Ready for my close-up

Spent a good portion of the past two days watching documentaries I've had sitting in my Netflix Instant Queue for months (ok, some close to a year... don't judge me) while working on a million things at once. If you've followed this blog at all you know I can't just sit still and often have several things going on at once. Such was the case with the documentary watching. Most of it was watched on my iPad while I helped kids with their homework and housework. (Love being able to lay the iPad down beside me while folding laundry!)

The problem with watching so many documentaries back-to-back is that you start to feel like you're starring in your own documentary and find yourself providing commentary for every day tasks. "While brushing her teeth, Saritza checks her to-do list on her iPad prioritizing items before consuming her first cup of coffee." I even had background music playing from my iTunes library on my iPad.

The funny thing is I used to do things like that when I was little. I used to pretend I had a camera crew following me around recording everything I did (I blame my very religious mother who made it a point to remind me Jesus was watching everything I did and I wanted to make sure he had a good show). The running commentary was all in my head and a few times I caught myself muttering some of it -- usually while waiting for the bus or for my parents to pick me up from school. I never thought my life was boring or not important for anyone else to enjoy. I simply thought there was someone watching me and I should make sure I entertained them.

Today the running commentary would have been funny as I usually say things in my head that sound a lot like Zoe Deschanel's character, Jess singing in her New Girl show. For example while drinking my Green Machine shake this morning I kept saying things like Hulk Smash those Greens and Guh-reen Mah-sheeeennnnn! Seriously, I scare myself sometimes!

Know Thyself

Know thyself. —Socrates

I've been on a constant search for identity as I reach my forties and I can safely say it's almost reached an obsessive level. My private journal is riddled with entries where I've asked myself "who are you" or are tagged "self-identity" and in this search for self-identity I've continue to answer: an agent. I'm the representative for a talent to a business who plans to exploit and benefit financially from said talent and I take this role very seriously.

I strive to be better at my job on a daily basis and I spend countless hours learning and absorbing information from an industry (who like our economy) is in a constant state of flux. There have been times (many, in fact) where I've felt insecure about my abilities and my knowledge of what I do but the minute I sit down and talk with a client, another agent or an editor, I know, without a shadow of a doubt who I am. I'm an agent!

In the beginning of my career, I had to continually explain and justify my role in the digital publishing industry to everyone and while I still find the need to explain why you need an agent in digital publishing as you do in traditional publishing, more and more people in my industry are understanding and following in my footsteps. I'm not the first agent to sell works to digital publishers but I was likely one of the first and now others contact me to learn about this "new frontier" and what our role is in the changing publishing landscape.

I had my confidence shaken several times throughout the course of my first few years but every experience I've had has been a defining moment in my quest for self-identity. Each perceived slight or "failure" in my path have become moments of self-assurance. It's a great feeling to see some of my former clients achieving success because I was their stepping stone toward that greatness. If I hadn't seen their talent, hadn't validated their ability to make a profession out of that talent, they would likely not be where they are and their first books would not be available for public consumption today. My belief in them opened the gates to their self-assurance.

I'm the adviser, advocate, consultant, counselor and defender of my clients' talent! My role is to make sure they make the right decision for their career. I'm not a gatekeeper! I don't stand at the gates of the publishing industry and decide who gets to pass through to see the Wizard and who has to take the sewer to make their way. That's not what I do. I search and find the diamonds in the rough, the pearls hiding in their shells and help polish and present them for the beauty they are to the jeweler who will set them for the world to see.

I know who I am and what I do. I know my purpose. Do you?

Giving Thanks

I often head straight for the fiction and literature section in my local Barnes & Noble and scan the shelves. I may pick up a book here and there with intent to purchase but 9 times out of 10 I spend my time looking for author names I know or recognize and seeing what they may have new that I haven't read yet. I may pick up a "new to me" author and browse through the first few pages then head over to to the romance section and do it all over again. 

