Time for a celebration!

I've finally finished those edits. Woohoo! Two manuscripts. I was getting pretty tired of reading the same stuff over and over, let me tell you. But now, it's done and I can celebrate an accomplishment. Yay!!!

As most of you know, I haven't done NaNo because I had all those edits to finish. But, I finished them and now I can move on. I started writing again last night. Got a little over 200 words written. Not much, but at least it was something. I'm happy about that. I've been in a pretty big slump with my writing since June. I probably haven't written 3000 words since then. But, I can feel things changing for the better. I feel like writing again. I'm so happy. I was getting worried. 

I have to work 12 hour shifts for at least the next 3 days, maybe 4. So, I won't be getting much done this week, unfortunately. I hate that I'm just starting to get back into my writing and then I have to pause it because my time is so limited. But, that is life and we just have to face our roadblocks head on. 

I've decided it's time to get more serious with my writing. There for a while, I was feeling like Gracen and not sure my writing was worth the effort I put into it. Finally, I'm feeling a little better about it and it's time to step it up a notch. So, I've made a goal. I'm going to sub to NY next year. Period. I can put it off forever, but then I'll never get anywhere. 

I'm very proud of myself for meeting my goals for this year. I've subbed to online pubs. Twice! I'm happy to say that I have two things under consideration with The Wild Rose Press at this time. It's more than I ever expected from myself. I've always wanted to be a published writer, but I never thought I'd get up the courage to actually submit anything. So, my goal for 2008 was to sub. I'm thrilled that I did it. Thanks to the encouragement of my two wonderful blog partners! I'd never have done it if it wasn't for their help and support. If they hadn't pushed me, I would still be sitting here on my hands. Thank you girls, you're the best!!

So, having met my goal for this year, I've made my new goal for next year. I want to sub early in the year if possible. Since NY has such a long response time, I figured the sooner the better. If I sub early enough, hopefully I'll get lucky and hear back by the end of the year. Fingers crossed. So, I have to get busy and get a story written. :D

I'm thinking of doing a fast draft or trying to do a NaNo in half the time. If I can finish a story by the end of this year, then hopefully I can have it revised well enough that by the end of February I can sub it out to NY. Maybe sooner than that, if I can get my behind in gear.  

Gracen, I've already talked Sarah into joining me. It's your turn! Since I haven't been lucky enough to catch you online lately, I'm afraid I'm going to have to use my powers of persuasion on you here, LOL. I want you to agree to sub to NY in 2009 too. You're writing is definitely good enough. It's better than many NY writers I've already read. So, no excuses. You deserve it. You're stories deserve it. What do you say? *You can say no, but I'm not going to quit hounding you, so you might as well agree ;) *

This is our time! And the time is right to make our goals and get busy on them. The year is nearly over and the new one is coming in fast. Too fast, but that's beside the point. 

Okay, I'll quit my rambling for today. I'd love to hear what you all think. Have you made goals that you're working on? Have you met a goal that you're proud of? Share it with me. Can't wait to hear from you.

P.S. For those of you interested, Romance Divas is holding a Workshop for Historical Romance. It's free!! Here's the info...

Sleep. What a beautiful concept.

Oh the joys of staying up all night. I'm so tired that I want to go to sleep right now and catch up on all the missed hours. Unfortunately, that's not a good idea. If I don't stay up tonight, I'll never sleep tomorrow day and work tomorrow night will be a bear. So, I'm sitting here trying to keep my eyes open, and hoping they don't just clamp shut on me. That is a real possibility. 

I think one of the things that makes it more difficult, is that very few people are awake at the same time as I am. It's quiet. Perfect sleeping condition. It's dark outside, which tells my body that it's time to go to bed. Even after years of working nights, I still have trouble with my sleeping schedule. I hate it.

One positive thing about it though, is that when I stay up all night, I usually can get a lot done. I don't have all the distractions to keep me from my work. I can sit at the computer and write away. That's always a nice thing. Who doesn't want hours of uninterrupted computer time? It's definitely a big plus! If I had time to do that NaNo this year, it would make things a lot easier. 

