Seattle Examiner

My series on publishing is also being published at the Seattle Examiner:

p://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-31460-Seattle-Writing-Careers-Examiner~y2010m5d7-Publishing-alternatives-for-the-21st-century-Part-1-Definitions-by-Jami-Davenport

Romance Novels and RWA

One of my RWA (Romance Writers of America) chaptermates brought my attento to this MSNBC clip from the Today Show about romance novels and the recent RWA conference in San Francisco.

Take a moment to watch. I know a lot of people thumb their noses at romance novels and romance writers. As a newly published author, I'm asked, "What kinds of books do you write?" I'll answer with, "Romance, a combination of romantic comedy and suspense." Quite often their response is, "I don't read those kinds of books."

Well, somebody does. Most likely, the very person that thumbed their noses at romance reads romance, they just don't realize it. Romance sells more books than any other fiction category. Yup, it's true, more than mysteries, more than SciFi, etc. Last year romance novels generated 1.375 billion in sales according to statistics on RWA's website.

Why are romance novels so popular? Part of the reason is what authors call the HEA--happily ever after. If you're like me and hate bad endings, you know that romance novels guarantee a good ending. With all of the stress and bad news in our lives, it's rewarding to escape into a fantasy world if even for a few minutes.

Another reason is diversity. There are romance novels for every taste. You can read steamy or sweet, paranormals, suspense, historicals, contemporaries, futuristics, science fiction. You name it, you can find it in romance.

Romance continues to grow and meet the needs of a young audience. The romance novel of today is very different from the one of twenty years ago. It'll be interesting to see where we are in the next twenty years.

So keep reading, and we'll keep writing.

My First Reviews and New Website

Checkout my new website design. I love it. Let me know what you think.

http://www.jamidavenport.com

Also, my first two reviews for "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?" are now available.

Fallen Angel Reviews--5 Angels
I really enjoyed Harlee and Jake’s story. They were the perfect match for each other—they definitely had chemistry going for them. Harlee may at times seem ditzy but when she put her mind to something or someone she could be smart about it. Jake was the ultimate ladies man but when it came to Harlee it was like she was back in high school trying to get a first date. I thought Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed was a great and appropriate title for the story. Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed was fun, whimsical, and full of romance. Jami Davenport sure kept my interest going with this story. Every time I found myself starting to take a break I went right back into reading more; before I knew it I was done. I can’t wait to check out more books by Jami Davenport.
Reviewed by: Cheryl

Review Your Book, Debra Gaynor--4 Stars
Goldilocks never had it this good…I have always loved fairy tales-- even fractured one. Who’s Been Sleeping In My Bed is a delightful read. The characters are superbly written. Romance, suspense, and passion fill this book. I found a lot of humor in the character of Harlee. Fans of romantica will enjoy Who’s Been Sleeping In My Bed.

Another Step in the Publishing Process

In my last blog, I mentioned that "Who's" has a release date. Now I have a ISBN # and an actual book page on Siren's website.

Check it out:

http://www.sirenpublishing.com/jamidavenport/wbsimb.asp

Sometime in the future, I'll have an excerpt or two, and eventually an ebook then a book. I am so enjoying doing all of this for the first time. No matter how many times I'll have other published books (and I hope there'll be many), nothing will equal the feeling of excitement of going through the process for the first time.

I have a release date!!!

My first ever published book, "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?" will be released on June 12 in electronic format by Siren Publishing, the print version will follow.

I'm very excited!

This book is the first of two set in the San Juan Islands, one of my favorite places in the world, which you already know if you've been reading my blog.

Have a great weekend!!

What's in a Pen Name

I've been asked lately by a few new writers why I chose to write under a pen name and how I came up with it.

There are lots of reasons to consider a pen name if you're a writer. Privacy was a consideration of mine. After all, I have aspirations of being a NYT bestseller eventually. ;) I also wanted a separation between my writing career and my day job and a certain degree of anonymity because of the steaminess of some of my books.

After making the decision to have a pen name, here's how I picked one. Jami was a no-brainer. My father's name was James. My parents had wanted to name me "Jami," but my sister liked Pam, so my real name is Pam.

For a last name, it was more difficult. I got out a family tree, wrote down some of the last names I liked, and went to a couple bookstores. I checked out where I'd be placed on the shelves. I wanted to be next to some good authors that would attract customers to that area on the shelves. I also wanted to be near the beginning of the alphabet. When I'm browsing, I start at the beginning and usually don't get to the end before I find a book.

Davenport was the last name of a great-great grandfather of mine. Anyway, I chose that last name based on the above criteria.

If you're a writer with a pen name, how did you choose your pen name?

The Call and What It Means

Yesterday a very dear friend of mine got the call, actually since it was an email, I guess you could say THE Email. "The Call" is an offer to publish by a publisher, be it big or small press. She is now going to be a published author. I am so thrilled for her, you can't imagine. You can check her out at:

http://www.alliekadams.com/

Now we are both feverishly planning our first releases. There is so much promo that a new author has to do if they want to get their name out there. It's not as easy as just sitting back and waiting for the book to be published. Rookie authors even with big publishers don't get the promo opportunities. They need to create them on their own. Well, Allie and I were never ones to sit around and wait for life to pass us by. We are social creatures and like to be in the middle of everything. We're also both in IT, and believe me, that takes a certain personality.

