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.

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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.

RU crew, we’re starting today’s lecture with a warning: You are entering the man zone. As we know, the man zone’s not always pretty or palatable, kind of like those nasty gym socks you find peeking out from beneath the bed. You can’t stand to pick them up with your bare hands, yet you can’t ignore them either.  

Wayne Levine chatted with some men about a very sensitive topic, whether or not they fantasize about other women while they’re intimate with their significant others. If you’re easily offended by

either the truth or crude language, today’s lecture may not be for you. However, for me the topic is like a train wreck—wrenching—yet I’m absolutely unable to look away.

Here’s Wayne…

This month I’m playing the role of middleman. Adrienne asked some male friends whether they fantasized about other women during sex. Being the bright men that they are, they either: refused to answer, danced as fast as they could, or benefited from some well-timed distractions or natural disasters.

And so, the RU ladies came to me. That’s my business. You come to me for the hard-to-get stuff, the info others haven’t the cojones to handle. This job takes real men…and real confidentiality.

Now, I have a wife. She can read. Though she’s not so interested in following my every word—after almost 30 years—with my luck, she’d read this. So I’ll just moderate this one.

I posed the question to the men of our BetterMen Community.  Below you’ll find their responses. Perhaps next month we can find out whether you women fake orgasm with your significant other. And if so, when and why?

Men, it’s all yours:

The question: Have you fantasized about other women while having sex with your wife or significant other? Tell us what or who you fantasized about and why. Also, do you have any feelings, positive/negative/neutral about having done so?

Man #1: I always fantasize about another sexy women while having sex with my wife. She could be a girlfriend, or her girlfriend, or just someone that I had recently come in contact with. Could just be a 30-second chat at the grocery store.

Anyways, we had a few sessions with a Pilates instructor who she [my wife] knows and we discussed wanting to have a threesome with her, but never did.  However, I’ve had plenty of fantasies about it while we’re doing what we do.

Man #2: This is an easy one!
 
After having sex with the same woman for a while, it’s the fantasy of that hot chick that you saw earlier that day or week that keeps us going, especially while getting a blowjob!
 
I believe men weren’t built to just have sex with one woman for long extended periods of time. But that’s what our society has deemed to be the proper relationship with a woman.
 
If it weren’t for the fantasy of fucking that other woman while fucking your partner, I sincerely believe that the majority of men would stop fucking all together, especially those married to out of shape, unattractive women! Although, I’m not suggesting sex with your partner can’t be intimate from time to time. I do believe those intimate occasions are sparked by either an event that brought the couples closer together for a period, or as a man, you feel your partner may not be into you any longer and you want to reconnect with her. Otherwise, most of us are fucking our fantasy women while having sex with our partners.

Man #3: Yes, I do this, but not very often, maybe 5%-10% of the time. For me it tends to be someone I know that I fantasize about, not a random person that I saw that day. Can’t really say why. It is not always someone who is really hot. I think it is more about the thought of something different that is exciting. My feelings are neutral. I think it is pretty normal, I don’t obsess over it, and I still have fun times with the wife.

Man #4: I have done it few times, and only when I have the hots for another women in our circle of friends (usually married, untouchable women). That’s the closest I can get to those women without taking any risk. My feelings are neutral and my curiosity to hear these fantasy women moaning and reacting to the pleasures of my lovemaking still remains. I have to watch out not to mentioned their names during sex.

Man #5: If I need to I do it.  Not too often because it distracts from the intimacy, but sometimes you just need to get the job done. 

And then there’s this:

Man #6: I do not fantasize about other woman while having sex with my wife.  In fact, it’s wild considering our very healthy physical life (or maybe that’s why)…any sexual fantasizing I do is about her. Maybe our situation is unique.

Man #7: At first I thought not to respond – just too busy and not interested. Well, after reading a number of responses to Wayne’s question, I thought is was time someone should weigh in on the other side. I do not use fantasies of other women when making love to my woman. I have chosen (it is a choice, not a “falling into”) to love my wife and am turned on by our intimacy. While the “physical” stuff is part of it – the far greater portion of the “turn on” is intimacy – the love I have for this woman. And, in fact, when an occasion arises (no pun intended) that I choose to masturbate, the fantasies of my wife are a far bigger turn on than a Penthouse girl – a Penthouse girl may be interesting, but it is the thoughts of my wife and how I feel when we make love that is most stimulating.!!!
 
So…, I do not relate to most of the comments from the men. I do believe most guys “have it all wrong.” I am 67 and my wife is 70 and I have had the best sex of my life in the last 10 years. My wife is dying of cancer, so the sexual part of our marriage has declined in the last months, and we are entering a new phase of our relationship. But my memory of our lovemaking will stay with me.
 
Thank you, men.

© 2010 BetterMen

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Whew, I’ll admit this was an intense one today! And I’m not completely sure which question to pose to our readers. So maybe some general reactions to the topic? And do you want to know if your guy fantasizes about others while in bed with you?

Join us Thursday when Jeannie Ruesch of Will Design for Chocolate returns for the final lesson on websites. This installment concentrates on multi-published authors and what they can add to a website to enhance the experience and connection with readers. On Friday, Theresa Stevens helps us ground flying body parts.

