1. Write a phenomenally good book. This should be obvious. But don't just have a high opinion of yourself. Have your writing peers look at it, preferably professionals as well, and take their advice.
2. Be nice. If I should suggest your story might need more work, please forego the retaliatory backbite that rises from the hurt. Don't burn Bridges, cause this Bridges has been burned enough. Full, willing and eager cooperation and teamwork is expected from our authors, and anything less at the outset will get you nowhere.
3. On first contact, give a concise summary of your project. Merely sending files gives me nothing to consider in the intervening time until I can get to look at it properly - and that may take a while, because it's just little old me back here.
4. Tell me your relevant marketing experience. Make me believe you're a good investment and that your book will pay out.
5. There better not be any typos in your first-contact material.
6. Respond maturely to criticism and advice, and be committed to continued learning and improvement.
7. If you submit to Splashdown, you should be a fan and friend of Splashdown. Not just the Facebook kind, either. KNOW Splashdown. Read our books and see if this is a family you want to be a part of. Immerse yourself in our histories, anecdotes, modus operandi, authors' blogs, and grasp our unique flavour.
There is one more item; unfortunately, it's rather unquantifiable, and I'm sorry about that, but this is the way it is...
8. Your story must be one that I LOVE. Yes, it all comes down to personal taste. Sorry. If your tale charms me... AND if all the above criteria are fulfilled... then we could very well be good to go.
If this sounds like a rant, that's because it is. I'm sick and tired of people offloading their submissions on me without any regard for how I like to do business. Ignore my feelings at your peril.
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lol. Whenever I confuse my Husband with all the names of people (publishers and fellow writers), you are the one who published Alpha Redemption. That is how he knows you and what earned his seal of approval as an eye for quality.
ReplyDeleteWhere's the "like" button? (For this post, and for Ren's husband loving Alpha Redemption!)
ReplyDeleteNo one loves a good rant (when necessary) more than moi, and this is a good 'un! Grace, Splashdown is *your* company and you have to run it in a way that's best for you. If *you* don't run *it*, *it* will end up running *you*. And that's not fun. Voice of experience there. Sorry for all the *'s, but they help express my emotion for this topic, an important one that we have to deal with each time we take on a new author, assistant, or even receive a book review.
ReplyDeleteSo kudos! I'm glad you shared your heart.
Thanks Grace! Hoping to become a member here and I'm sure this will help ;)!
ReplyDeleteDoesn't sound like a rant at all. Makes good sense. I'm going to suggest my author friend, who wrote the science fiction series BIALIEN to apply to splashdown books.
ReplyDeleteA series that i'm addicted too.