Writers in the Storm

 Today we are honored to host Kathryn Falk, also known as Lady Barrow. She’s hailed as "Queen of Romance" and a "brilliant, phenomenal promoter" by the New York Times. Kathryn is the founder of Romantic Times Magazine, now RT Book Reviews. She and her magazine became the voice for reading fans and professional writers alike when there was none. I have known Kathryn for many years and followed her career, finding her one of the most fascinating women I know. Today, she's here to tell us a bit of her history and how a review magazine works.

Hello to the WITS gang and their readers. It’s really fun being here today.

One of the most fun and interesting times in my life started in 1981 when I founded RT Book Reviews - then called Romantic Times -- the very first Romance review publication.  I believed that if millions of women were buying the new sensual historical novels, they must be like me and want information about the books and authors, the illustrators, cover models, and how-to-write articles.

Of course, people thought I was a little crazy. No one believed romance readers needed or wanted a publication. But I knew the subject, having been a rabid historical reader my whole life, head of the library club in school, and fashioned my life after Angelique, in the French historical series!

 I also knew that the old maxim is true: You need talent and opportunity - then you need luck!

 I was a whiz of a typist and I believed in myself. My new boyfriend (now my husband) was very sweet and supportive. I began working out of a walk-in closet in his 1870 carriage house in Brooklyn Heights where we both still reside - on the 2nd floor above his private antique coin-op museum.

My first issue was tabloid- style, on newsprint. It was supposed to be a newsletter but I couldn't afford glossy white paper. Besides, the low cost meant I could have a 24-page tabloid with room for articles, interviews, illustrators, publishing news, etc. Even astrological signs! I discovered that there were more Sagittarians than any other sign. Which is my sign, too.

 My mother-in-law, an English professor and lecturer on English Classics was my first reviewer. Only about 30 books were covered, since the romance industry was in its infancy. Writer's Digest had been advertising for authors like crazy.

Kathie Robin and the late, great Melinda Helfer wrote, asking to contribute to the publication. And then there were four!

In the early days, no one knew the authors and I needed some credibility for starting a publication, so in 1982 I wrote my first book on that subject. Love's Leading Ladies, containing 65 profiles of romance writers. It was Pinnacle’s first over-sized trade edition.

Among the authors interviewed were: Barbara Cartland, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Bertrice Small, Janet Dailey, Rosemary Rogers, Shirlee Busbee, Jude Deveraux, Victoria Holt,  Patricia Mathews, Janet Louise Roberts, LaVyrle Spencer, Dorothy Garlock, Cynthia Wright, Phyllis Whitney, Jayne ( Castle) Krentz, etc.  My editor was Bonnie Golightly, the muse for "Breakfast at Tiffany" and my former neighbor in Greenwich Village.

We spent a lot of time conceiving our review system. At one point, we added a sensuality rating since many women preferred reading a Sweet book while others wanted to know if a book was Hot.

Our vetting process for reviewers was, and still is a very serious process. We look for long-time readers with favorite genres, who exhibited clarity and intelligence in their review writing. For the first few months, we ask other reviewers to read the books and check out the reviews and ratings of new hires.

As happens in any business, we did have one clunker. Her career with us was very short as she never met a book she didn't like. I also caught her begging free (old) titles from authors. She was finally caught at Amazon posting a dozen or more reviews daily. Unprofessional behavior isn’t tolerated.

So what happens when an author complains about an Interview? We “always” respond to the author and investigate the issue by asking our editors to read the book. Then we compare notes. RT has longtime reviewers who are fair-minded. Over the years, they have read the best and the worst. And of course they have a gauge for their ratings. A book may have many good qualities, which the reviews explain to our readers, but it's not a top pick if it isn't in the same league with the greats.

Some of the reviewers are very picky - in the past we have received complaints that our reviews were "soft" so we came up with a stiffer criteria for judging.

