My editor emailed me early today. She really liked my Viking partial and wants to see the full, rather than needing me to rework the partial or put in the next 3 chapters. I had been prepared for her to hate it and have to do both options. But apparently it has a good structure and well-motivated characters. I need to make sure the emotional complexity of the main characters, in particular the hero, is there but other than she is very happy to see the full. (NB I expect her to tear the full apart and help me to make the story as strong as possible)
Emotional complexity does tend to come for me after the first draft is done. It is no fun knowing absolutely everything. But I will re-read the Collins book so that I can make sure the characters have several inner values which end up at odds with each other.
Anyway I have run out of excuses for not writing. It is back to chunking the words -- ie writing 750 words and then taking a break. It is going to be an excellent story when it is done.
Not getting this story in before the 1 January deadline is not an option!
Showing posts with label editors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label editors. Show all posts
Friday, November 18, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Back from London and meeting my editor
Yesterday, I did my annual trek down to London and had lunch with my editor and senior editor. It was very pleasant. The main consensus is to keep writing what I am currently enjoying writing -- warm, witty intimate historicals which are set in the North East and help give a window into the period.
It was the first time that I was able to have a long face to face chat with my editor. She is wonderful in person. She is tough but with loads of heart. Truly the Jillian Michaels of the editorial world. I am very lucky to have her as an editor.
We went to an Italian place and I had all 3 courses -- salad to start, salmon fishcakes and then espresso granita. A few glasses of wine were drunk. A real feast.
The editorial office has been moved downstairs and is very open plan. I loved that one of the conference rooms had a frosted window with the M&B logo and the word Intrigue. All the other editor I met were looking well - okay as young and beautiful as ever. There is a real feeling of comraderie.
One of the great things for me was wearing a burnt orange silk suit that had belonged to my grandmother. At this point last year, I could not get it past my knees! It fits very nicely now thank you. Various people were suitably complimentary (including an editor that I meant on the street on the way to the office who nearly didn't recognise me but liked the suit). It does show that all my hard work has paid dividends. Now to continue the hard work and get myself in shape for NYC!
It was the first time that I was able to have a long face to face chat with my editor. She is wonderful in person. She is tough but with loads of heart. Truly the Jillian Michaels of the editorial world. I am very lucky to have her as an editor.
We went to an Italian place and I had all 3 courses -- salad to start, salmon fishcakes and then espresso granita. A few glasses of wine were drunk. A real feast.
The editorial office has been moved downstairs and is very open plan. I loved that one of the conference rooms had a frosted window with the M&B logo and the word Intrigue. All the other editor I met were looking well - okay as young and beautiful as ever. There is a real feeling of comraderie.
One of the great things for me was wearing a burnt orange silk suit that had belonged to my grandmother. At this point last year, I could not get it past my knees! It fits very nicely now thank you. Various people were suitably complimentary (including an editor that I meant on the street on the way to the office who nearly didn't recognise me but liked the suit). It does show that all my hard work has paid dividends. Now to continue the hard work and get myself in shape for NYC!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
An essay to inspire better writing
A few weeks ago I happened to discover a blog by a former editorial assistant, now editor --Editorial Ass. It provides much entertainment and actually helped me conquer my anxiety about deadlines and revisions etc. And because we operate in slightly different areas of publishing, I do not share the same views on the necessity of agents. But I digress.
She happened to highlight a lovely essay on writing -- Annie Dillard and the Writing Life by Alexander Chee. It is well worth reading and will hopefully inspire people to write better or to think about how they write and why. It is about the possible rather than the impossible.
The bit about active verbs reminded me as ever of Strunk and White. But I would humbly suggest that there is a world difference between stroll, saunter and walk with painful slowness, measuring each step against the last. Sometimes adverbs are a necessary part of the English language. Precision in language can be a good thing when not taken to extremes and ten dollar words.
I am thus planning on putting in a few good hours on my revisions and truly thinking about them and the way they need to be handled. Do I really want to count verbs on the page though?
She happened to highlight a lovely essay on writing -- Annie Dillard and the Writing Life by Alexander Chee. It is well worth reading and will hopefully inspire people to write better or to think about how they write and why. It is about the possible rather than the impossible.