Wayne’s Bio:

Wayne M. Levine, M.A. is the director of the West Coast Men’s Center in Agoura Hills, CA, where he coaches and mentors men, and facilitates men’s groups. He also created the BetterMen Retreats for men, and for fathers and sons. In addition, Wayne is the founder of BetterMen.org, a life coaching and mentoring resource for men.

Wayne’s interest in men’s issues began in the early ‘90s with his participation in men’s work activities. His experiences with men’s groups, as a participant, leader and program developer, taught Wayne to “father” men and to support them in making difficult and important changes in their lives.

He earned his Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University/Los Angeles. Wayne also received his BA in journalism and graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Southern California.

Wayne’s been married to his first and only wife, Ria, for over 25 years and is the proud daddy of Emma, Austin and the family’s menagerie of animals.  Wayne strives to be a better man, husband and father each day in Oak Park, CA.

Many of our readers have faithfully followed the first half of our yearlong series of lectures on different romance fiction sub-genres.  Today, we’re excited to talk about a sub-genre that has seen an explosion of creativity in the past few years. Paranormal romance started out with vamps and shapeshifters, but has moved into different worlds, heavenly realms and age ranges (who can deny that Stephanie Meyer made the vampire cool/kewl with pre-teens, teens AND their mothers?).

We’ve snagged three wonderful visiting professors for today’s lecture. Please welcome New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox, best known for her Accidental Demon Slayer series, and debut author Erin Kellison! Dorchester editor Leah Hultenschmidt will also stop by throughout the day to respond to comments and questions. RU crew, you’re in for a treat!

Kelsey: Ladies, what’s your opinion of the state of paranormal romance today?

Angie: Paranormal romance is hot, hot, hot. I keep hearing that it will slow down, but I haven’t personally seen that yet. As a writer, I just sold a new paranormal romance series. As a reader, I’m having a great time finding new authors and keeping up with favorites I’ve been following for years. There are so many authors out there creating fantastic new worlds. You have your authors who write darker, like: JR Ward, Laurell K Hamilton, Sherrilyn Kenyon. As well as those of us who pepper our stories with lighter moments and humor, like Charlaine Harris, Katie MacAlister and MaryJanice Davidson. My books are more in that vein as well.

The wonderful thing about paranormals is that there aren’t any limits as to the kinds of characters and worlds a writer wishes to create. As long as you make me believe, as a reader, that something is possible, I’m on board.

Erin: A stroll past the romance section at Wal-Mart will tell you paranormal romance is doing great. The genre is explosive. Why? Paranormals, to me, have it all. The subgenre allows for new world building limited only by the imagination, while tapping into and heightening basic human concerns and fantasies. Tone varies hugely as well, from light, comedic turns to dark fantasy, and everything in between. Even time period varies. Further, paranormals have a cross-genre appeal, even hopping the aisle at the book store. For example, my debut Shadow Bound is shelved in the Barnes and Noble fantasy and sci-fi section, while elsewhere it’s romance. Go figure. I don’t think demand is going to ebb any time soon. The main concern, I think, is how to stand out in a market where there is an abundance of fantastic authors.  

Kelsey: Why do you write paranormals, and do you write in other sub-genres?

Angie: I had someone ask me the other day if I ever planned to write about good ole humans and I had to think. Humans? Hmm…wait. There have to be a few humans in my books somewhere. The biker witches are human. They might count if you forget about their spell work. Seriously, though, I’m having too much fun with the paranormal right now. I love creating entire worlds where I get to make up the rules.

There are so many interesting things you can do. For example, when I sat down to write the Accidental Demon Slayer series, I had no notes about a sidekick for my heroine. But in the first book, when Lizzie learns she’s a demon slayer and there are some very scary, very angry creatures on her tail, she takes comfort in her dog. As I was writing, I thought, ‘This is a sweet moment. Now how do I throw her off?’

I made the dog say something to her. Nothing big. After all, he’s only after the fettuccine from last week. And he knows exactly where Lizzie can find it (back of the fridge, to the left of the lettuce crisper, behind the mustard). It amused me, so I did it. Thanks to her unholy powers, Lizzie can now understand her smart-mouthed Jack Russell Terrier. I had fun with it. Pirate can say and do things that Lizzie can’t. He’s such a kick to write. And that’s the beauty of a paranormal.

Erin: I love and have always loved fantasy and sci-fi.  I grew up on Tolkien and Star Trek. Then, in the sixth grade, I read my first gothic romance, Jane Eyre, and I was changed forever. Combine the two and I am in heaven. Right now I just write paranormals, but I can see myself doing romantic suspense because I love danger and have a murderous streak J. Eventually, I’d also like to try my hand at YA.

Kelsey: Angie, how do you think this sub-genre has changed in the last five years?

Angie: Paranormal romance has expanded with the imagination of its authors. I’m convinced vampires will never go out of style, no matter how much readers enjoy delving into other things. It seems like fresh, different takes on vampires will always sell well. In addition, authors are writing some great books about werewolves and other types of shifters, mermaids, Greek gods, witches and even fallen angels. I think the genre will continue to grow and change and become even more interesting.

