Hello all! I’m an Assistant Editor at Brava, and welcome to my first blog post. I’ve decided to do my posts a little bit differently. I figured, I *could* try to come up with something insightful, or I could give you want you really want: a chance to ask me anything. So every month I’ll hop on the blog with a starter question, and then it’s up to you!
Almost any topic is fair game: my job, books, benign personal questions, etc. Note: I’m not going to compromise anyone else’s privacy. If you ask me for a specific author’s address or their sales numbers, obviously I’m not going to answer that. So let’s kick things off with the first question!
Which Brava authors do you edit?
I brought you Cynthia Eden, Mary Wine, Maggie Robinson, and Bianca D’Arc. Next year, be on the lookout for a few more of my girls: Rebecca Zanetti, Bronwen Evans, Elizabeth Essex, and Lexi George.
Now, what do you want to know?
What do you find most challenging about editing books for an author that has high sales numbers?
Hey, Megan!! Met you at RT ~~ nice to ‘see’ you again!!
And YEAH on you bringing us some great authors, I LOVE me some Cynthia Eden especially!!!!
So of the 4 new authors you list as bringing to us next year, what do they write? Looks like you’ve allready got a pretty eclectic mix, w/ Cynthia and Bianca writing para’s, and Maggie and Mary writng historicals.
Ooh, this sounds like a dream job!!
Maria, the actual editing process is the same–sales numbers don’t influence how I edit the manuscript. Great numbers can put a lot of pressure on the title and cover concept, though. We want the numbers to grow, and the wrong cover or title can wreak havoc on sales.
Hi Melissa! Rebecca writes dark paranormals, Lexi writes hilarious paranormals with a Southern flavor, Liz and Bronwen both write late Georgian/early Regency historicals.
Hey, Megan! So glad to see a picture of your cute self.
We keep hearing such-and-such a genre is dead. If I had a nickel for whenever someone said historicals, paranormals and contemporaries are over, I wouldn’t have to write much. *g* Do you see any particular trends about the next hot thing?
Hi Ms. Maggie! You have no idea how long it took me to find a pic…I generally run from cameras.
I don’t believe that genres ever die. They are less prevalent, or they morph into something else. For instance, chick lit has morphed into light women’s fiction. I think it’s more about what publishers think they can sell, which is rather different from what audiences want to read. I could have a great book, with the potential for a huge audience, but if the publisher can’t figure out how to get it into the hands of those readers, it’s a goner. If I personally handed it to people, they love it, but I can’t do that everywhere. So I think when people say a genre is dead, what they really mean is publishers are having difficulty getting those books to the right readers.
Anywho, trends. I have to admit, I’m not good at this question. I never buy for trends. I buy because the manuscript is awesome. That said, I do see a more historicals with modern issues (dementia, domestic violence, etc) than I have before. Also seeing a lot of new creatures in paranormal, angels especially.
Which genre do you like to read? What do you look for when getting a book or eBook?
Sapphire, I read every genre. Love them all. I am, first and foremost, a huge fangirl of romance. Been reading it since I was a pre-teen–and I still read it almost exclusively. It’s a bit harder to get me interested in a romantic suspense than other genres–sometimes the plots all feel the same.
When looking for a new book, I usually end up picking something that has been recommended by a friend or colleague, or I go digging in the massive pile of freebies I have and find something by reading cover copy. And of course, I have my autobuy authors.
Howdy Megan! I want to swing by and wave hello at you.
Hope to see you at RWA perhaps. I’ll be there.
I have a wonderful RWA chapter here in Raleigh (HCRW). There are some great PAN authors, and a lot of aspiring writers who are all wonderful. One of the questions the aspiring writers ask me is do you accept unagented submissions? And if so, how long does it take to read/respond?
Megan, that is an awesomely cute picture of you!
Here is my question…what can an author do to make your job easier? Or, what do you expect from your authors?
What types of books are your top sellers and what advice would you give aspiring writers who want to publish with Kensington?
Hi Megan! It is nice to finally see a picture of you!
Once you sign an author, how often do you sign them again when that contract is satisfied?
Also, what factors play into that decision?
Beth–we absolutely take unagented submissions. It usually takes me about 3 months…sometimes it’s shorter or longer depending on how busy I am with other things. And, an inspiring fact for those unagented girls: the last 6 offers I made were to authors who were unagented at the time of submission. They all got agents AFTER they already had my offer.
Hi Megan
I’m loving this blog already!