The bit about active verbs reminded me as ever of Strunk and White. But I would humbly suggest that there is a world difference between stroll, saunter and walk with painful slowness, measuring each step against the last. Sometimes adverbs are a necessary part of the English language. Precision in language can be a good thing when not taken to extremes and ten dollar words.
I am thus planning on putting in a few good hours on my revisions and truly thinking about them and the way they need to be handled. Do I really want to count verbs on the page though?
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
London
I went to lunch with my editors yesterday. The big news is that Ivar's story, title still to be decided will be published in North America in December 09. I am not sure when it will be published in the UK, but it is in the schedule for December. This will be my only NA publication this year as far as I can work out. Then next year, I believe they are planning to put some of the Roman titles into Direct and e-books as well as the Regency/Victorians.
Personally I am pleased that scheduling is not my job.
We have agreed the focus for my next few projects.
The company and the food was good, but the flight was horrid. Delayed by an hour to begin with, and then the flight was cancelled on the way home. I was put on a flight about 3 hours later and arrived back shattered.
Personally I am pleased that scheduling is not my job.
We have agreed the focus for my next few projects.
The company and the food was good, but the flight was horrid. Delayed by an hour to begin with, and then the flight was cancelled on the way home. I was put on a flight about 3 hours later and arrived back shattered.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Demystifying the editorial process
Editors are mysterious people. I mean love my editors very much, but really I could not do what they do. Scheduling, for example, is a black art.
I prefer to write my stories, but the thought of trying to figure out precisely what is wrong with a story or why it works or does not work, plus all the other things that go on in publishing would soon have me heading for the nearest exit.
But I am very interested in learning about the editorial process and publishing in general. It is one of the reasons why I love reading Isabel Swift's blog, and why I am interested whenever I come across articles on editors.
My college alumni magazine recently published an article on Cheryl Klein who among other things served as the Scholastic continuity editor for Harry Potter. The article was interesting as far as it went. I was amazed but not surprised that HP had a continuity editor.
Anyway, I went in search of her website to see if she had any thoughts on writing continuities. Natasha Oakley had just made my head ache with how she figured out her characters' ages. It read a bit like a logic puzzle.
Klein does not have any articles on continuity but she does have several interesting articles on the theory of line editing as well as a letter to a would be editor. The line editing article is worth downloading and reading. Some things are different in the series book world -- for example the amount of time an author has to do revisions, but most of the things she says are pertinent. I know I have done some of the things like -- apologising for my copy editing mistakes.
But if you are interested in knowing how an editor works, and why and what they want, this article should be a must read.
In her letter to a would be editor, she describes how her boss Arthur Levine acquired his own imprint in Scholastic. Basically he discovered -- Redwall, The Golden Compass and Harry Potter...thus leading TPTB to suspect that he possessed a certain amount of skill.
So if you wish to demystify the editorial process or get an editor's take on where she is coming from...I suggest taking a look at Cheryl's site.
And now I have to do the creative thing and actually write my Governess story. Right now, my editors can't wait to read my next story.
I prefer to write my stories, but the thought of trying to figure out precisely what is wrong with a story or why it works or does not work, plus all the other things that go on in publishing would soon have me heading for the nearest exit.
But I am very interested in learning about the editorial process and publishing in general. It is one of the reasons why I love reading Isabel Swift's blog, and why I am interested whenever I come across articles on editors.
My college alumni magazine recently published an article on Cheryl Klein who among other things served as the Scholastic continuity editor for Harry Potter. The article was interesting as far as it went. I was amazed but not surprised that HP had a continuity editor.
Anyway, I went in search of her website to see if she had any thoughts on writing continuities. Natasha Oakley had just made my head ache with how she figured out her characters' ages. It read a bit like a logic puzzle.
Klein does not have any articles on continuity but she does have several interesting articles on the theory of line editing as well as a letter to a would be editor. The line editing article is worth downloading and reading. Some things are different in the series book world -- for example the amount of time an author has to do revisions, but most of the things she says are pertinent. I know I have done some of the things like -- apologising for my copy editing mistakes.
But if you are interested in knowing how an editor works, and why and what they want, this article should be a must read.
