Closed to Submissions

I am floored by how fast Anaiah Press is growing. I never dreamed I'd be making an announcement like this so soon after we "opened the doors" but here I am saying it:

I am temporarily closed to direct submissions. 

Until further notice, I will no longer be accepting direct queries for any imprints. If you are still waiting on a response from me, you will get one soon, I promise. And if I extended an invitation for you to revise and resubmit, please do so as I will still take a look at those.

But don't worry! If you have a YA or NA manuscript you think is a good fit for Anaiah Press, you can send it to the Senior Editor of our Surge Imprint, Laura Maisano at: Laura.Maisano (at) AnaiahPress (dot) com

Got a romance? Send it over to the Senior Editor of our Romance Imprint, Claudia Carozza at: Claudia.Carozza (at) AnaiahPress (dot) com

And of course our general submissions inbox is always open! Submissions (at) AnaiahPress (dot) com

Be sure to check our submission guidelines before sending that query :)

A Warning to Authors: Research Your Publishers!

A while back I did a post on How to Find a Reputable Publisher. Today, I'm going to talk about something very similar. Now that #PitMad and #pitchMAS is over, I'm swamped with queries, partial manuscripts, full manuscripts, and everything in between. Let me be clear: I'm not complaining. lol. But considering the nature of these contests -- both agents and small press editors making requests, I thought I should take some time to let authors know that they should make a choice based on information and not emotion.

Believe me, I know how tempting it is to sign the first contract that's offered the day it reaches your inbox, especially if it's your first contract ever! But,

DON'T DO IT!

At least not right away.

I know how crazy this sounds coming from an acquiring editor of a small press, but I want every single author I sign to Anaiah Press to do so with their eyes wide open, and a good feeling in their heart for doing so.

Whether you receive an offer of representation from an agent or a publishing contract from a small press, you have to do some research. I cannot stress how important this is!

So, where do you start? Here are the 5 steps I always follow when researching an agent/publisher for my own personal writing:

1. Visit the agents/publishers website. Look at everything. Click through every page they have available. If there are a lot of broken links then you might want to think twice about sending them your work. If there are a ton of authors who've only ever published one book with the publisher then it's a good possibility the publisher is an author mill and you want to avoid those. If the publisher has a sample contract available--READ IT! Also take some time to study the book covers. Do you like them? Would you be proud to have your name on a book with a cover similar to the ones they provide?

2. Research their reputation. Yes, this is possible. The first place I start researching is Preditors & Editors and Absolute Write. They are both free sites that offer advice and insight into various agents and publishers. I ALWAYS check these two sites. (And yes, you can feel free to go check up on Anaiah Press!)

3. Contact some authors. If you're seriously considering a specific agent or publisher, look at their client list/published authors. Randomly contact a few of them, let them know you're considering an offer, and ask what their experiences have been like. You'd be surprised just how willing and helpful they will be.

4. Ask lots and lots of questions. Seriously. Ask whatever questions come to your mind no matter how small or stupid you might think they are. If you've gotten to the point where they have sent you a contract, read it thoroughly. Have your attorney or a trusted author reader it. Then ask a ton more questions.

5. Trust your instincts. I cannot stress this enough. If you have that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, listen to it and heed its warning.

In addition to the above steps, I always look for warning signs and red flags. Here are some of them that you should be aware of:

• Poor quality website / not up to date
• Lack of authors - Sometimes this is due to the fact that the publisher is brand new (like Anaiah) and other times it's because authors are not willing to sign with the agent/publisher in question. Be sure to check to see how long the publisher has been in business.
• Unwillingness to communicate - If the agent/editor you've been in contact with refuses to answer your questions, gives overly vague answers, or tells you that they will answer all of your questions as soon as you sign the contract is probably a person/place you don't want to deal with.
• Unwillingness to negotiate - I've never seen a contract that wasn't negotiable. If you come across an agent/publisher who isn't willing to negotiate even one clause in their contract you might want to think twice about doing business with them. 

Signing with an agent / publisher is a big commitment, and not one that should be rushed into or taken lightly. The average publishing contract is for a period of 3 years, sometimes longer. So ask yourself, are you willing to spend the next few years in a relationship with this person / publisher? 

Open for Submissions

As many of you know, I've taken a new position as Managing Editor of the Surge Imprint at Anaiah Press. I'm very excited about this new endeavor, and I'm even more excited to start building my client list. So, I thought I'd take a moment and detail exactly what I'm looking for in both an author and a book.




