The Weekly (okay looking more like monthly) Round Up!

[jgraeme2007]

The (rough draft) of The Haunted Heart is now complete at Wattpad. I'll be leaving it up until I expand, edit and publish the final version through regular channels. So enjoy.

I've sold two projects to Carina Press for 2014. Stranger on the Shore (excerpt here) and the sequel to Fair Game (titled Fair Play).

Man Oh Man is now available in digital.

Comments

[kcwarwick]

I loved Haunted Heart, even though it scared me to death, and I think it's amazing for a first draft. I also liked the excerpt from 'Stranger on the Shore'. Do you remember the Acker Bilk instrumental of that name? It was the signature tune to something on the BBC when I was a kid. One of these days perhaps you could blog about writing for a publisher like Carina, the advantages and disadvantages, whether you write differently for them in any way? I'd be very interested.

[jgraeme2007]

You know it! That instrumental plays a key role in the novel. I love that melody.

Yes, that's a blog I could probably write. Other than the general overall question, any particular concerns that come to mind?

[kcwarwick]

I suppose what I'd really like to know is whether you feel that a 'big' publisher like Carina puts any pressure on you to write to some sort of formula. I know they say in their submission guidelines that they will consider almost anything, but in practice I wonder if you feel constrained to produce something akin to the Mills & Boone type stuff. Do you feel that you get improved publicity by writing for them - in other words, do they market you well? Are sales noticeably greater for their titles? When I was trying to write het romance, I used to consider M & B to be the sort of Holy Grail of publishing (I was much younger then!) but I've read some negatives about Carina, so I'd be interested to hear your opinion.

[jgraeme2007]

I can probably figure a blog out of that.

I can tell you that I do like Carina. Every publishers has its plusses and minuses, but overall I've been happy with them. A lot of whether you like a publisher depends on your editor, though.

[kcwarwick]

Thanks!