We have a responsibility as a Bookseller's and Reader's Buying Guide. Many women have budgets for their books, so we hope our reviewers help them find books they want.

Is our system perfect? It can't be. Reading is personal. Each reviewer has a criteria and personal taste.

Besides its reviews, RT has become known for its fantastic conventions. In 1982, I organized the first Romantic Times Booklovers Convention. Held in New York City, the one-day event at the St. Regis Hotel attracted mostly aspiring authors and the newly-published. We honored the top authors -- Rosemary Rogers, Anya Seton, Tom Huff aka Jennifer Wilde, Elsie Lee, and book packager Lyle Kenton Engel.

I promoted this event in RT by inviting publishers and agents to hold court in various hotel suites, giving attendees the opportunity to discuss their manuscripts. We crammed in a lot in that one day, the awards ceremony, a "date with a prince" (the late Prince Kedker), seminars and a book fair.

Later that year, I was approached by Crown Books and wrote How to Write a Romance and Get It Published. A few years later, NAL published an up-dated paperback. It sold over 100,000 copies.

Our second convention presented the Romance business in full glory at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. I sponsored a Love Train that went from California to New York, picking up readers and writers along the way. My roommate was Elsie Washington, author of the first black romance, published by Ecstasy's editor Vivian Stephen, who founded RWA.

Women dressed in pink waited for us at every station. George Csisery and his film crew were on board and made a movie called "Where the Heart Roams."

Over the years we've developed new ways to attract readers including 20 Mr. Romance Pageants with my discovery, Fabio. After 5 conventions in NY, we took our conventions around the country, a practice that still continues.

As readers and writers expanded from category romance and historicals to many other genres we changed the name of the publication to RT Book Reviews, and we are now also in digital format.

We work hard on our internet presence, the RTBookReviews.com web site has blogs, videos, banner ads, and archives -- some 40,00 reviews. Thousands of authors can be discovered there.

Our goal has always been to have cutting-edge information. We were the first to recognize erotic books, in the days when one publisher asked, "why are you promoting dirty books?" That same publisher, a few years later stood up and said, "our bestselling books are erotica." And he whispered to me, "Hush!"

We persuaded Walter Zacharius to publish black romances. And we supported the very first women who saw the future of e-books. Publishers called me about that, too. I said, "it's new blood." I’ve always known business doesn't stay static. Books, to my mind, are like fashion -- "They change every year. If you don't keep up, you become a dinosaur.”

Carol Stacy, our publisher, has been a big promoter of YA. She created the first Saturday YA program which has attracted mothers and daughters from around the country. She also created Fan-tastic day which meant we had no more time or space for the Mr. Romance Pageant - which many readers sorely miss. We do have a Reunion party, and the cover models add a lot of testosterone to our events.

My favorite part of our May 2013 Conference – our 30^th -- was a reunion of a dozen of the original Historical Romance authors from the 1970s and 80s. A surprise attendee at the convention was E.L. James.

Next year, in New Orleans, we expect our biggest convention turn-out yet. Our agenda is easily 45 pages.

Although I'm retired, I still keep in touch from my organic farm in Texas. Occasionally I have time to visit my village of Barrow in England, my Alpine house in Austria, and my restored house in the ancient city of Badolatoin Calabria.

My husband is now President of RT -- I tell everyone he slept his way to the top! Engaged 29 years and married almost 4 years, it seems to be working. He commutes from Texas to Brooklyn, where he's working on a book devoted to cigar vending machines.

I'm so glad I was a romance reader and that our books and RT magazine mean the world to readers.

By Susan Spann

Last month, my guest blog here at Writers in the Storm looked at some of the duties a literary executor performs [But What Does a Literary Trustee DO? (Part 1)] in the course of his or her duties. Today, we’ll finish up with a look at the executor (or trustee)’s other duties: long-term estate administration, distribution to beneficiaries and heirs, and resolution of estate-based conflicts.

