Editopia: Meredith Rich with Bloomsbury Spark

Editopia is back! Today, we're thrilled to welcome editor Meredith Rich, the digital editor for YA and NA at Bloomsbury Spark.

Previously Meredith has also been a historical reinactor, a regular actor, a barista, a children's bookseller, a math editor, and a playwright. Many years and careers later she finally figured out that she loves storytelling, and that helping other people tell their own stories is even better. Her best days are spent with a good book and iced coffee in the park, preferably with someone else's dog to pet. You can find her on twitter at @MeredithJHRich

Bloomsbury Spark is a one-of-a-kind, global, digital imprint from Bloomsbury Publishing dedicated to publishing a wide array of exciting fiction eBooks to teen, YA and new adult readers. Their outstanding list features multiple genres: romance, contemporary, dystopian, paranormal, sci-fi, mystery, thriller, and more. Bloomsbury Spark is open to non-agented submissions, so if you have a manuscript between 25 and 60k words long, then please check out their submissions guidelines here: 

Hi Meredith! Thanks for being here. Okay, to start if off: most authors are surprised to find out that editors’ days aren’t spent kicking back at their desks with mugs of tea and piles of manuscripts and that, in fact, most work reading happens outside of work. Describe what your “typical” day actually is.

Hmm…my ideal day is something like this:

8:30-9:30: Answer all of the email as fast as I can, trying to get on top of my inbox. Often my favorite part of my day. I love email. Is that weird?

9:30-11: Either meetings or catching up on paperwork, metadata, marketing things.

11-1: Whatever needs doing. Sometimes this could be writing design memos for the cover, talking to freelancers, routing invoices, meeting with our Spark team, writing acquisition proposals, or chatting with authors and agents. I also really love spreadsheets so I try to slot some time to update all of them. There are many and they are all also color-coded. Of course.

1-3:  By this point I can try to settle in for editing for an hour or two. Sometimes I am writing longer edit letters, looking at arc, structure and characters, and with some I really look more at line edits from the beginning. I am very lucky that my authors are flexible and willing to take whatever feedback necessary! I am also lucky in that they forgive me for my overuse of "awkward" in line notes. 

3-4: Usually in the afternoon I try to look through some submissions and move things along. They can really pile up and I try to at least decide which ones I am interested in reading and then move them to my kindle to read later.

4-??? I head back to editing. We have two titles a month slated for Spark so I often edit at home and read submissions on the weekends.

Of course most days my actual schedule looks like this:

8:30-???: Meetings, emails, spreadsheets, meetings, emails, coffee, emails.

  

Ha! Yes. Those ideal days never quite happen, even with the best, color-coded intents, right? Without implicating anyone, can you tell us one of or some of the weirder submissions you’ve received?

One of the weirdest ones I have ever gotten involved a main character that had a really hard time with…certain bodily functions. I can’t even describe the query without it getting gross, but suffice it to say, it was quite easy to “flush” that one. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself. :)

*Snort* I really love the varied answers we get to that question. Switching gears a little, is there a particular book that sparked your love of reading or a book that you re-read time and again?

I don’t quite remember what age I was when I discovered Tamora Pierce, but I think it was probably around third or fourth grade. Reading her Song of the Lioness series was like discovering a whole new world that combined some of my favorite things. (Girls disguised as men, knights, magic, etc.)

I remember one particular family vacation to Germany where I only brought those four books with me, and I think I read the whole series through ten times by the end of the two weeks. One of my mom’s favorite photos of me features a very awkward Meredith on a train, ignoring the passing castles out the window, and completely engrossed in what Alanna does next.

How could anyone mind "awkward" when you also describe yourself that way?! That's adorable. Okay, so, I love to swim but have a total fear of drowning and I find it really hard to read books where that is a plot point. What about you? Anything you hate to read about? On the other hand, are there subjects you’re drawn to?

I am a super scaredy-cat as far as blood is concerned so I can’t read horror, as much as I might like to! I am ok with thrillers and mysteries, and I can handle violence in books as well if it is well placed and purposeful, but I can’t watch it on TV! For example I read and loved the Game of Thrones books, but I absolutely cannot watch the show. Just can’t.

As far as what I am drawn to without fail, I was a theater major in college and a historical reinactor right afterwards, so I love books with a historical twist or anything set in theater! I also love living vicariously through books set in small towns, mostly because I have lived in major cities my whole life. Also girls disguised as boys in fantasy always grabs my heart thanks to the aforementioned Tortall obsession, compounded by the fact that Twelfth Night is my favorite Shakespearean play.

is it bad that when girls disguised as boys come up, you think Shakespeare and I think Amanda Bynes movie? Hmm. Okay, ever since stumbling upon a tumblr feed that rounded up page shots of all the books that have a variation of the line “S/he released a breath s/he didn’t know s/he’d been holding” I spot it left and right in stories and now it makes me giggle! Also, I know about three people in my real life who have deep green eyes and yet every book seems populated with them! What about you? Any writer’s tics or cliché pet peeves that jump out at you?

