When some writers pursue publication, they only consider the large New York publishing houses. But the great news is that in addition to the “big boys,” the publishing world is home to a number of smaller presses and e-publishers. What does that mean to an aspiring writer? It means she must be savvy and research the best distribution option for her work. Today, Christi Barth joins us to talk one of those options—small print—and her publisher, Eternal Press. Christi, thank you for chatting with us about your publication experience!

Kelsey: Christi, could you give us an overview of Eternal Press?

Christi:  They sell both print and ebooks through a variety of sites, such as Amazon and Fictionwise.  Based in Canada, they were recently purchased by Damnation Books.  They have a professional, great staff and a supportive group of authors.

Kelsey: As you know, “Sold! stories” keep unpubbed writers optimistic. Could you share how you sold to Eternal?

Christi:   I’d been corresponding with them – submitted the full, and they said they liked it, but wanted to see one major revision, cutting out both scenes in a certain character’s POV.  Painful?  You bet, especially since one was a sex scene I’d slaved over.  But I made the change (because at that point I was willing to do anything to get published!), and then sat on tenterhooks for a week.  And to be fair, in hindsight they were completely correct.  I had absolutely no business introducing a new POV ¾ of the way through the book.  I guess editors do know what they’re doing!

We went to DC for Easter, and our hotel had computers in the lobby available to guests w/free WiFi.  We came back from breakfast – I checked my email.  Came back from the Air & Space museum – checked my email.  My parents thought I was nuts, because I hadn’t told them what was going on (I didn’t want to jinx it).  But finally at 5:00 the email came through (and yes, I squealed loudly enough to startle several other hotel guests passing through the lobby), and at dinner that night I got to share the good news!  Followed promptly the next day with sheer panic when I opened the contract and discovered they wanted me to come up with a concept for the cover.  Yikes!

Kelsey: What are some of the advantages to writing for a small press?

Christi:  Oh, how I wish I had experience publishing in NY to be able to properly compare and contrast the two!  I do know from a great workshop in my local RWA chapter that apparently small presses are much more willing to listen to/actually produce the cover art you request.  Sure, I didn’t have an idea at first, but when I did, the heroine had the right color hair, the setting was right – they followed my idea to the letter.

The biggest advantage is that small presses are willing to take chances.  That doesn’t mean they publish any old story that rolls in the door.  There is still a high rejection rate.  But small presses can work outside the trends.  For example, in my upcoming release Act Like We’re In Love the hero is a movie star.  Not off living the high life with caviar and starlets, but working in a small town dinner theatre.  Nevertheless, at RWA Convention last year I had several agents and published authors tell me to stop writing it.  They’d heard that because of the bad economy, nobody would publish a book glamorizing the excesses of a movie star lifestyle.  Sure enough, once I started pitching it, I received quite a few rejections from agents who read the full and loved it, yet called it ‘unmarketable’.  But happily, Eternal Press is willing to publish it.

Kelsey: How do Eternal’s distribution and marketing functions operate?

Christi:  Ah, there’s the rub.  This is the major challenge of writing for a small press.  We do have a wonderful woman who works in promotion, but I’d say the majority of the marketing falls on the author.  Every review I received, I went out there and snagged.  I did the legwork to set up every blog interview.

Kelsey: What, if any, challenges have you encountered in writing for a small publisher?

Christi:  Well, RWA still doesn’t consider me published after two sales, so that is an ongoing frustration.  To me, the lack of a $1,000 advance doesn’t matter.  People – people I’ve never met all across the country – are purchasing my book.  Period.  I’ve now worked with two great editors and cover artists at EP, and I can’t imagine anyone at a bigger publishing house being any more responsive or professional.

Kelsey: Do you see writing for a small press as only one part of a comprehensive career plan or can a writer sustain her career with a publisher like Eternal?