I’ve heard that some houses are reducing the number of ARCs they’ll create. What’s the current view on that at Kensington?
TGIF ~
Nancy
A big yeeeeha shoutout for those last six debut authors
Go Megan!
Hi Megan,
Thanks for this wonderful Q & A opportunity?
Since you seem to cover all different types of stories, what are some of the basics that you look for in any and all manuscripts?
And BTW, you edit two of my favs –Cynthia Eden (love her Midnight series) & Rebecca Z (love her b/c she’s just so nice):)
Cindy–I cropped it from one of my wedding pics. It’s amazing what professional hair and makeup people can produce :]
Number one thing: get the book in on time. Plain and simple.
Number two: understand that publishing is not fair. Other authors will get more/less marketing attention, better/worse reviews, etc. And yes, I have different relationships with different authors. It’s the same as in any office: there are some coworkers who you joke around with and go out for drinks with, and there are some who you have a great working relationship with but don’t have a lot in common outside the office. Then there are the ones who you hide from and avoid making eye contact with. Luckily, I don’t have any authors in this last group :] NOTE: I care about EVERY book, and I want them all to do really well. How I feel about the author personally doesn’t affect that.
Number three: Understand that I don’t have complete control. If you hate your cover, well, sometimes I can’t change that. There are a lot of other people here who get a vote, I’m only one.
I expect us to find a way to work together and make a terrific product, without driving each other nuts.
Hello, Megan.
A follow on question to your unagented submissions response: How do you like to receive queries?
It’s very exciting that you’re open to unagented writers. I know Rebecca from our critique group, and I can hardly wait to see her books in print! So happy you signed her.
Thank you,
Petrina Green
Rebecca–I’ve re-signed the majority of my authors after their first contract is up. Sales is the number one consideration. However, if sales aren’t what we want them to be, but we think we can do something to boost those sales significantly (e.g. new cover concept), we might still re-up. Also, is the author holding up her end of the bargain? Is she constantly late? Does she say bad things about Kensington on the internet? Those aren’t going to win any points.
Nancy–Yes, Kensington is reducing the number of ARCs. Believe it or not, it is more expensive to produce an ARC than an actual book. We are finding that advance promo copies are just as effective and less expensive. (Advance promo copies are literally the exact same as the book you’d get in the store. We just get them from the warehouse ahead of pub.) Good all around!
Do the publishers have proof-readers these days? I have been noticing lots of typos, grammarical errors and continuity errors in the books I have been reading lately – something I don’t remember noticing in the past but have seen in nearly every book I’ve read in the past 6 months, which has been a LOT!
Hello Megan. Kelly here.
For submissions, do you generally prefer query plus synopsis,or query, synopsis, first three chapters? What is the most efficient in your experience as an editor?
How do you feel about submissions to more than one publisher at a time, as long as there is full disclosure?
Katiebabs–we do quite well with paranormal, historical, and romantic suspense, but contemporary can be a bit more difficult these days. I find the successes are tied less to the genre and more to the individual author’s style.
For aspiring authors, do your homework. Read books in the genre you write in. Find out what editors and agents are looking for, don’t submit blindly. And most of all, write, write, write!
Rashda–Bottom line: I look for a story with a great voice that makes me want to keep reading. Other issues can be fixed, but I can’t make your voice better with editing. Draw me in and make me forget I’m reading at work.
Petrina–Email queries, please!
Hi Megan! Thanks for taking our questions. I’m curious about your thoughts on futuristic/scifi romance. It’s always been my favorite but it’s difficult to find new authors. Is it just not selling right now or is no one writing it other than the few already out there?
Hi Megan,
I’ve been a Brava fan for several years now. I’ve found so many authors that I love just by following the publisher. I dont’ do that often, but I’ve come to trust what is published under this name. Thanks for the hard work that you do to bring us the books we love to read?
I have two questions. First, I find that more and more books have poor editing and copy editing. How much of this is the publisher responsible for vs. the author? (the books I’m thinking of are not published by Brava)
Second, I’m dying to get my booklover hands on Fade to Midnight by Shannon McKenna, but was disappointed to see it published in hardcover. I’m kind of shocked by this because all of the Brava’s I’ve ever read were trade, then sometimes mmp. Do you know why this decision was made when the economy isn’t that great, and all of the other books in this series were paperbacks?
Shelly–we do have proof-readers. If you are seeing more mistakes, that might be partially attributed to haste…if the book was late to production, the proof-reader might not have had as much time to look at it. Rest assured that every manuscript goes through several passes, and we do try to catch everything. Try as we might, sometimes those little buggars just slip through.