I really can’t stand reading about girls who don’t realize how beautiful they are. I like a certain self-awareness in my narrators, and I find confidence likeable! Of course sometimes it could be essential to the plot, (if the character has an eating disorder, etc.), but the trope of spectacularly gorgeous heroines with hair like a waterfall and eyes like emeralds not knowing they are that gorgeous? I don’t buy it.

Amen to that!! Finally, here’s your chance to plug a few books on your list you’re excited about…

Ooh! Now choosing my from my list is like picking a favorite child…or dog. (I imagine picking a favorite dog would be harder. They all have puppy eyes!)

But, if I have to, these are the ones that I am working on at the moment that I fall for over and over again.

MY SOON TO BE SEX LIFE by Judith Tewes

 This YA contemp is so full of snark and heartwarming family drama, all with a girl who is just trying to take control of her own sexuality. I can’t get enough.

INKED by Eric Smith

Set in a society where tattoos are magical, fate altering, and mandatory, this YA fantasy takes you to the heart of corrupt government, and surprises me every time I read it. I am also pretty sure I will wind up with a tattoo by the time the release date rolls around.

THE EDGE OF YOU by Theresa DaLayne

This swoony New Adult romance is set under the midnight sun in Alaska. In the eternal words of Liz Lemon… I want to go to there.

ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT by Kristine Carlson Asselin

I love books about sporty girls, (perhaps to compensate for the fact that the only varsity sport I ever played was the dance team?), and this one hits the spot for me. It’s MYSTIC PIZZA meets THE CUTTING EDGE folks with a small town feel that evokes Stars Hollow. Get in line.

These all sound great, although I confess a soft spot for Any Way You Slice It because I'm friends with Kris and was part of the epic brainstorm session that went into titling that one. Can't wait for it! Thanks again for being here, Meredith!!

My Heart Be Damned is out!!

Yaaaaaaaaaay! It's out! My Heart Be Damned is officially on sale.

Thank you everyone so far who has bought it or offered congratulations. I'm sooo excited. I'm officially a published author and the feeling is both amazing and terrifying!

If you're interested in links to buy, please see below.

Amazon paperback

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble paperback

B&N Nook

Critiques, ebooks and $50 Barnes and Noble voucher!

I launched my author website The Weird Writing World of S.M.Johnston, also known as smjohnston.com, and to celebrate I'm having a HUGE giveaway. My fellow YAtopians pitched in with prizes too (aren't they so lovely):

Up for grabs is:

• a $50 Barnes and Noble e-gift card.
• A query critique from YAtopian and kNight Romance author Chanelle Gray.
• A chapter/first ten pages critique from YAtopian and Entangled author Kelley York.
• An ebook copy of Angelfall courtesy of YAtopian and member of YA Rebels. Sarah Nicolas.
• An ebook copy (preorder) of Sweet Evil courtesty of YAtopian and Crescent Moon author Kelley Vitollo.
• Sweet Evil bookmarks courtesy of YAtopian and HarperCollins author Wendy Higgins.
• A copy of Carrier of the Mark courtesy of YAtopian and HarpCollins author Leigh Fallon.

So head on over to my blog for the competition details and to see the amazing new website layout.

The Sway of E-Readers

When e-readers first started making a big impact, I was skeptical. I was of the opinion that a book in print is ten times better. I love the look of them, the feel of them. I think covers look so stunning in person.

But, I was also having a hard time keeping up on all the 'new stuff.' Most of the books I was reading were a year old or more because I had to wait until they were released in paperback. Paying almost $20 for a hardcover book? Not possible more than once every other month or so. My wallet was really hurting.

Ultimately, the price difference is what made me decide I wanted an e-reader. After doing my research, the Barnes and Noble NOOK Color is what I chose. I've had my NOOK for a few months now, and have discovered a few other things that I greatly like about e-books.

1. Shopping From Home
I'm pressed for time. Between a demanding job, a family, and sharing a car with my wife who also has an extremely demanding job, we don't have time to make weekly (or even biweekly) trips to the book store just to browse around. From the comfort of my home, when I have a few moments to spare, I can browse around online and pick up a book that looks interesting.

2. Free Samples
I know. "Why not go into a book store and read from the actual book," right? Again, this goes back to time as well as my own personal comfort levels. While I would love to spend hours in a bookstore, browsing around and reading the first 30 pages of every book that catches my eye, it simply isn't logical for me. I can load up on a slew of free samples, and read through them in the rare instances I get throughout my work day that I can take a break. Chances are, if I'm not still thinking about that book when I get home, it isn't one that really caught my attention and made me want to read.