Christi:  As with other smaller publishers such as Samhain and Ellora’s Cave, the erotica authors do very well on EP, and build up quite a following rather quickly.  I think (Going out on a limb here – trying to be politically correct!) that if you can churn out a good story quickly, it is quite possible to sustain a career with a small press.  I am grateful for the opportunities EP has given me. But don’t we all dream of the 25 city book tour with a limo and hordes of screaming fans?  In the long term, I do view it as an important stepping stone to a New York publisher.  .

Kelsey: Is there anything else you would like to share about writing for Eternal or your books?

Christi: My experience with them has been an invaluable tool, and helped me become a better author.  And bottom line, my books are out there, brightening people’s days, which is all I ever wanted.

***

Thanks so much, Christi! RU crew, how many of you are published with smaller presses? Do you agree with Christi’s take on this part of the publishing landscape? Everyone, feel free to ask Christi questions as she’ll be popping in on and off today!

Stop by Wednesday when radio host Bruce Sallan discusses the state of gender affairs in today’s culture.

Bio:  Christi Barth spent years performing in musicals, singing about love and giving people a happy ending in every performance.  Then as a wedding planner she spent every day immersed in romance.  Now she writes it!  After winning several writing contests, she debuted her novel Carolina Heat to rave reviews.  Her next single title romance Act Like We’re In Love comes out in October.  She lives in Maryland with the absolutely best husband in the world (sorry ladies, it’s true!).  Visit her at www.christibarth.com.

Women across the world are scratching their heads. Why, you ask?

Well, last week, Asylum.com, a Men’s Lifestyle site, announced its intent to have a “A Day Without Megan Fox” on August 4. Asylum’s banded together with over 12 other guy-related sites, including one called Boobie Blog, for an “Internet-wide media ban on all things Megan Fox.”

Here, pull the other leg, you say. I’m not kidding. Evidently, these sites believe Ms. Fox and her toe-thumb are overexposed. Translation: Megan Fox = too much of a good thing. Can a beautiful woman really be overexposed? No. No, forget I asked.

Interestingly enough, the Brit’s are fighting back. The Sun has deemed August 4 to be “Megan Fox Day.”

Is anyone finding this as funny as I am?

Now, I must admit that I had no clue who Megan Fox was when I first heard about this on the radio. The computer, not the TV or silver screen, is my friend these days. I don’t even take the time to read the headlines before opening my email. Pathetic, huh? I think so. But such is life when you’re working full-time, editing one story, writing another, and keeping up with a popular blog like Romance University. Did I mention a husband and puppy? Better add those into the mix, too.

But I digress.

Okay, back to Ms. Fox. She’s the stunning actress in the 2007 hit movie Transformers. When I first viewed a picture of her, I thought, “Wow, there are guys out there who want to ban that face?” Unbelievable but true.

So, I find myself curious and am calling upon our diverse group of RU readers to answer a few questions. Here’s what my blogmates and I would like to know.

What do our male readers think about “sex symbols” like Megan Fox? Do you find it strange that she’s in a “kids” movie yet dad’s are salivating over a supposedly “teenage” girl?

Do our male readers agree with the popular media’s idea of the hot woman?

How do our female readers feel when they see Megan Fox (or other foxes…) on the cover of GQ, Esquire or whatever? How do you feel when your guy’s checking out Megan Fox on the cover of said magazine?

And finally, what do RU readers think about Asylum’s approach to lessen the media hype about Megan Fox. Do you think they accomplished their goal? Or did they do the opposite by encouraging the media and blogs like this one to discuss her more?

Today, we’re fortunate to have Christie Ridgway (a long-time favorite author of mine!) here to talk about the contemporary romance sub-genre. I’m saddened and frustrated every time I hear “contemporary is dead.” And not only because I write it, but because I love to read books by authors like Christie, Lori Foster, Rachel Gibson, Susan Andersen and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. So let’s hope good news is ahead for the contemporary romance!

Christie will be giving away a copy of How to Knit a Wild Bikini to one lucky commenter today. It’s a great book – one of my keepers!

Kelsey: Christie, you write primarily (or exclusively) contemporary romance. Why did you choose to build your career on this particular sub-genre of romance?