Kelly–I prefer simply a query first (by email), then I usually ask for a synopsis and 3 chapters. A synopsis by itself doesn’t do me a lot of good…I need to be able to see what your writing is like. Most editors will assume that the submission is simultaneous; sending to more than one place is SOP.
Booklover–in terms of copyediting, that can vary by house. Most big houses have copyeditors and proof-readers, so the acquiring editor does not do this. At some smaller houses, the acquiring editor does this. I’ve also heard of some e-publishers where the author is in charge of this. Also, I referenced lateness in an earlier comment. If the author is late turning in the book, it means every other process is now scrambling for time. Less time can equal more mistakes. But the fault is usually not just one person’s, and varies by house.
As to Shannon, that decision was made for her alone, not for other Bravas (at least at the moment). It’s not an unusual move: JR Ward recently moved into hardcover from mm. Once an author becomes “big enough,” they are often moved into hardcover. There will be a mass market edition of FADE TO MIDNIGHT next year.
Katrina–I hardly ever see sci-fi romance come across my desk. It’s never really attracted me. I love watching sci-fi, never particularly liked reading it. I’d say it’s a mix of no one writing it and publishers feeling like they can’t sell it.
Megan. Kelly here.
You mentioned angels- do you see this as the next “Big” paranormal thing? Some editors seem to be tired of vampires.
Are the usual paranormal heroes (Vamps, wolves, witches, demons, etc)not selling well in the paranormal market?
Kelly–not particularly. I think the “big” thing now is creative mythology rather than new creatures. Vamps, shifters, etc all work really well if the author’s voice is fresh and the story brings something new to the table. Are your vamps born or made? Drink blood from humans, vampires, or neither? Taking the mythology and making it your own can really set your story apart from the others, as much as bringing in a new creature. Plus, there is a very fine line between “new creature readers will love” and “new creature that readers will find creepy, not sexy.”
We haven’t seen slower sales with any creature in particular. It’s usually more author-specific.
I enjoy reading and writing novellas. What is the potential for an unpublished writer to get a novella picked up by Brava? Or is everything you’re looking for in the 80-90k range?
Hi Megan.
Congrats on snagging Rebecca Zanetti. As one of her dear friends and crit partners, I can honestly say you’ll love working with her. She’s an amazing person, the consummate professional, AND a gifted writer. I can’t wait to buy FATED in February.
My question is: will Kensington be expanding the types of YA books they carry? Like paranormal perhaps?
Thanks, Megan.
Hi Cyndi–we usually do not contract an author for novellas only (unless you are a big name). We use our anthologies to get exposure for authors we have under contract for novels.
This being the case, I have always contracted the novels first, then arranged the novella. If I come across a submission I like that’s only novella length, I ask if the author has something full length. I find being a great novella writer doesn’t always translate to a great novel writer, since the pacing and plotting can be so different. I need to see that you can produce the 80-90k manuscript well. (This is just me; other editors might be comfortable seeing just a novella and contracting novels.)
Brandi–yes, we have done a few paranormal YA books, and Alicia and I are actively seeking paranormal YA projects.
Hi Megan,
Do you get to keep a copy of any book published by Brava? I mean do you get to go a random shopping sprees for books just because…I’m only asking to feed my inner shopping bookaholic…
Anna–yes, I get desk copies of every Brava book. It’s fabulous, but can also be a bit overwhelming. My poor desk is literally covered…and they keep coming! And I love them all, so getting rid of any is out of the question.
A little bird told me you were interested in STEAMPUNK romance? If so, what sort of length?
Beth
Beth–”Steampunk” is one of those buzzwords that I am hesitant to use. The one example I have seen of this, I liked. A lot. However, when reading the straightforward definition, it feels like it would delve too much into sci-fi, which I’ve already mentioned I don’t like reading. I really liked historical paranormal romance before this whole steampunk thing came around, so if you think it fits into that category, then yes, I want that. If you think it’s closer to sci-fi romance, then not for me. All of our romance lines target 80-100k.
Hi Megan,
Hope all is well and I’m taking advantage of using this space instead of twitter(not long enough).
Recently steampunk seems to be gaining alot of attention, do you see them increasing in your submission pile? And how do you feel about western romance’s(erotic)? I know you love paranormals but how about plain old hot cowboys?
thanks Megan and I wish you were coming to Nationals!