Remember, we’re looking only at functions of a literary executor or trustee – a general executor (or trustee) will have additional duties (again, consult an attorney to find out more). Also, these functions are common to both executors and trustees, so although there are some differences between them, each will have to perform these duties: trustees when there’s a trust involved and executors when they’re acting on behalf of an author’s probated or non-probated estate.

LONG-TERM ESTATE (or TRUST) ADMINISTRATION

Once the estate is opened or the author’s trust is being administered by the successor Trustee named to act after the author’s death, and after the assets have been collected and a preliminary accounting accomplished, the executor or trustee will need to create a plan of distribution outlining when, and how, each of the author’s literary and intellectual property assets will be managed and, as appropriate, distributed to the beneficiaries named in the author’s will or trust.

In the case of a simple will or trust, the assets are usually distributed fairly quickly so no long-term administration is required.

When the author’s estate plan includes “life estates” (a situation where one person receives the income from an asset for his or her life and someone else receives either the income or ownership of the asset after the “life tenant” dies) or long-term instructions, however, the trustee or executor will need to manage some or all of the assets for an extended period of time. In most states, this means the executor will need to produce regular accountings of the trust assets and reports or other informational statements to tell the beneficiaries about the financial status of the trust (or estate). This usually requires the help of an attorney, and often also an accountant familiar with trust and estate accountings.

Seem confusing? It can be.

Before creating long, complex estate plans, be sure to consider these issues:

1.         Your named executor or trustee will need the business skills to handle long-term management and accounting of your literary assets.

2.         Long term estate or trust administration usually requires the help of an attorney and an accountant, so make sure your estate generates enough income to cover those costs as well as providing income for your beneficiaries.

3.         Most of the time, heirs do better with simple plans that avoid the costs and complexities of long-term estate administration.

DISTRIBUTION TO BENEFICIARIES AND HEIRS

When the will or trust contains instructions for assets to be distributed directly to heirs or beneficiaries, the executor or trustee will follow a three-step process:

1.         Create a distribution plan showing how the individual assets will be distributed or transferred to the named beneficiaries. If necessary, the executor or trustee will have this plan approved by a court, though most trusts don’t require court supervision.

2.         Distribute the assets to the beneficiaries (after court approval, if required) and obtain signed receipts from each beneficiary acknowledging receipt of the proper assets.

3.         Perform a final accounting and close the trust or estate. Sometimes this requires court supervision or approval (particularly in the case of an estate). Sometimes the estate or trust involves both short-term and long-term administration, in which case the executor or trustee will distribute some assets fairly quickly and then manage the rest of the assets over time.

RESOLUTION OF ESTATE-BASED CONFLICTS

Whether the estate involves only short-term administration and distribution, a combination of short and long-term duties, or a long-term administrative obligation, the executor or trustee will need solid conflict-resolution skills.

Sometimes conflicts arise between the various beneficiaries, either with regard to management of the various assets or to the way the assets are divided and distributed.

Sometimes the executor or trustee needs to negotiate deal terms, either with pre-existing publishers or with publishers and others who want to publish the author’s works for the first time after the author’s death.

In either case, the conflict usually resolves more easily, and with better results, if the executor or trustee has the skills to work with people and defuse tensions.

OTHER DUTIES

Literary executors and trustees have other duties, also, which may vary with the scope and contents of an author’s estate or trust. However, the duties we’ve looked at this month and last month give a fairly accurate summary of the standard obligations.

As a rule of thumb, the more complex your estate or trust, the harder your executor or trustee will need to work – so keep that in mind while planning your estate.

Next month, and appropriately as we enter the holiday season, we’ll take a look at the flip side of author estate planning: how to choose who inherits your creative works.

Have questions? Please feel free to ask in the comment section – I’d love to hear from you!

Susan Spann is a publishing attorney and author from Sacramento, California. Her debut mystery novel, CLAWS OF THE CAT (Thomas Dunne Books, July 2013), is the first in a series featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori. Susan blogs about writing, publishing law and seahorses at http://www.SusanSpann.com. Find her on Twitter @SusanSpann or on Facebook.

