ll pause here and admit for the sake of admitting to anxiety that sometimes I get the computer on before this moment. Sometimes, I get it on when I first get up.  I cannot tell a lie. But let’s say it’s one of those days when I don’t and this is the point where it comes on.

 

I check my e-mail. If I’m lucky there is a note there from my amazing CP and some friends in addition to the bill reminders and the things some of the online stores think I should be buying from them.  I check my groups and I sigh.  Why the sigh, Rebecca, you might ask? 

 

Because I am waiting on submissions. 

 

Now, I can’t complain.  Not at all.  I just sent out the query letters.  It could be months until I hear and that would still be reasonable. 

 

But that doesn’t mean that I won’t check my e-mail another fifty times that day on the off chance that somehow the person reading the submissions read at lightening speed.

 

I can’t imagine being the editor in charge of deciding whose work gets signed and who’s doesn’t.  It would be rough for me and the acquisition editors I have worked with have been amazing.  So I don’t blame them when I’m sitting there hitting renew on the webbrowser and holding my breath. 

 

Its my own anxiety, I know that.  I had a writer advise me to just keep writing and forget about it. I assure you I am.  I have a work in progress moving right along and two more stewing in my brain.  I have other things I could be submitting.  But none of that is going to erase the need to keep checking that lingers in the side of my brain where I know I’m still waiting to hear. 

 

Is this just me? What do you do when you’re waiting?  

 

On another note, next Monday, August 3^rd, 2009 my first book will be released. It is called Her Wolf: The Westervelt Wolves Book 1.  Here is my amazing cover.

 

Liquid Silver Books took a chance on me when they signed me to my first contract last winter. I will be eternally grateful for the chance.  Now, I guess I get to wait to see what people think of my writing which I have to admit feels a little bit like opening my diary for the world to see. But that’s okay, it’s always been my dream. 

 

So we’ll need to see which I find harder: waiting on submissions or waiting to see what people think. 

 

Anyone out there with experience in this want to tell me which will be harder??