No, we won't make the NYT bestseller list, yet, but someday, I think you'll see us both there. We'll make it happen somehow.

So have a toast for Allie and me and wish us luck as we navigate the murky waters of book promotion and publishing!!!

Why I Don't Enter Contests

I received my first official edits this week. The process was a lot less painful than I thought it would be. I've had this fear that I'd get an editor like many of the contest judges I've had in the past. I visualized this person changing my voice to the point that the story became generic. I got lucky. My editor is wonderful. She caught all sorts of little inconsistencies and issues in my story, but she left the essence of who and what it was alone.

I am not a romance contest junkie. I haven't had a good experience with writer's contests. I'd always get a combination of perfect scores and lousy scores. The judges that didn't like my quirky, sassy way of writing would nail me for my penchant to use incomplete sentences (on purpose) or try to sterilize my voice by editing my voice right out of it. Only once was I lucky enough to enter a contest where all my judges liked my voice.

On the advice of a published writer friend, I quit entering contests. She never did well in contests either, yet, she's now multi-published with several big publishers.

I think contests work for some people and not for others. For me, they were demoralizing and confusing. I often would change my entire story based on one anonymous judge's opinion.

On the other hand, contests can be a good way to get your work (if you final) before an editor or agent that you wouldn't be able to reach otherwise.

While contests aren't for me, that doesn't mean they aren't for you. It's just important to remember that they aren't a end-all or necessarily an accurate indicator of your writing ability.

Computers and News Updates

I've been fighting for the last two weeks with my wireless PC card and Outlook Express. I want my ISP's email to sync with Outlook Express. Well, it works fine if I dial-in to the ISP, and I do mean dial-in. We're talking speeds of somewhere between a slug on the sidewalk watching a tree grow. So now I have this wireless card, and I'm off to the races, except Outlook won't sync. After a couple weeks of fighting with the thing, I have it receiving mail but not sending. I know what's wrong, it's finding the right answer that's sending me off the deep end.

That makes me wonder--how the heck does the average person off the street manage to troubleshoot PCs when those of us in IT often struggle with the things? I've spent countless hours on this one problem, which should be easy to fix, but I find the easiest things are often the hardest.

On another note, I have some news:

I sold The Dance, the first manuscript (and the subject of a previous post, "That Special Manuscript") I ever completed, to Siren Publishing. It'll be out in late 2008. I'm very excited to see this manuscript in print.

Equestrian Ink debuts on Monday. This is a collaborative effort of several authors who write equestrian fiction. We have tons of fun things planned so drop in every couple days to check us out!!!

Fingernails on The Blackboard

There are two words that writers often use that make me cringe like fingernails on a blackboard: Muse and Polish.

"Muse" is just one of those words I don't like. I'm not really sure why. I only know that there isn't a little person sitting on my shoulder or in my subconscious that tells me when it's in the mood to write. I choose to write or not to write. I'm either in the mood or not.

"Polish" elicits more of a personal reaction. I think New York Times Bestselling Author Lori Foster said it best, and I hope she doesn't mind me quoting her:

"My feeling is that if you polish a book too much, it'll be flat and shiny and smooth--and not too interesting. It's the little pits and bumps and whatnot that show voice and make a book unique from all the other super shiny, flat surfaces."

Back when I was starting to write for publication, I would edit my books until there was no life left in them. They'd be technically correct but boring. Finally, Lucy Monroe, a member of my local RWA chapter, pointed out to me that I was one of those people that should only do a few edits. The more I edited, the more I wrote my voice out of my story. Then I received further proof that "polish" is not a good thing for me to do. On a whim (something I do a lot), I had sent three chapters of a WIP to 3 agents. Those chapters had not been edited at all. I had 2 requests for fulls. If you're not a writer, believe me when I say that requests for fulls from good agents are a big deal. Unfortunately and the moral of the story, I didn't have the rest of the book written. ;) I won't do that again, and that's the subject for another blog.

What are your "blackboard" words?

My First Cover

I received my first cover today, and I love it. The heroine looks like I pictured Harlee to look. The background looks like the San Juan Islands. The overall look of the cover gives you a hint that there might be a bit of comedy in the story. All in all, I'm really happy with it.

That Special Manuscript

Recently, I pulled my first complete manuscript out of mothballs. The last edit date on this MS was March/April of 2003. I wanted to submit it to my publisher, but I knew it needed a lot of editing before I could do that. I finished that edit this afternoon, three weeks and 97,000 words later.

It's amazing what time can do for a person's perspective. I was so in love with my words when I wrote that story. To the point where I would state the same thing several different times because I thought my text was just too clever. This time around, I'm deleting stuff left and right without giving them another thought.

I also didn't give my readers enough credit. I'd explain every move a character made, instead of trusting the reader to figure it out, a common newbie mistake (not that I don't still make them, but they're not as blatant).