In her letter to a would be editor, she describes how her boss Arthur Levine acquired his own imprint in Scholastic. Basically he discovered -- Redwall, The Golden Compass and Harry Potter...thus leading TPTB to suspect that he possessed a certain amount of skill.
So if you wish to demystify the editorial process or get an editor's take on where she is coming from...I suggest taking a look at Cheryl's site.
And now I have to do the creative thing and actually write my Governess story. Right now, my editors can't wait to read my next story.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Looking for the less obvious
First of all, as I know some people do not read comments, I would like to thank Isabel Swift for leaving two comments and highly recommend people take the time and trouble to read them. As one would expect of a vice president of Harlequin and highly experienced editor (including at one stage Nora Roberts) the comments are pithy and to the point as well as being wonderfully reassuring, particularly about the Crows of Doubt!
One thing that I think authors sometimes forget is that editors have a share in readers, and that their aim is to provide the best possible read for their readers. I for one loved her concept of handholds for readers. And handholds in the concept of places to hang hats, or grips as one is climbing a rock face. Things to make the reading experience more enjoyable, so that the reader does not fall out of the book. But they also need to be subtle so that the reader just accepts it and the story flows.
In her second comment she also focuses on the less obvious and how she uses the mantra about donuts.
Now I know when I get my editors' thoughts, I try to focus on the why behind the remarks and try to discover what bit is not working. Is the scene that is highlighted? What is it about the scene that doesn't work? And where I have gone wrong? Also how can I fix it and still keep true the story I want to tell... And sometimes, an author is just far too close to the story...
For example when I came to do revisions to Taken by The Viking, I had a late sensual scene. My editor wrote back congratulating me for attempting it, stated how lovely it was but that it didn't quite work. The basic problem was that at point in the story, there was no sexual tension, or at least not in the same way as it had been earlier. The obvious answer might have been to up the tension. However, it was also a warm lovely moment and needed to be that way for what came next...so I chose the less obvious (and I believe stronger way) of making that moment really lovely, warm and tender and therefore making what comes next all the more poignant. Luckily my editor at the time agreed with me.
In another place in Taken, I knew something was wrong but could not put my finger on it. There were reasons why I thought the scene should be in Haakon's POV. I knew that it wasn't right. My cps had told me that it missed, but could I see the solution? However, my editor said -- actually, it will work far better in Annis's. And she was right. In that case, I had been focusing on the hole and not the needs of the story.
Ultimately, it is the flow of the story and the reader's experience that is overriding concern. satisfied readers mean they are likely to return to your books, and indeed books published by a specific company.
Oh and Donna mentioned subtexts. But that is a whole another blog about the need to have a scene work as hard as it possibly can, and the need for layers...
One thing that I think authors sometimes forget is that editors have a share in readers, and that their aim is to provide the best possible read for their readers. I for one loved her concept of handholds for readers. And handholds in the concept of places to hang hats, or grips as one is climbing a rock face. Things to make the reading experience more enjoyable, so that the reader does not fall out of the book. But they also need to be subtle so that the reader just accepts it and the story flows.
In her second comment she also focuses on the less obvious and how she uses the mantra about donuts.
Now I know when I get my editors' thoughts, I try to focus on the why behind the remarks and try to discover what bit is not working. Is the scene that is highlighted? What is it about the scene that doesn't work? And where I have gone wrong? Also how can I fix it and still keep true the story I want to tell... And sometimes, an author is just far too close to the story...
For example when I came to do revisions to Taken by The Viking, I had a late sensual scene. My editor wrote back congratulating me for attempting it, stated how lovely it was but that it didn't quite work. The basic problem was that at point in the story, there was no sexual tension, or at least not in the same way as it had been earlier. The obvious answer might have been to up the tension. However, it was also a warm lovely moment and needed to be that way for what came next...so I chose the less obvious (and I believe stronger way) of making that moment really lovely, warm and tender and therefore making what comes next all the more poignant. Luckily my editor at the time agreed with me.
