Wings ePress Editor - Robbin Major

Merry Christmas everyone!

Here is a special gift to all you!

Robbin Major, the Senior Editor at Wings ePress, Inc. Is answering your questions about Wings ePress YA Department!

Robbin:

Here are a few questions that our Young Adult Creative Writers would like to know:

1) What is Wings ePress and when was it established?

Below is the press release posted at our web site when Wings ePress, Inc. was established, back in 2002. It gives a good introduction as to why Wings was created, and why it is still around.

Wings ePress, Inc. Takes Flight
New royalty-paying, electronic and trade quality paperback book publisher offers an alternative to established and upcoming authors.
In a time when many publishers are suffering the effects of a rocky inaugural period in epublishing, the founders of WINGS ePRESS, Inc. decided there was still plenty of room for an honest, nourishing community where writers could feel confident and respected. Brought together by a mutual love of quality fiction, this unique group of experienced editors, artists, managers and technicians bring many exciting talents to the WPI table.
WPI opened its cyber doors at www.wings-press.com , with offerings in General Fiction and all genres of Romantic fiction. Books will be available as downloads in popular ebook formats, along with quality trade paperback editions. In addition to publishing a catalog of excellent fiction, WPI plans to put into place an entire writer's community where authors can work directly with editors while honing their craft…

2) How long have you been an editor with Wings ePress?

I have been an editor and copy editor, as well as the Senior Editor of the YA Department at Wings--a woman with many hats!--since fall of 2002.

What is your background?

I have a strong academic background in literature for children and young adults. I was a children’s librarian for a number of years, and hopped from there in to the public school system.
I am a member of the professional organization, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, as well as a published YA author (under a pen name) and a veteran of numerous writing and editing workshops.

3) Is Wing ePress primarily a YA publisher?

The YA Department is a small division of Wings, which I like, as it allows me to be very hand’s-on with each of the manuscripts that cross my cyberdesk.
While Wings handles a variety of genres (as noted above in the press release), the YA Department has sub-genres of almost all the other genres. We have published YA romance, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, adventure, time travel, historical and animal stories. We have published YA books that are a combination of the above sub-genres, as well, which means we are open to any well-written story, no matter how far from the mainstream it may stray.

4) What kind of YA novels would you like to see? (i.e. Historical, romance, chic-lit, fantasy, sci-fi, etc.)

Submissions in the YA Department seem to go in waves. We have enjoyed the pitter-pat of scattered genres, and a tsunami of fantasy. I like fantasy, but I like it fresh, and the submissions that don’t get past Round One with me are the ones that are derivative. Hopeful writers of fantasy need to understand that there is only one Luke Skywalker, one Harry Potter, one Frodo Baggins. Find a new angle and dazzle me with your creative genius!

I like accurate historicals; as a history buff, though, I really wince at anachronisms, and can be nit-picky when the research is thin.

I would like to see some good YA sci-fi, with real science, as opposed to fantasy-with-gadgets.

And I would dearly love to see some good, light, humorous YA romance! As I mentioned before, our books are often layered with sub-genres, so we have romantic threads in many of our YA books, but I can’t think of a single one that is simply a fun, feel-good romance.

But I have to say, all discussion of genre aside, that the thing I would like to see more of is stories that are well written, with dialogue that reads like the writer took the time to read it aloud, with characters that have dimension, and with the technical elements in place, as if it were not just a first draft dashed off and submitted in the daze that comes after the last words are written.

At the same time, is there anything you’ve seen enough of, that you feel is overdone in the market?

As I said, I see an awful lot of fantasy. (And sometimes it is awful. J) I think too many people are trying to ride the Harry Potter wave, and wiping out. I love a well-written fantasy, but I think the market is saturated with wannabes.

5) What do you look for in a good YA manuscript?

I look for a first chapter that really takes off. Don’t give me too much background at the beginning. Give me something that makes me want to dive on in to the next chapter. Give me a protagonist I can invest in. Give me a narrative voice that is fresh.

