Books-A-Million to Open 41 New Stores

Despite the demise of Borders, the news is not all bad for brick-and-mortar bookstores. Books-A-Million plans to open 41 new stores, and one of them is near me!

I'm waiting to see if BAM is taking over the space where my old Borders used to be. Every time we drive by there, my kids wonder when they are going to change the name, "Borders Plaza." Maybe it's going to be Books-A-Million Plaza? 

According to Publishers Weekly, beginning October 28 and continuing through mid-November, BAM plans to open 41 new stores.

BAM has been acquiring some of the old Borders spaces . Publishers Weekly reports some of those lease were acquired through auction process while the majority involved signed deals with a landlord.

Here's a list of where the new stores will be, according to PW:

Ames, IA

Auburn, ME

Bangor, ME

Barboursville, WV

Butler, PA

Charleston, WV

Columbia, MD

Concord, NH

Cumberland, MD

Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Davenport, IA

Dubuque, IA

Dulles, VA

Eau Claire, WI

Edwardsville, IL

Exton, PA

Hanover, PA

Harrisburg, PA

Merrillville, IN

Monaca, PA

Monroe, MI

N. Canton, OH

N. Conway, NH

Niles, OH

Pennsdale, PA

Rapid City, SD

Salina, KS

Sandusky, OH

Scranton, PA

Selinsgrove, PA

South Portland, ME

Southern Pines, NC

St. Clairsville, OH

Traverse City, MI

Valley Stream, NY

Vineland, NJ

Waldorf, MD

Waterford, CT

West Lebanon, NH

Westminster, MD

York, PA

2011 Molly Contest Winners Announced

 The winners of the 2011 Molly Contest, sponsored by the Heart of Denver Romance Writers, have been announced. Here's the  complete list:

Contemporary:  final round judge; Susan Litman, Harlequin, Special Edition
Cindy Brannam, Mount Juliet, TN, Raising the Bar   
Robin Covington, Hollywood, MD, Southern Comfort   Winner  ** full requested
Caro LaFever, Englewood, CO, Baby by Accident

Historical:   final round judge; Katherine Pelz, Penguin Group
Eileen Emerson, Ambler, PA  A Whisper to the Wild
Jennifer McQuiston, Decater, GA  A Private Affair     Winner   ** full requested
Bronwyn Stuart, Niame South Australia, Behind the Courtesan    

Romantic Suspense: final round judge; Whitney Ross, Tor Books
Anne-Marie Carroll, Tampa, FL Deadly Dilemma
Jan Gurney, Conifer, CO Bears Witness   +  HODRW member
Robin Weaver, Concord, NC Styrofoam Corpse
Ann Fischer & Linda Baxter, San Jose & Monte Sereno, CA Deadly Secret   Winner  ** full requested

Single Title:  final round judge; Rebecca Strauss, McIntosh & Otis, Inc
Faye Hughes, Camden, NY, A Little Bit Crazy  Winner  ** full requested
Gayle Shlafer w/a Abigail Sharpe, Gainesville, FL, Who Wants to Marry A Cowboy?  ** full requested
Sonali Mayadev Thatte, Naperville, IL, The Bollywood Bride
Ryann Uden, Rolling Meadows, IL, Picture Me

Paranormal/TimeTravel/Futuristic: final round judge, Meredith Giordan, Berkley Publishing Group
Marni Donnelly-Folsom, Port Orchard, WA Flannigan’s Grace
Janet Nickoles, Aurora, CO, Mark of the Moon   +  HODRW member  Winner
Peta Crake, Inglewood, Western Australia, Harbinger

Young Adult:  final round judge; Elizabeth Bistrow, NAL
Romily Bernard, Fayetteville, GA, Ashes
Cecily Cornelius-White, Springfield, MO, Angel Academy
Natasha Hacaga, Rochelle, IL Awaken  Winner  ** full requested
Paula Sharon w/a PJ Sharon, Tolland, MD, Heaven is for Heroes

Tempting Bella is a 2011 Hot Prospects Finalist

The finalists for the 2011 Hot Prospects Contest have been announced and I'm excited that Tempting Bella is among them!

The contest, sponsored by the Sun Valley Romance Writers, is a little different from other RWA chapter contests because unpublished writers compete alongside published writers.