In another place in Taken, I knew something was wrong but could not put my finger on it. There were reasons why I thought the scene should be in Haakon's POV. I knew that it wasn't right. My cps had told me that it missed, but could I see the solution? However, my editor said -- actually, it will work far better in Annis's. And she was right. In that case, I had been focusing on the hole and not the needs of the story.
Ultimately, it is the flow of the story and the reader's experience that is overriding concern. satisfied readers mean they are likely to return to your books, and indeed books published by a specific company.
Oh and Donna mentioned subtexts. But that is a whole another blog about the need to have a scene work as hard as it possibly can, and the need for layers...
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Submitted
I pressed the button and sent my latest to my editor. I had an email back to say that it had been received. Hooray!
Eventually my editor will get back to me with her thoughts on what does not work and where things could be strengthened.
India Grey left a comment on my blog and the penny dropped what a great metaphor black ice is for when I get the thoughts back from my editor.
Black ice is a good metaphor for the problems that she may discover. I am far too close. I can't see the ice. My editor can see it. Luckily, once it is pointed out, I am allowed to decide on what I am going to do -- around it, build a bridge over, try a different route, or spread some grit and get a lot more traction. But whatever I do, I have to make it my own.
My dh obviously thinks that I plan to spend time cleaning the house...ummm there are reasons why I write. I have also have a pile of Rita books to judge and my TBR is still there.
But I am glad to be onto the next stage with this book.
Eventually my editor will get back to me with her thoughts on what does not work and where things could be strengthened.
India Grey left a comment on my blog and the penny dropped what a great metaphor black ice is for when I get the thoughts back from my editor.
Black ice is a good metaphor for the problems that she may discover. I am far too close. I can't see the ice. My editor can see it. Luckily, once it is pointed out, I am allowed to decide on what I am going to do -- around it, build a bridge over, try a different route, or spread some grit and get a lot more traction. But whatever I do, I have to make it my own.
My dh obviously thinks that I plan to spend time cleaning the house...ummm there are reasons why I write. I have also have a pile of Rita books to judge and my TBR is still there.
But I am glad to be onto the next stage with this book.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
The Editorial Roundabout
I learnt yesterday that my new editor is leaving HM&B to pursue a different career. I wish her well and am very glad that I dedicated A Question of Impropriety to her. I do think she pushed me in certain directions and challenged me to improve.
My new editor was also my first editor, so it is very much like coming home. She is also the senior editor of the historicals and someone I respect very much. Her thoughts are like gold dust. I am also pleased to be within the historical team as it were.
It is one of those things you rapidly learn in publishing -- editors come and go. They are doing a job and have lives outside. it is a working relationship. Occasionally, one has a friendship. I think your first editor always hold a special place. But it is a working relationship.
Being able to work with a wide variety of people and seeing how the why behind their thoughts is very important. Each editor has a different style. they may all be saying the same thing.
As I am currently working on my editing my ms, I find it useful to go over my revision letters. I have a habit of making the same mistakes over and over again. So it can be a useful exercise to look at the thoughts and see if they can be applied to the current work. I actually had not done this for awhile and some of the mistakes in my last ms could have been avoided. I have a bad habit of typing FAR too fast and not rereading...
My new editor was also my first editor, so it is very much like coming home. She is also the senior editor of the historicals and someone I respect very much. Her thoughts are like gold dust. I am also pleased to be within the historical team as it were.
It is one of those things you rapidly learn in publishing -- editors come and go. They are doing a job and have lives outside. it is a working relationship. Occasionally, one has a friendship. I think your first editor always hold a special place. But it is a working relationship.
Being able to work with a wide variety of people and seeing how the why behind their thoughts is very important. Each editor has a different style. they may all be saying the same thing.
As I am currently working on my editing my ms, I find it useful to go over my revision letters. I have a habit of making the same mistakes over and over again. So it can be a useful exercise to look at the thoughts and see if they can be applied to the current work. I actually had not done this for awhile and some of the mistakes in my last ms could have been avoided. I have a bad habit of typing FAR too fast and not rereading...
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Contest winners and refinements
The winners for the December newsletter contests are:
KimW -- Taken by the Viking hardback
Sherry H -- signed paperback of her choice
and
Kathleen G -- critique
I have notified them all by email.
