Bella Andre left a comment asking about the details of my sale to Headline.
This particular sale was a long time coming. I wrote Spirit Willing in 2003-4 and signed with my agent, Teresa Chris (who’s based in London) in 2004, just two weeks before I sold Featured Attraction to Harlequin. After some revisions, Teresa sent the ms around to the major UK publishers and we had some very nice rejections. I did a few more revisions, the book finaled in a contest, and we sent it to her US sub-agent for some more submissions.
Meanwhile (it’s March 2006 by this time–publishing moves slooooow, except when it’s moving very fast–I’d sold five more books to Harlequin Mills & Boon by this time) Teresa was talking with the editor for Headline’s Little Black Dress, a new romance imprint, and she mentioned my book. The editor was interested, and Teresa called me–could I shave 25K off the word count to submit to this new line?
I shaved off 30K in a weekend, sent it off, and they made an offer within a few weeks. A US publisher, meanwhile, was putting together an offer, but Teresa and I decided that Headline were the best place for my career. I’m very excited to be working with them and can’t wait to write my next book for them, which should be another funny, sexy romance.
Hi Julie. Little Black Dress website looks terrific, and I have already made notes of my favourites. Can’t wait to see you name up there.
On the business front, am I correct in understanding from your previous post that the target word count for this line is about 80 k?
Have a lovely sunny day
Fangirl
It looks like a great new company! Congrats.
Little Black Dress look great, Julie and I’ve just seen in heat mag that The Bachelorette Party has gone in at number 8, so hopefully that’s a great sign for the whole line
Julie – this is all sounding better and better. the LBD stand in our local WHS was half-empty which is a good sign. I think Headline is a very good place to be.
Congrats again Julie!!!!
I remember that weekend! I can’t imagine shaving that much off of a book. What an experience.
The Little Black Dress website is so cute – the covers are all fab! How exciting.
You’ve had such a terrific year. All of the book sales and the upcoming birth of your baby. Sooooo cool!
They are really very attractive books–attractively priced, too–and it’s great to hear they’re selling well. May it long continue (into the autumn for sure, right Pip?)!
Karen, I keep on pinching myself to make sure it’s real.
Julie–Thanks for the fabulous blog all to answer my question!
I think you’re being with Headline is AMAZING. I have a thing for British authors and it seems like most of the books I order from Amazon.uk are published by Headline. Wouldn’t it be amazing if you became a bestseller in the UK?
As for writing with a newborn…I already have a 2 year old and have written a couple of erotic romances for Pocket since he was born.
Let’s put it this way–I’ve gotten really great at giving everything a slot. Baby time. And then writing time (while he’s napping), my fingers and brain moving at the speed of light.
To be perfectly honest, it was less an issue of writing sex scenes because I had a baby around and more one of the postpartum recovery period where I, um, just didn’t feel all that sexy.
Too much info? Sorry. I read your post at romancing the blog and I’d hate to sound like I’m chiming in with everyone.
The final result of being a writer of sexy books with babies–no big deal–I’m doing it with no problem. So will you!
http://www.BellaAndre.com