1. Please tell about Bold Strokes Books and your goals for the future of the company.

We have two goals at Bold Strokes-both of which I consider equally important. The first is to publish well written, well produced works of lesbian fiction which are enjoyable, informative, and life-affirming for a diverse reading population. To that end, we publish genre fiction (romance, mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, and erotica) and general lesbian fiction. The second, and perhaps a more personal goal for me, is to aid in the development of each author’s career by offering intensive, personalized editorial support to enhance their craft skills while bringing their works to the widest readership possible.

I view the relationship between an author and publisher as a dynamic interaction with the single goal of producing the best book possible each and every time. I, as the publisher, am involved with every author and every book in terms of orchestrating the editorial, production, and marketing of our titles. Every author gets individual attention and every book is given equal weight in terms of importance. We have an extensive marketing and distribution plan which takes advantage of Bella Distribution’s long-established avenues of international and national sales in addition to popular online sales sources such as Starcrossed Productions. Bold Strokes offers authors, new or experienced, a place to expand their skills and bring their works to a broad readership.

We evaluate every manuscript based upon its potential to be of interest to our readership demographic. A specific sexual orientation is not a prerequisite for manuscript acceptance other than the fact that it may affect one’s ability to write lesbian fiction with authenticity.

 As I noted above, one of the first things I did was to establish a distribution network by forging an alliance with Bella Distribution (this is different from Bella Books, although we do use the same marketing avenues). By this means, we take advantage of Bella’s direct sales sources online, their monthly catalogs and mail order flyers, their established accounts with Borders, Barnes & Noble, and many other retail outlets, as well as Bulldog Books in Australia and Airlift distribution in Europe. Our books are also carried by SCP online and distributed to retailers via SCP and Alamo Square as well as Amazon.com. Obviously, I request that authors establish a web site if possible, do readings and attend conferences, and promote their work through whatever reasonable means possible.

However, as I recently told a new-to-Bold Strokes author, I would prefer that the author spend their time writing books and let me do the marketing.

“Being published” is the final result of the author’s creativity and hard work combined with the expertise of a team of professionals whose sole function is to produce the best book possible.

6. What can an author expect in the process of being published?

When I wish to accept a manuscript for publication, I call the author to discuss any specific editorial issues which I believe are of importance and also to get a feeling for the author’s future plans. My desire is to establish a long-term relationship with an author who has made a serious commitment to writing lesbian fiction. This also gives the author a chance to ask questions and for both of us to be assured that we can have a reasonable working relationship. Every accepted manuscript then undergoes an initial review by our senior editor and a 4-6 page summary guide for editing is prepared. A substantive editor works with the author to make these revisions, and then a copy editor and team of proofreaders has a final look. The process takes about 5-7 months. The author is involved at every stage.

Pay attention to the tools of the trade – meaning master the basics, such as grammar, syntax, and structure. If you want to be a writer - write. Write even if you’re not sure where the story is headed or what the next chapter might look like. The very process of putting words on the page stimulates more ideas and keeps the process alive.

When you’re ready to submit a work for publication, research the publishers to whom you are considering submitting your manuscript. Do they publish the kind of books that you have written? Do you like the books they’ve published – do they look professional, are they well edited, are they well put together? How does that publisher market and/or distribute their books? E-mail the authors of that publisher, many of whom might be willing to give you some advice. Study the information available on that publisher’s web site. It’s important for you as an author to find a publisher with whom you will be comfortable working for the long-term.

Having self published nearly 10 books, I have considerable experience in this area. In general, if you have not established your reputation as an author, I would not recommend self-publishing initially. Unfortunately, self-publishing still carries the stigma of “vanity publishing” which is not necessarily true, but which can prejudice retailers against carrying your works. It can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars to self publish a book. If you’re contracting with distributors, you will have to provide them with books on consignment, which means that you will be paying for them up front before any sales are made. That could cost several thousand dollars at a minimum. For a young author just starting out, I would advise against this route. Once you have a visible presence in the marketplace, you might then investigate the cost benefits of publishing yourself.

13.  Is traveling for book readings, convention etc a must?  If so who takes care of the expenses for this?