Christie: I started reading Harlequin romances in sixth grade and was hooked.  While I read widely in the romance genre (and out of it as well), contemporary stories most resonate with me.  When I started writing my own romances, I naturally thought in “modern” plot lines and they seemed the most suited for my writing style and voice.

Kelsey: What do you find are the pros and cons of writing contemporary romance?

Christie: The cons…well, they could be considered the Rodney Dangerfield of romance, in that they “can’t get no respect.”  Because they’re set in our own time, I think some people assume anyone could write one and because of the short period that category books stay on the shelves it gives others the impression they’re churned out by authors.

The pros…with both category and single title romances being published, there are opportunities to tell many kinds of modern stories. 

Kelsey: You write both single title and category length books. Can you share with us why you pen both, along with the number of books you average per year?

Christie: As I mentioned above, my interest in the romance genre started with Harlequin and I was thrilled to start my writing career at Harlequin/Silhouette.  I love the intense focus that category romances put on the hero/heroine relationship.  In single title romances, there are generally more pages and thus more room to explore other relationships or issues within the story and that has its own appeal.  As to the number of books I average per year…that varies.  At least a couple of books and of course I’m always thinking about or working on proposals for the next ones.

Kelsey: When I joined RWA two years ago, people were eulogizing historical romance, saying it was dead, dead, dead. The same rumors are now swirling about contemporary romance. Could you comment on this phenomenon?

Christie: The popularity of every subgenre rises and falls.  If you watch the market long enough you’ll hear death declared for every one only to see it climb from the grave a few years later.  It’s likely that’s natural to some extent, though publishing does have a tendency to glom onto what they perceive is a trend and then saturate the market with a certain kind of book.  As for contemporary romance in particular…I think that saturation happened a few years ago when you saw so many books on the shelves with similar-looking cartoon covers.  Not any subgenre will truly die, though, and single title contemporary romance is still being written by many of us who were there during that particular heyday. 

Kelsey: Do you believe the current economic climate has anything to do with the (perceived) decline of the contemporary romance?

Christie: I don’t think the current economic climate has more impact on the contemporary over another romance subgenre.  Harlequin says their book sales are strong, which indicates that readers realize their favorite fiction is inexpensive entertainment.

Kelsey: In a recent article on BookPage (www.BookPage.com), you discussed the concept of the “big romance.” Could you define that term and give an example or two for our readers?

Christie: “Big romance,” to me, is really just another label for what we’ve always called single title contemporary romance.  However, right now there are books that include a strong sense of community/place that are resonating with readers.  Robyn Carr’s Virgin River books are among my favorites of this type.  Set in a rural, close-knit community, they feature manly, ex-military heroes, but also address “women’s issues” like breast cancer and rape.

Kelsey: What advice do you have for an unpublished writer of contemporary romance?

Christie: The same advice I have for any aspiring author…read, read, read.  That’s how you find out what kinds of stories touch your heart and that will help you discover the ones you want to tell yourself.  Then it’s write, write, write, in order to develop a distinctive narrative voice.

RU readers, do you think the contemporary romance is in decline? Why or why not?

Please take a minute to ask Christie any burning questions about this topic or her writing.

Christie Ridgway’s first romance was published by Silhouette Books and since then she has sold over thirty additional contemporary stories to Silhouette, Harlequin, Avon, and Berkley. A three-time Rita finalist, her titles have appeared on the USAToday bestseller list, and both the Borders Group/Waldenbooks mass market and romance bestseller lists.

 A native of California, Christie graduated with a degree in English Language and Literature from the University of California at Santa Barbara.  She worked as a technical writer and computer programmer before pursuing her dream of becoming a romance author.  Since publication, she’s spoken to readers and writers and national and regional conferences as well as at schools, libraries, book clubs and bookstores.  She never tires of talking about the craft of writing and the appeal of the romance genre.

 Christie’s latest book is the last in her “Malibu & Ewe” trilogy.  DIRTY SEXY KNITTING came out on June 2, and features a beachside knitting shop and three “sort-of” sisters.  She’s currently at work on a new trilogy for Berkley Books set in the wine country of Napa Valley, California.