My editor decided that she wanted a few more things doing to QI. she calls them refinements and I go agree with her -- I think her suggestions will make the book far stronger. Okay, she is really a genius and has an unerring eye but we won't go into that. It is simply a matter of working through. The important thing is that the reader gets the best read possible.
It has been moved up the schedule which means the next one has as well. So my Christmas is really spelt DEADLINE.
Luckily all I have to do is wrap presents. But I have this TBR pile that keeps growing as well.
KimW -- Taken by the Viking hardback
Sherry H -- signed paperback of her choice
and
Kathleen G -- critique
I have notified them all by email.
My editor decided that she wanted a few more things doing to QI. she calls them refinements and I go agree with her -- I think her suggestions will make the book far stronger. Okay, she is really a genius and has an unerring eye but we won't go into that. It is simply a matter of working through. The important thing is that the reader gets the best read possible.
It has been moved up the schedule which means the next one has as well. So my Christmas is really spelt DEADLINE.
Luckily all I have to do is wrap presents. But I have this TBR pile that keeps growing as well.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Who runs HM&B
Going back to that Article, one of the more amusing assumptions by Julie Bindel was that HM&B is something of a male preserve. Yes, you have these little self deluded female authors but it is the males who decide.
Ummm which ones?
Although back in the 1960s and 1970s, M&B was mainly run by the Boon brothers. This has changed. The Boon family sold out many years ago to the corporate entity --Torstar.
Shall we look at some of the people who make the current editorial decisions at HM&B? It would have taken very little time for an competent journalist to do this.
All the editorial assistants and acquiring editors at HM&B are currently women. There was once a male editor but that was a long time ago and he is now a hugely successful agent. I think the NY office now is going for more equal opportunity and has hired its token male but there are no male acquiring editors at the Richmond office.
My current editor started working for HM&B within the last few years. She has a Phd from Oxford. She decided that publishing was preferable to academia. My former editor needs to finish her dissertation . Her speciality is 19th century women's literature. Her Phd again will be from Oxford... My senior editor has worked in publishing since the 1970s. She has held a variety of editorial positions within HM&B. And I would say that being an editor in any large publishing house is a huge achievement. it is not a part time job.
The executive editor of the Presents/Modern line is a woman. As it is not my line, I have only spoken to her casually at the HM&B authors' toast. However, she is impressive. Again she has chosen publishing as a career. She is not working for pin money. She is working because it is her career and she is highly successful at year in and year out discovering best selling authors and managing the most successful line in Harlequin Enterprises. In short you do not become an executive editor in one of the world's largest publishing houses by being a pushover. You get it on merit, because you have demonstrated that you can deliver.
The current Editorial Director of HM&B is a woman. She is also one of the most powerful people in publishing, in both the UK and the world in general. Ultimately she is the person who decides which author will be bought for the lines that the UK editorial team hold over all responsibility for. Spend some time in her company, and you will realise that she knows a fantastic amount about publishing. Not just women's fiction but publishing in general. She is the ED for very sound business reasons and is there on merit.
If any young woman wants to go into publishing or indeed to know what it is like to succeed in this business, they could do far worse than to take the ED of HM&B as a role model.
Basically these are the women who decide. It would be a brave man who told them what to do. They make their decisions not on some ideal but on hard headed business facts. they are in the business of selling books.
Ultimately it is the vast majority of consumers who decide which books are bought and how the direction of the business is shaped.
And about those titles, TPTB recently did an experiment and gave a few less hooky titles to books. They had to apologise to the authors in questions, because despite garnering excellent reviews, the books tanked. In the world of category publishing, hooks rule. Hooks actually rule on other areas of publishing.It is just that people do not seem to joke about murder mystery titles as much.
So before pointing to huge male conspiracies, it would be helpful if journalists etc actually did their homework.
Ummm which ones?
Although back in the 1960s and 1970s, M&B was mainly run by the Boon brothers. This has changed. The Boon family sold out many years ago to the corporate entity --Torstar.
Shall we look at some of the people who make the current editorial decisions at HM&B? It would have taken very little time for an competent journalist to do this.