Unfortunately, I have too many edits to do to try writing a new story right now. I would love to do NaNo this year, but I've got two stories that desperately have to be revised/edited and I am so slow at that process. I may have to do a NaNo on my own in December :D

I am doing pretty good on my edits so far, yay. I'm halfway through with the first story already. I may have to go through it one more time though. I'm not sure yet. I'll finish it up before I decide that. Then I'll have to move on to my second story for revision. I'm on a bit of a timeline, so I don't have any time to spare. The first book is with TWRP and they want the edits back in a couple of weeks, so I've really been focusing on that one. It's my first submission, so I want to make sure I do a good job with it. 

My second story is one that a partial was requested. I want to go through it again just in case they request a full. I haven't had time to really work on it yet, but I figured it's not as high a priority as the first, since the edits are already requested on it.

So, that's my writing life right now. No actual writing going on, just a lot of editing. How many of you are doing the NaNo this month? How is it going so far? Let me know what you're up to with your writing. I hope to hear from you.

My life

Good morning everyone. I just came home from work, so I'm sitting here writing this about to fall asleep. Please bear with me if it doesn't make a lot of sense. :) Things have been kind of crazy for me lately. My dad had an accident and flipped his car, totaled it, and my mom has to have surgery on Wednesday. So things have been a bit of a mess for me.

I haven't had time to think about what to talk about, so I'm unsure what today's topic will be. 

I've been busy working on edits for a couple of books I've subbed out. One of them is for my novella that the editor requested edits on, so I really have to get it done quickly. The other is for a novel that a partial has been requested. I need to go over at least the last few chapters in case they request a full. But I have a little time on it since I just sent the partial in. So that is what's been going on in my writing life. 

I think I'm improving as far as my revision goes, and the comments that the editor left for me have really helped. It is true that the more you do it, the easier it gets. I've still got a long way to go, but at least I can say that I'm improving. That's always a good thing. 

How has your writing been going? Is there something you feel you're improving on? Or something that you feel like you need to improve on? Leave a comment and let me know what you think or how you're doing. I'd love to hear it. 

From My Side of the Desk – Natasha Bacchus

Hello everyone! Today we're going to have Natasha Bacchus with us. She's a Senior Editor from The Wild Rose Press. It's an honor to have her here with us. There's a lot of wonderful advice here. If you have any questions, feel free to ask as she'll probably pop in off and on today! Enjoy!
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Sarah sent me a list of questions, which I will try to answer in the body of this article. Though I work for The Wild Rose Press and I am an editor, let me go on the record saying two things: First, I am an editor, I am not God. Please do not take my article as a Holy Grail on how to be published. Writing and publishing are subjective arts and these are my thoughts and opinions, and frankly, opinions are like lungs. Everyone has at least one, and they’re usually full of hot air. Secondly, and in relation to the first, these are MY opinions, MY experiences, MY philosophies and in no way, shape, or form, reflect the opinions of TWRP or the Deadly Vixens. Having said all that, let’s begin:

I edit romance stories. Romance has been criticized for being nothing more than formula. You want formula? Look at your newspapers. Day in, day out, the same tired story: someone’s dead. A country’s fighting. A sports team won, a sports team lost. The names and locations may change, but the basic gist remains the same.

In romance, you have a premise: two people, struggling with life and their personal issues to emerge victorious over those conflicts and win the heart of their lover. But the way that they can manifest is endless and I’m constantly amazed and delighted by the innovative and imaginative ways authors handle this premise. I love romance, I love happy endings. Life is hard enough without having to read some depressing story where everyone dies or goes insane. To me, that’s not entertainment, that’s torture. Give me a story with wit and intelligence—don’t treat me like an idiot (I hate it when I read stories that are so far beyond the stretch of the imagination and the writer defends it as “it’s just a story.” Never use “just” when you’re describing your story—it deserves more respect than that, and so do your readers. Deal with them honestly and they’ll stay faithful to you).