Yet, this MS will always hold a special place in my heart. At one time, I'd poured myself into this story so deeply that I felt what the characters felt. As I was editing the last few chapters, I found myself tearing up. I'm not sure that the writing was that good, but I loved these characters with all their emotional hangups and vulnerabilities.

This was the story that gave me the confidence to pursue writing on a more professional level, rather than dabble in it for pure entertainment and/or as a hobby.

Now that I'm done, I know I need to get on with my WIP, which is 3/4 done, and by far the best thing I've written to date. Yet, I'm sad to say goodbye to these characters because they are so near and dear to me.

This particular story may never see the light of day, but it will always hold a special place in my heart.

P&E Best Book Publisher

I am happy to announce that my publisher, Siren Publishing has been named Best Book Publisher by Preditors & Editors website.

What a great honor! I am feeling proud and priviledged to be part of this company.

It's been a great month for Siren authors also. Several authors have won numerous awards.

I am soooo looking forward to July and my very first ever book release.

July Girls

Tonight I'm sitting in a hotel room in Ellensburg, WA, and it's after midnight. Hubby and I are on our way to Idaho to see his daughter. We checked out the local bar for one drink and Karaoke. Not one person could sing a note on tune. It was pretty painful, so we executed a quick depart.

I'm all excited because a friend and Olympia chaptermate of mine, Kate Davies, just sold to Siren. She will be a July Girl along with Wendi (Darlin) and me. Wendi just got her cover on the Siren site. I am anxiously awaiting mine. I did get my story blurb posted recently, which it REALLY cool. This is so fun to be going through all this for the first time, especially when it's a good experience with a great publisher. That makes it twice the fun.

So I'm wondering if we should be July Girls or Summer Girls or what?

I need to get The Gift Horse done. GH is the best one I've done to date. I'd like to market it to the equestrian community and romance community.

Romance Writers

Romance writers are some of the most generous people I've ever met. I wonder if writers in other genres are as helpful to newbies and wannabes as published romance writers.

Washington state seems to have more than its share of romance writers. My theory is that all this rain is conducive to writing. What else are you going to do for 8 months out of the year while waiting for the sun to poke through those clouds?

Some of the local published authors that I am grateful to are:

When I first joined my local RWA chapter, I met Lucy Monroe. She was the chapter president. Her first book was coming out in a few months. Lucy has always been special to me as has her rare talent for weaving a story that you can't put down. No matter how busy she is, she always has time for a word of encouragement or to answer a question. Her common sense advice is invaluable.

Suzanne Macpherson has become a good friend. She volunteers to read my stuff, always has a response for my stupid questions, and a word of congratulations or sympathy. If you want a good laugh be sure to check out her romantic comedies from Avon.

Cherry Adair always finds time for fellow writers. I've attended numerous workshops and parties that she's hosted for local authors at her beautiful home. Cherry is always entertaining, positive, and a hoot and a half. If she ever gives up writing, she needs to try her hand as a stand-up comedian.

Theresa Scott has endured my phone calls, helped me with plotting, and administered her always practical and logical advice.

Also in my local RWA chapter, Adrianna Dane and Kate Davies have endured my endless questions about epubs. There are so many more, that I know if I tried to list them all, I would definitely forget someone so I'll stop here.

To my fellow romance writers, I hope I can be as generous as you have been when my time comes to offer advice and answer questions.

THE CALL!

...Actually--the email!!!

I accepted an offer from Siren/Bookstrand last Friday for publication of my contemporary romance, "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed." It'll be published in ebook format in Summer of 2008 and print format in early 2009.

"Who's" is the second novel I've completed. It was also a 2004 Golden Gateway finalist--if anyone remembers that far back.

I hadn't submitted anything in three years and had just gotten back into writing. On a whim, I dusted off "Who's" and submitted it last October to a popular epublisher. I got a request for a full and sent it out.

In December, I still hadn't heard and decided to send to a few other places. Since it takes so long to hear anything, I thought I'd have a few in the queue. I sent a full (what they require) to Bookstrand on a Monday, the week before Christmas. They are a sister company of Siren Publishing. Siren is a erotic romance publisher. Bookstrand is opening their doors in June as a publisher of mainstream romance and fiction. ByWed. morning, I had an offer. I accepted the offer last Friday.

I am very excited to be a part of Siren/Bookstrand. They are the company that bought all the Triskelion contracts and returned them to the authors. Everyone I've contacted speaks very highly of them.

What a way to start the new year!!!!! YIPPEEEEEE!!!!

I'm always the last to catch on

For years, I've never understood the Nora phenomenon. I've never read beyond Chapter One of any of her books.

I spent most of last week at home sick with a cold, which has some advantages--you get to catch up on your reading. Once I went through all the suspense novels I had stockpiled, I tackled one of the JD Robb books that had been sitting on my shelves for a year or so.

OKAY, now I admit it. I am hooked. Now I get it. I bow to the master. Nora, you are incredible. I am madly in love with Roarke, and Eve is someone you can't help but root for. Her characterization is wonderful. She conveys in a few words what the rest of us say in many.

So maybe it took me a while, but I'm now with the program and have joined the ranks of the multitudes of Nora fans.