A Sense of Time and Place

03 May 2012 Leave a Comment

by Ken Harrison in Seventh Window Tags: Seventh Window

Ken Harrison publisher/ Seventh Window

There is nothing that annoys me more than a story that’s set in a particular time and you would never know it if the author didn’t tell you. Historicals, no matter how far in the past they take place, are difficult to write unless you’ve done your research. Even a story set in the 1980′s needs to have a feel for the era; people listened to different music, dressed different and the technology we take for granted today didn’t exist then. Even if you set your story in the 1990′s you have to think about technology. Having people texting each other in a story that takes place in 1992 would not be believable.

People who read historicals tend to read them for the sense of place and time. They want horse drawn carriages or telephones with cords; some even want a bit of history. All of this adds to the overall feel of the setting and keeps the reader in that place you’ve sent them. Know your time period because there will be more than one reader who knows that time period better than you think you do if you don’t do any research. Use Google and Wikipedia to search your time period. Find historical facts that you can weave into your story to add authenticity. And please make sure you have your architecture right when mentioning buildings. If you mention a particular building, do a little research to make sure it was actually standing when your story takes place, even if you think it was. Don’t assume you’re right, because there is an off-chance that you’re not. And honestly, it won’t kill you to look it up.

Let me tell you, I am not a history person, so any title I publish that is historical (the last one being Scar Tissue by GL Roberts) teaches me a little something when I look up the historical facts mentioned. For Scar Tissue I had to look up the history of the CIA and the FBI, Vietnam veterans and how they were treated as they came home from the war along with other tidbits that the author chose to add to the story for authenticity.

Bits of historical items that can easily be missed that a reader might pick up on is a song, the make and model of a car, a book or the use of anything technical (even a walkie talkie). Make sure that any music you mention was actually written in that time period. Do the same with modes of transportation, be it cars, planes or horse drawn carriages. And remember, the more time elements you can deftly weave into the story, the happier your readers will be.

Networking

12 Apr 2012 2 Comments

by Ken Harrison in Seventh Window Tags: Seventh Window

publisher/editor Seventh Window

Most of the manuscripts I’ve accepted in the past few months weren’t from blind submissions or queries, but from an author or other publisher I know introducing me to a new author. Authors and publishers often travel in the same circles and like to chat up a new unpublished books or authors they’ve found; sometimes a publisher will find a book that isn’t right for their press, but might be something I would be willing to give a shot. Authors I’ve published have introduced me to other authors looking for a new publisher or searching for a home for their manuscript. And let me tell you, as a publisher, I enjoy finding new authors this way.

So how do you get chummy with published authors? As I’ve said before, social networking. Get on Twitter and Facebook and look up your favorite authors. Give thoughtful responses to their tweets, re-tweet them and ask them questions about publishing. Ask them in a direct message if they might be willing to give your manuscript a read or if they know of anyone who does beta reading. The worse thing that can happen is the person won’t have time to read your manuscript or doesn’t know of any beta readers looking for new authors.

I know  that his type of thing probably sounds strange to the majority of you unpublished authors out there. When I first joined Twitter, I had no idea what it was all about or what to do with it. I had my account open for just under a year until it clicked, Twitter is like sending a text message to the world. It really is as simple as that. If you have a smart phone, install the app and go to town.

from top left Gregory G. Allen, me bottom left Kergan Edwards-Stout, Arthur Wooten, Brian Centrone

Through Twitter I met a handful of authors I talk to from time to time–few of them are m/m romance authors–and we sometimes exchange ideas. I’ve recently met up with the group of authors I call “my boys” at the Rainbow Book Fair this past March. They were all at the fair to promote their most recent books, except for Brian Centrone, whose novel Seventh Window will be publishing later this year. My boys (and their most recent titles) are:

• Gregory G. Allen (@GregoryGAllen) Patchwork of Me
• Arthur Wooten (@ArthurWooten) Leftovers
• Brian Centrone (@BrianCentrone) an as of yet untitled novel coming later this year
• Kergan Edwards-Stout (@EdwardsStout) Songs for the New Depression
• David G. Hallman(@authordhallman) Searching for Gilead.

