Editors are Calling For Projects, But Where Are The Authors?

I always find it interesting when I hear authors say they have no idea what the editors are looking for. Why interesting? Because they have been tellling you. If you have attended conferences, read their blogs, read interviews they did with other writers or articles they have written, they have indeed told you. What they haven't told you is what to write.

I am bringing this up today for one reason. To let all of you know that when I do open submissions fully in September, if you have these projects, you might want to start polishing those bad boys.

Last year (that's right, last year), following Nationals in Orlando, I mentioned tha I had a ton of editors telling me they were looking for Contemporary romances. No, these were not light stories with a bunch of characters with baggage, but stories that had depth. They wanted contemporary romances that read with the depth of character and plot development that strong historicals had. Of course, at that time, I also mentioned that there were several agents claiming that editors just weren't buying contemporaries. I pointed out though, that IMHO the issue was more of a factor that editors were only seeing stories that wouldn't work, not that they weren't buying.

This year, in New York, what did I hear? We are still begging for Contemporary romances. They still haven't found the stories. And, again, the stories they want are those with some depth to them. Not stories that just add multiple, plot-device-like sub plots just to keep the story going. They want powerful contemporaries.

And guess what, I am still looking for the projects as well.

What else are they calling for (as well as me here at Greyhaus)? I am actively acquiring all of the Harlequin lines and especially the contemporary romances for the Mills and Boon line.

What am I not overly eager to see right ow? Please note, I am not saying I won't look at the projects, nor am I saying I am closed to submissions.

• Historicals, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romantic Suspense - Many of the publishers have a very full stable right now of very strong writers. If you want to jump into these categories, you better be over-the top amazing.
• Romantic Comedy - I hate to break this to you, but we know exactly what all of you writers did. Once you hear "chick-lit" was dead, you put the projects aside and then brought them back out, dusted them off and called them "romantic comedies". Um, yeah! I will say, I have heard a couple of editors and agents throw out Chick Lit again as a potential genre but in all honesty, I don't think they are ready for them.

The point is, there are many of us out there telling you what we want. If you hear us proclaiming things like this online, you should get a hint. We ARE interested. Don't be shy.

Scott