Here's the complete list:

Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal
Last Time, Sharon Forret
Return to Celio, Polly Cain
Edge Walkers, Shannon Donnelly

Historical
Tempting Bella, Diana Quincy
The Caged Heart, Carla Swafford
Paths of Desire, Shannon Donnelly

Romantic Suspense
Redemption, Diane Garner
Night Hush, Leslie R Jones
The Cell, Diane M. Garner
Forever, Alicia Lienhart

Contemporary Single Title
Man Overboard, Carrie C Spencer
How to Say No and Mean It, Abby Gaines
Legally Mastered, Sarah Rose Ahmad
Perfect Summer, Katie Graykowski

Contemporary Series
His Forgotten Wife, Susanna Rogers
Hitting the High Note, Karen Rock
Snow Job, Kelly Fitzpatrick

Tempting Bella Takes First Place in 2011 PYHIAB Contest

Me (top left) with my fellow finalists

I'm just back from the New Jersey Romance Writers PYHIAB conference and I have to say it turned out to be a very lucky weekend for me.

Not only did my manuscript, Tempting Bella, place first in the unpublished historical category but I also won two gift baskets during raffles held at breakfast and lunch!

One of the highlights of the conference was meeting and spending time with fellow writers. I also attended several workshops including one given by the funny, smart and insightful Eloisa James.  

All in all, it proved to be a spectacular weekend. Thanks to all of the organizers who treated us all to yet another stellar NJRW PYHIAB conference.

Here's a full rundown of the 2011 PYHIAB winners:

Short Contemporary:
Judith Wherett, RUNNING FOR HER LIFE
Single Title Contemporary:
Jeanell Bolton, PASSION
Historical:
Diana Quincy, TEMPTING BELLA
Paranormal:
Dawn Groszek, ROSE OF HOPE
Romantic Elements:
D. B. Schuster, BREACH OF CONTRACT

Berkley/NAL Plans E-book Imprint

Penguin's mass market paperback division, Berkley/NAL, plans to launch an ebook imprint in January.

According to Publishers Weekly, the new imprint, to be called InterMix, will operate like a mass market paperback publisher.

Focusing on romance, mystery/thriller and science fiction/fantasy, InterMix will release both reprints and titles from new authors.

Eleven Nora Roberts titles will be among InterMix's first ebook offerings when it kicks off in January.

In February, InterMix will resurrect the dormant mass market line, Signet Regency, releasing six of those titles as ebooks for the first time. After that, InterMix plans to release three Regency romances monthly in 2012.

While Berkley/NAL plans to publish new authors under the InterMix imprint, no new authors were announced. However, Leslie Gelbman, president of Berkley Publishing, says any titles from its original ebook authors could also be available in print format.

Behind the Scenes: Making of a Romance Cover

Ever wonder how they come up with those passionate covers for romance novels? Wonder no more!

Here's a fun video of the making of the cover of Elizabeth Hoyt's latest book,  Scandalous Desires, which came out today.

Amazon Tries to Woo Top Authors Away from Traditional Publishers

Amazon is aggressively trying to woo some top authors away from their publishing houses, chipping away at services that publishers and agents currently provide, according to an article in The New York Times.  

Amazon plans to publish 122 books this fall, according to the article by David Streitfeld, putting the online retailer in direct competition with the New York publishers that are also its biggest suppliers.

Amazon is apparently willing to pay big advances to secure certain titles. It recently announced it will publish a memoir by actress and director Penny Marshall. Amazon reportedly paid $800,000 for the deal.

Richard Curtis, a veteran agent who is also an e-book publisher, tells The New York Times:

“Everyone’s afraid of Amazon. If you’re a bookstore, Amazon has been in competition with you for some time. If you’re a publisher, one day you wake up and Amazon is competing with you too. And if you’re an agent, Amazon may be stealing your lunch because it is offering authors the opportunity to publish directly and cut you out."

Read the full article here. 

Avon Wants a Soldier's Story

Impulse, Avon's digital imprint, has put out a call for submissions about soldiers returning from war.

Here is the substance of the posting by editor Erika Tsang on the Avon Romance blog:

Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon
She wore it in the springtime
In the merry month of May
And if you ask her why the heck she wore it
She wore it for her soldier who was far far away

Calling all writers! Avon Impulse is looking for manuscript submissions for a collection of Yellow Ribbon romance. Just as the song indicates, we’re looking for stories where a soldier is returning home from war. Who is waiting for him/her? What was left unsaid? Where do they go from here?
If you’ve got a story (up to 25k words), we want to read it. Be creative. Be sexy. Ready. Set. Go!