Please be sure to join Adrienne and Sally Balioni on Wednesday for A Tale of Two Alphas, a post that promises to make you think twice about relationships between men and women.

Today, on Anatomy of the Male Mind, we have “Jack Russell” visiting, who’s going to give us his perspective on a romance novel. “Jack” will pop in throughout the day to answer any burning questions you might have for him.

Meet Jack:

Age: 55

Region: Midwest

Education: Bachelor’s degree

Status: Married

Reading Preference: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Suspense/Action, Fiction

Tracey: Have you ever read a romance novel? If yes, what type (romantic suspense, romantic comedy, historical)?

Jack: I’ve only read two romance novels and they were categorized as romantic suspense. So it’s fair to say that my book choices don’t really lean toward the romance genre. I did enjoy both books, however.

Tracey: When you purchased the book, did you know it was a romance? If not, what drew you to the book (cover, back cover blurb, author’s name)?

Jack: No, I didn’t realize it was a romance. I was definitely drawn to the book by the cover, which is typical for me unless I’m in a store looking for a specific title or author. One of the romance novels was in a stack of my wife’s books. She is a huge fan of historical romance and it’s not unusual to find books in every corner and flat surface of our home. The cover didn’t look like her usual covers, which may be why I picked it up to take a closer look. The author’s name (female) and the title of the book filled the cover changing from black to red as the letters moved toward the bottom of the page. The last word of the title rested upon yellow and red flames. It caught my attention enough to read the back cover. The story-line seemed interesting. Homicide investigator teams up with an arson investigator to track down a serial arsonist murderer who ends up stalking the investigators — I couldn’t resist.

The other book I actually took off a carousel display of new paperbacks at a bookstore, not realizing it was a romance. Similar to the other book, the cover contained the author’s name (female) and the title of the book. The title was written in white letters behind a shattered opaque window on a background of pale blue/grey. The letters were very clear where the glass was missing and slightly blurry where the glass remained. The story-line on the back cover described a suspense plot that involved a female criminal prosecutor, an ex-police officer neighbor with a secret background and an unknown assailant who was attempting to kill the prosecutor. These are the types of stories that interest me when I’m in the mood for a suspense novel.

Tracey: What did you think of the male character in the book? Did the character act like a man would?

Jack: The male characters in these books were believable for the most part. They were portrayed as intelligent, determined men who also had a calm, softer side. However, I think they were more introspective about the developing relationship with the main female character than I think most men would be given the circumstances described in these stories. They certainly weren’t wimpy men, but I’m not sure a man who is focused on protecting and surviving would be in the right frame of mind to analyze a developing relationship. I believe this type of analysis is difficult enough for most men and normally happens after the relationship has matured. In other words, after sex moves a little further down the guy’s priority list. The two male characters in these books were in their mid-thirties. It did seem unlikely that they would have been able to intellectualize their emotions in the manner and detail described by the author. At the time I was reading the book, however, these thoughts were not a distraction for me.

Tracey: Rate your level of enjoyment (1-10, 10 highest).

Jack: I think a rating of 7 would reflect my enjoyment level.

Tracey: Tell us what you liked about the story and what you didn’t.

Jack: I liked the intrigue and suspense created by not knowing who the “bad-guy” was and what his motives were. I also enjoyed the action and pace of the story. The action was physical. In both books, the characters moved from one location to another in pursuit of, or being pursued by, the arsonist and assailant. The stories weren’t violent by most standards, but they did included physical confrontations and some gun-play.

In regard to my dislikes, you may expect me to say the parts of the stories that described the developing romantic relationships, but that wasn’t the case. Many of the fictional books I read include the development of a relationship between the main character and the opposite sex. However, sometimes these relationships never move beyond satisfying physical desires and sometimes the characters decide they’re not ready for, or they’re incapable, of entering into a committed relationship. The relationships don’t always end with “happily ever after.” For me, this unknown adds to the intrigue of a story.

