alg | (no subject)

Good morning! I have been awake since six am, and wow! It is a beautiful day. I have the windows open, and there is a wonderful cold breeze blowing in. My bedroom window faces Manhattan, which means it faces the water, even though I can't see the water, and I get wonderful breezes -- although when it's freezing outside and the wind chill is, like, negative seventy-million, it's not so much fun.

(All I want this morning is a cup of coffee and a Danish. Wow, how bad do I want a Danish? Pretty badly. Instead I had a crescent roll. Not quite as good, but what's a girl to do?)

I want to thank again everyone who provided me with links and stories on Monday -- that was awfully nice of you guys and I really appreciate it! I am well on my way to recovering (especially now that my dentist has called in a new prescription for me, and I have much stronger painkillers, phew).

Now that I can focus for longer than 500 words, I am ready to write more about demystifying publishing.

I am really glad that these entries are helping y'all. And I am flattered that so many people are reading them -- I know I tend to be pedantic and long-winded, so it's amazing to me that you guys can get through these entries. *g*

I do want to remind you that these answers are by no means universal. Remember the first rule: Don't be an idiot.

Publishing is Hard!

Writing is an art, but publishing is a business -- and here are a few basic suggestions on how to navigate that business. Complete with explanations of various departments within a publishing company, and how they all work together to make your book. And, of course, my witty and charming commentary!

Thanks for reading; I hope this has helped at least some of you!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think I will hide under a rock with my MS (well all of them)... that was a TON of info. Thank you for it. It makes me want to sit on my MS's for a while longer for some reason. I have no idea what to do with it, but look at it at this point. The research is killing me. I am one of those morons you are talking about, for real. I keep asking myself, who wants a fanatical paranormal regency? 99% of my 1,000's of books are from Avon. But the only one I've read like mine (kind of.. I am totally NOT comparing myself with greatness here..) is After Midnight. I could keep this one, never send it out and just write MS # 3. ... no really I am freaking out. I hope I am just doing one of those Stephen King things where he says you have to write out all of the crap first. I think I'll take that angel. yeah. the crap angel.(see you can use me as a perfect example as one of those crazy morons multiplied by 3)... and there really is no question here. I'm off to read part 2.

fanatical? fantasy..I meant fantasy...fantastical? ha.

Okay, calm down! CALM DOWN.

If you have read one paranormal regency (and I hope you mean "fantastical") it means one of two things:

1. There is no market
2. There is a huge untapped market

YOU NEVER KNOW.

The only thing you can do is send your ms. to the publishers that do paranormal and hope for the best.

I will tell you this: I have yet to find a paranormal regency that worked that I could buy for one reason or another. For my part, there is a market for really good paranormal regency. Any other editor would tell you the same thing -- there is always a market for good books.

Also, do not forget that publishing cycles, so there might be a mrket in two years.

Also, I am almost positive I have said it before, but: what you are seeing on the shelves? Is stuff that was bought two years ago. This is actually part of seeing publishing holistically -- you have to see what isn't there as well as what is.

Good luck.

Thank you~! :O).

I've seen paranormal regencies--mostly traditionals with paranormal elements, I guess. Most of them were bad, but not all. I can think of several ghost/psychic plots, a vampire plot (by Karen Harbaugh), and a vampire-themed anthology (published pretty recently, I think, and including a novella by Kate Huntingdon).

Outside of trads, Madeleine Robins writes alternate-history hardboiled Regency mysteries--not romances, of course, but they're GREAT (they're published by Forge, too). Then, there's my favorite paranormal Regency of them all, Sorcery and Cecilia, by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. It's recently out in a new edition and has a sequel. Patricia Wrede also wrote a 2-book fantasy Regency series on her own (Mairelon the Magician, the first one was called).

Anyway, I know probably none of this is in exactly the same segment of the genre as your book, but clearly at some point, someone has thought that fantasy set in the Regency could sell well. =)

(no subject)

I only read part one...

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peaking out from under the rock...

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