Romance and mystery deals of note, this first Friday in August 2006, as reported in Publishers' Marketplace:
Sandra Schwab sold a two-book erotic romance deal to Dorchester Leisure (Chris Keeslar) led by THE CASTLE OF THE WOLF, her agent being Stephanie Kip Rostan of the Levine Greenberg Literary Agency(World).
Sarah McCarty sold a two-book western romance deal beginning with HELL'S EIGHT to Harlequin Spice (Susan Pezzack) with agent Roberta Brown of Brown Literary Agency (World).
Anne Argula sold a two book mystery series deal beginning with WALLA WALLA SUITE to Ballantine (Fleetwood Robbins) with agent Vicky Bijur of the Vicky Bijur Literary Agency (site not found). There is no website for Anne Argula, but Sarah Weinman reveals that this is a pseudonym for a "well-published writer," and further surfing finds the publisher of Anne's first work [Edgar Award nominee HOMICIDE MY OWN], Pleasure Boat Studio, revealing online Anne's real identity to be that of Darryl Ponicsan, author of THE LAST DETAIL and CINDERELLA LIBERTY, and screenwriter of Nuts, Taps, Vision Quest, School Ties, and other films.
Lisa Renee Jones sold a three-book paranormal romance deal to Harlequin Nocturne (Ann Leslie Tuttle) led by THE BEAST WITHIN, her being agent Natasha Kern, in a 'nice deal' ($1-49,000).
Pamela Clare sold a two-book romantic suspense deal to Berkeley (Cindy Hwang) lead by UNLAWFUL CONTACT, her agent also being Natasha Kern, don't know the deal details.
Eliot Pattison sold a two-book mystery series deal to Carroll & Graf (Keith Wallman), again with the help of agent Natasha Kern, no money details provided.
Who is this agent, Natasha Kern, referenced in these last three listings? According to her website, she is a 1971 graduate of Columbia University whose agency was voted 11th out of the top 25 in 2003 by Writer's Market, in no small part due to a willingness to seek out new talent, to work with new writers. Check out their client list here.
Collecting online information on writing fiction for publication...and beginning in 2012, writing about whatever else I darn well please that deals with plot, or character, or anything else related in some vague way to writing fiction.
August 4, 2006
How to Copyright Your Work and Noticing the Copyright
From the US Copyright Office, the steps on Copyrighting Literary Works:
"Follow these steps to register your book, manuscript, online work, poetry, or other text:
Step 1
Make sure your work is a literary work. Literary works may be published or unpublished and include nondramatic textual works with or without illustrations. Computer programs and databases also are considered literary works. Here are more examples and specific information.
To register serials and periodicals, see the Serial Works instructions.
Step 2
Put into one envelope or package:
a completed application Form TX or Short Form TX and Form CON if needed (choose which form to use) (go to the site for downloading these forms as PDF documents)
a $45 payment to "Register of Copyrights."
nonreturnable copy(ies) of the material to be registered. Read details on deposit requirements. Please read this important notice about mail delivery disruption.
Step 3
Send the package to:
Library of Congress
Copyright Office
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20559-6000
Your registration becomes effective on the day that the Copyright Office receives your application, payment, and copy(ies) in acceptable form. If your submission is in order, you will receive a certificate of registration in approximately 4 months.
For more details about copyright, please see our information circulars."
About the Copyright notice, that c within a circle, the site explains:
"The use of a copyright notice is no longer required under U.S. law, although it is often beneficial. Because prior law did contain such a requirement, however, the use of notice is still relevant to the copyright status of older works.
This circular discusses both the copyright notice provisions as originally enacted in the 1976 copyright act (title 17, U.S. Code), which took effect January 1, 1978, and the effect of the 1988 Berne Convention Implementation Act, which amended the copyright law to make the use of a copyright notice optional on copies of works published on and after March 1, 1989. Specifications for the proper form and placement of the notice are described in this circular.
Works published before January 1, 1978, are governed by the previous copyright law. Under that law, if a work was published under the copyright owner’s authority without a proper notice of copyright, all copyright protection for that work was permanently lost in the United States."
"Follow these steps to register your book, manuscript, online work, poetry, or other text:
Step 1
Make sure your work is a literary work. Literary works may be published or unpublished and include nondramatic textual works with or without illustrations. Computer programs and databases also are considered literary works. Here are more examples and specific information.
To register serials and periodicals, see the Serial Works instructions.
Step 2
Put into one envelope or package:
a completed application Form TX or Short Form TX and Form CON if needed (choose which form to use) (go to the site for downloading these forms as PDF documents)
a $45 payment to "Register of Copyrights."
nonreturnable copy(ies) of the material to be registered. Read details on deposit requirements. Please read this important notice about mail delivery disruption.
Step 3
Send the package to:
Library of Congress
Copyright Office
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20559-6000
Your registration becomes effective on the day that the Copyright Office receives your application, payment, and copy(ies) in acceptable form. If your submission is in order, you will receive a certificate of registration in approximately 4 months.
For more details about copyright, please see our information circulars."
About the Copyright notice, that c within a circle, the site explains:
"The use of a copyright notice is no longer required under U.S. law, although it is often beneficial. Because prior law did contain such a requirement, however, the use of notice is still relevant to the copyright status of older works.
This circular discusses both the copyright notice provisions as originally enacted in the 1976 copyright act (title 17, U.S. Code), which took effect January 1, 1978, and the effect of the 1988 Berne Convention Implementation Act, which amended the copyright law to make the use of a copyright notice optional on copies of works published on and after March 1, 1989. Specifications for the proper form and placement of the notice are described in this circular.
Works published before January 1, 1978, are governed by the previous copyright law. Under that law, if a work was published under the copyright owner’s authority without a proper notice of copyright, all copyright protection for that work was permanently lost in the United States."
