Interview with Les Denton

by Daisy Willis

Les Denton is the owner of Assent Publishing, LLC, a publishing company she founded to bring quality authors and readers together. Les serves as the managing editor for Bad Day Books, Assent's horror, thirller, and suspense imprint. Les will be taking pitches at the Write Stuff conference, looking for new authors to sign and work with.

Assent Publishing supports their authors by offering them a full curriculum--for free--that teaches the skills and strategies needed for sales success. This curriculum is offered through Assent Academy. 

GLVWG member Daisy Willis contacted Les to ask her questions about her company and the types of writing she's interested in.

What inspired you to found your own publishing company, and what sets it apart from the rest?

When the internet broke ground, I offered services in technology. It was an exciting time and I was able to offer many new things to people and businesses. I also write and surround myself in that environment. Recent changes in the publishing industry brought this fresh opportunity to mind, just like the birth of the internet. It is an exciting new frontier where authors have more opportunity than ever before, which is why I founded Assent Publishing.

We are a new, groundbreaking publishing company that stands apart from half-effort e-publishers and old-school traditional publishers. We have proven strategies and an understanding of author marketing needs, a commitment to distribution solutions, and dedication to publishing high quality books. I am excited to be the only publisher to present Assent Academy, the first of its kind, which offers professionally taught marketing and book business curriculum and customized advice at no charge to our authors throughout their careers with Assent Publishing.

You're managing editor for Assent's horror, thriller and suspense imprint, Bad Day Books (great name, by the way!). What's hot in these genres and what's decidedly not?

Thank you for the kind words. The purpose of this imprint is to transcend horror to embrace all goosebump raising, fret inducing, bad day stories. Readers are in it for the ride right now and they seek adrenaline-pumping storylines. Thrillers are big right now. What better way to take a thrill ride without having to leave the comfort of your favorite reading chair. In horror, I love psychological horror and there is a lot of great new material out there drawing attention to the genre.

What’s not so hot? Don’t get me wrong, I love zombies, but they are weighing down the shelves a bit right now. My advice: Make zombies a support element, not the driving force of your book.

Can you tell us about something you've published recently that you're really excited about and that exemplifies Assent Publishing?

There is a great deal of talent out there and it is so hard to narrow the list. I like to think forward and there are a few books we are polishing that I am really excited about. As I mentioned earlier, thrillers are big right now. So are strong female characters. The Pact by C.N. Bring is the first military thriller in a series about a strong female character surviving in a predominately man’s world. On the fantasy front, Rise of the Raven Knights by Paul DeThroe takes an average, contemporary man into the realm of the supernatural, surrounded by demons, shape-shifters, ghosts, danger from evil forces, and a few ill-timed magical disasters.

I am also excited to publish books that assist authors. The second edition of Finding Author Success: Discovering and Uncovering the Marketing Power within your Manuscript by Deborah Riley-Magnus has been updated to address today’s hurdles to success for authors in this turbulent publishing landscape.

What's your role as an editor in the publishing process? What do you find most rewarding and most challenging about the job?

As managing editor for Bad Day Books, I stay with our authors from submission to publication and beyond. We are excited about the career of each author, and the submission process is a great way to find not only the right manuscripts, but to begin sharing a future vision with each author. Working with authors throughout the creative process of publishing is rewarding. Finding bandwidth is challenging and we are constantly streamlining our processes and developing new roles as new talent comes on board to accommodate growth.

Any gems of advice for writers gearing up to pitch or submit their work?

Writing a novel is a process. As a part of concept, and certainly along the voyage, the writer should interact with their target audience through research and marketing. By the time the manuscript draft is complete, the twenty-five word pitch, short description, and even some of the book platform should be in place. Pitching the book should be a natural extension of this process and not, mentally at least, a separate step. Build a plan that shows you know your target audience, your hooks, your competition, and your characters and storyline from different perspectives. By not waiting until you write “The End” to start doing this homework, your pitch will be solid and your knowledge and enthusiasm will sell both you and your work.

Interview with Sara D'Emic

by Daisy Willis

 

Sara D'Emic is an Associate Agent with Talcott Notch Literary and is actively extending her client base. She will be taking pitches at this year'sWrite Stuff conference and is interested in adult or YA mainstream fiction, fantasy, horror, sci-fi, mystery, and any and all sub genres of those categories.

 

GLVWG member Daisy Willis got in touch with Sara to ask her some questions.

 

Have you always wanted to be an agent? Have you ever been a writer?

 

It's the other way around: I've always wanted to be a writer, and I didn't seek out agenting specifically. I always wanted to work with authors and their books, so when the opportunity to become an agent came I took it. I still write in my spare time.

 

How have your internships prepared you for your career as a literary agent?

 

My first internship was reading the slush pile for a literary magazine, at my second I edited a manuscript. Both helped me develop a critical eye and a business sense.

 

As a relatively new agent, how do you build a great client base?

 

With less clients I have more time to spend on reading submissions and editing, and so I can find authors who might otherwise get skipped over. Plus I mostly attract authors who are just starting their careers, who have a lot of books in them.

 

What have you sold recently that you're excited about?

 

To sort of twist the question, there is a sequel in the works for R.F. Sharp's No Regrets, No Remorse which I'm very excited about. Because I love working with series. You connected with certain characters and their world and it's so fun to revisit them. I didn't sell the original but came on to negotiate Sharp's contract which I'm glad for since I love his work. He always has a classic hard-boiled tone with an unorthodox cast.

 

What do you wish you would find right now in your submissions?

 

An awesome fantasy, adult or YA. I also want, and this is a little abstract, stories with morally ambiguous, conflicted, or anti-heroic characters.

 

What really catches your attention in a query letter (good or bad)?

 

In a good query it's something that makes me really want to read the book. It's the same feeling you get when you start a good mystery: you know enough to be intrigued and are curious enough to continue. On the other end of the scale, usually when someone is trying to get my attention it ends up being bad. Just because I remember it doesn't mean I'll represent it. The worst are queries with that informercial feel: "this book will sell a centillion copies, but wait there's more, my mom said she loved it."

 

What are the benefits for writers going to a boutique agency like Talcott Notch Literary?

 

We give the same level of service as the big agencies! I'd say we're more willing to work with new writers; a lot of what we do is going through the slush pile. We also work as more of a team, so you're not just getting one individual's expertise.

 

Best piece of advice for writers?

 

Do research, use social media for it, google everything. A lot of people shoot themselves in the foot at the query stage because they don't know what to do or who to query or even what an agent does. There are ins and outs and facets of publishing in general that authors should know about to make the best career decision. For example, most people realize self-publishing is an option but don't know how to be successful at it, or if their work is better suited for a traditional deal or not. A novella about a talking cuttlefish told partially in iambic pentameter won't sell to the Big Six, but that doesn't mean it won't do well on the kindle store. There's no shortage of information about publishing, and you'll only help yourself by seeking it out.