Interview Studio - Jannifer Hoffman

Please join me in welcoming Jannifer Hoffman to the Interview Studio.  Jannifer writes Romance for Resplendence Publishing was born in North Dakota and currently resides in Minnesota.  Welcome Jannifer!

For your Douglas Family Series at Resplendence, What have you enjoyed most about writing a series and what has been the most challenging? 

I loved bringing back characters that I had grown attached to. Most challenging was the last one’ Random Fire. I wanted to bring together Virgil (the oldest Douglas brother) and Katie (from Rough Edges) I had many request to do both so I thought, okay why not do them both at the same time. To make it interesting I had to dig deep into Virgil’s past find his problems. These are like real people to me. LOL

You write for both Resplendence and Treble Heart.  Do you find any particular challenge in writing for multiple publishers?

No. Treble Heart was my first sale. I wasn’t happy with them so I wanted a change. My dream is still to find a mass market publisher.

What was the inspiration for your recent book, Bittersweet Memories?  What gave you the idea for the title?

I wanted to do a tormented woman I guess. It’s the only one I actually sat at the computer sobbing as I did the ending. I could readily relate to Joan Wilder in Romancing the Stone. (Smile)  For the title my editor and I brainstormed. She didn’t like my original title (Twisted Memories) so she made suggestion and I worked them over to come up with Bittersweet.  Not the first time we did it either. Edge of Daybreak was even worse. I didn’t have a title at all until she helped. Again we brainstormed. By the way, I always check prospective titles on Amazon to find something that hasn’t been used. Not easy!

Do you have any writing rituals that you follow on a regular basis?

I wish. I’m almost always writing under a deadline. I envy writers who can start with an outline.

What are your must-have writing tools?

It might be a given for most people but since I started writing on an old black Remington upright I would definitely say my computer. One could really understand that if I they knew how bad my typing skills are. Also I use Sandra Brown books like dictionaries. I think she knows more words. LOL

Where do you get your ideas?

I read, read, read. It only takes a tiny seed for me to work it into a story.  I start typing and it just comes to me.  When I get a block, I lose a lot of sleep.

Dark or milk chocolate?  

Dark, only because it's healthier.

Coffee or tea? 

Definitely tea, preferably iced tea. I’ve never drank coffee.

Sunday Dinner with Medallion Press

In the spirit of the New Year we chose to spotlight some editors who publish YA.  We hope you will join us every Sunday as someone from the business of Writing joins us.  Today we welcome Medallion Press

Q:  Tell us a little bit about Medallion Press and what you are looking for in YA.

Founded in June of 2003 by Helen Rosburg, Medallion Press publishes fiction and nonfiction in hardcover, trade paperback, e-book, and interactive e-book formats, and we have national distribution on many levels. Every book Medallion produces is considered a work of art. From concept to cover, it is nurtured each step of the way. Our goal is to have readers find the treasure they expect in every one of our books. This dedication to quality is what drives our dedicated and talented staff. For YA, we’re looking for engaging voices and well-crafted, compelling, unique stories.

Q: I’d like to know whether you think there are certain tones of voice that fit certain subgenres better.

The appropriate tone is dependent on the goal of each book. Certainly, readers have some expectations when they approach a genre, but we all know when we find a voice that can successfully turn that expectation on its head, pull us in, and keep us turning the pages.

Q: What’s hot for 2012?

In YA, what’s hot in 2012 are zombies, vampires, contemporary fiction, speculative fiction, and interactive e-books.

Q:  I was wondering if you could give a quick overview/calendar of a book being published by Medallion from initial submission to publication date.

Approximately twelve to eighteen months before the release: The book is acquired. The author fills in an info sheet for our marketing and art teams so they can market the book and design the cover. Approximately six months before the release: Our marketing team contacts the author to coordinate marketing efforts. Our editors have line edited and copyedited the manuscript and send it to the author, who then reviews and revises the manuscript. Our editors proofread the manuscript and send it to the art team to be formatted. Approximately four months before the release: Our marketing team begins receiving and sharing reviews for the book. Our editors and the author proofread the formatted manuscript. Approximately three months before the release: the book goes to the printer and/or e-book conversion. The author's local news outlets are contacted. One month before the release date: Ads are placed in selected venues. Release: Time to celebrate the release, congratulate the author, and share the title through all of our online media.

Q:  Do you consider whether a story is a stand alone versus being a series when buying from an author?

Whether a book is a single title or a part of a series, we require that the book be able to stand as a satisfying read on its own. We are most concerned with the quality of each manuscript on its own.

Q: From blog tours to book trailers--what have you seen lately that really pays off for an author in terms of garnering reader interest? And what has worked for some of the Medallion authors to get readers to click & buy? How involved is Medallion in author promotion?

The most successful promotions we’ve seen are from authors who actively participate in communities of writers and fans of their genre. They actively blog, Tweet, and do blog tours. On Twitter, they promote not only their own work but others’, and they connect intentionally with their fans. In other words, they build relationships. What we’ve found to be extremely successful is limited-time reduced-price or free e-book promotions through booksellers. Medallion Press is highly involved in promotion, marketing in Student Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, PW Daily, targeted media outlets, consumer outlets Facebook ads and mentions, and Twitter. Our motto is that publishing is a partnership, and we make a concerted effort to assist our authors with self-promotion as well.

Q: Are all contracts standard or do you negotiate depending on author experience (published etc.) word count, sub-genre?

Our contracts are standard in the industry, and our royalties are competitive. The terms of each are confidential.

Q: I was wondering what percentage of your authors are new, previously unpublished authors?

About one-third of our authors are new, previously unpublished authors. Particularly with YA and fiction, we care more about the quality of the manuscript than about the author's marketing platform and we do our very best to coordinate marketing efforts to help every author build his/her audience.

Q:  Where can writers and readers learn more about Medallion Press?

The best place to learn more about us is at medallionpress.com. We hope to hear from your members soon!

Thank you for this opportunity to connect with the writers in Evanston Writers Group. From all of us at Medallion Press, we wish you a fantastic New Year.

Silly Saturday - The Shelter Pet Project Ads

And for a good cause too. 

The Shelter Pet Project has a group of these on YouTube and they are all so funny. The cat ones are my favorite.

If you'd like to submit a post for Silly Saturdays, please e-mail tina@evanstonwritersworkshop.org.

Silly Saturday - All I want for Christmas!

I wanted to share this video, which I'm sure many of you have already seen.

Enjoy!

Tina