Great Avon Info from Jordan Summers
From Jordan Summer's blog, citing Cindy Myer's newsletter:
"The Spotlight on Avon was a lively session with a lot of information. The spotlight was presented by Lucia Macro, Executive Editor for Morrow/Avon; Mai Chen, Editor, Tessa Woodward, Editorial Assistant, and another editorial assistant whose name I did not catch. Senior Editors Lyssa Keusch and Erika Tsang were not present, but they also acquire for Avons romance program. In the core romance program, Avon publishes four historical and one contemporary romance each month. They also publish various lead titles and trade paperback fiction monthly. Theyre looking for 90,000 to 100,000 word manuscripts historical, contemporary, paranormal, romantic suspense, chick lit and womens fiction, multi-cultural and erotica.
"The spotlight on Avon is courtesy of Cindi Myers Newsletter.
"Lucia Macro primarily focuses on Avons established, lead-level authors but she does acquire some books from new authors. The perfect book for her is a sexy, emotional story with great dialogue and an amazing author voice. She wants lively, interesting, vibrant characters who are pro-active no wimps allowed.
"In historicals the editors are still primarily interested in 1800s English and Scottish settings and medievals, except for historical erotica, in which any setting goes. In romantic suspense they prefer dark, gritty stories. For contemporary romance, Avon is moving away from romantic comedy. The editors would like to see meaty stories that may have comic moments, but with depth. Erica Tsang has a special love for paranormal romance of all types. Avon is also very interested in African-American romance, either historical or contemporary.
"Mai Chen spoke about the Avon Red program. Avon Red publishes one erotic romance each month in trade paper. Theyre looking for romance-driven erotica with a strong emotional under-current. Books may be historical in any time period, contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, urban fiction and either short stories or full-length novels. 25,000 - 40,000 words for short stories, 80,000-90,000 words for novels.
"Avon does accept unagented material. Authors must query via email first to avonromance@harpercollins.com. Put Query in your subject line and in the body of the email indicate any particular editor youre interested in submitted to. The two editorial assistants review all the email and they offered a list of Dos and Donts for authors:
"Do proofread very carefully.
"Dont send the same query over and over send it once. You will get an answer.
"Do research. Make sure the person youre querying and the imprint youre interested in actually exist.
"Dont query for poetry or YA. Avon romance does not publish these.
"Do query in your query explain what your story is about.
"Dont argue with the editors if youre rejected.
"Do follow up if you havent heard anything in four weeks.
"Dont follow up the next day.
"Do be original.
"Dont have a plot twist solely for the sake of a plot twist.
"Dont get discouraged.
"In May 2007 Avon will launch Avon Inspirational, publishing Christian inspirational romance. The line will be handled out of Avons San Francisco office but interested authors may query to avonromance@harpercollins.com and the query will be directed to the appropriate editor.
"Avon Fan Lit is a new online venture in which authors compete to write a collaborative e-books. Avon editors will create six story lines and participants will vote for their favorite. Once the story line is selected, participants submit a chapter each week and everyone votes on the best chapter. The top ten vote-getters go to a final vote. Each week starts a new chapter. Winning authors are profiled on the site and will win prizes. The final product will be published as an e-book. The project launches August 23rd. You can sign up now at Harpercollins Avon Fan Lit
"St. Martin's spotlight was interesting. They broke down the levels of promotion that they put into new and established authors. What I found interesting was the fact that they seem to be the only publishing house that puts a lot of emphasis on promotion. They have one person who deals strictly with Wal-mart, another for Amazon, and even another for independent sellers. They have programs in place to reward retailers for supporting new authors. It's truly impressive.
"Now to what they're looking for...Monique Patterson wants stories that have lively worlds. She's not the only editor stressing world-building. Many publishing houses mentioned the lack of world-building in the submissions they're receiving lately. She's looking for books that are funny, sexy, or scary. She's particularly interested in paranormal, women's fiction, and erotic romance. She said she loves fairytales and classic stories. Jennifer Enderlin is on the hunt for a super sexy western romance. The language in the above books can be extreme as long as it fits the story. (Again, something I heard from a lot of publishers.) Jennifer, Monique, and Rose are all looking for historicals and literary fiction. They prefer settings before 1900. They said everything after that date is hard to market and would probably be placed under historical fiction, not romance. They love recurring characters (ie Stephanie Plum series) They're interested in Romantic Suspense, Action/adventure, Multi-cultural, and even YA. They said if you're writing YA that it should be aimed at ages 15+. They said you can submit anthologies, but mainly they come from in house. If you do choose to submit an anthology, please make sure the book stays in the same category (ie paranormal, romantic suspense, contemp, historical, etc.). Don't jump around. The editors are also interested in literary fiction, but NOT sweet romance. They said right now there isn't a market for sweet romance, but they expect that to change.
"A few things to know about St. Martin's before submitting, they buy in multiple books because they believe in building a writer's career. They prefer book-length to be between 90-125,000 words. Erotica and erotic romances can be shorter than 90K, but they wouldn't like to see the books fall below 80K because then you're getting into category-length territory. They do NOT buy first time authors on proposal. You need to have a finished manuscript first. All editors except Monique Patterson prefer a query letter first. Monique said she can't tell anything from a query alone, so she wants people to send her a query, synopsis, and the first three chapters of the book. She said it takes around 2 months to hear back on a partial and 4 to 6 months to hear back on a full.
"Luna, Nocturne, and other paranormal lines spotlight. Apparently, Harlequin has several lines in what they call their paranormal stream. These lines include Nocturne, HQN, LUNA, MIRA, and BLAZE. Nocturne launches this coming Oct. with two titles per month. The books should be between 70-75,000 words and lean toward fantasy in the world-building. (They want the rich worlds that come from fantasy.) They're looking for shape-shifters, vampires, and hot alpha males with a twist. The books CAN be graphic. In fact they mentioned Angela Knight, Christine Feehan, and Laurell K. Hamilton as the types of books they'd like to see for the new line. They currently aren't interested in historicals, unless the historical part is used to tell a vampires' history. You can make up your own myths about the creatures in your world. They prefer darker books over comedy. The turnaround time is currently 3 months. Luna and Mira publish urban fantasy. Luna's emphasis is on the fantasy part of the equation. They don't care whether there's sex in the books. They are willing to look at sexier books as long as the plot is strong and incorporates the sex.