How Much Do Romance Writers Earn?

How much can romance writers earn?

According to a recent post, "Show Me the Money!" by author Brenda Hiatt, it all depends on who you sign with.

According to Hiatt, advances range anywhere from zero (Wild Rose Press) to $2,050 (Sourcebooks) to $80,000 (MIRA).

Among the big publishers, here's the rundown of the average advances, in most cases, for the first book:

Pocket
$10,400

Ballantine
$40,000

Bantam/Dell
$17,000

Berkley/Jove
$8,100

Dutton/Signet/NAL
$9,400

Grand Central Publishing
$7,100

HQN
$22,700

St. Martin’s Press
$18,500

For more numbers and details, check out Hiatt's blog by clicking here.

UPDATE: I''ve taken the plunge and developed an author website that I actually have to pay for! I hope you'll start visiting me there; that's where I'll be blogging from now on! Come along and have a look! Click here.

2011 Maggie Winners Announced

Here is a list of winners of the 2011 Maggie awards, sponsored by the Georgia Romance Writers. 


CONTEMPORARY SERIES ROMANCE UNPUBLISHED:
honorable mention, Elaine Miller, Vanished
honorable mention, Susan May, Doctors New Found Family
3rd place, Terry Poca, Breaking The Rules
2nd place, Rebecca Sampson, A Future for Abby
Maggie winner is Ruth Homrighaus, Companion Wanted

HISTORICAL ROMANCE UNPUBILSHED
honorable mention, Carol Hayes, Lady Unbound
honorable mention, Meredith Simmons, Shadow Dancer
3rd place, Meredith Simmons, Chameleon
2nd place, Dora Mekouar (w/a Diana Quincy), Tempting Bella
Maggie winner is Jennifer McQuiston A Private Affair

INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE UNPUBLISHED
honorable mention, Katy Lee, Baffled
honorable mention, Stacy, Monson, Living Peace
3rd place, Dianna Shuford, Charmed Deception
2nd place, Katy Lee, Real Virtue
Maggie winner is Walt Mussell, The Samurai's Heart

PARANORMAL/FANTASY UNPUBLISHED
honorable mention, Sherry McNabb, Homecoming
honorable mention, Pat Eckhoff, Prince of the Four Seas
3rd place, Wendy Anderson, A Pack of Two
2nd place, Heather Molloy, Murphys Law
Maggie winner is Rebecca Skrabl, The Devil Of Whitechapel

YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE UNPUBLISHED
honorable mention, Terry Poca, Timeless Love
honorable mention, Paula Keller, Out the Backdoor
honorable mention, Natasha Hacaga, Awaken
3rd place, Bonnie Staring, Camp Awakening
2nd place, Romily Bernard, Ashes
Maggie winner is Romily Bernard, Wired

SINGLE TITLE ROMANCE UNPUBLISHED
honorable mention, Laura Templeton, The Waters and the Wild
honorable mention, Sandra Tilley, Honeysuckle Wine
honorable mention, Gloria Richard, Color My World
3rd place, Sharon Wray, Juliet's Rogue
2nd place, Petrina Aubol, Yeehaw Paisano
Maggie winner is Heather Nickodem, Red Sky At Night

******

PUBLISHED CONTEMPORARY SERIES
Rita Herron, Unbreakable Bond
Kimberly Lang, What Happens In Vegas – Receives Maggie Medallion
Kathy Lyons, Taking Care of Business
Kathy Lyons, Under His Spell
Trish Milburn, Elly: Cowgirl Bride

PUBLISHED HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Caroline Fyffe, Montana Dawn
Vanessa Kelly, Sex and the Single Earl - Receives Maggie Medallion
Margaret Mallory, Knight of Passion

PUBLISHED INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE
Leanna Ellis, Facelift - Receives Maggie Medallion
Deeanne Gist, Maid to Match
Anne Greene, Masquerade Marriage
Trish Perry, The Perfect Blend
Virginia Smith, Third Times a Charm

PUBLISHED PARANORMAL/FANTASY ROMANCE
D. Renee Bagby, Eris
Patti O'Shea, In the Darkest Night
Robin D. Owens, Heart Journey
Kalayna Price, Grave Witch - Receives Maggie Medallion
Helen Scott Taylor, The Phoenix Charm

