Danger: Women Writing

#11 – Per random.org, Colleen is our winner! Email me at jennifer@jenniferhaymore.com with your choice of format (ebook or print) and your address to claim your prize. Congratulations, and thanks so much to everyone who commented!!

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And now we welcome Jennifer Miller, romance editor from Samhain Publishing!

Jennifer’s Bio from the Samhain Website: Jennifer Miller has lived in sunny Southern California ever since she earned her master’s degree in education from UCLA, but she is half Northern (Canadian) and half Southern girl by blood. After working in jobs ranging from investment sales to teaching to acting on stage, Jennifer finally settled into working with books—romantic fiction in particular. She has been with Samhain since early 2007.

Jennifer enjoys all romances with likable, interesting characters, lots of action, and loads of sexual tension. She is a self-proclaimed “conflict junkie” – her favorite books all contain powerful, seemingly unable-to-overcome conflicts. She especially loves books that make her sigh with pleasure at the end and believe in happily ever afters. She is a sucker for everything romantic.

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The Dangerous Women group came up with a few questions to ask Jennifer, so here they are:

• How do you choose what to publish and what to reject?

That’s a complicated question to answer! I suppose I can simplify it…There are lots of reasons to reject a manuscript, but there is one reason to accept a manuscript, and it’s this: You love the story so much you can’t put it down until “the end”.

• Is there an expected “heat level” for the books you accept?

No. Samhain accepts everything from super sweet to as spicy as it can go. When I’m reading a manuscript for submission, the heat level has no bearing in and of itself. I do look at whether the heat level is appropriate for the content of the story, the characters, etc. I feel like I can tell when an author puts in more sex scenes because she feels like “my book needs more sex”. That doesn’t work for me at all.

• How can an author submit to Samhain?

Samhain has very specific submissions guidelines. You can check them out at Samhain’s website, and you can find answers to almost all questions about submissions on the FAQs page. Generally speaking, we require the first three chapters of the book and a two-page synopsis.

• How long does it take from acceptance to actual publication?

That varies depending on where your manuscript fits into your editor’s schedule. I hate to give hard numbers, but generally speaking, for my authors, the time ranges from 6-12 months.

• How much influence do authors have on their covers at Samhain?

Samhain has a great group of cover artists. The authors fill out a very detailed art request form, and the artists use that as a guide to create a cover. The author, editor and artist work closely to come up with an aesthetically pleasing cover that represents the book well.

• What is the most annoying thing that newbie authors seem to do with submissions?

Shall I count the ways? ( Kidding!)
But let me list a few suggestions for the new authors out there:
(1) Follow the submissions guidelines for the line you’re submitting to.
(2) Include a professional-sounding query letter.
(3) Please don’t email me after you receive a rejection demanding a critique of your story. We simply don’t have the time to do that–that’s what critique partners are for.
(4) Don’t take rejection personally. Keep submitting and keep writing–never give up!

• What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened in a Samhain office/meeting?

We have one editor who is quite talented at taking the most bizarre plots that have been submitted to us and turning them into Dr. Suess-type poems! It’s hilarious, but I dare not repeat any of them here…

• How many books do you edit?

I edit an average of two books a month. I’m considered a part-time editor. Some of the editors edit more; a few edit less.

• What genres do you edit?

I currently edit for the Samhain Romance and the Retro Romance lines. I edit all genres of romance and erotica, plus science fiction, urban fantasy and fantasy with romantic elements.

• Do Samhain digital books go into print?

Yes, if the book is over 50,000 words (approx), it will go into print in trade paperback format several months after the digital release.

• Have you ever had a book hit the New York Times Bestseller list?

Yes! Just recently, Samhain has had two books hit the New York Times e-book list. I was very proud of my author, Maya Banks, hitting the list with her book, Colters’ Daughter, and Shelli Stevens (edited by Samhain’s Tera Kleinfelter) hit the extended list with Flash Point.

• What edge does Samhain give their authors?

Samhain employs a great group of people dedicated to releasing the very best quality digital books out there. Samhain has great distribution, the royalties are top-notch, and, perhaps most importantly in this fast-changing business, it’s a forward-thinking company.

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I’ll choose one commenter tomorrow to win the following Samhain books (a mix of genres edited by me!), in the format (print or digital) that you prefer:

-Hunting Season by Shelly Laurenston

(Paranormal  Romance)

-Colters’ Woman by Maya Banks

(Erotic Contemporary Romance)

-The Promise of Kierna’Rhoan by Isabo Kelly

(Science Fiction Romance)

AND…

-10 Days in Paradise by Dangerous Woman Dawn Halliday (signed!)-also published by Samhain but edited by my colleague Sasha Knight.

Thanks so much to the Dangerous Women for having me!  Please feel free to ask me questions! I love to talk about editing, authors, and Samhain. Or just drop by just to say hi.

Please remember to comment on yesterday’s post, too, for a chance to win a free ticket to the fantastic RomCon Romance Convention!

~And don’t forget-all comments count towards the e-reader drawing May 8th!~

Tuesdays are always fun for me. I love heading to the bookstore and seeing what has come in. And I always leave with books. lol.


Two of the Dangerous Women had releases yesterday. I picked up Jennifer Haymore’s A SEASON OF SEDUCTION as well as Cynthia Eden’s THE NAUGHTY LIST.


There were many others I picked up, but I’d rather here what books you bought!


hugs,
D

I’ve noticed a lot of talk lately around the ‘net about rereading favorite books. Which got me thinking, how many of us reread our favorite books?


I know I’d love to keep all the books I read, but I only keep the ones that I know I would reread again. Do I? Well, sometimes. Not as often as I would like because there are so many books released every week that I want. Already my TBR pile is getting way out of hand. I need a couple of weeks were I do nothing but read.


So, tell me, do you reread books? What makes them a reread?


hugs,
D

I love movies, television shows, and books! I think it’s so cool that Sookie has been so successful on television. I love Sookie! I hear Mary Janice Davidson’s series is becoming a television show in Germany. Very cool! What books do you think would make a great television show or movie? And who would star? I could see Sandra Bullock as Stephanie Plum! What about you?

Tell us what you think! We’ll be drawing for 3 copies of  AWAKENING THE BEAST on Wednesday from all comments!

Lisa

www.lisareneejones.com

www.Faith-Winter.com

I was raised in a house of readers. There were always books at my disposel, and it was no surprise to my parents that I won awards at school for reading the most books, ect… Books are a passion. I love to walk into a bookstore and see the different covers. I love the smell of a book. There’s just something glorious about it.

I love opening a new book and being sucked into a new world. Sometimes the first sentence will grab me and not let go. Sometimes it takes a page or two, but in the end, the author’s do their job. There have even been some books where I was sad they ended. I wasn’t ready to part with the characters, and I wanted more adventures, more of everything. Have you ever read a book like that?

But my favorite part of a book is when the hero and heroine meet. That first scene when they notice each other, and I mean *really* notice each other always gets my heart pounding. The hair, the eyes, the body, the strength and power of the man, the elegance and beauty of a women – how each character notices something different about the other.

That one scene usually sets up the entire book for the h/h. There have been authors that have captured this scene so well that I’ll read it again and again because I cannot resist. It is *that* good.

So what is your favorite part of a book?

hugs,
D
www.DonnaGrant.com