Kelsey: Erin, we’re hearing that even paranormals are becoming a harder sell to editors. What do you think made your writing stand out and ultimately sell?

Erin: When I started Shadow Bound, I was looking for a mythological figure with the same kind of pathos so popular in vampires, but with opportunities for fresh world-building. I found it in a banshee, who became my heroine. (Banshees are heralds of death.) She let me have fun playing around with the concepts of life, death, and immortality. My best guess is that the premise resonated with what was already selling, yet offered a different take and a new world to explore.

I sold out of an RWA contest. I’ve heard people praise them and dismiss them. I’m in the first group. I received hugely varying scores for the exact same submission. In fact, the day I got The Call, I got some first-round scores back, too. One judge had given me a don’t-quit-your-day-job kind of score, so I understand the frustrations of contests. However, they are a viable way to get your work in front of and read by an agent or editor. I was fortunate enough to find myself on the desk of an editor at Dorchester.

Kelsey: Angie, what do readers tell you they love about your paranormals?

Angie: The characters. I write about a reluctant demon slayer, a gang of geriatric biker witches and a talking dog – and I let them do what they want.

Like in A Tale of Two Demon Slayers when Pirate the dog finds a dragon egg. The thing hatches and he decides he has a pet. I mean, how fun for a pet – to own a pet. Lizzie the demon slayer is not happy about that. She has enough going on and doesn’t think her dog needs to own a pet.

So she tells Pirate to find a new home for Flappy the dragon (Pirate named him, not Lizzie). So Lizzie is battling evil people and losing track of what Pirate is doing. He keeps promising to find a new home for the dragon, but instead Pirate is hiding the dragon, and loving the dragon and teaching him tricks. Every time Lizzie realizes the dragon is still there, it’s gotten bigger and bigger and, well, it’s just one more thing she can’t quite control.

Kelsey: What do you think it takes to be a NYT bestselling author of paranormal romances?

Angie: Make the story big. I had an agent tell me that if I wanted to sell, my characters had to take bigger chances, have more to risk and lose. It’s easy to say, but a hard thing for a writer to do. It’s a vulnerable, risky place to be. I knew my first book was big enough when instead of ending my writing sessions thinking, “I hope that’s good enough to impress an editor.” I ended them thinking, “No. I didn’t not just write that. I did not just make my character defend herself with a toilet brush and a can of Purple Prairie Clover air freshener.”

Also, you want to have a plan going in, but also be willing to let the story take you where it wants to go. When I began the Accidental Demon Slayer series, I started with a kernel of an idea that amused me. What if a straight laced preschool teacher suddenly learns she’s a demon slayer? And what if she has to learn about her powers while on the run from a fifth level demon? And wouldn’t it be interesting if she’s running with her long-lost Grandma’s gang of geriatric biker witches?

I started writing and let the story evolve based on the characters and that central issue of what happens when a reluctant heroine is thrust into a series of extraordinary situations. And I knew the story was working when I couldn’t wait to get back to the keyboard every day.

Kelsey: What advice do you have for writers who want to break into this sub-genre?

Angie: The key ingredients are: a love of books, a dedication to telling the best story possible and lots of determination and drive to keep writing, writing, writing.

I wrote three books that didn’t sell before I wrote The Accidental Demon Slayer. Those three books were rejected by everybody in town, with everything from written notes saying things like, “your death scenes are too funny,” to “not for us” rubber stamped on my original query. But if I’d have quit after any one of those three books, I never would have written my fourth book, which sold and ended up hitting the New York Times list.

Erin: Go for it. Trust your voice. Understand the basic elements of your subgenre and the industry. Write your heart out. Pursue every avenue to get your work on an agent or editor’s desk. When you finish one book, begin another. And most importantly, protect and nurture the joy of writing.

Kelsey: Angie, what are your predictions for paranormal romance in the next one to three years?

Angie: I think it will continue to grow. There are a lot of people writing paranormal romance right now, so the stories that sell will be the ones that are fresh and different. And that is great news for paranormal readers.

Kelsey: Erin, please feel free to share any other comments on paranormal romance or publishing in general.

Erin: I recommend to authors on the verge (who have a complete manuscript, are actively sending it out to agents/contests and pitching at conferences) to be already working on acquiring information on the business side of publishing. For example, I had begun a messy file of marketing tips. When I was putting together my marketing plan, I was so glad that I had amassed that information. Similarly, I had an idea about the process the manuscript would go through to publication and was basically familiar with each phase. There are so many firsts and so much to learn that having a little background is vital. 

Also, paranormals often sell as a series. I recommend having a good plan for the scope of any following books, with blurbs and/or outlines prepared. One of the first questions asked by my agent and editor was, Do you see this as a series? Do you have plans for subsequent books? My agent requested blurbs on the next two books immediately. It was a tremendous relief to go into this situation at least somewhat prepared and with a basic working knowledge of what to expect.

Strong plots are a necessary part of a good novel, but I think it is the characters and the fun things we discover with them that keep readers coming back.