3. More Space!
Between Wife and I, we have a lot of books. And I mean, a lot of books. Two full five-shelf book cases, nine or ten boxes in the garage, and others stuffed in various places. We've reached the point where it really is ridiculous and we don't have limitless amounts of space to store everything. My NOOK solves this problem.

4. Picky, Picky
Despite my attempts at not doing so, sometimes I end up reading three or four books at once. I might be really into Book A, then happen to flip through Book B and get wrapped up into it. I might occasionally slip over to Book C if my mood calls for it. Having all three books on-hand at any given time is far more convenient than shoving three paperbacks into my purse.

5. Reading More Often
I'm not sure what it is, but since purchasing my NOOK I've done a LOT more reading. Maybe it's the ease of having my page bookmarked and only a button press away. Maybe it's that even if Wife is sleeping, I can read for 30 minutes before bed without disturbing her by having a light on. Whatever the case may be, I'm discovering that I'm now reading a book or two a week as opposed to one a month.

6. Lending
NOOKs have this handy feature called Lend-Me. (I'm sure Kindles and other e-readers have similar functions.) Of course, I can lend my physical books to friends...but only if I a.) trust them to return my books and b.) see them in person. The Lend-Me feature (which sadly isn't available on all books, but a lot of them) for those who don't know, works like this: Friend sees a book of mine they want to read and puts in a request. I approve the request. The book is removed from my NOOK for 14 days and placed onto theirs so they can read it. At the end of 14 days, it vanishes on their reader, and voila! It is back on mine. Handy feature to have, especially when most of your friends live several hours or states away.


I'm not trying to convince everyone to rush out and buy e-readers. I truly don't believe they'll ever be something 'for everyone.' However, I do think e-readers will become the future for a lot of types of books. (Non-fiction and textbooks, especially, but that's a post for another day.) I would definitely encourage anyone who hasn't to give it a try. You might be like me and surprise yourself.


What say you, YAtopians? For e-readers? Against them? Were you adamantly anti-e-reader that eventually changed your ways?



ALSO...I hope everyone knows that our very own DJ begins his Blog Tour on Wednesday in preparation for the release of HUNTED! You all should definitely check out his stops, and be ready to pick up a copy of HUNTED.

The Tuesday Twaddle with Leigh.

It’s Tuesday, so that means it’s time for The Tuesday Twaddle. Hooray!  For those uninitiated this is where I basically talk complete and utter nonsense on all things random, well random in the Land of Leigh.

And what’s going on in the Land of Leigh? Amazing things I tell you, amazing things.   I’m sure you’re well sick of hearing about the Land of Leigh so I won’t harp on about it.  But what I will harp on about is something a little close to my heart.  The hardback, trade paperback, and Ereader Download debate.

I've mulled over this very question myself, and have been doing some researching on the internet to find out what the to-do' is all about.

Hardback is the 'old fashioned' publishers bread and butter.  The publisher and the writer make more per book sold in hardback addition.  But, and there is always a but, hardback is falling out of favor, and quite rapidly.

 Many see the Hardback as too expensive.  A hardback comes out at approx.  18.99, whereas the humble paperback comes out at approx. 8.99 - same book, same story but $10 cheaper.  The truth of the matter is that most people (myself included) hold off for the paper back to buy the book, as hardback is too expensive, clunky, and heavy.

 As far as I can see it it's a snobbery thing.  Authors like to see their book in hardback, but things are changing.  In the UK and Australia, paperback is becoming more and more the norm for first editions and this has some major positives.  Firstly, you are going to sell a hell of a lot more books.  You are going to reach a far wider audience and be sold in major chains other than bookstores that specialize in high-end lit.  I was recently asked what format I would want my first book going out in. Firstly, let me say, I don’t get a choice.  The publisher decides, but if I had to answer my brain would say ‘first edition trade paperback’ and my heart would say ‘are you crazy, hardback, hardback, hardback’.  I think every author would like the kudos of hardback, but sometimes that’s just not a realistic goal.  However, with Trade paperback you get the kudos of the trade (with some of the perks) but the exposure and mass market appeal of the paperback price.  Yes, I know as an author you're going to make less on the sales, but really who cares?  At this stage it's all about establishing yourself as an author, getting a loyal following and most importantly keeping your reading public happy with recession proof pricing.

 There's also the big deal about ereaders! These make the hardback practically obsolete!  You're only going to pay a set price for a book on ipad, nook, or kindle regardless of what format the paper edition was published in, and that's key - and the future!

There is definitely a market for the Hardback, there are books that I Iove so much I demand to have them in hardback, but to me, it makes more sense to have the hardback come out as a second edition, after the book has sold well in ‘trade’, reached its full market potential, and found an army of followers who will want to spend the extra to get a hardback copy.

These are just my personal opinions, and I know the publishers are ultimately the ones that make the decisions on what format each book is published in, but it is certainly food for thought.

I’d love to know your thoughts on this issue, as it is something very close to my heart at the moment.

So tell me, what do you think is the perfect printing format and why?