"The Spotlight on Avon was a lively session with a lot of information. The spotlight was presented by Lucia Macro, Executive Editor for Morrow/Avon; Mai Chen, Editor, Tessa Woodward, Editorial Assistant, and another editorial assistant whose name I did not catch. Senior Editors Lyssa Keusch and Erika Tsang were not present, but they also acquire for Avons romance program. In the core romance program, Avon publishes four historical and one contemporary romance each month. They also publish various lead titles and trade paperback fiction monthly. Theyre looking for 90,000 to 100,000 word manuscripts historical, contemporary, paranormal, romantic suspense, chick lit and womens fiction, multi-cultural and erotica.
"The spotlight on Avon is courtesy of Cindi Myers Newsletter.
"Lucia Macro primarily focuses on Avons established, lead-level authors but she does acquire some books from new authors. The perfect book for her is a sexy, emotional story with great dialogue and an amazing author voice. She wants lively, interesting, vibrant characters who are pro-active no wimps allowed.
"In historicals the editors are still primarily interested in 1800s English and Scottish settings and medievals, except for historical erotica, in which any setting goes. In romantic suspense they prefer dark, gritty stories. For contemporary romance, Avon is moving away from romantic comedy. The editors would like to see meaty stories that may have comic moments, but with depth. Erica Tsang has a special love for paranormal romance of all types. Avon is also very interested in African-American romance, either historical or contemporary.
"Mai Chen spoke about the Avon Red program. Avon Red publishes one erotic romance each month in trade paper. Theyre looking for romance-driven erotica with a strong emotional under-current. Books may be historical in any time period, contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, urban fiction and either short stories or full-length novels. 25,000 - 40,000 words for short stories, 80,000-90,000 words for novels.
"Avon does accept unagented material. Authors must query via email first to avonromance@harpercollins.com. Put Query in your subject line and in the body of the email indicate any particular editor youre interested in submitted to. The two editorial assistants review all the email and they offered a list of Dos and Donts for authors:
"Do proofread very carefully.
"Dont send the same query over and over send it once. You will get an answer.
"Do research. Make sure the person youre querying and the imprint youre interested in actually exist.
"Dont query for poetry or YA. Avon romance does not publish these.
"Do query in your query explain what your story is about.
"Dont argue with the editors if youre rejected.
"Do follow up if you havent heard anything in four weeks.
"Dont follow up the next day.
"Do be original.
"Dont have a plot twist solely for the sake of a plot twist.
"Dont get discouraged.
"In May 2007 Avon will launch Avon Inspirational, publishing Christian inspirational romance. The line will be handled out of Avons San Francisco office but interested authors may query to avonromance@harpercollins.com and the query will be directed to the appropriate editor.
"Avon Fan Lit is a new online venture in which authors compete to write a collaborative e-books. Avon editors will create six story lines and participants will vote for their favorite. Once the story line is selected, participants submit a chapter each week and everyone votes on the best chapter. The top ten vote-getters go to a final vote. Each week starts a new chapter. Winning authors are profiled on the site and will win prizes. The final product will be published as an e-book. The project launches August 23rd. You can sign up now at Harpercollins Avon Fan Lit
"St. Martin's spotlight was interesting. They broke down the levels of promotion that they put into new and established authors. What I found interesting was the fact that they seem to be the only publishing house that puts a lot of emphasis on promotion. They have one person who deals strictly with Wal-mart, another for Amazon, and even another for independent sellers. They have programs in place to reward retailers for supporting new authors. It's truly impressive.
"Now to what they're looking for...Monique Patterson wants stories that have lively worlds. She's not the only editor stressing world-building. Many publishing houses mentioned the lack of world-building in the submissions they're receiving lately. She's looking for books that are funny, sexy, or scary. She's particularly interested in paranormal, women's fiction, and erotic romance. She said she loves fairytales and classic stories. Jennifer Enderlin is on the hunt for a super sexy western romance. The language in the above books can be extreme as long as it fits the story. (Again, something I heard from a lot of publishers.) Jennifer, Monique, and Rose are all looking for historicals and literary fiction. They prefer settings before 1900. They said everything after that date is hard to market and would probably be placed under historical fiction, not romance. They love recurring characters (ie Stephanie Plum series) They're interested in Romantic Suspense, Action/adventure, Multi-cultural, and even YA. They said if you're writing YA that it should be aimed at ages 15+. They said you can submit anthologies, but mainly they come from in house. If you do choose to submit an anthology, please make sure the book stays in the same category (ie paranormal, romantic suspense, contemp, historical, etc.). Don't jump around. The editors are also interested in literary fiction, but NOT sweet romance. They said right now there isn't a market for sweet romance, but they expect that to change.
"A few things to know about St. Martin's before submitting, they buy in multiple books because they believe in building a writer's career. They prefer book-length to be between 90-125,000 words. Erotica and erotic romances can be shorter than 90K, but they wouldn't like to see the books fall below 80K because then you're getting into category-length territory. They do NOT buy first time authors on proposal. You need to have a finished manuscript first. All editors except Monique Patterson prefer a query letter first. Monique said she can't tell anything from a query alone, so she wants people to send her a query, synopsis, and the first three chapters of the book. She said it takes around 2 months to hear back on a partial and 4 to 6 months to hear back on a full.
"Luna, Nocturne, and other paranormal lines spotlight. Apparently, Harlequin has several lines in what they call their paranormal stream. These lines include Nocturne, HQN, LUNA, MIRA, and BLAZE. Nocturne launches this coming Oct. with two titles per month. The books should be between 70-75,000 words and lean toward fantasy in the world-building. (They want the rich worlds that come from fantasy.) They're looking for shape-shifters, vampires, and hot alpha males with a twist. The books CAN be graphic. In fact they mentioned Angela Knight, Christine Feehan, and Laurell K. Hamilton as the types of books they'd like to see for the new line. They currently aren't interested in historicals, unless the historical part is used to tell a vampires' history. You can make up your own myths about the creatures in your world. They prefer darker books over comedy. The turnaround time is currently 3 months. Luna and Mira publish urban fantasy. Luna's emphasis is on the fantasy part of the equation. They don't care whether there's sex in the books. They are willing to look at sexier books as long as the plot is strong and incorporates the sex.