And as an aside to the criticism of romance, doesn’t it strike anyone else as odd that an industry so female dominated is constantly put down? Yet, genres that are considered ‘male’ (mystery, science fiction, and the like) are not subject to these comments, but they use formula (because every piece of writing has a formula). In the mystery, the victim dies, the sleuth steps in and in bringing the villain to justice, rights the scales of justice and brings good and evil back into balance. In an action book, the protagonist steps into the fray (because a loved one is in danger, because it’s his job, because he (or she) is a moral person), must overcome a series of obstacles to rescue the victim (or find the treasure, or bring home the reward).

The ignorance when people think of romance irks the feminist in me. Back in the day, women were only allowed to do the light, brainless stuff—no reading of the newspaper, no holding a job. No, no. That was too hard for women, too mature. No, the historical female got to tend to home and hearth (y’know, because raising children and keeping a home is sssoooo easy) and let her man worry about all the tough stuff.

It’s no wonder then (to me, at least) that when women started breaking away, writing about what mattered to them, their hopes and dreams, the resident authority stepped in and rewarded these suffragettes with a benevolent, condescending pat on the head. And so, even though today’s romances can deal with everything from abuse to female war vets, ignorant, sexist and infantile stereotypes exist.

Rant complete. If you write romance, be proud, and ignore the ignorant. You’re contributing to a multi-billion dollar industry, and a genre that is one of the most popular in the bookstores and the world. Be proud, but be professional.

Get people to read your work before you submit and most importantly, get a cold reader (as in, someone who hasn’t heard you talk about the story/characters, etc. They’re coming in cold (hence their name) and are more likely to catch big errors). Print your story on colored paper, it helps catch typos. Put your story away for 4-6 weeks, then read it again.

When you are ready to submit, READ THE PUBLISHER’S GUIDELINES CAREFULLY. Many people get rejected not because the story is horrible, but because the house doesn’t publish that type of work. Next, if the publisher says “no simultaneous submissions,” listen and follow. To do otherwise is arrogant. I’m sorry if you are one of those people who believe rules don’t apply to you (but really, do you do the same thing with your company’s policies or your city/state/country’s laws?), but I find this behavior not just disrespectful to me as an editor (because you’re wasting my time. Why would I want to invest months into your story only to be told you decided to go elsewhere? It’s like two-timing a boy/girlfriend), but more than that, I find it incredibly disrespectful of the other writers who are willing to do the work and have the maturity to understand that for every editor there are something like thirty or fifty authors and being patient in submitting is the price paid if they want to be published.

I love authors who understand life on my side of the desk. I love authors who understand the nature of the industry and are willing to put in their time, effort, and energy in creating both a professional reputation and a stellar book—and I’ll let you in on a little secret. So do other editors, and here’s something else, we are far more willing to work with new authors who display a professional attitude than a multi-pubbed author who thinks he/she gets some kind of “cut in front of these authors” “let me act like a diva,” card for having writing credits.

So, now you’ve written your book and you’re sending it out into the wide, wild world, looking for a home…have you ever met an editor who thinks they’re opinion is akin to the stone tablets? Who passes judgment on your manuscript like Moses reading the commandments? Yeah, I can’t stand those types of editors, either. When I contract a story, it’s because the plot and characters resonate with me. I love smart stories with humor, where the characters act like real people and not cardboard cutouts. But remember, just because I don’t contract a story doesn’t mean the story lacks merit. Writers get despondent when they get a rejection.

Folks, please.

If you’re looking for a publishing house, agent, editor, or book sales to validate the worth of your story (or worse, your own self-worth), you’re in a lot of trouble (Trust me. I know. I have writing friends, and I too have been on the receiving end of a rejection). Finding a publishing house is like finding true love. Sometimes you just gotta keep putting yourself out there (and just like dating, don’t be needy or fake. Present a quality product (i.e. the book—I’m sure as a person, you’re already a quality product) and be patient.).