Lol, alright Beth beat me to my question, ignore me Megan!
Sayde–love cowboys. I’m not into our Aphrodisia line though…so if you are defining erotic as kinky in any way that’s not for me. If by erotic, you simply mean “sensual and explicit sex between the hero and heroine without any extras such as BDSM, etc,” then yes, I enjoy those.
Hi Megan,
First thanks so much for doing this!
My question is to do with formatting – does it make a big difference if a full is submitted using Word’s manuscript template (22 lines/pg) or does it need to be exactly 25 lines? I understand the clear font (courier/TRoman) but have heard many conflicting things about page formatting and how specific it needs to be.
Also, should we be using the manual method of calculating word count or is it alright to use the tool in Word?
Thank you
Kim
Kim–I couldn’t care less how many lines are on the page. Is it legible? Is the formatting semi-normal? Good enough for me. People get very freaked out about this…trust me, if you are doing research like asking questions on a blog, you are probably not making big formatting mistakes. I have seen manuscripts in 22 pt font, cursive font, all bold font, 3 inch margins on both sides…I could go on a while. As long as your formatting isn’t distracting in any way, I don’t care.
And PLEASE use the tool in Word. I have found that the manual method is extremely inaccurate for our purposes.
Hello Megan,
Sometimes it appears that the line between Aphrodisia and Brava is hazy. If you receive a ms that might be better suited to Aphrodisia do you pass it along and vic-a-versa?
Thanks for the great answers!
Anna–yes, the line is hazy. The general rule, though, is Aphrodisia has “extras”: extra people, extra appendages, extra apparatuses, etc. In Brava, you can get away with light bondage (with scarves, for example) or a tamer toy (vibrator), but for the most part, it is just very explicit sex with more graphic language and more frequency than Zebra. And yes, I do pass on manuscripts to other editors if I think it is worth looking at, but is just out of my comfort zone of Brava and Zebra.
Hi, Megan! Just wanted to wave hi! I’m really enjoying the peek you’re giving us into the editing process at Brava through the questions your answering! (Having worked as an editor in a different field, I appreciate some of the dynamics and process, but there are definitely lots of differences!) As a book lover, it’s just fun knowing more about how books get into my hands
Thanks much for clarifying this Megan, I feel much better about my submissions now
. They’re in plain old times roman 12 pt, normal margins on Word’s ms template and I used the word count tool, Yipee!
Kim
Thanks for stopping by, Fedora!
Kim, glad I could alleviate some fears :]
Welcome, Megan!
My question is this. After three years and 6 manuscripts and no bite from an agent, I have three books coming out this year with two different e-pubs. Does going this route hurt me or help me? I still have the big 90k word manuscript (a Scottish historical paranormal) I want to sell. I will mention my sales to prospective agents, but in the long run…should I include this info in my bio when I query you or your affiliate?
Nancy
Being e-pubbed does not hurt you in the least. It doesn’t particularly help you in my case…we’d have no print numbers for corporate buyers to go by, so you’d still essentially be the same as a debut author when our sales team is selling your book. I find that e-pubbing helps the most by letting authors practice their craft and get used to the publishing process. It makes my job a lot easier if you are already used to an editor looking at your book and making changes. I would definitely include this info in your bio.
Thank you, Megan! Wonderful information passed along today.
Beth
When you request a full manuscript, how much time do you give the author to respond?
Thank you so much for your time,
Jenny
Hi Jenny–my offer to read never expires. Yes, it’s a bit odd if it takes a year for the manuscript to be sent, but I’m still going to read it.
[...] Ask Me Anything [...]
Hi Megan
One of your new, soon to be on the shelf published writers here.
Lovely to see my name in an editors blog for the first time. It’s very exciting.
My question is, does it matter whether the hero or the heroine has the greater personal journey or the deeper inner conflcit in the story. Or is it more the combination of their combined journey that delivers the best overall conflict and emotional tale.
Some writers tend to foucs on the hero and others the heroine.
PS> Thank you for making my road into publishing so trouble free.
Many thanks Bron
I think that totally depends on the individual writer and reader. Some readers love tortured heroes (myself included), but some prefer major conflict with the heroine because they feel that’s easier to relate to. And writers may be better at making a sympathetic hero, or vice versa. I do think that the conflict needs to have some balance–you can ‘t have a hero grieving and trying to get over his past while the heroine simply doesn’t like the way he dresses. I say, as a writer, go with what you are comfortable with.