***

RU Crew, now it’s your chance to ask questions about paranormal romance or anything else the strikes your fancy. Erin and Angie will pop in to chat. Also – don’t forget to grill Leah Hultenschmidt from Dorchester!

Come back on Monday when writer Sally Bayless will continue her series on Confessions of a new writer.

Angie Fox is the New York Times bestselling author of the Accidental Demon Slayer series. She claims that researching her books can be just as much fun as writing them. In the name of fact-finding, Angie has ridden with Harley biker gangs, explored the tunnels underneath Hoover Dam and found an interesting recipe for Mamma Coalpot’s Southern Skunk Surprise (she’s still trying to get her courage up to try it).

Angie earned a Journalism degree from the University of Missouri. She worked in television news and then in advertising before beginning her career as an author.

Visit Angie at www.angiefox.com. You’ll find freebies galore and answers to burning questions, like What is Your Biker Witch name?

Erin Kellison is the author of the Shadow Series, which includes Shadow Bound and Shadow Fall.  Stories have always been a central part of Erin Kellison’s life. She attempted her first book in sixth grade, a dark fantasy adventure, and still has those early hand-written chapters. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English Language and Literature, and went on for a masters in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on oral storytelling. When she had children, nothing scared her anymore, so her focus shifted to writing fiction. She lives in Arizona with her two beautiful daughters and husband, and she will have a dog (breed undetermined) when her youngest turns five.

You can contact Erin though her website, www.ErinKellison.com, where you can also sign up to receive her newsletter.

Margie Senechal is the winner of June’s From The Heart Romance Writers online class giveaway! Margie, please email me at Kelsey@RomanceUniversity.org.

RU Crew, don’t forget that we’re hosting another class giveaway–generously donated by Savvy Authors– in July. The more you comment, the more chances you’ll have to win.

Throughout 2010, Romance University is teaming up with RWA chapters and other groups for online writing class giveaways. During each giveaway month, join in the discussion during RU’s lectures, and for every comment, you’ll be entered into the giveaway drawing. The more you comment, the more chances you have to win a class!

For July, Savvy Authors has generously agreed to donate a class. Thank you to Savvy Authors for their generosity, and to our readers for your continued support of Romance University!

Upcoming online class giveaways are: Kiss of Death (August) and Yosemite Romance Writers (September). If your group is interested in collaborating with Romance University for a class giveaway, please contact Kelsey at Kelsey@KelseyBrowning.com.

We’re delighted to have psychotherapist Dr. Debra Holland join us once again. Last year, she briefed us on the ever-intriguing bad boy. Today, she’s here to talk with about making the impossible possible: Understanding Men.

Welcome, Dr. Debra!

A few days ago, I received a newsletter from my publicist, Annie Jennings, where she wrote of an incident she’d recently observed. She was at a bagel shop, and she saw a woman, laden with food and coffee, walk out the door behind a man. He didn’t notice her, and she ended up becoming squashed as the door closed on her. The man continued on, oblivious.

Annie freed the woman and watched as she scurried after the man. In Annie’s words, “She was gaining on him, little by little, but he did not notice. She could have been hit by a car right behind him, and he would not notice. I was horrified when I realized he was her husband.”

After I read the newsletter, I continued to think about the story.  For one thing, it made me thankful to have a boyfriend who’s a gentleman. Don would never squash me in the door. Instead, he’d hold it open for me. But he can still have those male moments, one of which occurred a few hours after I read Annie’s newsletter when we attended church.

As the service concluded, our beautiful, world-class pianist played “On the Wings of Love.” I started to leave, but Don, instead of following me like usual, stood watching the piano. I could see he was enraptured by the music.

Don walked toward the piano as if mesmerized, leaving me waiting at the pew. He never glanced behind him to see what I was doing. I stood there for a few seconds, remembering Annie’s story and feeling amused that a harmless and mild version of that woman’s experience was now happening to me. I sat down in our pew to wait until the spell ended.

These two examples illustrate something about the male brain that women don’t understand and often take personally:  The corpus callosum (the bundle of fibers that link the left and right brain hemispheres) is thinner in the male brain by about 10%, with as much as 30% fewer connections. A man has a harder time crossing his brain hemispheres. This means LESS information is exchanged between the two sides. However, this gives him GREATER ability to focus on a specific task, often to the exclusion of everything not relevant to him at the time.

Therefore, male brains are organized for monotracking. Men have difficulty concentrating on more than one thing at a time. For example, a brain scan while a man is reading or at the computer will show he’s mostly deaf.

A woman, with her thicker corpus callosum, has the physical ability to connect and relate large pieces of information. This allows her to see the “big picture” and remember more details. Therefore she’s good at multitasking. (She wouldn’t leave her husband trapped in the door.)

As for Don and I, if the situation were reversed, I probably would have said something to him before wandering over to the piano: “This is my favorite song. Please, wait a minute.” Or “I want to hear this. I’ll meet you outside.”

While this excuses Don becoming beguiled by the music and forgetting me, it doesn’t excuse the man who left his wife trapped in the door. I’ll bet he’s probably a man who often forgets his wife, not showing her the gentlemanly courtesy and attention she deserves. And perhaps her self-esteem is so low, she doesn’t realize she deserves better.