All the editorial assistants and acquiring editors at HM&B are currently women. There was once a male editor but that was a long time ago and he is now a hugely successful agent. I think the NY office now is going for more equal opportunity and has hired its token male but there are no male acquiring editors at the Richmond office.
My current editor started working for HM&B within the last few years. She has a Phd from Oxford. She decided that publishing was preferable to academia. My former editor needs to finish her dissertation . Her speciality is 19th century women's literature. Her Phd again will be from Oxford... My senior editor has worked in publishing since the 1970s. She has held a variety of editorial positions within HM&B. And I would say that being an editor in any large publishing house is a huge achievement. it is not a part time job.
The executive editor of the Presents/Modern line is a woman. As it is not my line, I have only spoken to her casually at the HM&B authors' toast. However, she is impressive. Again she has chosen publishing as a career. She is not working for pin money. She is working because it is her career and she is highly successful at year in and year out discovering best selling authors and managing the most successful line in Harlequin Enterprises. In short you do not become an executive editor in one of the world's largest publishing houses by being a pushover. You get it on merit, because you have demonstrated that you can deliver.
The current Editorial Director of HM&B is a woman. She is also one of the most powerful people in publishing, in both the UK and the world in general. Ultimately she is the person who decides which author will be bought for the lines that the UK editorial team hold over all responsibility for. Spend some time in her company, and you will realise that she knows a fantastic amount about publishing. Not just women's fiction but publishing in general. She is the ED for very sound business reasons and is there on merit.
If any young woman wants to go into publishing or indeed to know what it is like to succeed in this business, they could do far worse than to take the ED of HM&B as a role model.
Basically these are the women who decide. It would be a brave man who told them what to do. They make their decisions not on some ideal but on hard headed business facts. they are in the business of selling books.
Ultimately it is the vast majority of consumers who decide which books are bought and how the direction of the business is shaped.
And about those titles, TPTB recently did an experiment and gave a few less hooky titles to books. They had to apologise to the authors in questions, because despite garnering excellent reviews, the books tanked. In the world of category publishing, hooks rule. Hooks actually rule on other areas of publishing.It is just that people do not seem to joke about murder mystery titles as much.
So before pointing to huge male conspiracies, it would be helpful if journalists etc actually did their homework.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
The Romance Reader Connection Review
I had a lovely surprise in my email today. Melissa Fowler has reviewed A Christmas Wedding Wager for The Romance Reader Connection. She gave it a 4 1/2.
My favourite bit was:
A CHRISTMAS WEDDING WAGER is simply enchanting!
You can read the rest of the review here.
The Romance Reader Connection will also be publishing my response to the Holiday Parade 2007 question about which miracle has affected my life. I look forward to discovering what other authors have to say as well.
In other news: I have had a slight change in editors. I knew it was going to happen and I love and adore my new editor. She makes me think and constantly challenges me. My old editor is moving to a new and exciting post in HM&B...and I shall miss her wit and wisdom. HM&B does have a habit of changing author's editors so they do not get stale.
For anyone worried about slush submissions, know that the editor in question will make sure they go to a good home.
I had a lovely time at the RNA Northumberland Christmas meeting and came back with a totally over the top purple feather pen which my daughter has designs on. However it is resides in my pen holder for now...
I am just so pleased that Ms Fowler liked ACWW.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Editorial lunch
Yesterday was for the most part lovely.
I flew down to London and the flight was painless, the underground relatively straight forward and then I went to the HM&B offices -- getting slightly lost only once.
The receptionist was v kind and asked if I was one of their authors. I duly explained and she asked if I had written the Gladiator one which she apparently liked very much. As I was basking in the warm glow, my editor appeared.
My editor now looks slim and goregous. Most of the office was out on reading days but I did get to see my senior editor who also looked her lovely self.
I got to meet my new editor. At the moment, I have two editors but the current plan is to move me over to Lydia sometime in the next year. Lydia is lovely and it is good to have afresh pair of eyes looking at my work. Equally it gives my current editor a chance to concentrate on her growing stable of authors.
Anyway, Lydia impressed with her knowledge and love of romance books. So I am a very lucky person. having gone through revisons with her and my current editor, I think they both have very good editorial eyes and I like working with both of them.