What defines a quality product? First of all, when you write your query, give the editor her/his name. Don’t do a “Dear Editor.” It’s sloppy and you come across as too lazy to do the most basic research. If an editor can’t trust you to do something that simple, do you think they’re going to trust that you know how to write a detailed, descriptive, tight book? Second, make sure there are no typos. No one expects you to be perfect (Seriously. I’m sure you can find 1000 typos in this article alone), but please, things like, “hse looked into his eyes., Why couldn’t’ their be piece in there lves?” is incredibly sloppy and does you no favors. I have no patience for stuff like this. I’ve heard authors say, “But it’s computers. I’m an artist and I don’t get technology.” Listen, no one’s asking you to build a desktop or become the next Bill Gates, but you do need to know the basic functions of your computer. You’re a writer, it’s your tool. Would you trust a dentist who says, “I’m a dentist but I just don’t get how to work this drill.”? Neither would I.

If you’re rejected, take it in the spirit in which it’s given. No one’s rejecting YOU. They’re rejecting the story—it’s a product.

It is.

I know authors hate hearing this, but it’s true. A book needs a market and it needs to sell. If you don’t ever want to get a rejection, self-publish—and I’m not saying that to be a smart aleck. I mean it honestly. If you feel your story would be corrupted by any type of edit or re-write, then hold to your vision and publish it yourself. On the bright side, you won’t have to share your royalties with anyone.

Some authors send hate mail, insult and abuse editors when their book gets rejected. This, I don’t get. I’ve seen stories with enough plot holes to hide Antarctica, and when authors send me these letters, I’m left rolling my eyes. Who are you writing for, yourself or the reader? Because editors are readers too, and if we don’t get your story, chances are, others won’t. Does this mean you have to take everything an editor says to heart? Never. But look at the comments. If they’re pointing out issues that are objective (for example: in an eighty-page story, you’ve used the word “was” 1200 times, and 90% of your sentences begin with, “I was,”), I’d say those are things you’ll want to change. But if an editor says they don’t get why Madison won’t help her brother with his company and you’ve explained on page three it’s because the company is a shell for the mob, then I’d say that editor read too fast and that’s a comment you can ignore (now, if the editor has a problem with its believability or exactly how it plays a role in the plot, then that might be worth a second look).

And most of all, beyond anything else I’ve said, please, please, PLEASE remember something: You have a sacred obligation, don’t screw with it.

Imagine a someone, anyone. They’ve been chewed out by the boss (or they had to chew out an employee), the car is in the shop and now the mechanic is saying the repair is going to cost three times the estimate. They forgot their anniversary, the kids have the chicken pox. In short, it’s been a really, really, bad, crappy, day.

They come home, eat dinner, kiss and make up with the spouse, tuck the kids into bed and now, in the quiet hush of evening, when the house is silent and dark, they reach for a book, your book. And in the small act of opening the cover, they are asking you for something: “Entertain me. Pull me into your world and make me believe this isn’t a story, but a true accounting of people I’d want to call friends. Let me forget all the stress and trials of my everyday life and for one moment, let me see the triumph of love, justice, and the happy ever after—let me see that despite conflict and obstacles, good people do win in the end.”

That’s who you are writing for, those people. The ones who have saved their change to buy your book, the ones who’ve turned off the t.v. to read your book. They have invested their time, their energy, their money, and their hope, in you.

Be worthy of that.


©2008 Reprinted with permission.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed by the guest blogger do not necessarily reflect those of The Deadly Vixens.

Interview with Pandem Buckner

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Deadly Vixen's week of The Wild Rose Press. We're so glad you joined us for this very special week long event. Today we're presenting an interview we were able to snag with Faery Rose (light paranormal) Editor, Pandem Buckner. Enjoy and make sure to ask any questions you have for him as he'll be around on and off to answer them!

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Where do you see The Wild Rose Press being five years from now?
Five years from now, I think The Wild Rose Press will be a significant part of the romance e-publishing market. I'm not saying it'll be up there with Harlequin and Ellora's Cave. . .okay, maybe Ellora's Cave *s*. . .but if I see true, it will be a definite force in the market, and hopefully one that will explore print publishing more.

What do you see in the future for ebooks? The romance genre?
I don't think ebooks will replace printed books any time soon, but I can and do see them becoming a larger part of the literary market. In Japan, ebooks are available on cell phones, so I hope to see that come to North America soon. A factor that I think will help the market is, well, rising fuel costs. Rising fuel costs and improvements in metropolitan transit will push more people towards commuting, and, when they're on the bus (or train or rickshaw, whatever) they need something to do. As a means to fill that time, I think ebooks will become more and more popular as people start driving less and using public transit more, be it by cell phone or ereader.