Thinking about Annie’s story also made me remember a man I’d briefly dated. Mike was a nice, attractive, intelligent man. But he also had a very male-focused brain.

On one of our first dates, we attended a Bruce Springsteen concert. As we walked through the crowded parking lot, threading through the cars, he kept striding away from me. I was tempted to stop walking and see how long it would take before he realized I wasn’t behind him. Even through, I knew what was happening wasn’t about me, but about his male focus on getting us into the concert hall, I couldn’t help becoming a little frustrated. I finally grabbed his hand, so we could stay together. Not a romantic start to the evening.

So, what does this mean for your romance hero? If you’re writing romance, you don’t want a man who loses his focus on the heroine. That means if he’s watching his favorite football team play a championship game, between plays, thoughts of her still need to creep into his mind. (And not just when he wants her to fetch him a beer or he’s watching the cheerleaders bounce around.) This is probably why we don’t see a lot of sport game scenes in romances.

On the other hand, your hero needs to have that male focus when it’s necessary and realistic for the story. For example, I’m often frustrated by books and movies where the hero stops to TALK in the middle of the action, especially if the scene is supposed to be suspenseful. If he’s trying to keep them safe, that will be his focus, not stopping to romance her.

And make sure that no matter how rough-hewn your hero or how tough your heroine, you show the reader that he treats her in a way that shows she’s special to him.

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If you want to learn more about men, sign up for my August online class, Understanding Men.

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So RU crew, what questions do you have for Dr. Debra today? And do you believe women can ever truly understand men and vice versa?

Due to the late post, we’re going to give away one of our RU leather pocket jotters to a random commenter.  Thanks for your patience!

Be sure to stop by Friday when Laurie Schnebly will be here to talk about the personality ladder. Sounds like some good character development help!

Dr. Holland holds a master’s degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy, and holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Southern California, and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.  She has twenty-one years of experience counseling with individuals, couples, and groups.

Dr. Holland is a popular psychotherapist, consultant, and speaker on the topics of communication difficulties, relationships, stress, and dealing with difficult people.  She is a featured expert for the media, and does entertainment consulting.

Today at RU, we’re continuing our bi-monthly series where we’ll follow debut author Laurie London on her journey from a newbie writer to publication. If you missed Laurie’s first lecture, please be sure to back track for a peek. Today, she’s going to chat with us about her search for an agent, and how she landed Emmanuelle Alspaugh as hers. Emmanuelle will also drop by today!

Sold! But first, Revisions and Submissions

After signing with an agent, my road to publication may veer off from what others have experienced. Maybe you have or will go through these same things and maybe you won’t. Please don’t think there’s a right way or a wrong way. I can only recount my own experience.

Once the agency agreement was signed, Emmanuelle sold my manuscript, right? Yes…but not until I made a few more changes. These weren’t major fixes, just little tweaks here and there to further tighten and polish. Now it was ready for submission to publishers (and I began to drink heavily).

During this time I took a character workshop by one of my favorite writing instructors, Linnea Sinclair. I’ve learned so much about craft, attitude, and the business of writing from her. This next thing I did helped me turn my story world and characters into something bigger than just a good manuscript. Granted, I’d already planned for this to be an open-ended series and had synopses and pages written for books two and three, but I took a step back and considered the world as a whole because of her advice.

I’d always done character templates for my major characters, but this was the first time I’d heard that a publisher could ask for them. Linnea said they invariably ask for information like this on Friday at noon and they need it by 5pm. She said she was teaching us to be professional writers. We must think like one and we must be prepared. (Yes, she’s like a drill sergeant or a masochist boy scout, but she whipped us into shape.)

With this in mind, I polished my character worksheets. Then I decided to take it a step further and create a Worldbuilding document to keep the details about my world in one place and to avoid inconsistencies. (Some refer to this as a series bible.) Thinking it was for my eyes only, I used fancy fonts and silly spellings, things that sparked my creativity and that I thought were fun. I did some historical research and wrote a lengthy, single-spaced document on vampires, complete with annotated references. I discussed their form of government, their biology, major historical events that tied into human history, special powers, traditions, societal structures, etc. much of which will never make it into the books. I wrote it as if I were doing a college term paper for Vampire Sociology 101.

Offhandedly, I told my agent I’d put together this document to help me keep all these details straight. Guess what? She wanted to see it. So I nixed the fancy fonts and spellings, quickly proofread the thing, and sent it to her. Turns out she loved it and used it as a selling tool for the whole series.

Let me set the scene on what happened next: I’m in a PTA meeting that is running long when my phone rings. My book’s been out on submission for a few weeks, so I’m a wreck anyway, but when I see that it’s Emmanuelle calling, my heart kicks into overdrive. I excuse myself, run out to the steps of the school, and answer the phone. She says an editor who loved the story wants a series overview. In ONE page, she told me to include the overall series arc, the number of books I envisioned, the characters, the major settings, and a 2-3 sentence premise outlining the conflict in the next two books. Oh, and she needs it by the close of business. That was in two hours. Holy crap, Linnea was right!