January 13, 2006
Blunt Talk from Bucky Sinister
Some sage advice, especially that last sentence:
"Here are a few tips that would make that initial contact smooth from my perspective.
"Be familiar with the publisher. Mention books the publisher has done by name. Publishers are interested in finding books that will sell to the readers who bought previous titles. This also shows that you are not blindly submitting from a list you made from The Writer's Market.
"Don't submit any manuscript unless you think it is finished. Don't waste anyone's time with a work-in-progress. Edit it until you think it is ready for publication. It won't be, but that's another phase of the process.
Be able to compare your work to other authors, preferably contemporary authors. No matter how unique and special you think your story or writing style is, you do have similarities to at least three authors who are currently publishing. Name them. If you can't, ask a well read friend to figure it out for you.
"When asked what the book is about, be able to say it in 10 words or less. Get your pitch down to under 30 seconds. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius may be the smartest title ever from a marketing standpoint. The more demographics and categories you can work into one line the better. "I'm a lesbian David Sedaris," or "A coming-of-age story for badly aging punks," or "a feel-good recollection of my mother's battle with cojoined twin misoplexia," or "Augusten Burroughs meets Edgar Rice Burroughs. It's about growing up gay raised by apes."
"I've worked in this business for the last 12 years. I learned what I know the hard way. I went to college but learned the profession on the job. The publishing industry burns the writer out of some personalities, but it's only strengthened mine. I strongly suggest that if you're interested in being published, move to New York and get a job at a publishing company. You'll learn more about editors, publishers, and writers than I could ever tell you about in an article. You'll make better contacts and connections than any other way possible. Until then, write another novel. Don't worry about the current one. Keep writing, outdo your last effort, and rejection slips be damned."
For the complete article, go HERE.
In fact, go to that site (part of the NaNoWriMo challenge) and find tons of good counsel. Especially if editing is your nemisis.
"Here are a few tips that would make that initial contact smooth from my perspective.
"Be familiar with the publisher. Mention books the publisher has done by name. Publishers are interested in finding books that will sell to the readers who bought previous titles. This also shows that you are not blindly submitting from a list you made from The Writer's Market.
"Don't submit any manuscript unless you think it is finished. Don't waste anyone's time with a work-in-progress. Edit it until you think it is ready for publication. It won't be, but that's another phase of the process.
Be able to compare your work to other authors, preferably contemporary authors. No matter how unique and special you think your story or writing style is, you do have similarities to at least three authors who are currently publishing. Name them. If you can't, ask a well read friend to figure it out for you.
"When asked what the book is about, be able to say it in 10 words or less. Get your pitch down to under 30 seconds. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius may be the smartest title ever from a marketing standpoint. The more demographics and categories you can work into one line the better. "I'm a lesbian David Sedaris," or "A coming-of-age story for badly aging punks," or "a feel-good recollection of my mother's battle with cojoined twin misoplexia," or "Augusten Burroughs meets Edgar Rice Burroughs. It's about growing up gay raised by apes."
"I've worked in this business for the last 12 years. I learned what I know the hard way. I went to college but learned the profession on the job. The publishing industry burns the writer out of some personalities, but it's only strengthened mine. I strongly suggest that if you're interested in being published, move to New York and get a job at a publishing company. You'll learn more about editors, publishers, and writers than I could ever tell you about in an article. You'll make better contacts and connections than any other way possible. Until then, write another novel. Don't worry about the current one. Keep writing, outdo your last effort, and rejection slips be damned."
For the complete article, go HERE.
In fact, go to that site (part of the NaNoWriMo challenge) and find tons of good counsel. Especially if editing is your nemisis.
January 11, 2006
Elements of Romantic Suspense
Roaming through the bookstore over the weekend, I discovered several romantic suspense novels were shelved in both the romance section and the mystery section. Now, that's nice, isn't it?
This jives with Diedre Savoy's take on this sub-genre:
"Many people believe that any romance that includes a mystery or suspense subplot constitutes romantic suspense. In my mind, however, a romantic suspense mixes both genres fairly equally. One strand (romance or suspense) does not significantly overwhelm the other. From the beginning of the story, the reader knows that your protagonists will both a) fall in love and b) solve whatever mystery you have set up....
"...[D]istinction is made between a mystery (where your protagonists must figure out who is responsible) and suspense (where your protagonist knows or finds out early in the story who is responsible. The question is how much damage this person will be able to cause before he or she is stopped). "
For the rest of the article, go HERE.
But if you really want to learn from a master, go to Nora Robert's take on the romantic suspense novel:
"There must be a relationship -- that ongoing, developing relationship we expect between the covers of a romance novel. There must be an unknown -- a suspicion, a mystery, a danger that we expect between the covers of a suspense novel. Therefore, the outside tension is just as vital as the emotional and sexual tension and its construction must be just as meticulous.
"The mystery and its ultimate conclusion must be just as visible, just as believable and just as important as the romance and its final consummation. There are not two separate stores with a common link. It is one full, complex story where separate elements merge and affect each other. Two levels where the writer is in charge of setting the balance and keeping the reader involved.
"Any novel contains basic elements such as plot, character, setting, dialogue and narrative. Both mysteries and romance are build on a certain framework. Romance novels celebrate relationships. By their very nature they represent the standards and values of society. Seeking a mate, starting a family. Mysteries are our morality plays where evil is ultimately found out and punished by good.