The first thing I look at when I open the book is the acknowledgments page. Who did the author thank? Did they mention their editor and agent? I must admit that when I find a book without that acknowledgement, I put it back and feel a little sad that the author didn't thank them. I don't think it's because I'm an agent because it's a habit I've had all of my life and it doesn't prevent me from buying the book. It's just something I thought about today. 

I don't do this when browsing the eBook shelves. Not all eBooks are available to "sample" prior to purchasing (which is a huge peeve of mine and a discussion for another time) and those that do don't always auto-open at the frontmatter of the book. The frontmatter of a book usually consists of the title page, copyright page, acknowledgment page, table of contents and maps or "legend" pages in fantasy and sci-fi books. Most readers want to get right into the book when sampling (or so it's generally assumed) and therefore these pages are usually coded to skip when the eBook is opened. They can be navigated to via the table of contents or by the reader "flipping" back through the pages by hand.

Even with these, I navigate to the acknowledgments page (on the books I purchase) to see who the author thanks and why. It doesn't take away from the book or the author if they didn't thank their editor and agent but it does sadden me when their time and effort isn't acknowledged by the author.

What about you? What's the first thing you do when you pick up a new book off the shelf? Do you do the same thing with an eBook?

Having your a ha moment

Tree of Life by Hartwig HKD 

Oprah calls it an a-ha moment. That moment when you "get" something that makes you snap your fingers and say, oh my God, that's it! That's what I've been waiting for! I get it! I finally understand!

In his interview with Oprah for her new Next Chapter series,  George Lucas said people are always asking him "how do you know what your passion is" and he said, "if you get up to do something in the morning and have breakfast at 7 AM [then look up again only to] realize it's 7 PM then THAT's your passion."

What do I wake up thinking about every morning? In Sister Act 2, when Whoopi Goldberg's character talks to Lauryn Hill's character about singing in the choir when her mother says it's not worth her time, Sister Mary Clarence says, "if you wake up every morning thinking about singing, then you're meant to be a singer, baby!" That quote has stayed with me since I first heard it. I've always struggled with identifying my passion, though. What do I get excited about doing every day? Am I doing it? It's not just what you're good at, but what your heart's desire leads you to do without thought or persuasion. I'm passionate about my clients, their talent and successes. I wake up thinking of ways to help them sell new projects, break into new markets and expand their reach. I lie awake at night thinking about the manuscript, I had to make myself put down so I could get a few hours' sleep and the editors I want to send the work to. I'm passionate about doing a good job for my clients.

Do your dreams and what you're passionate about, include your partner's hopes and dreams? Talking with my husband, I realized we hadn't talked about our hopes and dreams in a very long time and whether what I am excited about interferes with what he is passionate about. We both looked at each other and realized... And vocalized at the same time how we didn't have a unified, defined dream for our relationship and our family. THAT was my a-ha moment. That was the moment I realized I've always chased one dream or another but never really stopped to think if my dream was at odds with my husband's. Thankfully, my aspirations never got in the way of our relationship and we have been good about keeping the lines of communication open between us. Now, I'm more mindful to share my hopes and dreams with him. To vocalize them and ask him to do the same and soon we will sit down and talk about our hopes and dreams for our relationship and our family again.

So what happens when inevitably your head and heart won't agree. Now, I'm a firm believer in having and fulfilling your "heart's desire" but it's important to remember that when you allow your heart to guide you, your head will likely be at odds with it. Our heart is the free-loving, risk-taker that makes us see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but our head is usually more conservative. Insecurities pop up, fears grow and the future starts to look grim. That's where balance comes in and for some, balance is not easy to come by on their own. If you have a partner, open up to them about your fears and your dreams. Share the good and the bad while bouncing ideas off of them to keep you off the ledge. Remember though, that no desire can become real without hard work, determination and above all, perseverance! 