Fortunately, I’d also followed the advice my author friend Alexis Morgan gave me (I talked about this in my last RU post), so I knew these story details and was ready. It was a matter of cutting and pasting stuff into a new document. Of course I still labored over it, but within a few hours, I sent the overview. Then waited.

The submission process reminds me of showing horses. You hurry hurry hurry to get yourself and your horse ready. You rush to the show pen, not wanting to miss your class, then you sit around and wait. As in forever. With a nervous stomach. (You learn quickly how to use the restroom while wearing chaps.)

It was at this point when I attended the Emerald City Writers Conference in Seattle. It killed me not being able to share any of this excitement with my friends, that editors were reading my story and liking it. The submission process is stressful enough when you’re sitting behind a computer and can’t email anyone. Imagine seeing your writer friends face to face.

Then came the agent and editor dance of negotiating, finagling, cajoling, and whatever else they do. And on a rainy evening in October 2009, while having dinner with a friend because we didn’t want to sit outside during a high school football game, I got a text from my agent. She and my new editor were at a cocktail party and she closed the deal!

Because I’ve already taken up enough space here at RU, if you want to read about The Call or The Text, I’ve detailed the silly stories on my blog. Warning: one of them involves a toilet. (http://laurielondon.blogspot.com/2010/01/call.html)

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Do any of you want to share your submission stories and experiences? Have you done a series bible or overview? If so, I’d love to hear what you put into it. Mine is definitely a work-in-progress and I’m always adding more as I learn more about my story world and characters.

RU crew, stop by tomorrow when Debra Holland will help us make the impossible possible: Understanding Men.

Laurie’s Bio:

A graduate of Western Washington University with a BA in Business Administration and a former tester/programmer for a Fortune 500 company, Laurie London now writes from her home near Seattle where she lives with her husband and two children.

Her debut novel, BONDED BY BLOOD, A Sweetblood Novel, is tentatively scheduled for publication February 2011 by HQN. EMBRACED BY BLOOD, the second book in the series, is coming July 2011.

Her writing has won and been a finalist in several prestigious contests including the Beacon, the Emerald City Opener, the Marlene, and the Orange Rose.

She’s a member of GSRWA, RWA, RWAOnline, SCBWI, and two book clubs – one of which she helps coordinate live online author chats with readers from around the world.

When not writing, she can be found running, reading, or riding and showing her horse. Someday she hopes to qualify for the Quarter Horse World Show – that is, if her horse doesn’t get hurt again.

This month, we’re answering a question from the FAQ files. This one comes up once every month or two, and it goes something like this:

My agent asked me for an outline of my next book. Is this different from a synopsis?

The answer is yes and no and maybe, depending on the how the person meant it. I know, that clears it up, right? So let’s look at how these terms are commonly meant.

An outline generally is:

1. A chapter-by-chapter capsule summary of a nonfiction book.

2. Think of it like an enhanced table of contents.

3. The purpose of an outline is to summarize the information which will appear in the finished book.

4. Its format will include chapter numbers, chapter titles and/or headings, and a point-by-point breakdown of topics covered in each chapter.

5. When we evaluate outlines, we’re checking whether the topic is meaty enough to fill enough chapters for a whole book.

6. We’re also checking whether the core thesis is thoroughly developed.

7. We’re also looking at things like organization of ideas, the way the chapters build upon each other, and so on.

Many nonfiction books are sold on an outline plus some configuration of sample pages, such as an introduction and sample chapter. We evaluate the sample pages for writing quality. We evaluate the outline for content. There will be other relevant questions, too, such as whether the author has a platform and how broad that platform might be, which might be addressed in the outline, cover letter, sample chapters, or pitch, but ought to be addressed somewhere. (“Platform” is an author’s established presence as an authority on a topic. It’s the professor of economics who writes a book about money management, or the personal trainer with a blog that takes 100,000 hits a month who writes about fitness.)

A synopsis generally is:

1. A narrative summary of a work of fiction or narrative nonfiction.

2. Think of it like enhanced jacket copy which relates the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

3. You will use your synopsis to introduce your main characters, establish the themes, and describe the events in the plot.

4. The synopsis might mirror the flow of events in the plot in a chapter-by-chapter manner, but it will still be presented in narrative format.

5. A synopsis rarely uses headers and similar material, except that some formats have separate paragraphs to introduce characters. In that case, those paragraphs are sometimes headed “Characters,” and the plot summary is headed “Plot.” But these formats are less common than ordinary narrative formats.

6. When we evaluate a synopsis, we’re checking that the plot is interesting and coherent.

7. We’re also checking whether the characters are interesting, but that might be easier to determine from sample pages. The synopsis will at least give us a starting point, though.

8. We might also be checking for other things like writing quality and tone, but the sample pages usually will be more useful for that purpose.

Many novels, memoirs, and other narrative works are sold on a synopsis plus some configuration of sample pages (generally the first seventy-five to one hundred pages or thereabouts). The purpose of a synopsis is to give a flavor of the tone and characters, the complete but condensed plot, and perhaps some thematic or other elements.

The kicker is that many people use these terms interchangeably. Or maybe they’re so used to asking for one that they use that one term without realizing they want the other document. Or maybe they’ll assume you know which format they actually want. In other words, even though there’s a technical difference between an outline and a synopsis, there’s a bit of looseness in the way we use the terms.