I have been offered a four book contract.YAY! VC is accepted and everything is to be determined. The next three of my current one, and a duo to be set in the Northeast during the 1820s. I am very much looking forward to doing the duo as it will be a challenge. Then I think the option books are two more Vikings.
My journey home was less straight forward -- wrong turns, stretching security queues, and finally when the plane arived back in Newcastle, being stuck in Arrivals as the door wouldn't open and the fire doors were all locked. Dangerous anyone? Claustrophobic anyone? According to fellow passengers that it is often happens with that flight.
My copies of Taken by the Viking arrived today and cover is even more yummy in the flesh as it were. I have been very lucky with the cover fairy.
I flew down to London and the flight was painless, the underground relatively straight forward and then I went to the HM&B offices -- getting slightly lost only once.
The receptionist was v kind and asked if I was one of their authors. I duly explained and she asked if I had written the Gladiator one which she apparently liked very much. As I was basking in the warm glow, my editor appeared.
My editor now looks slim and goregous. Most of the office was out on reading days but I did get to see my senior editor who also looked her lovely self.
I got to meet my new editor. At the moment, I have two editors but the current plan is to move me over to Lydia sometime in the next year. Lydia is lovely and it is good to have afresh pair of eyes looking at my work. Equally it gives my current editor a chance to concentrate on her growing stable of authors.
Anyway, Lydia impressed with her knowledge and love of romance books. So I am a very lucky person. having gone through revisons with her and my current editor, I think they both have very good editorial eyes and I like working with both of them.
I have been offered a four book contract.YAY! VC is accepted and everything is to be determined. The next three of my current one, and a duo to be set in the Northeast during the 1820s. I am very much looking forward to doing the duo as it will be a challenge. Then I think the option books are two more Vikings.
My journey home was less straight forward -- wrong turns, stretching security queues, and finally when the plane arived back in Newcastle, being stuck in Arrivals as the door wouldn't open and the fire doors were all locked. Dangerous anyone? Claustrophobic anyone? According to fellow passengers that it is often happens with that flight.
My copies of Taken by the Viking arrived today and cover is even more yummy in the flesh as it were. I have been very lucky with the cover fairy.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Waiting for Godot
Currently I am waiting for the post. In particular my copy of Not Quite A Lady. it is the final (for now) part of Loretta Chase's quartet about the Carsingtons. As Mr Impossible is one of my favourite novels ever and it was only good manners and a sense of duty that had me returning it to my esteemed editor, I am very much looking forward to Loretta Chase's new book. It has been out in the US for several weeks, and has gone into a second printing, but thus far all I have been able to do is to read Loretta Chase's interiviews and wait. This morning Amazon sent a notice....
I shall save it until after I have finished writing this wip. I have a ficiton in my head that my editor waits for my next ms. It does not matter that Loretta Chase is one of her favourite authors -- she'd far rather read one of my books. It is a nice fiction, a pleasant fiction and it keeps me going. My editor is not going to disillusion me about this.... I have a little post it pad that says -- my editor can't wait for my next book. I choose to believe the nice part of this sentiment.
My characters are proving slightly difficult but have now reached gilsland and Shaws Hotel. The photograph is of Gilsland Spa which is the name that Shaws now goes under. I am writing about the old hotel, the one that went up in smoke in 1859. It was a very popular place during the Regency period. Sir Walter Scott proposed to his wife here. Thus creating a Tradition. The sulphur springs were also popular. I wish that I had chosen this tack to begin with and would not beel under pressure but I know the ms will be good. I love the characters and once I have Lorratta's book in my hand, I shall use it as a carrot.
In my garden I am curently fighting my annual battle with the nettles. I keep telling myself that one hour per day will help eliminate, but somewhere I think there is a mother nettle, one which sends out runners and keeps sending them out. This mother nettle is closely related to the mother ground elder. You do not want to know the weeds my garden possesses.
In positive gardening news, my dh informs me that we now have over 20 cannas. I like cannas, They always remind me of the holiday we spent down in and around Hastings. We purchased the cannas from Christopher Lloyd's Great Dixter. Mr Lloyd was truly one of the 20th century's great gardeners.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
The rightness of editors
I am working through my revisions and although I may not always agree with her solutions. They always spark ideas. I think the reasoning is much more solid now.