PUBLISHED YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE
Melanie Dickerson, The Healer's Apprentice
Traci Hall, Wiccan Cool
Maureen Hardegree, Haint Misbehavin
Tricia Mills, Winter Longing - Receives Maggie Medallion
Gillian Summers, Shadows of the Redwood

PUBLISHED SINGLE TITLE ROMANCE
Deeanne Gist & J. Mark Bertrand, Beguiled
Lorelle Marinello, Salting Roses
Laura Moore, Remember Me - Receives Maggie Medallion
Wendy Wax, Magnolia Wednesdays
Karen White, On Folly Beach

Second Place in the 2011 Maggies

My Regency romance, Tempting Bella, placed second in the 2011 Maggie awards which were presented by the Georgia Romance Writers last night in Decatur.

Tempting Bella took second place in the historical unpublished category. Author Jennifer McQuiston took first place for her manuscript, A Private Affair. Jennifer and I share an agent - so at least we sort of kept it all in the family!

Here's the complete rundown in the historical unpublished category:

honorable mention	Carol	Hayes	Lady Unbound
honorable mention	Meredith	Simmons	Shadow Dancer
3rd place	Meredith	Simmons	Chameleon
2nd place	Diana	Quincy	Tempting Bella
Maggie winner is	Jennifer	McQuiston	A Private Affair

 
There's no official list yet, but here's what I've been able to learn so far in the other categories:

Vanessa Kelly placed first in the historical published category for her book, Sex and the Single Earl.

Trish Mills was the first place winner for Winter Longing in the young adult published category.

Trish Milburn took first place in the contemporary published category for Elly: Cowgirl Bride. 

Rebecca Skrable was first for The Devil of Whitechapel for unpublished paranormal/ fantasy.

Kalayna Price wins top honors for Grave Witch in the published paranormal category.

I'll post a complete list of the 2011 Maggie winners as soon as I can.

100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less

Amazon has put 100 ebooks on sale for $3.99 or less for the month of October.

It's part of an ongoing  promotion, where a new selection of 100 ebooks goes on sale each month. The discounts last until the last day of the month.

Many of the titles of priced under $3.99. I purchased The Girl in the Gatehouse for $2.99 and Iris Johansen's This Fierce Splendor is $1.99.

Here are some of the Kindle books now priced at $3.99 or less:

"Girl in the Gatehouse" 

$2.99

"The Silent Governess" $2.99

"This Fierce Splendor" $1.99

"Don't Say a Word" $1.99

Click here for the full list.

Kindle Fire Blazes onto Market for Just $199

Kindle Fire

With the unveiling of its new Kindle tablet, Amazon isn't just catching up to its competitors, it's upping the ante.
 
As expected, the Kindle Fire is a seven-inch, full-color, touchscreen tablet. What wasn't expected is the price point.

At $199, Kindle's tablet is much cheaper than its presumed competitor - the iPad.

Amazon also introduced three new Kindle devices. The most basic Kindle - a non-touch - is just $79. A Kindle for under $100. Wow.

$79 non-touch Kindle

The other Kindles include a 3G  black-and-white touch for $149. The same model with wifi - but without 3G - is $99.

Kindle Fire starts shipping on November 15.

It makes me wonder whether Apple will react to Amazon's latest move by lowering prices on the iPad.
 

Regency Fashion Up Close & Personal

Here's the closest we'll ever get to an authentic Regency fashion show.

This video of actual garments of early 19th century clothing gives us a close-up view of the high styles of the day.

The high-waisted gowns, which were fashionable during the Regency period of the early 1800s, were known as the Empire look. You'll see a lot of white, which was a sign of social status since white had to be cleaned more often.

I particularly love the yellow cape and the detailing on some of the evening dresses is gorgeous.

If you'd like to see even more, check out this earlier post on Regency fashion.

Publisher Offers Books on Demand

Major publisher HarperCollins is launching an on-demand book service which will allow customers to print out and buy unstocked or backlist trade paperback titles in a matter of minutes.

The new on-demand service will be made available through the Espresso Book Machine.

According to a HarperCollins press release, books can be printed, bound and trimmed to a bookstore-quality paperback with a full-color cover, in minutes with the push of a button.