These guys have made me laugh, given me advice, mentioned new authors I might be interested in even before we ever met face-to-face. This is the beauty of social media and networking via book fairs, writing retreats, conferences, Facebook, Google+, etc… So get out there, give it a try and move just one step closer to becoming a published author.

And if you haven’t already, follow me on Twitter @Ken_Harrison.

Seventh Window is looking for new titles

01 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment

by Ken Harrison in Seventh Window Tags: Seventh Window

publisher/editor Seventh Window

I don’t know how many of you have noticed, but Seventh Window has been amping up the amount of title we put out. At this point we’re publishing one title per month, which was my goal for 2012. We’ve also talked about using a freelance editor to get more good romantic reads out there and it seems we have found the perfect match (more on this later). It would be great if a few new, unpublished authors would think of submitting their titles to us, especially since we welcome new talent.

What would I like to see cross my desk? A western, science fiction, something glitzy. Please let it be known that if you send me a good glitz that I will jump up and down and scream for joy. By glitz I’m talking people with big bucks (models, movie stars, big business, tycoons, etc…). I want to see hot fashion, jewels, big expensive parties and some decent gay cat fights. A good glitz is trashy, outrageous and fun. So if you have one of those, please send it my way.

Also keep in mind that Seventh Window has been known to publish its share of edgy titles. Is your title a bit outside of the norm for romance? Are the characters hard-edged and sometimes mean? And above all, is your story original? If so, tell me about it.

So take a peek at our submission guidelines and think about your story, or  the story you would like to write. And remember, Seventh Window doesn’t care if this is your first book or your thirtieth, we just want it to be good.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Helping Yourself with the Right Submission

09 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment

by Ken Harrison in Seventh Window Tags: Seventh Window

publisher/editor Seventh Window

One of the worst thing any author can do for themselves is waste their time and efforts by submitting the wrong story to the wrong press. Before an author even begins to think about submitting her/his manuscript to a press s/he should take a long hard look at what that press has published in the past twelve months. Ask yourself one of these questions:

Do they publish my genre?

Western/contemporary/historical/paranormal/sci-fi etc… Where does your manuscript fit in and how often does said publisher have new titles in that genre. If a publisher frequently publishes books of a specific genre, chances are good they attract readers who might enjoy your book, which puts the odds of acceptance in your favor.

This doesn’t mean you can submit to a publisher who doesn’t have a lot of titles in your genre, it just means they haven’t had luck with it or perhaps don’t get many submissions in that genre. For instance, I wouldn’t mind another western, but I truly do not get western submissions for reason.

How does my manuscript compare to the top sellers for the publishing house?

Honestly, it’s so easy to have a top ten list auto-generated on a company web site that most–if not all–of the publishing houses have one listed. this is where you have to be honest with yourself, I know how hard that can be. Pick up a copy of the bestseller that on the list that’s in your genre and read it. Be honest and ask yourself if your story is just as good. What about the story do you think attracted the publisher to pick it up? I mean, it’s on a top ten list, so there has to be some reason for it being there. What makes this title stand out? What aspect of your story will make your manuscript stand out to  the publisher?

How many books from this publisher have I read and enjoyed?

Honestly, if you wouldn’t read any books by the publisher you’re considering, then why would you submit your hard work to them?

What will the publishing house do for me?

Unless you know one of the authors published by said publishing house, this is a difficult question to answer. Does the publishing company participate in blogs? Do you see advertisements on Goodreads, Shelfari, Facebook from the publishing company? Does the publishing house have an active Facebook page? And most telling of all, Do authors have more than one title with the publishing company?

Have I read the submission guidelines?

Yes, as much as I hate the idea of adding this simple question, it’s something that authors still do not do often enough. that is all I’m going to say. Read the damn guidelines, please.

Hopefully this is helpful. And as always, feel free to ask any questions below.