Back to your question regarding my dislikes; I really don’t recall disliking any aspect of the books.

Tracey: You might not be familiar with romance subgenre lingo, but what do you think the difference is between a regular romance novel, erotic and porn? Is there a difference?

Jack: Great question. I should preface my response, though, by admitting that I know very little about romance novels. I believe my wife told me that romance novels require a happily ever after ending. If that’s the case, I would guess erotic and porn do not. In general, however, these terms have very different meanings to me. I believe romance is the means by which we express our love or significant interest in another person. It serves to draw two people together and creates and nurtures an emotional bond. Erotic, is the steamy physical expression of love or intense attraction, which culminates or nearly concludes with sex. For me, it implies the build-up of sexual tension created by the intense desire for physical contact. Erotic has an edge and heat with one or both partners focused on drawing out and intensifying the pleasure being given. Porn on the other hand, seems to only depict the visual or written rendition of sex with very little, if any, need for romance, intimacy or the build up of sexual tension. I think pornography is one of those things that is hard to describe, but you know it when you see it.

Tracey: Would you purchase another romance? Why? Please be specific.

Jack: I would read another romantic suspense novel with a similar plot to the two I’ve read. I didn’t feel as though those two stories focused more on the romance than the suspense and action of the plot. But your question was, “would I purchase another romance?” You turned up the heat with this question. The straightforward answer is, probably not. In my “guy mind,” “real men” don’t read romance novels. “Real” men don’t even linger in the aisles of the romance section unless they’re standing with their wife or girlfriend. I know that’s a huge stereotyping and sexist opinion, but the litmus test for most men in determining acceptable male actions or reactions is–would I tell my “guy” friends? How would they react to knowing? Would they say, hey that’s cool so do I? Or, would they beat me up with it every time we get together until the day I’m buried? I have no doubts over my “guy” friends’ responses.

Tracey: Have you ever set a book back down when you realized it was a romance?

Jack: Answering this question may also get me in trouble. I related earlier that the two romance books I read I only picked up because they didn’t look like romance books and because of the story pitch on the back cover. Other than those two books, I’ve not picked up any others because the cover or title usually makes them very recognizable as a romance book. In truth, if I had noticed the words “Romantic Suspense” written on the spine of the one romantic suspense book that I did purchase, I probably would have set it back down for two reasons. One, I would have second guessed my original belief, based on the storyline on the back cover, that I would like the book. Two, I would have felt awkward taking the book to the counter believing that the cashier would find it amusing, to say the least, that a man was buying a romance book.

I understand that my response to these last two questions may place me in poor light with your readers. I actually consider myself to be a progressive modern day male fully comfortable with the broad range and intersections of the male and female genders. And, in no way am I a “macho guy” but I have adopted the belief that romance books are written by women for other women with the intention of eliciting a woman’s emotional reaction to the romantic side of the story. Therefore, even though I enjoyed the two romance books I’ve read, my “guy” mind focused on the action and suspense of the story, not the nuances of the romantic relationship.

Tracey: In general, what do you think of romance novels? Why do you think romance novels hold the largest share of the consumer book market?

Jack: Actually, I’m very surprised by the statement implied by your second question. I didn’t know that romance novels held that title. They obviously have a broader worldwide appeal than I realized. In response to your first question; “In general, what do I think of romance novels?” I certainly think they merit an equal status in the literary world. I don’t consider them to be fictional stories less deserving of readers and fans. I believe good books touch something within us, stir emotions and evoke response and internal debate. Therefore, by virtue of their popularity, I would say that romance books are doing what good books do. Romance books, however, probably won’t be my first or second choice when I’m looking for a book to dive into, because my reading preferences lean toward different genres. I’m not going to say never though. I may, some day, pick up that one book or read that certain author that hooks me.

Thank you, Jack, for stopping by today! Okay, readers, it’s your turn to delve deeper into Jack’s male mind. Have fun!

Please join Kelsey on Friday to hear what Agent Lois Winston has to say about balancing the Writer and the Internal Editor.