"The mixing of the two results in a variety of genres and sub genres. Romantic suspense, mysteries with a dash of romance, romance with a dash of mystery. Women in jeopardy, the hard boiled or soft boiled detective novel that flirts with a relationship, the gothic, the cozy...."
Nora Roberts goes on to recommend Mary Stewart - using her Nine Coaches Waiting as an example.
She continues down a mystery road - recommending Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, particularly, as well as the work of Sue Grafton (her Kinsey Milhone series); Elizabeth George; Victoria Holt; and Nancy Picard.
"The fun of reading romantic suspense is to play along, and at the end when the solution is revealed, to be able to say -- yeah, of course, I should have guessed. And to say, when the relationship is resolved -- they belong together. I'm glad they worked it out.
"You must give the reader these two levels of entertainment so they are satisfied with the romance and its outcome, satisfied with the mystery and its outcome. And there should probably be a connection between the two."
For her full article, go HERE.
Lisa Gardner has offered some good advice as well, in an article appearing HERE.
"Romantic suspense is about impending danger and blossoming romance—and none of it is meaningful if we don’t care about the characters. Moreover, many beginning writers make the mistake of inventing intelligent, clever protagonists, but then pit them against slow, stupid villains. The match of wits should be even, or your conflict and tension will be contrived.
"... As the saying goes, the world was made round so we could never see too far ahead. Syd Field’s book on screenwriting techniques is still the best plotting advice I know. Basically, start with a bang, build tension, offer a few resting moments, then throw in complication after complication until it appears all is lost. At that moment, your protagonists will refuse to give in, launch their final bold attack, and since this is popular fiction, emerge triumphant.
"By definition, a romantic suspense novel is still targeting the romance market. Remember why romance readers read—for escape, for entertainment, and for happily-ever-after. If your book becomes too hopeless or too negative, you risk losing your reader. As a result, you must seek to modulate tension. Plot twists, escalating tension and harsh setbacks should be followed by fresh ideas and new plans for attack. Your protagonists can feel cornered, afraid, and overwhelmed, but they should never, ever be hopeless...."
For all of Lisa Gardner's advice go HERE.
Where to read good romantic suspense? Check the awards given out - as well as the nominees - over at Romantic Times. There, the categories alone are interesting, as for example, the nominees for 2005 in the Mystery and Suspense category:
CONTEMPORARY MYSTERY
BLOODLINES Jan Burke Simon & Schuster (Jan)
EYE OF THE WOLF Margaret Coel Berkley Prime Crime (Sep)
DEAD SECRET Beverly Connor Onyx (Dec)
CHILL OF FEAR Kay Hooper Bantam (Jul)
CASE OF LIES Perri O'Shaughnessy Delacorte (Jul)
CROSS BONES Kathy Reichs Scribner (Jun)
TOP PI/PROCEDURAL NOVEL
ENTOMBED Linda Fairstein Scribner (Jan)
A CLEAN KILL Leslie Glass Onyx (Jun)
S IS FOR SILENCE Sue Grafton Putnam (Dec)
LAST WITNESS Jilliane Hoffman Putnam (May)
SUSPICION OF RAGE Barbara Parker Dutton (Feb)
DEVIL'S CORNER Lisa Scottoline HarperCollins (Jun)
TOP HISTORICAL MYSTERY
SUSPENSE AND SENSIBILITY Carrie Bebris Forge (Feb)
THE SUDBURY SCHOOL MURDERS Ashley Gardner Berkley Prime Crime (Jun)
LOCKED ROOMS Laurie R. King Bantam (Jun)
MURDER ON LENOX HILL Victoria Thompson Berkley Prime Crime (Jun)
TOP FIRST MYSTERY
FUNERAL MUSIC Morag Joss Dell (Apr)
THE HISTORIAN Elizabeth Kostova Little, Brown (Jul)
MOST WANTED Michele Martinez William Morrow (Mar)
MURDER UNCORKED Michele Scott Berkley Prime Crime (Oct)
KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR Carrie Vaughn Warner Aspect (Nov)
TOP SUSPENSE
SINNERS AND SAINTS Eileen Dreyer St. Martin's (Sep)
VANISH Tess Gerritsen Ballantine (Aug)
COUNTDOWN Iris Johansen Bantam (May)
CATEGORY FIVE T.J. MacGregor Pinnacle (Oct)
NOTHING TO FEAR Karen Rose Warner (Aug)
DEAD RUN P.J. Tracy Putnam (Apr)
TOP AMATEUR SLEUTH
ELEVEN ON TOP Janet Evanovich St. Martin's (Jul)
GRAVE SIGHT Charlaine Harris Berkley Prime Crime (Oct)
DATING IS MURDER Harley Jane Kozak Doubleday (Mar)
LOVE HER TO DEATH Linda Palmer Berkley Prime Crime (May)
BUBBLES BETROTHED Sarah Strohmeyer Dutton (Apr)
This jives with Diedre Savoy's take on this sub-genre:
"Many people believe that any romance that includes a mystery or suspense subplot constitutes romantic suspense. In my mind, however, a romantic suspense mixes both genres fairly equally. One strand (romance or suspense) does not significantly overwhelm the other. From the beginning of the story, the reader knows that your protagonists will both a) fall in love and b) solve whatever mystery you have set up....
"...[D]istinction is made between a mystery (where your protagonists must figure out who is responsible) and suspense (where your protagonist knows or finds out early in the story who is responsible. The question is how much damage this person will be able to cause before he or she is stopped). "
For the rest of the article, go HERE.
But if you really want to learn from a master, go to Nora Robert's take on the romantic suspense novel:
"There must be a relationship -- that ongoing, developing relationship we expect between the covers of a romance novel. There must be an unknown -- a suspicion, a mystery, a danger that we expect between the covers of a suspense novel. Therefore, the outside tension is just as vital as the emotional and sexual tension and its construction must be just as meticulous.
"The mystery and its ultimate conclusion must be just as visible, just as believable and just as important as the romance and its final consummation. There are not two separate stores with a common link. It is one full, complex story where separate elements merge and affect each other. Two levels where the writer is in charge of setting the balance and keeping the reader involved.
