Hello my lovelies! Can you believe it’s October already? I have a very schizophrenic wardrobe this time of year…sweaters one day, t-shirts the next. But let’s get to the questions!

What do you look for in a pitch?

Authors get very nervous about pitches–it’s not unusual to have a shaking person sitting in front of me. I don’t put much store in pitches. Your pitch tells me nothing about your writing style, so I almost always request to see some pages. The times that I don’t request, it’s because of an issue with the project itself…it’s NEVER because the person delivered their pitch poorly or wasn’t “interesting enough.”

Reasons I don’t request:

Manuscript is too short for our imprints

Manuscript is not a genre Kensington publishes

Manuscript is not my personal interest (in this case, I give an author the name of another editor at Kensington)

Plot sounds too much like another project I have under contract

That’s pretty much it. If you do your research, you’ll get a request from me. Occasionally, I request a project even if it falls into one of these categories. Why? Because as hard as it is for you to hear “no,” it’s even harder for us to say it to you in person. Authors sometimes forget that just because I’m rejecting your project, that doesn’t mean I’m rejecting you as a person. And just because it’s not right for me doesn’t mean it’s not right for another editor or house.

So what information do I really want in a pitch?

Word count. This is essential. Kensington doesn’t publish category length romance, so I’d prefer not to waste my time with a story that is simply too short. (and don’t say, “But it could be expanded.” If you think it should be longer, revise and then pitch it to me. If not, accept that  the book is too short for K and research other houses.)

Targeted imprint. If you aren’t familiar with Kensington’s imprints, you shouldn’t be pitching to me. If you think your book is in that in-between place where it could go into two possible imprints, say that. But don’t look at me blankly when I ask you where this would fit on our list.

Genre. Where would this go in the bookstore? YA? Contemporary? Paranormal? Just tell me. Don’t make me infer from the rest of your pitch.

All of this info can be conveyed in one sentence at the beginning of your pitch, yet you’d be surprised how many authors skip right to their story. I need context.

Remember, in the pitch session, YOU are the expert. I know absolutely nothing about your book. If you mess up, I’ll never know! If pitching is just too nerve-wracking for you, send me an email query instead. Pitching doesn’t rank you higher in my book, so why not take the route you are more comfortable with?

And after that rather lengthy answer, it’s time for your questions! I am unfortunately out today without access to the Internet, but if you leave your questions here for me, I will answer them all on Monday.

July has come, and in NYC we’ve got the weather to prove it! At least I can sit down with a great manuscript and pretend I’m on a beach somewhere…

Anywho, to your questions.  Here’s the starter for today:

What is your typical day like? Do you just get to read all day long?

There is no typical day in the life of an editor, but I can give you some idea of what the job involves. First, when I get to the office in the morning, I caffeinate. Very important step. While the caffeine is kicking in, I do a quick browse of industry websites to catch myself up on any news or happenings. After that, it’s a matter of whatever is most pressing. At any given time, I am doing one of these things:

1. Attending art, editorial, and cover copy meetings
2. Creating art sheets (ideas for covers) and tip sheets (things the sales team should know about the book).
3. Editing author manuscripts, writing revision letters, etc.
4. Coming up with titles
5. Proofing many rounds of covers/marketing materials
6. Revising cover copy
7. Finding well known authors to give quotes
8. Picking excerpts
9. Attending launch meetings (in which I enthusiastically tell the sales team about my books)
10. Judging contests
11. Reading queries and submissions
12. Making “The Call,” creating deal memos, etc.
13. Mailing copyedited manuscripts, cover flats, galleys, and advanced promo copies
14. Answering emails/putting out fires regarding all of the above and more

There’s more, but these things take up the bulk of my time.  Every now and again, I take time to answer your questions :] What would you like to know today?

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?