"Even as digital book sales grow, bookstores continue to be an important place for customers to shop for physical books. The goal of this initiative is to give the local bookseller the capability to provide customers with a greater selection of HarperCollins titles in a physical environment,” said Brian Murray, president and chief executive officer of HarperCollins Publishers. "For authors this is a win; titles will be more broadly available, which increases sales with full print royalties. Depending on the size of the store, 25%-80% of our backlist titles are not stocked due to physical space limitations. DPR technology means the books will be there for the consumer at small and large bookshops."

HarperCollins trade paperback books, including adult and children's titles, will be available on Espresso Book Machines starting in November.

Kindle Library Lending Gets Off to Bumpy Start

Kindle's library-lending program sparked a wave of confusion when it launched nationwide this week.

Amazon said customers would be able to borrow Kindle books from more than 11,000 local libraries across the country.

However, according to Publishers Lunch, library ebook service provider OverDrive didn't have all of its library customers activated at the start of Monday's rollout.

On its blog, the company said it was "quickly updating all US public and school library partner websites to support Kindle compatibility and will complete this update as soon as possible."

Meantime, some publishers have questions about how Kindle's library lending program will impact them. They told Publishers Lunch that they were not asked to consent to the Kindle library program when it was announced in April.

Up until now, OverDrive has lent library ebooks using their own servers, however, Kindle lending will operate through Amazon's servers.

Kindle Books Now Available at Local Libraries

Starting today, Kindle and Kindle app customers can borrow Kindle books from more than 11,000 libraries in the United States. That's the word today from the Kindle folks.

According to Kindle, the following features will be available:

-    Whispersync automatically syncs your margin notes, highlights and bookmarks – even once you return a Kindle book to your library, we’re going to back up your notes and bookmarks, so the next time you check out the book (or if you decide you want to buy the Kindle book) your notes and bookmarks will be there, waiting for you.
-    Read Everywhere – when you check out a Kindle book from your local library, you can read it on your Kindles and your free Kindle apps for the most popular devices and platforms.
-    Real Page Numbers – our page numbers match the page numbers in print books, so you can easily reference and cite passages and read alongside others in your book club or class.
-    Facebook and Twitter Integration – Share meaningful passages with friends and family with built-in Twitter and Facebook integration.
-    Wireless delivery – Your Kindle library books can be delivered via Wi-Fi, so there’s no need to transfer books to your Kindle via USB

Here's how it works:

 

You can borrow Kindle books from your local library's website and, with the click of a button, have them delivered to your Kindle device or free reading app.

Visit the website of a U.S. library that offers digital services from OverDrive.

Check out a Kindle book (using a valid library card).

Click on "Get for Kindle" and then sign in to your Amazon.com account to have the book delivered to your Kindle device or reading app. 

 

Amazon's New Kindle Will be $250 Color, Touch-screen Tablet

Amazon jumps into the tablet wars this November, when it releases its newest version of the Kindle, a $250 touch-screen, color, 7-inch tablet, according to ReadWriteWeb.  

At $250, Amazon's Kindle tablet costs about half of what you'd pay for an iPad. It's pretty much the same price as Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color. Both are color, backlit, have 7-inch screens and run on Android.

Techcrunch's M.G. Siegler, who apparently had a chance to check out the new device, says the home screen is a carousel that looks like Cover Flow in iTunes. It displays the content you have on your device, including  books, apps and movies. 

Amazon has made no public comment about its new Kindle Tablet, but that hasn't stopped the analysts from predicting the retailer could sell five million units of the device in the fourth quarter.

The Kindle tablet is expected to debut in late November, just in time for the holiday buying season.

E-Book Deals!

  I just finished reading Isabella by Loretta Chase. It's only $.99 right now on Nook and Kindle. The cover isn't great and I noticed the formatting is a little off, but the story is classic Chase - an excellent read.  

I haven't read this yet, but I just downloaded Vanquished by Hope Tarr. It's free on Nook and Kindle.

Hearts Aflame by Johanna Lindsey is $.99 on Nook and Kindle. It's also on my to-read list.

Another title on my to-read list is Conor's Way by Laura Lee Guhrke. It's $.99 on Nook and Kindle.

Heart of a Knight by Barbara Samuel, which won the 1998 Rita for Best Historical Romance (short category), is now $.99 on Nook and Kindle.

Amazon Explores Netflix-like Ebook Lending Service

Amazon is thinking about launching a "Netflix" for digital books, which would allow readers to pay an annual fee to read ebooks without actually buying them.

However, it appears the plan would limit how many ebooks subscribers could read each month. 