So what’s a writer to do?

If this is someone you’ve got an established relationship with, just ask them which they would prefer. “Do you want a chapter-by-chapter outline or a narrative synopsis?” See how easy that is?

If this is an over-the-transom submission and asking might be awkward, you can either check their submission guidelines for clarification, or you can assume that a narrative work takes a narrative synopsis. That assumption is probably safe, but there may be rare cases when it’s not. So if you’re uncomfortable with this assumption and the submission guidelines are silent, you might have to find a graceful way to ask for clarification. “Sorry to trouble you. I checked your guidelines and couldn’t find the answer. Do you want a narrative synopsis or a chapter outline?”

So now that we know the difference between a synopsis and an outline, do you have any questions about formats?

Theresa

Got a question for the editor? Email it to askaneditor at romanceuniversity dot org.

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Theresa, thanks for the clarification about these two important writing tools!

Join us on Monday when writer and Facebook guru Haley Hughes provides an in-depth look at how writers can make FB work for them.

Theresa’s Bio:  

Theresa Stevens is the Publisher of STAR Guides Publishing, a nonfiction publishing company with the mission to help writers write better books. After earning degrees in creative writing and law, she worked as a literary attorney agent for a boutique firm in Indianapolis where she represented a range of fiction and nonfiction authors. After a nine-year hiatus from the publishing industry to practice law, Theresa worked as chief executive editor for a highly acclaimed small romance press, and her articles on writing and editing have appeared in numerous publications for writers. Visit her blog at http://edittorrent.blogspot.com/ where she and her co-blogger share their knowledge and hardly ever argue about punctuation.

Vikki Bakus is the winner of Ann’s generous platform mini-consultation! And Laurie London will receive Jacquie Rogers’ book and the CD! Ladies, please drop me a quick note at Kelsey@RomanceUniversity.org and we’ll coordinate on your prizes.

Thanks once again to Ann Charles for her fantastic lecture on platform development for the unpublished and her generosity!

Today, I’m dancing a jig over both our topic and our visiting professor. Ann Charles is not only a talented author, she’s also an astute businesswoman. We’re fortunate to have her visit RU to talk about a topic that will be new to some of you, familiar to a few, and the bane of others’ existences! When you hear “platform,” what comes to mind–Shoes? Diving? Politics? If you didn’t immediately think of your writing career, then by all means, read on!

And especially exciting news: one lucky commenter will win a platform “mini-consultation” with Ann, which will include either a pre-determined number of email exchanges or a 30-minute phone conversation. And she’ll also give away a copy of Jacquie Rogers’ book, “Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues,” and a CD from Justin Saragueta (the musician who created the song for Jacquie’s book trailer)!

Welcome to RU, Ann!

Question:  How many of you unpublished authors are wondering if you should take some of your valuable writing time and use it to begin building a platform before you even land a contract with a publisher?

Answer:  Do you want to get published and stay published? If you answer “Yes,” then your answer above is also a resounding “Yes!”

This is not to say you shouldn’t continue to study the writing craft and learn how to create the best book you can—and finish the book. Those things are givens.

These days, though, writing the best book you can is just half of the equation. Times have changed in the last few years, and things in the publishing world are moving quickly, so there is no time for foot dragging. A platform is a must if you hope to break into the business and form a reader base that will impress your publisher enough to keep you when times are tough.

What is a platform?

Many fiction authors don’t know what a platform is, so don’t feel alone if you are part of this group. When we’re done here, you’ll be in the know and ready to start building.

Your platform is the combination of all of your efforts to make your name and brand available to both industry professionals and readers. It’s how you are communicating and sharing about yourself and your books; it’s the audience you have accumulated and will continue to grow.

As an example, we’ll look at a snapshot of some of my platform elements, because I can talk freely about me without risking a snippy retort from me—at least, that’s what my therapist says.

Because I don’t currently have a book out for public consumption, my platform has been focused on growing an audience of peers and industry professionals. I have a website that contains not only bits about my books for editors and any interested authors who visit my site to peruse, but also articles and workshops for my fellow authors. I speak to local writing chapters (RWA and non-RWA) about craft and promotion, I write articles and columns which are published in both writing-related newsletters and nationwide magazines, and I guest blog (just as I am today). I also have a second website, which I created with Jacquie Rogers, called 1^st Turning Point. Like Romance University’s website, we have columnists and guest columnists and reviewers, who write articles and share them with other authors on the subject of promotion, publicity, and marketing.

You can see how my platform revolves around building name and brand recognition within the publishing industry. Why is this important? It’s simple—recognition equals success. Think of authors who you know by name but not necessarily in person, and not because of their books. How and why do you know of them? Because they’ve worked hard to build recognition through their respective platforms.

You are in charge of your own success.

I cannot emphasize the following enough: You and you alone are responsible for becoming a successful, long-standing, world-renowned author.

While the right agent, editor, and publisher have a hand in your success, their part is enhanced by your efforts to secure their partnership and help them to sell you, not simply from them offering you a contract. You can have the best book out there, but without a well-developed reader platform, the chances of you succeeding are akin to lottery odds.