In an author, I'm looking for someone who is:

• fun, easy -going, has a good sense of humor, and is excited about the editing process
• willing to learn and work hard to make their book(s) the absolute best it can be
• able to meet deadlines and willing to openly communicate should issues arise 

In a book, I'm looking for something that:

• keeps me turning the pages into the wee morning hours
• keeps me thinking about it long after "the end"
• puts me through a range of emotions. I'm a real sucker for a book and characters that can make me cry

My specific wish list:

• YA or NA with strong romantic elements. I prefer books where the romance is the primary focus.
• Contemporaries are my absolute favorite, but I do occasionally like a good dystopian or fantasy.
• I would love to see a YA romantic suspense.
• A cross between Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley High.
• Strong heroes and heroines.
• I prefer 3rd person POV that tells the story from both the male & female perspectives, but will consider 1st person POV stories.

Things I will *NOT* accept or consider:

• Excessive cursing
• Premarital sex or heavy making out
• Underage drinking and/or drug use
• Anything that promotes an anti-Christian message (This means no voodoo, witchcraft, or made-up religions)
• Unnecessary violence

For full Anaiah Press Submission Guidelines, go HERE!

If you have something that you think is a good fit for me, then I invite you to query me directly at:
karaleigh.miller (at) anaiahpress (dot) com

I look forward to reading your submissions!

Kara's 2014 New Year's Goals

Image Courtesy of: freedigitalphotos.net/satit_srihin

Well, it's the start of another new year and I've been busy setting new goals for myself. But before I get to those, I want to take a moment to reflect on 2013 because it was a pretty awesome year for me!

In 2013 I...

• Wrote and published a total 5 books!
• Co-authored a collection of stories with 3 really awesome and talented ladies. (Love and Other Games is still only $0.99 so get your copy now!)
• Joined Twitter and actually learned how to use it quite effectively :-)
• Became an intern, Associate Editor, and then Senior Editor at Entranced Publishing
• Attended my first writers' conference
• Did my first face-to-face agent pitch and got a partial request from her
• Made some amazing friendships that I will cherish forever. Excuse me a moment while I mention a few of them by name because they just deserve it:

                                   1. Melinda Dozier
                                   2. Ana Blaze
                                   3. Aria Kane
                                   4. Eden Plantz
                                   5. ST Bende
                                   6. Kat Daemon
                                   7. Rachel Kall
                                   8. Isabel Sterling
                                   9. Nikki Lynn Vale
                                   10. Rachell Nichole

• Started a local weekly writing & critiquing group
• Participated and won NaNoWriMo
• Became a Managing Editor at Anaiah Press

Now, on to what I hope to accomplish in 2014...

1. Blog on a more regular basis. I know, I know. I made this goal last year, too, and I kind of stuck to it. I definitely posted a lot this year, but it was a lot of guest posts, author interviews, blog tours, and such. What can I say? I'm a sucker for helping my fellow authors. This year though, I'm going to blog about writing related topics -- querying, editing, marketing etc.

2. Finish & publish a new YA novel. As of right now, the book is untitled, but it's about a high school senior who is telempathic -- a telepath with empathic capabilities. She's been having a lot of restlessness that she chalks up to spring fever, but when the new boy blows into town, her restlessness disappears. She soon learns that this boy is her guide, the person she's meant to be with, and the boy who will save her from using her gifts for evil.

3. Attend RT 2014 & meet Ryan Winfield. Anyone whose followed this blog knows that I'm a huge Ryan Winfield fan. I'm already registered for RT 2014, and then I found out he would be attending as well. Woo hoo! I can't wait to have him sign my third Park Service book :-) Then I'll have the entire trilogy signed by him!

4. Win NaNoWriMo for a second year! Last year was the first time I ever participated in NaNo -- thanks in large part to peer pressure from Isabel Sterling ;-) but it was such a rush! I absolutely loved it and can't wait to do it again.

5. Build my client list at Anaiah Press. I would love to sign and work closely with a minimum of 5 authors. A total of 9 or 10 would be awesome! Update: I've offered contracts to 2 authors that I'm dying to work with. So, I'm already well on my way to this goal. Stay tuned on Friday for a complete list of what I'm looking for.

What are your goals for 2014?

Feel free to share them in the comments :-)