According to a report in the The Wall Street Journal, publishers aren't thrilled with the idea because they worry it could devalue books, as well as hurt the publishers' relationships with other retailers.

Amazon has reportedly told publishing executives the ebook library would feature older titles.

According to the Journal article, the ebook content would be made available to customers of Amazon Prime, who pay $79 a year for two-day shipping and for access to a digital library of films and television shows.

The publishers would receive a substantial fee for participating in the program, but it is unclear whether any of them have agreed to participate.

According to Publishers Weekly, Amazon intends to launch the new service in time for the holiday season.

There's also a question as to how far-reaching the service would be. Publishers Weekly reports  Amazon is telling publishers that fewer than 10 percent of its Prime customers own a Kindle.

I'm guessing quite a few more will sign on, if and when an ebook reading feature is added.

2011 Golden Gateway Finalist

I just got word that two of my Regency manuscripts, Tempting Bella and Compromising Willa, are finalists in the From the Heart Romance Writers' Golden Gateway contest.  

A double finalist! What a great way to kick off the weekend.

FTHRW is an internet-wide, online chapter of the Romance Writers of America.

The contest judges the first 50 pages of the manuscript along with a five-page synopsis. The final round judge in the historical category is editor Deb Werksman with Sourcebooks.

The final placements will be announced at the end of October.

Regency Fashion Show

Here's a terrific up-close look at some authentic gowns and accessories worn during the Regency period. I love the embroidery detail. The video includes some interesting factoids, too. For example, I didn't know Indian shawls were popular during this time as much-needed protection against those drafty manor homes.

Profits Spike at Random House

The nation's largest trade book publisher reports that its earnings, before interest and taxes, surged 72.5 percent in the first half of 2011.
   
Random House attributes the increase in profits to a strong performance by its bestsellers and to large ebook gains. The publisher experienced 200 percent growth in ebook sales, according to a letter Random House chairman Markus Dohle sent to employees.

Digital sales so far in 2011, have already surpassed sales for all of 2010. They account for more than 20 percent of revenue.

However, tree books remain important to the company. In his letter, Dohle said strong print sales “reminds us that the print side of our business is an indispensable contributor to our greater publishing success.”

Read the full Publishers Weekly article here.

'Temping Bella' is a 2011 PYHIAB Finalist!

This is turning out to be an excellent day.

I received a phone call from Shirley Hailstock, president of the New Jersey Romance Writers, who informed me that my Regency manuscript, Tempting Bella, is a finalist in the 2011 NJRW's "Put Your Heart in a Book" contest.

I am thrilled! The NJRW's group is pretty special to me. I won in this category last year with my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, and another of my manuscripts, Compromising Willa, placed second.

I think their judges get me!

The final judges, who will choose the winner, include Avon editor Tessa Woodward, bestselling author Cathy Maxwell (I'm a huge fan of her books) and agent Ethan Ellenberg.
       

The final winners will be announced at the NJRW's October conference. I plan to be there. I went last year and it was a fantastic, inspiring experience.

The workshops and panels featured bestselling authors and top editors. I came back super-motivated. It's rare when an experience exceeds expectations, but that was definitely the case last year.

Maybe it will be so again this year!   

Traditional Publisher Strikes Deal With Self E-publishing Phenom

Simon and Schuster has closed a distribution deal with author John Locke, the first self-epublished author to sell a million copies of his books through Amazon's Kindle Store.

It's the latest sign that the publishing world is adapting to the rapidly-changing landscape brought about by ebooks. 

Under the deal, the publisher will handle sales and distribution for the print editions of the author's titles.The arrangement gets print editions of Locke's books out to traditional book sellers, making them more widely available. 

Simon and Schuster will distribute eight of Locke's Donovan Creed novels. The titles are expected to be on sale by February 2012. The publisher says more books will follow under the deal.

Locke retains the rights to edit and publish his titles.

The publisher says the arrangement is a standard distribution agreement, similar to the deals distributors regularly strike with small publishers.

The deal was negotiated by literary agent Jane Dystel. 

How Much Do Book Editors Make?

It's none of our business but we're all kind of curious about how much moola people in the publishing industry are earning.

You know from some of my previous posts that most published romance authors can't quit their day job. But for New York book editors, editing IS their day job.

According to GalleyCat, the average salary for any editor in the New York area is $53,500 a year.