As I was typing this entry, Morgan Freeman's episode on Oprah's Master Class started and his interview couldn't have come at a better time. "It's not just about having a dream," Oprah Winfrey says at the start of the show, "it's about working to make your dream come true." Here's what I walked away with from his interview about making your dreams come true:

• Let providence be your guide - Your fate lies in that. Even in the most dire of times, providence can show you the fork in the road where you're supposed to take the off ramp. Look at every apparent stumbling block as providence guiding you to where you're supposed to be.
• Declare who you are - don't accept what those around you call you or "title" you to be. Be who you are! Declare it! Then live by that declaration! Don't just fake it, till you make it! You can't fake what you are! You can't fake authenticity! Be your most authentic self!
• Be irreplaceable - make sure no one can do what you do better than you. Believe that no one can do what you do better than you.
• Listen to learn - how can you learn if you can't listen? If you're spending more time shouting at the wind than you are experiencing its melodic sound, you're not learning anything! Spend more time listening to the universe all around you and LEARN from it... then make sure to leave a lesson behind for someone else to hear.

"If you're not living on the edge, you're taking too much space!" — Morgan Freeman

Judging a book by its cover

We all do it, right? We scan the shelves at the bookstore, grocery store, or online bookstore and if we don't know the author, we make our decision about a book purchase solely on the cover of the book.

Publishers know how important good cover design is and those with a strong budget and staff, hire freelance cover artists whose works can help them sell books. Some have an entire Design department with a  Design Manager overseeing the cover art requests and assigning the work to various cover designers. These folks take the time to not only ensure the cover design is aesthetically pleasing but also meets photo and digital rights requirements as well as marketing scopes which will help sell the book to the right demographic. Not all publishers have the budget or staff allocated to do this but those that do, I've found, tend to sell more books than those who don't.

Regardless of whether your publisher has one of these nifty Design department managers on staff or not, it's important to remember that as the author of the work, you should have approval of the design and a say-so in what will become the visual representation of the work you've spent years perfecting for public consumption. Don't "settle" for a cover you're not happy with simply because you're afraid to "rock the boat" with your publisher.

Make your opinion count and learn to pick your battles. Start with a strong cover art request. It should be distinctive and straight-forward. Cover designers do NOT read your book before designing your cover but it should look like they have. Best way to ensure your cover will reflect the message you're trying to convey is by avoiding "symbolism" or obtuse descriptions in your cover request. Keep it simple! Most authors do well with the character descriptions but when it comes time to explain the context of the book, their flare for the dramatic can be the detriment of their cover design. 

Characterization: What do your characters look like? Don't say tan, blue-eyed, blond hero and brunette heroine if your hero is really Hispanic but blond and blue-eyed or you may end up with a very Nordic-looking hero that looks nothing like what you describe in the book. My biggest pet peeve (and my clients will attest to this) is misrepresentation on the cover of any book. It doesn't take much to describe your characters in your cover request. Include body build (gym rat muscle build, swimmer's body, marathon runner, tall and lanky, short and stout), hair color and length (long blond hair versus buzz cut, for example) and nationality if it's prevalent to the story.

Location and theme: Where does your book take place and what is it about? Is it a paranormal thriller set in present-day England or a contemporary romance set in the Caribbean? Knowing the setting and theme of the book will help the cover artist choose the right color palette. If it's a dark, erotic tale, make sure this is clear in your cover request or you could end up with a pastel color palette on your BDSM novel. If it's a contemporary romance set in Arizona, the color palette and setting should reflect the vibrant colors of the Tex-Mex region not the blues and grays of an urban are in Seattle.

Genre: Make sure your cover reflects your genre especially if writing in Sci-fi, high fantasy or paranormal subgenres. If your story takes place in space but your cover has a hilly countryside setting in the background it can be avoided by the readers you're trying to target simply because they don't know it's their type of book. If you're an unknown author or a brand new one, this is could hurt your initial sales.