I also look for a successful story arc. Are points carried through to the end? Are there dangling strings that need to be tied or snipped?
Don’t give me forty paragraphs for one little nugget of information. Writers tend to be in love with words, but that doesn’t mean all those words have to be used in one sitting.

And, after story and character and plot are in place, I look for the good, solid basics of writing: grammar, punctuation, consistent spelling. If I have to wade through a morass of typos and technical blunders, it takes me away from the story. And if I keep getting yanked out of the story, I will probably just move on to the next submission.

6) Are there any pet peeves?

See above.
I really, really like to see a manuscript that has been carefully prepared for submission, with attention to the publisher’s guidelines. I like to see a manuscript that looks like it has been proofread, and maybe work shopped or been through a couple of rounds with a writer’s group.
And, speaking of pet peeves, I have very little patience with writers who are afraid of using “said”. I read a book once in which every tag line was a euphemism for “said”--one character barked, another moaned, another snapped. It got to be so distracting that I couldn’t finish reading the thing. When I actually started laughing at the variations, that’s when I put the book down and walked away.
My least favorite tag line in the universe: “I know what you mean,” she smiled. How do you smile dialogue? You can smile with it, but you can’t smile it, because what is that?

7) What is the submission process for those who are interested in sending a manuscript to Wings ePress? How long is the turn around time?

The first task is to write a short query letter, directed to
submissions@wings-press.com, which should include a brief synopsis (no more than one or two paragraphs) of your story, as well as the word count and the genre/sub-genre. We don’t need to know your background, your publishing history, or your political leanings. J Spend the time making your synopsis as polished and intriguing as possible. If we are interested in seeing your completed manuscript, we will invite you to submit it, providing you with the guidelines to do so.Be aware that the word count we like to see in the YA Department falls somewhere between 25K and 50K. We have very occasionally accepted something longer, but that’s the exception, rather than the rule.

Visit our web site for further details on the guidelines: www.wings-press.com

The process, once you’ve been invited to submit, is relatively quick. We have a Reader Evaluation Department; at least two Readers will read your manuscript and rank it before it makes it to my cyberdesk. Based on their recommendations, and my own evaluation, I either request that our Executive Editor offer a contract, or I write what I hope is a very constructive letter of rejection. Sometimes I will invite a writer to revise and resubmit the manuscript, if that writer is willing to address the problems that came up during the evaluation process. The evaluation process generally takes no more than a couple of months, sometimes less, depending on the number of submissions going through the system at the same time.

8) There are those who are leery of e-publishing, how do you respond? Why should an author pursue the e-publishing route with Wings ePress?
There are valid reasons to be leery of electronic publishing, just as there are reasons why it’s one of the most wonderful inventions of the 21st century.
The leery part has much to do with the transient nature of some e-publishers. Look for a company that has an established web presence, one that’s been around for more than a few weeks or months. Talk to other writers who have e-pubbed and learn from their experiences.
One of the things I love about working with Wings is that it was created to be place where writers can take flight, rather than a place where writers are hung out to dry.

At Wings, you will get the attention of a skilled editor, who will work with you to make your book the best it can be. You will have access to marketing strategies, and to a mentor (a fellow author), should you desire one, to nurture you through the process of first-time publishing.
Once your book is published, it will never go “out of print”, unless you want it to.
With e-pubbing, you are free to cross genres in creative and wonderful ways, rather than being forced to write to the formula demanded by big name print publishers.
It is a venue where you are only limited by the boundaries of your own imagination and energy.

9) What advice could you give to first time authors?

Study the market. Read voraciously. Listen to your target audience. Hone your skills. Craft your story carefully, paying attention to detail. And be aware that the actual writing of a story is a very small portion of the job of being a writer. Marketing, whether you are working with an e-publisher or a print publisher, will be a huge part of your work. Vigorous self-promotion is what separates a best-seller from a remainder, so be prepared to toot your own horn. Just make sure your horn is polished and tuned when you start tooting!





Sasha and Patrizia,

I am happy to do this. Thank you for the opportunity.


For further info you can contact Robbin @ subs@wings-press.com