As for the romance genre, I think it'll change over time, as men become a larger part of the market on both production and consumer sides. All genres change with time, and romance is no exception - but it will be interesting to see where it goes. Within the traditional framework (man and woman meeting, falling in love, having troubles, living happily ever after), there's a lot of room for creativity there, and I think that in the future, the more flexible elements of romantic writing, such as setting and conflicts, will become less traditional and more innovative.

What draws you, as a reader, to romance novels?
Ummmmmmm. . .I'm a hopeless romantic? *s* It's the fantasy everybody has, or at least I assume that everyone has, of finding that perfect person for you and winning their heart and devotion in the end. I have that fantasy, anyway, and while I've yet to achieve it, it's rather encouraging to see that so many others have it too. Plus, there's some good romantic ideas for men to be found in those pages *s*.

What do you look for in a manuscript for it to be publishable?
Literacy, or at least the ability to use spellcheck, is always good! Aside from what TWRP already has in its guidelines, I look for stories that really draw me in, that make me care about the characters. Believability is a plus, too, though I've enjoyed good farcical pieces as well. I guess what I really want is just a well-written story in a distinctive voice.

What do you like most/dislike most about your job?
I like the ladies I work with, and not just because they put up with my crap. *s* To a one, they've all been very sweet, helpful, understanding, compassionate, and I've learned a lot from them. If this job was in an office, they'd have to burn the building down to get me to leave. *s* They're all wonderful people who have made me feel very welcome, which was a bit of a concern for me, since I lack ovaries. I also like that we really are making dreams come true. Anyone that knows me knows I'll do whatever it takes to help someone, and I get to do that here in a way I've never done it before, in any way other than pro bono. *s* Even when we reject people, we direct them towards resources to help them become better writers, which is more than most publishers do. For those we accept, we make dreams come true, and for those we reject, we provide some steps that they can take towards making their dreams come true, and really, what's not to like about that?

What I dislike most. . .hmm. Maybe that it's not an office job and I don't get to see them all in person every day?

What is your pet peeve when dealing with authors?
Oooooooooooooh. . .this is the part where I get in trouble with Rhonda. *s* My pet peeve would be authors that don't handle the rejection well. As anyone can tell you, you're going to be rejected when trying to get published, and it shouldn't be taken personally. . .but some people take it that way. If I send out a rejection letter, complete with my reasons for rejecting the work and what can be done to improve it or the author's writing skills, and get back a scathing reply full of that author's prior publications and awards, recommendations from friends and loved ones, suggestions that I at least attempt what I'm fairly certain is an anatomical impossibility, and aspersions about my mother's native gender and/or species, all I'm going to think is that I did the right thing by rejecting that author, because they don't have the proper emotional distance from their work to handle going through the editing process.

What sort of reactions do you get when you tell people you work for The Wild Rose Press?
I don't tell people that very often, especially people I've just met. I did when I first started, but I came to realize that far more people out there have written work they'd like to see published than I had ever imagined, and even if it's not in the romance genre, they'll ask me to read it over and give my opinion. I don't have much free time as is; if I took on every manuscript proffered to me just to read over and give an opinion, I'd have none and I'd never get any sleeping done.

The people that aren't know me are a little surprised, but more that I chose to edit romance novels as opposed to me being in the literary field. That part isn't a surprise at all. *s*

What is it like being an editor?
It's more fun than you would imagine, and more work than you'd believe. You don't get to just read a novel once, make some changes and you're done with it; it can take seven or eight read-throughs, making changes every time, for even a good novel, and by that point, unless the story is utterly fascinating, you may get tired of it.

It's not easy to reject people, either. It has to be done, but it's not easy, and even when providing helpful hints, you still feel like you're stepping on someone's dream sometimes, especially if they dont respond to your rejection letter.