"Any novel contains basic elements such as plot, character, setting, dialogue and narrative. Both mysteries and romance are build on a certain framework. Romance novels celebrate relationships. By their very nature they represent the standards and values of society. Seeking a mate, starting a family. Mysteries are our morality plays where evil is ultimately found out and punished by good.
"The mixing of the two results in a variety of genres and sub genres. Romantic suspense, mysteries with a dash of romance, romance with a dash of mystery. Women in jeopardy, the hard boiled or soft boiled detective novel that flirts with a relationship, the gothic, the cozy...."
Nora Roberts goes on to recommend Mary Stewart - using her Nine Coaches Waiting as an example.
She continues down a mystery road - recommending Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, particularly, as well as the work of Sue Grafton (her Kinsey Milhone series); Elizabeth George; Victoria Holt; and Nancy Picard.
"The fun of reading romantic suspense is to play along, and at the end when the solution is revealed, to be able to say -- yeah, of course, I should have guessed. And to say, when the relationship is resolved -- they belong together. I'm glad they worked it out.
"You must give the reader these two levels of entertainment so they are satisfied with the romance and its outcome, satisfied with the mystery and its outcome. And there should probably be a connection between the two."
For her full article, go HERE.
Lisa Gardner has offered some good advice as well, in an article appearing HERE.
"Romantic suspense is about impending danger and blossoming romance—and none of it is meaningful if we don’t care about the characters. Moreover, many beginning writers make the mistake of inventing intelligent, clever protagonists, but then pit them against slow, stupid villains. The match of wits should be even, or your conflict and tension will be contrived.
"... As the saying goes, the world was made round so we could never see too far ahead. Syd Field’s book on screenwriting techniques is still the best plotting advice I know. Basically, start with a bang, build tension, offer a few resting moments, then throw in complication after complication until it appears all is lost. At that moment, your protagonists will refuse to give in, launch their final bold attack, and since this is popular fiction, emerge triumphant.
"By definition, a romantic suspense novel is still targeting the romance market. Remember why romance readers read—for escape, for entertainment, and for happily-ever-after. If your book becomes too hopeless or too negative, you risk losing your reader. As a result, you must seek to modulate tension. Plot twists, escalating tension and harsh setbacks should be followed by fresh ideas and new plans for attack. Your protagonists can feel cornered, afraid, and overwhelmed, but they should never, ever be hopeless...."
For all of Lisa Gardner's advice go HERE.
Where to read good romantic suspense? Check the awards given out - as well as the nominees - over at Romantic Times. There, the categories alone are interesting, as for example, the nominees for 2005 in the Mystery and Suspense category:
CONTEMPORARY MYSTERY
BLOODLINES Jan Burke Simon & Schuster (Jan)
EYE OF THE WOLF Margaret Coel Berkley Prime Crime (Sep)
DEAD SECRET Beverly Connor Onyx (Dec)
CHILL OF FEAR Kay Hooper Bantam (Jul)
CASE OF LIES Perri O'Shaughnessy Delacorte (Jul)
CROSS BONES Kathy Reichs Scribner (Jun)
TOP PI/PROCEDURAL NOVEL
ENTOMBED Linda Fairstein Scribner (Jan)
A CLEAN KILL Leslie Glass Onyx (Jun)
S IS FOR SILENCE Sue Grafton Putnam (Dec)
LAST WITNESS Jilliane Hoffman Putnam (May)
SUSPICION OF RAGE Barbara Parker Dutton (Feb)
DEVIL'S CORNER Lisa Scottoline HarperCollins (Jun)
TOP HISTORICAL MYSTERY
SUSPENSE AND SENSIBILITY Carrie Bebris Forge (Feb)
THE SUDBURY SCHOOL MURDERS Ashley Gardner Berkley Prime Crime (Jun)
LOCKED ROOMS Laurie R. King Bantam (Jun)
MURDER ON LENOX HILL Victoria Thompson Berkley Prime Crime (Jun)
TOP FIRST MYSTERY
FUNERAL MUSIC Morag Joss Dell (Apr)
THE HISTORIAN Elizabeth Kostova Little, Brown (Jul)
MOST WANTED Michele Martinez William Morrow (Mar)
MURDER UNCORKED Michele Scott Berkley Prime Crime (Oct)
KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR Carrie Vaughn Warner Aspect (Nov)
TOP SUSPENSE
SINNERS AND SAINTS Eileen Dreyer St. Martin's (Sep)
VANISH Tess Gerritsen Ballantine (Aug)
COUNTDOWN Iris Johansen Bantam (May)
CATEGORY FIVE T.J. MacGregor Pinnacle (Oct)
NOTHING TO FEAR Karen Rose Warner (Aug)
DEAD RUN P.J. Tracy Putnam (Apr)
TOP AMATEUR SLEUTH
ELEVEN ON TOP Janet Evanovich St. Martin's (Jul)
GRAVE SIGHT Charlaine Harris Berkley Prime Crime (Oct)
DATING IS MURDER Harley Jane Kozak Doubleday (Mar)
LOVE HER TO DEATH Linda Palmer Berkley Prime Crime (May)
BUBBLES BETROTHED Sarah Strohmeyer Dutton (Apr)
December 14, 2005
Word Counts and Book Length
Word Counts and Book Length - Novella vs. Novel, etc.
From Lori Copeland, an easy to follow word count listing:
Novella
20-25,000 words
80-100 pages
10-12 pages per chapter
Short Contemporary
50,000-60,000 words
200-240 pages
18-20 pages per chapter
Long Contemporary
70,000-80,000 words
280-320 pages
18-20 pages per chapter
Short Historical /Mainstream
90-100,000 words
360-400 pages
18-20 pages per chapter
Long Historical/ Mainstream
108,000-120,000
432-480 pages
18-20 pages per chapter
From another source, posting at Wikipedia:
Epic: A work of 200,000 words or more.
Novel: A work of 60,000 words or more.