   Writers in the Storm welcomes Jacqueline Diamond, author of over 95 novels, including romantic comedy, romantic suspense, fantasy, mystery and Regency historical romance. A two-time finalist for the Rita Award, Jackie received a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times and is a former reporter and TV columnist for the Associated Press. She writes the Safe Harbor Medical miniseries for Harlequin American Romance and is revising and reissuing some of her old favorites as e-books.

 By Jacqueline Diamond

As a reader, you may scan dozens of covers each time you select a book. Some appeal to you instantly; some put you off. Others are confusing. You wonder, Why isn’t this obvious to the cover designer?

Then one day you self-publish a book and have to design, choose or commission a cover of your own. Even a previously published book needs a new design since rights to the original cover usually remain with the original publisher.

As your own artistic director, you’ll discover this seemingly simple task is more challenging than expected.

Five Tips To Get You Started:

1. The genre should be immediately apparent to the reader
2. The image and words should be easy to discern in a very small reproduction.
3. The colors should show up well against a white background.
4. Keep it uncluttered. Don’t try to include every element in the book.
5. Strive for an emotional connection with the reader.

One reader told me she bought my romantic comedy The Cowboy and the Heiress partly  because the cowboy was so cute. I designed this cover myself using Photoshop Elements and a model whose image I bought for $10 from a stock photo site. I also used visual elements (a wooden frame and magical wedding rings) from free sites such as Stock Xchng and RGBS Free Stock Photos, making sure to thank the artists.

Some authors are trained artists or have a family member who is. Others may choose to pay several hundred dollars for a professional cover.

Here are the basic cover design options:

•  Find and hire a professional designer. The results are likely (but not guaranteed) to please you and readers.
• Buy a cover from a site that will adapt pre-designed covers to your name and title. There are numerous choices, and the look is professional. However, you risk having a cover very similar to other books.
• Use an aspiring cover designer or other talented semiprofessional. You will pay less, or possibly nothing, and in return provide a credit and exposure. Results vary and you are not necessarily guaranteed exclusivity of design.
• If you have an artistic eye and are willing to spend the time, learn to use a program such as Photoshop or the simplified version, Photoshop Elements. You can purchase photos of models from a stock site such as  iStockphoto.com and Dreamstime.com. There are various pricing arrangements. I also buy many of images at ShutterStock. Canva has free as well as photos to purchase.
• Cobble something together with a less sophisticated program and hope for the best. This is risky in today’s competitive e-book market, especially for novels, but it suits some authors.

 A word on Photoshop: I don’t recommend trying the professional edition unless you’re a serious graphic designer. Photoshop Elements is more beginner-friendly, but if you have no digital design experience at all (I didn’t), it too can be daunting. If, like me, you would enjoy learning to design covers, it can be fun, but it’s definitely not easy. For starters, I recommend buying a copy of Photoshop Elements: The Missing Manual (here’s the link for the latest version, Photoshop Elements 11). This book provides an overview and a lot of helpful information. I also recommend subscribing to Photoshop Elements User.

Caution: if you use a picture of a “real” person, make sure you have a signed model release or buy it from a stock photo site that keeps these on record. I recommend against using any image that was simply posted on a sharing site, as you risk infringing on copyright.

There is no perfect answer for every writer or every book. I’ve used several approaches. My Regency romance covers, Lady in Disguise and A Lady's Point of View, etc. were professionally designed by Kelly at Custom Graphics at Etsy.

For my romantic comedy Yours, Mine and Ours, about a nanny who discovers she’s supervising her own triplets via egg donation, I bought a delightful stock photo of three children (I looked at hundreds of pictures before finding it). The background is a courtyard I photographed while on vacation, and touched up with Photoshop Elements.

Hope this helps start you on your journey to e-book cover success

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