Lorna & Shawn
smarts to implement their dream into the success story of this genre, while at the same time providing books that thousands of readers enjoy today. I asked Lorna Hinson, Secretary/Treasurer of the company, to write a post about that most important and critical element which every author, new AND experienced, needs to know: What would make their submission stand out to an editor. Here’s Lorna’s essay:
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Every author wants to know what makes a submission stand out in to an editor in the publishing business. We all wish the answer was simple, but it’s not. Sure, a great story that makes us cheer is essential, but that’s not all we look for in the process. The most confusing thing to prospective authors is that submission requirements, and preference, differ not just from publisher to publisher but from editor to editor within each publishing house.
So what gets a manuscript to an editor in the first place? Like most publishers, we have someone who looks at query emails and sorts out the manuscripts that aren’t suitable for us. Christian autobiography? Homophobic serial killer? Not going to make the cut. Those queries get an automatic rejection. Then we move on to the queries that might or might not be right for us. Some cover letters tell us that the author has written a wonderful romance, where the main characters find a happy ending and where magical worlds collide. The submissions editor then has to decide if it’s worth it to look at the manuscript to find out if the romance is GLBT, which is the focus of our company.
So, the most important part of the initial query is to know us as a company. Know what we publish. Read some of our books. Look at our style. Then, when you’ve written the perfect Torquere story, send us a cover letter that tells us (briefly but explicitly) what the story is about and why it suits us.
After that, we look at the manuscript. Is it formatted according to our specs? Is it full of typos? Is it in a font no one on earth can read? We want to know that you’re serious about wanting to be published. A good story will always stand out, but it’s made even better by proper grammar and punctuation, and a fine grasp of the mechanics.
Finally, we look at an author’s potential in sales and audience. In the e-book age, authors bear most of the burden of marketing. Do you have a website? Do you participate in chats and list groups? Have you joined our social lists and learned what sorts of things we do? Two authors with good stories and great cover letters can go head to head, and an author with a marketing plan will win out every time.
So, what makes a potential author stand out at Torquere? It really boils down to us knowing that the author wants to be published with us, not just to be published.
To see the guidelines for submission at Torquere Press, visit our writer’s page:
http://torquerepress.com/submissions/index.html
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About Torquere Press
Torquere Press Inc. started as a labor of love for two romance writers and readers, Shawn Clements and Lorna Hinson. In business since September of 2003, Torquere began as a general partnership, and incorporated in early 2007.
The mission of Torquere Press was, and is, to provide readers who love a good story with great books, and to promote gay and lesbian romance as a genre to be reckoned with.
President Shawn Clements and Secretary/Treasurer Lorna Hinson would like to welcome all readers and authors to explore the Torquere Press website at www.torquerepress.com and our book catalog at www.torquerebooks.com