Novella: A work of at least 17,500 words but under 60,000 words.
Novelette: A work of at least 7,500 words but under 17,500 words.
Short story: A work of at least 2,000 words but under 7,500 words. (1,000 words minimum by some definitions)
Flash fiction: A work of less than 2,000 words. (1,000 by some definitions)
What's the distinction?
Novellas and Novels and Novelettes are not only good names for cats, but labels for various types of books. This article at Wikipedia provides a good starting point if you're interested in studying the distinctions between them and say, the short story.... and for a list of novella examples to peruse:
Animal Farm (1945) George Orwell
Anthem (1938) Ayn Rand
The Beast in the Jungle (1903) Henry James
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) Truman Capote
Cascade Point (1983) Timothy Zahn
Casino Royale (1953) by Ian Fleming
A Clockwork Orange (1962) Anthony Burgess
The Decameron (1353) Giovanni Boccaccio -- a collection of novellas; the novellas in it are generally recognized as the first novellas
Different Seasons (1982) Stephen King -- a collection of novellas
Four Past Midnight (1990) Stephen King -- a collection of novellas
Heart of Darkness (1902) Joseph Conrad
The Metamorphosis (1915) Franz Kafka
The Old Man and the Sea (1952) Ernest Hemingway
Oroonoko (1688) Aphra Behn
The Pearl (1945) John Stein****
Shopgirl (2001) Steve Martin
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) Robert Louis Stevenson
The Turn of the Screw (1898) Henry James
The War of the Worlds (1898) H.G. Wells
Young Zaphod Plays it Safe (1986) Douglas Adams
From Lori Copeland, an easy to follow word count listing:
Novella
20-25,000 words
80-100 pages
10-12 pages per chapter
Short Contemporary
50,000-60,000 words
200-240 pages
18-20 pages per chapter
Long Contemporary
70,000-80,000 words
280-320 pages
18-20 pages per chapter
Short Historical /Mainstream
90-100,000 words
360-400 pages
18-20 pages per chapter
Long Historical/ Mainstream
108,000-120,000
432-480 pages
18-20 pages per chapter
From another source, posting at Wikipedia:
Epic: A work of 200,000 words or more.
Novel: A work of 60,000 words or more.
Novella: A work of at least 17,500 words but under 60,000 words.
Novelette: A work of at least 7,500 words but under 17,500 words.
Short story: A work of at least 2,000 words but under 7,500 words. (1,000 words minimum by some definitions)
Flash fiction: A work of less than 2,000 words. (1,000 by some definitions)
What's the distinction?
Novellas and Novels and Novelettes are not only good names for cats, but labels for various types of books. This article at Wikipedia provides a good starting point if you're interested in studying the distinctions between them and say, the short story.... and for a list of novella examples to peruse:
Animal Farm (1945) George Orwell
Anthem (1938) Ayn Rand
The Beast in the Jungle (1903) Henry James
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) Truman Capote
Cascade Point (1983) Timothy Zahn
Casino Royale (1953) by Ian Fleming
A Clockwork Orange (1962) Anthony Burgess
The Decameron (1353) Giovanni Boccaccio -- a collection of novellas; the novellas in it are generally recognized as the first novellas
Different Seasons (1982) Stephen King -- a collection of novellas
Four Past Midnight (1990) Stephen King -- a collection of novellas
Heart of Darkness (1902) Joseph Conrad
The Metamorphosis (1915) Franz Kafka
The Old Man and the Sea (1952) Ernest Hemingway
Oroonoko (1688) Aphra Behn
The Pearl (1945) John Stein****
Shopgirl (2001) Steve Martin
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) Robert Louis Stevenson
The Turn of the Screw (1898) Henry James
The War of the Worlds (1898) H.G. Wells
Young Zaphod Plays it Safe (1986) Douglas Adams
December 7, 2005
Remaindering - Lee Goldberg's Real-Life Explanation
Lee Goldberg writes murder mysteries and the occasional TV script (bet you've seen one) as well as a good blog - which provided this great, short explanation of remaindering:
"Harley Jane Kozak's book DATING DEAD MEN has been remaindered...meaning the publisher is going to sell their stock of unsold copies to booksellers by the pound (so the formerly $24.95 books will end up in the bargain bin at Barnes & Noble for $4.98). When your books are scheduled to be remaindered, the publisher first offers you the opportunity to buy as many copies as you like for a buck or two. Harley writes:
" 'Anyhow, a few days later, when the actual Remainder Notice from Random House arrived in the mail, it turned out to be 2,740 books @ $1.43 a book. Meaning that the two thousand dollars I’d rounded it off to turned out to be . . . a tiny bit more. Okay, $3,918.20. Plus tax.
Which led to another not-so-fabulous dilemma.
Where does one put 2,740 books?'
"It's a hard offer to resist. I know, because I've fallen for it. I have hundreds and hundreds of copies of BEYOND THE BEYOND and MY GUN HAS BULLETS in my garage. Now, a decade after they were published, I have resorted to giving them away in bookbags at conventions and at signings for my new books -- using them, basically, like promotional bookmarks. Even so, I've hardly made a dent in my stockpile. My advice to Harley -- resist the urge. Buy a 100 of each and let the rest go to the remainder bins of America."
Lee Goldberg writes murder mysteries and the occasional TV script (bet you've seen one) as well as a good blog - which provided this great, short explanation of remaindering:
"Harley Jane Kozak's book DATING DEAD MEN has been remaindered...meaning the publisher is going to sell their stock of unsold copies to booksellers by the pound (so the formerly $24.95 books will end up in the bargain bin at Barnes & Noble for $4.98). When your books are scheduled to be remaindered, the publisher first offers you the opportunity to buy as many copies as you like for a buck or two. Harley writes:
" 'Anyhow, a few days later, when the actual Remainder Notice from Random House arrived in the mail, it turned out to be 2,740 books @ $1.43 a book. Meaning that the two thousand dollars I’d rounded it off to turned out to be . . . a tiny bit more. Okay, $3,918.20. Plus tax.