And then there's the paperwork. . .the endless, endless paperwork. . .but I blame Rhonda for that. *s*

What is your favorite romance sub-genre?
Erotica would be my favourite, though it's a close race between that and paranormal romance. I've had an interest in the paranormal for almost as long as I've been interested in sex. *s* But I'm very very picky about erotica, and almost as much so about paranormal romance.

What is your favorite part of the editing process?
The parts without paperwork. *s* When it's just me, the story, and a pen full of red ink, metaphorically speaking. I like tracking down the errors and knowing the best ways to fix them, I like researching to make sure the facts are correct and the context and setting are proper. . .maybe that's a bit boring of me, but it's true.

What is your least favorite part of the editing process?
The paperwork. *s*

What is your response time?
Depends on the length of the story, of course, but I try not to leave anyone hanging for long. I'm not a patient person by nature, so I definitely understand how much it sucks to be waiting forever for a reply! I think our website says to expect a response within 90 days, but really, if it takes me more than a couple of weeks, something's seriously wrong.

What is your advice to an aspiring author who wants to be published with The Wild Rose Press?
Read the guidelines before you submit. That's the most important piece of advice I can give. If you dont read the guidelines before you submit, and pay attention to them, you're just setting yourself up for a rejection letter. . .albeit a very warm and helpful one. *s*

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Disclaimer: The views expressed by the guest blogger do not necessarily reflect those of The Deadly Vixens.

Revisions

Continuing on with the discussion topic of the week, revisions for me are intense. They tend to take me a long time to complete, and it depends on my mood of if I'm up to working on them. As I've done it more, it's gotten easier, especially after having to go through all of the edits for Melody of Love. With that novel, I felt like I wanted to pull my hair out since it was so intimidating to go through and revise it. I much prefer writing some days, but there are the occasional days that I prefer to edit since I'm working with something already there as opposed to creating something. Editing and writing utilize different parts of the brain and it's interesting because I notice that once I get into the groove of one that doing the other is more challenging.

I usually print out the entire story and then read over the work again and do line edits as I go. With Melody of Love, I learned a way that helped me get through the novel fairly easily. I listened to it with the help of a text to speech program called ReadPlease. I know that people say reading your work outloud is helpful, and I've tried it, but I don't feel comfortable doing so. Listening to it, even though the voices can be rather metallic, was able to do something similar for me in catching the different sentence structure errors and so on.

I can be pretty nitpicky of my own work and sometimes I have trouble seeing the positive points in it, which is pretty much the time in which I give it over to my critique partners. Even with my own knowledge of the English language, I miss things, too.

So! Leave me a comment and tell me about things that help you with the revision process.

Revising our Work

This week, we’ve decided to write about our writing. After a discussion about the difficulty we are each having with revising our works in process, we decided it would make a good topic for our blog. So here we go.

I have been having a terrible time lately with revision. I’ve gone through my complete manuscript once so far and no matter what I do, it just doesn’t sound good enough. I know it’s probably a personal problem, everyone else who has read some of it has stated that it doesn’t sound bad. But to me, it still does. I know I have several more drafts ahead of me, I just hope that I can be happy with the results.

I’m probably trying to be a perfectionist. I don’t know why, because I’m not a perfectionist in everything. But when it comes to my work, I want it to be the best that I can make it. I want to write a story that my readers can enjoy. One that they can get lost in and not be pulled out due to poor writing.

So I’ve been working really hard trying to make it the best that I can. I rely on my wonderful critique partners to help me with this. I don’t know what I would do without someone else helping. After a while, when you read the story over and over, you start to lose the ability to see it for what it is. That’s when someone can come in with fresh eyes and give you an honest opinion. Without that, I’d never be able to finish.

I’m ready to turn over my story to them and let them cut it up. I hope they find all the mistakes that I’ve made and help me to polish it until it shines. Once that is finished, I will fix my errors and edit it one more time before I finally send it off to find a home.

I know that everyone goes through this. Hopefully, I will get better the more I do it. But for now, this is my process. I’d love to hear your comments on what you do when you revise. What do you look for? Or if you are a reader, what pulls you out of a story? What are the worst offenses you’ve noticed writers make? Post a comment and let me know what you think.