At Penguin, average salaries range from $40,000 to 75,000 a year. An associate editor makes about $41,654, while a senior editor draws anywhere from $54,000 to 93,000 a year.

At Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, editors can make from $32,000 to 77,000 annually. Senior editor salaries range from $38,000 to $75,000 a year. A supervising editor's salary can range from $59,000 to 90,000.

Random House associate editors make between $42,000 and $45,000 a year. Production editors salaries range from $42,000 to $62,000 a year.

Galleycat got these figures from the anonymous job site Glassdoor, and all of the figures are taken from the website's anonymous users.

Victorian-Era Film Tackles Women's Pleasure

Now this is something I have yet to read about in any historical romance novel.

"Hysteria," a new movie starring Maggie Gyllenhaall and Hugh Dancy, is based on the true Victorian-era story of the invention of the vibrator.

Check out this hilarious - and somewhat shocking - trailer:  

Amazon Jumps into the Tablet Business

Apple's iPad 2

Look out Apple, Amazon plans to introduce a tablet computer this fall.

The device could challenge the iPad. It is expected to have a nine-inch screen and will run on Google's Android operating system. 

Amazon customers will be able to watch videos, read ebooks and listen to music purchased or rented from Amazon. It is not expected to have a camera.

The new tablet will intensify the competition between Amazon and Apple, both of which are fighting for customers for their own digital books, music and movies.

Amazon is also releasing two new versions of the Kindle. One will have a touch-screen, the other will not. It will be an updated, cheaper version of the current Kindle model.

You can read more about it in this article from The Wall Street Journal.
 

Ebooks, Young Adult Fiction Help Spark Book Resurgence

Despite the closing of Borders, it looks like things are not quite so gloomy for the book industry after all.

Ebooks, along with juvenile and adult fiction, are driving a resurgence of the book industry. 

Instead of shrinking, the publishing industry has expanded in the last three years, according to BookStats, which is published by the Association of American Publishers and the Book Industry Study Group.

BookStats looks at net sales revenue and unit data reported by almost 2,000 U.S. publishers. It tracks sales and units by format and category.

Publishers sold 5.6 percent more books in 2010 than they did in 2008, according to the report. More than  2.5 billion books were sold in all formats in 2010. That's a 4 percent hike over 2008.

Americans of all ages are actively reading in all print and digital formats. Juvenile and adult fiction have made some big annual gains.

Fiction aimed at children, teens and young adults rose 7 percent over the three years in net sales revenue and 12 percent in net unit sales.

“The BookStats study indicates that the publishing industry is healthy and growing during a time of unprecedented change,” says Dominique Raccah, founder and CEO of Sourcebooks, who chairs the BookStats committee.

And the numbers are likely to grow. The BookStats report does not include sales from 2011, which has seen a surge in ebook sales.

Check out more details of the report here.

'Tempting Bella' is a 2011 Maggie Finalist!

I received a pretty great call just after dinner last night.

It was Dianna Shuford, from the Georgia Romance Writers, calling to tell me that my latest work in progress, "Tempting Bella," is a finalist in the 2011 Maggie Contest for unpublished writers.

This is Bella's first contest final. About 30 pages of the manuscript - plus a synopsis - were judged by two published authors.

It's always encouraging to receive validation for my work - a little something that tells me I'm on the right track. Especially from two professionals in the field. 

"Tempting Bella" is my third completed manuscript.

It is the story of Mirabella, who is married off as a child to settle her father's gaming debt. After the hasty marriage, she does not see her husband again for almost a decade. She grows to resent the stranger she assumes married her for her fortune and promptly forgot she existed. When they do meet again, neither knows who the other is, but the attraction (of course!) is immediate. You can read more about the story by clicking here.

There are four other finalists in the Maggie contest's historical category.

Avon's Tessa Woodward is the final judge.

The winner will be announced at the Georgia Romance Writers 2011 Moonlight and Magnolias conference in which runs Sept. 29 through Oct. 2.

This is my second time as a Maggie finalist. My first manuscript, "Compromising Willa," placed second in the 2009 contest.

By the way, it's fun to note that the winner that year was Patricia Patton for "Love and the Heir." Later published as "The Heir" - under Patton's pen name Grace Burrowes - the book was named one of Publishers Weekly's Top Five Romances for 2010 and went on to become a New York Times bestseller.

So at least I can say I got beat out by a New York Times bestselling author. Not too shabby!