Which led to another not-so-fabulous dilemma.
Where does one put 2,740 books?'
"It's a hard offer to resist. I know, because I've fallen for it. I have hundreds and hundreds of copies of BEYOND THE BEYOND and MY GUN HAS BULLETS in my garage. Now, a decade after they were published, I have resorted to giving them away in bookbags at conventions and at signings for my new books -- using them, basically, like promotional bookmarks. Even so, I've hardly made a dent in my stockpile. My advice to Harley -- resist the urge. Buy a 100 of each and let the rest go to the remainder bins of America."
December 5, 2005
Marketing Plan Needs to Accompany Book Proposal
According to Terry Whalin, you need a marketing plan for your book -regardless of whether or not your work is fiction or non-fiction. Why? It's a business, and a part of accepting your work involves a risk analysis dealing with, yes, money.
He explains:
"Here’s the financial information that I didn’t understand (since I’ve never self-published): for every book (fiction or nonfiction), a publisher is going to spend $50,000 to $100,000 (real dollars) to take your manuscript and turn it into a finished book. These numbers are with a modest advance to the author (say $5,000) and zero marketing dollars. These costs are production, cover design, editorial work, etc. on your book. Publishers receive thousands of submissions from would-be authors. I’m the part-time Fiction Acquisitions Editor at Howard Publishing. I’m looking for six to eight full-length novels a year—and I’ve received over 250 submissions from individuals and literary agents. I’ve rejected some quality fiction because of the volume and limited spots. And that is just my story so imagine these numbers multiplied on other editor’s desks. And if you read Book Proposals That Sell, you will see that editors do a lot more than read manuscripts.
"Let’s pretend for a minute that you are the editor and have to wade through these volumes of material to find the books for your list. You have two manuscripts. BotIh manuscripts are excellent, fascinating stories. One manuscript has a marketing plan and the other doesn’t. As the editor, you will be held accountable for your choices (within the publishing house). It’s a business to sell books. Which manuscript will you choose to champion to the other editors, the publishing executives (sales, marketing, etc.)? Editors risk for their authors. Your challenge is to prove to be worthy (actually more than worthy) of this risk."
For his complete article on this topic, go here. To download a free audio version of Pyromarketing - a book by Greg Steilstra which Mr. Whalin enthusiastically recommends -- go here.
Remember, this is a free download for listening - you have to spend money for the visual. Part of Steilstra's own campaign - he's betting that the audio isn't a sufficient competitor to the visual that it will take away customers, and may even attract purchases of the hard copy.
According to Terry Whalin, you need a marketing plan for your book -regardless of whether or not your work is fiction or non-fiction. Why? It's a business, and a part of accepting your work involves a risk analysis dealing with, yes, money.
He explains:
"Here’s the financial information that I didn’t understand (since I’ve never self-published): for every book (fiction or nonfiction), a publisher is going to spend $50,000 to $100,000 (real dollars) to take your manuscript and turn it into a finished book. These numbers are with a modest advance to the author (say $5,000) and zero marketing dollars. These costs are production, cover design, editorial work, etc. on your book. Publishers receive thousands of submissions from would-be authors. I’m the part-time Fiction Acquisitions Editor at Howard Publishing. I’m looking for six to eight full-length novels a year—and I’ve received over 250 submissions from individuals and literary agents. I’ve rejected some quality fiction because of the volume and limited spots. And that is just my story so imagine these numbers multiplied on other editor’s desks. And if you read Book Proposals That Sell, you will see that editors do a lot more than read manuscripts.
"Let’s pretend for a minute that you are the editor and have to wade through these volumes of material to find the books for your list. You have two manuscripts. BotIh manuscripts are excellent, fascinating stories. One manuscript has a marketing plan and the other doesn’t. As the editor, you will be held accountable for your choices (within the publishing house). It’s a business to sell books. Which manuscript will you choose to champion to the other editors, the publishing executives (sales, marketing, etc.)? Editors risk for their authors. Your challenge is to prove to be worthy (actually more than worthy) of this risk."
For his complete article on this topic, go here. To download a free audio version of Pyromarketing - a book by Greg Steilstra which Mr. Whalin enthusiastically recommends -- go here.
Remember, this is a free download for listening - you have to spend money for the visual. Part of Steilstra's own campaign - he's betting that the audio isn't a sufficient competitor to the visual that it will take away customers, and may even attract purchases of the hard copy.
Mystery Writer Joe Konrath Talks Money
Joe Konrath is the author of the Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels murder mystery series. He has a great website, and a great blog -- and he offers lots of great information on both.
For instance, recently in a blog posting describing his marketing to libraries campaign, he noted:
I earn 55 cents for each paperback sold, $3.44 for each hardcover, and between $5 and $8 for each audiobook.
Joe Konrath is the author of the Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels murder mystery series. He has a great website, and a great blog -- and he offers lots of great information on both.
For instance, recently in a blog posting describing his marketing to libraries campaign, he noted:
I earn 55 cents for each paperback sold, $3.44 for each hardcover, and between $5 and $8 for each audiobook.
How Librarians Choose the Books They Buy
According to writer Joe Konrath, "libraries do their ordering from catalogues supplied by the publisher, by catalogues supplied by the distributors (Ingram and Baker & Taylor,) and through reading reviews in Library Journal, Kirkus, PW, and Boolist, plus others. Patron requests and word-of-mouth also are a factor."
Konrath provides a detailed description of his marketing campaign targeting these librarians at his blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing, in his November 21, 2005, post. It's worth the read.
According to writer Joe Konrath, "libraries do their ordering from catalogues supplied by the publisher, by catalogues supplied by the distributors (Ingram and Baker & Taylor,) and through reading reviews in Library Journal, Kirkus, PW, and Boolist, plus others. Patron requests and word-of-mouth also are a factor."
Konrath provides a detailed description of his marketing campaign targeting these librarians at his blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing, in his November 21, 2005, post. It's worth the read.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)