So, why do you need a platform? Because you want to be wildly successful. We all do. Very few writers fall backwards into success. Most of the bestselling authors work their hineys off on self-promotion alongside writing great stories. Some of them are fortunate to have a publisher throwing a little extra cash at them, but most will tell you that they still put a lot of their own hard-earned cash into promoting their names and books.

(Note: There is one group of authors who don’t have to worry about platform building as much as the rest of us—category book authors. This is due to the audience their publisher has already built. For example, Harlequin has built a platform of readers by providing specific, reliable kinds of reads. However, if you are a category author and would like to move into the single-title game, some platform building would make the possibility of that move much more feasible. How can it not?)

If you wait to begin building your platform until you land your first contract, you’re going to have to work twice as hard, twice as fast to succeed. Why? Because in addition to writing the second book optioned in your contract (and remember, the second book HAS to be better than your first or you’ll fail fast in this business), you’re going to have to split your time to work on promotional efforts. And guess what? You thought learning craft was hard and time-consuming; wait until you dive into the promotion and marketing pool. For the first few months, it’s like trying to doggie-paddle while wearing concrete flippers.

Why not begin building your platform now, while you have the time, while you’re not under contract and deadline, and being held accountable for your writing by anyone but you? It makes perfect sense. We all have families, jobs, friends, a life. If you want to spend time with any living beings after that contract arrives, a little investment in platform development could save you from being the focus point of a group intervention later.

How do unpublished authors get started building a platform?

This is a huge subject that I can’t possibly cover in a paragraph or two, but I’ll throw out some high-level suggestions.

• Figure out your strengths and weaknesses as an author and promoter. Then figure out how to build off your strengths and how to overcome your weaknesses.
• Think about where you want to be in a year, three years, five years—and I’m not referring to your craft skills here or how many books you want to write in that amount of time. Do you want to be writing articles for nationwide magazines in a year? Presenting workshops to mid-sized groups in three years?  Giving keynote speeches or playing god over your own forum in five? Write it down. Then figure out how to build up to that. Remember, baby steps here. Too much too soon and you’ll get overwhelmed and drown.
• Think of some of your favorite authors—not those whose books you just adore, but those whose careers impress the heck out of you. Consider these folks your role models and study them. Watch them (from afar, please—they don’t like it when you stalk them, I’ve learned), monitor their virtual and physical platform building efforts, pay attention to how they are growing their career and audience. Now apply what you’ve learned to your own platform.
• Find another author (or two or three) who is around the same platform-building level as yourself, whose mentality you like, and whose optimism gives you energy. Offer to partner with them on this endeavor, working together to brainstorm new platform building opportunities and cheer each others’ platform successes. Two brains are often better than one, so long as you find the “right” brain for you.
• Step outside of your safe zone—repeatedly. Does just the thought of speaking in public give you the hives, but you like the idea of someday teaching a class? You can either take baby steps to build your self-confidence, or you can try your hand at online teaching where public speaking is only required from behind a virtual curtain.

Find Your Tipping Point.

Two final words: Tipping Point. Many of you have heard of this saying in regards to at what point you will tip the scale of success in your favor. That’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about your own personal tipping point, as in at what point will you become so overwhelmed that you shut down and this platform building goes from being fun and exciting to tedious and repulsive.

I’m a busy plate spinner. Those who know me can attest to this. I seem to always have ten things going at once at all times, and those around me sometimes worry about my stress level. When I take on yet another plate to spin, my husband often asks me, “How much more can you do?” The answer is I don’t really know. I haven’t found my tipping point yet. But you know what? I keep saying, “Yes.” And you know what else? I keep reaping greater rewards because I pushed myself just a little more.

So, push yourself. Success isn’t easy. Nothing is free. But if you feel that tipping point drawing near, take a breather and keep the same pace for awhile. Just don’t stop. 

Recommended reading:

Here are a couple of books that will help get you started on building your platform:

Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz

The Author’s Guide to Building an Online Platform: Leveraging the Internet to Sell More Books by Stephanie Chandler

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RU crew, I know you have a bazillion questions for Ann so let ‘em roll! Don’t forget: one lucky commenter will will win a platform “mini-consultation” with Ann, which will include either a pre-determined number of email exchanges or a 30-minute phone conversation!

Be sure to drop by Monday when author Bella Andre is here with a special treat: Feng Shui for Writers.

Ann’s Bio:

Ann Charles has been an unpublished author for over a decade now. She has a marvelous agent who believes in her and continues to stand by her through thick and thin, all the while working to sell Ann’s manuscripts. Ann has been a finalist in the Golden Heart, the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest, and (recently) the Daphne du Maurier. She is also the co-creator of 1^st Turning Point (http://www.1stturningpoint.com/), where authors can go to learn, share, and teach all about promotion and marketing. If you’re interested in learning more about platform for the fiction authors, stay tuned, because Ann and her fellow Platform Coach, Jacquie Rogers, are writing a non-fiction book on that very subject. If you’d like to donate your free time to being Ann’s personal assistant, she’s always taking applications—just kidding…sort of.