Introducing Barbara Perfetti, Chief Publisher and Managing Editor of Linden Bay Romance!
Julie: Welcome, Barb. I understand there are some exciting new things happening at Linden Bay Romance. What can you tell me about them?
Barb: Thanks, Julie. We're very excited about our current expansion plans, and I'm particularly enthusiastic because they've enabled Linden Bay to open submissions again after over two years of being closed to unsolicited manuscripts.
Julie: That is exciting. What kind of books do you publish?
Barb: Linden Bay Romance publishes a variety of types of novels and collections of short stories. Our best sellers often contain elements of the sweet "finding your soul mate" type of love stories with heroes the reader can fall in love with, but that is where the similarity to old-fashioned romance ends. Linden Bay romances typically have toe-curling UST (unresolved sexual tension) and as much hot sex as the plotline dictates. We enjoy celebrating personal freedom, as reflected by the books in our catalog that feature alternative lifestyle choices. One thing that is a must--no matter who the couple falling in love is, (hero and heroine, two men, two vampires, or three people in a polyamorous relationship) the book will have a happily ever after ending. Our readers have come to expect that from LBR and we never let our readers down! We view romance as a venue for escaping into an idealized world where love reigns supreme and good things happen to good people. So there's no sense in an author sending me an angst-filled storyline that explores the darker side of human nature and ends tragically; it's just not our thing and we couldn't do a story like that justice
Julie: Are you looking for any particular types of submissions?
Barb: We are currently accepting submissions of previously unpublished works ranging from 40,000 - 65,000 words in the following sub-genres (series are of particular interest):
Non-traditional relationships (multiple partner, older female/younger male, etc.)
Gay romance, all sub-genres
Anthologies of 3 themed short stories for our Trilogy Collection
Contemporaries: sensual, edgy (light bondage, etc) with heroes involved in action/adventure careers (police, firemen, spies, cowboys, race car drivers, etc)
Science Fiction/Urban Fantasy, particularly shapeshifters
Cross-genre Historicals: highly sensual; of particular interest if set during unusual time periods and/or unusual places, i.e. Medieval, Regency, Westerns, Civil War
Julie: If you publish in both print and electronic formats, how do you decide which books will become available in print.
Barb: We publish all our novels in both electronic formats and trade paperback.
Julie: Is there anything that is absolutely not negotiable for you? Something that's a complete "no-no"?
Barb: We do not accept any submissions containing sex with minors (under 18 years), only consenting adults.
Julie: Do you have specific editorial guidelines or standards that you make available to your authors or the public?
Barb: Yes, we have an Editorial Guide that can be accessed from our submissions page that goes over the most common problems in basic writing techniques. We use the Chicago Manual of Style as our reference tool for grammar and punctuation. And we encourage all our authors to be familiar with The Elements of Style by Strunk and White.
Julie: How long does it take for you to respond to a submission?
Barb: We initially respond the same day to let an author know that their submission was received, and then we try to give an answer on acceptance within 45-60 days.
Julie: When you reject a submission, do you explain why?
Barb: Yes, I think it's only fair to give the author some type of idea why the submission was rejected. Often it's because the work isn't the type of novel we publish, but if it's the case where the manuscript requires more work before it's in a version that is ready to be submitted, we try to give a short recap of the challenges that need to be sorted out so the author can move forward in the process and possibly resubmit a later incarnation of the work.
Julie: How long does the editorial process last? How long from the time a contract is extended to the time that it's offered.
Barb: It really depends on the book and the author. Often it's about four to six months from initial content edits to copy edits and through proofreading. From the point of acceptance until eBook release ideally is eight to twelve months, with print release normally following a few weeks after.
Julie: Do you have any submission tips for aspiring authors?
Barb: One important tip I'd pass on is to advise aspiring authors to be sure to closely follow the submission instructions, and point out if your submission fits any of the criteria the publisher has listed as the types of manuscripts they are currently looking for. Most importantly, make sure what you submit is clean—punctuation and grammatical errors in a submission immediately tell an Acquisitions Editor the author is not a serious professional.
Julie: Tell us about your editing process and how it ensures that you preserve the author's voice.
Barb: The first step in our editing process is for the content editor to read the book and make comments throughout so that the author can hear the reaction of a first time reader. This points out things that the author may have missed due to multiple rewrites and working so closely with the manuscript. We discuss any plotline or characterization inconsistencies and make suggestions that could improve the flow of the novel such as reworking the dramatic arc, choosing a more intense hook, etc. These types of changes can require some rewriting, but the exact choice of how to make the agreed upon change is up to the author.
Copy editing then involves pointing out the areas where writing methodology has gotten off track, such as point of view hopping, overuse of exposition, use of passive voice, repetitive word choice or sentence structure, etc. Again, it is normally accomplished through comments on areas that need to be cleaned up; line-by-line editing is reserved for basic things like punctuation or grammatical errors.
The final stage is polishing, where the manuscript goes through proofreading and format checks. All stages have the author involved as a main participant, with the editor's job seen as guiding them through the rewriting and sprucing process. This preserves the author's control of the evolution of the novel so their own unique style and voice remain intact.
Thanks again, Julie, for giving me the opportunity to tell readers about our expansion plans. I hope we hear from some of that wonderful talent that I know is out there waiting to be discovered!
Even with two older brothers, Barb Perfetti grew up in a quiet household where you could hear a pin drop—because everyone was always reading. Coming from a family of non-fiction publishers and authors, Barb opted to follow her heart into the popular fiction industry. Though she's tried her hand at writing, she found her biggest rewards working with others as a Critique Partner and Editor. As a founding member of Linden Bay Romance, today Barb manages LBR's Editing and Finance Departments. She lives in Florida with her husband who works in television and a very chubby cat who offers continual (though unsolicited) editing advice.
Submissions are now open!
For more details about Linden Bay Romance and our submissions please visit our submissions page.