As Kate Walker said to me -- remember you are the creative person. It i s your job to come up with the ideas and improvements. If you can find a better way, use it.
It is my editor's job to point out where those improvements need to be made. And she does an excellent job at doing that.
I only hope the changes I have made will meet with her approval. I Personally I think the story is a stronger one now.
I have another draft or so to go. The printer is currently spewing out paper and I will do a read through plus Donald Maass' page turning tension exercise before I send my changes in. The important thing is to get a really strong read for the readers. I want them to be engaged and unable to put the book down...
Fortunately I also think I have solved some of my problems for my current wip as well. It needs to be started after the first few pages.
And I have threatened to get my editor a mug that says my editor is always right. She laughed. Of course there is the mug my daughter now has -- Everyone is entitled to my opinion which is sort of appropriate for editors as well...
As Kate Walker said to me -- remember you are the creative person. It i s your job to come up with the ideas and improvements. If you can find a better way, use it.
It is my editor's job to point out where those improvements need to be made. And she does an excellent job at doing that.
I only hope the changes I have made will meet with her approval. I Personally I think the story is a stronger one now.
I have another draft or so to go. The printer is currently spewing out paper and I will do a read through plus Donald Maass' page turning tension exercise before I send my changes in. The important thing is to get a really strong read for the readers. I want them to be engaged and unable to put the book down...
Fortunately I also think I have solved some of my problems for my current wip as well. It needs to be started after the first few pages.
And I have threatened to get my editor a mug that says my editor is always right. She laughed. Of course there is the mug my daughter now has -- Everyone is entitled to my opinion which is sort of appropriate for editors as well...
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Required Listening
Phillipa Astley has a link to the Easter editoion of Open book on her blog and it should be required listening for all writers -- whether they are published or not. The programme deals with how editors, publishers and authors work together. In particular it gives an editorial view of revisions and why they happen. I can't imagine ever working like Rose Tremain who has her editor come and visit. They then go over the book page by page in the course of two days. And I did find it amusing when an editor described how she tried v hard to be diplomatic and postive. One of her authors was then asked how he felt when he got one of her letters -- bruised and battered came back the reply. The morale is: author's egos are fragile. And some times, it does not matter what is said, the author is not going to like it. Personally, I agreed with another author who said he would be upset if the publishing house simply took the novel without any revisons, because he knows how much stronger a professional eye can make the book. There is always something that can be revised.
The part on covers was very interesting as well. How a cover needs to create a mood. This is certainly true of Sold and Seduced and The Roman's Virgin Mistress. And the prototype of Taken by The Viking that I have seen. As Cheryl St John has already recieved her July cover and it is beautiful, I am hoping they will be putting the July covers up soon and then I can put the cover for TRVM up.
The programme is very much geared towards the literary end, but I know that much of what is said is true of HM&B. They do stick with authors. they want to grow authors.they believe in authors. They buy books because they like the authors. I loved how Orion stuck with Ian Rankin for seven years.
The programme takes about a half hour and I enjoyed it. I was also amused that they did not dare state the obvious -- the one publisher who REMAINS a brand -- Harlequin Mills and Boon. M&B readers still wait for the publication day of their favourite series. Something that Penguin readers gave up on awhile ago.
The part on covers was very interesting as well. How a cover needs to create a mood. This is certainly true of Sold and Seduced and The Roman's Virgin Mistress. And the prototype of Taken by The Viking that I have seen. As Cheryl St John has already recieved her July cover and it is beautiful, I am hoping they will be putting the July covers up soon and then I can put the cover for TRVM up.
The programme is very much geared towards the literary end, but I know that much of what is said is true of HM&B. They do stick with authors. they want to grow authors.they believe in authors. They buy books because they like the authors. I loved how Orion stuck with Ian Rankin for seven years.
The programme takes about a half hour and I enjoyed it. I was also amused that they did not dare state the obvious -- the one publisher who REMAINS a brand -- Harlequin Mills and Boon. M&B readers still wait for the publication day of their favourite series. Something that Penguin readers gave up on awhile ago.
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