If you're a self-published author, you know and may appreciate the value of a good cover more than traditionally-published (including dig pub) authors do. When you're the publisher, you have to hire your team and likely design the cover on your own. Unless you're a graphic designer at heart, artist or have some cover design experience, please don't attempt to design the cover on your own. If you have the funds, hire a professional and like any contractor you hire, do your research. Don't base your decision solely on their web portfolio, website or business card design. Send them a cover request for your book and try them out. Choose the graphic designer who conveys your vision on that cover best and for the best price.

As a published author you're part of a team and you need to be a team player, but remember you're the quarterback not the water boy. You call the plays and your team helps you to carry it through to score the winning goal: sales!

Submission Guidelines

I'm now re-open to submissions and looking forward to seeing what 2012 brings! Please read through this post as a few things have changed.

So... what am I currently "shopping for" and how do you get those wonderful goodies in my little hands? By following the next steps:

What I AM looking for:

Novel-length romance only in the following subcategories:

1. Erotic Romance
   • Male/Male
   • Female/Male
   • Menage (any combination though partial to m/m/f)
2. Paranormal Romance - Not YA
   • Angels
   • Demons
   • Mythical Beasts (Dragons, Leviathans, Krakens)
   • Ghosts
   • Were-animals
   • Vampires
   • Zombies (yes, believe it or not)
3. Historical Erotic Romance
   • Ancient Egypt
   • Mayan Era
   • Aztec Era
   • 1920s through 1960s
4. Steampunk Erotic/Non-erotic Romance
5. Sci-Fi Erotic/Non-erotic Romance
   • Cyberpunk Romance
   • Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic Romance
6. BDSM-themed Erotic Romance
7. Contemporary Romance
   • Urban Fantasy Romance
   • Romantic Suspense
   • Romantic Comedy

What I AM NOT looking for:

1. Literary Fiction
2. Christian Fiction
3. Contemporary Romance WITHOUT erotic elements
   • Sensual Romance
4. Young Adult Fiction
5. Children's Books

How to Query Me:

1. All queries MUST come in via e-mail at sh@lperkinsagency.com. I work in the digital marketplace and will be submitting your work to digital publishers. While I seek to represent both traditional and digital publishing, I will not be accepting printed queries (evidenced also by the lack of mailing address to reach me). Make sure your query is in the body of the e-mail, not an attachment.
2. In the subject line of your e-mail please indicate "Query - [Title of your book]" (Please only send queries for completed manuscripts.)
3. Please address the e-mail to me personally. Ms. Hernandez, Dear Saritza, Mrs. Hernandez, All Mighty and Powerfully Benevolent Ruler of all Coffee Drinks will also work. Don't say "To whom it may concern" or "ePub Agent" it's not only tacky but shows very poor dedication as an author to not even know my name before asking me to take a look at your manuscript.
4. Start your query telling me about the book including the main character(s) names. What's the main plot point of your story?
5. Include a word count in your query letter. Yes, the manuscript MUST BE complete before you query. While I'm very interested in knowing what you're working on, I want to devote my time to helping you sell what you've finished.
6. Please attach a full summary or synopsis and the first five pages of your novel to your query. Be specific and extremely detailed in this summary and don't hold anything back. If the story has a surprise ending, I need to know that in the summary. I may not be a spoiler whore when it comes to my movies and TV shows, but if I'm going to sell your work, there can be no surprises. Tell me how it ends!

The turnaround time for replies to queries is running at 8-10 weeks. Please allow this time before contacting me again regarding your query. I respond to all queries received. If I do not contact you within the 8-10 week turnaround time, please nudge me with a quick email.

We wish you a Happy New Year!

As we get ready to say good-bye to 2011 and welcome the new year, I'm grateful for the many new experiences and life lessons learned this year. Most of all, I'm grateful to welcome 2012 with these three gorgeous people in my life. Hubby and I could not be more proud of the young men and woman they are growing up to be. They are the reason we smile (and pull our hair out every day) and the motivating factor to be better people every day.

We wish you all a avery happy and prosperous new year!

Book releases, awards and reviews, oh my!

So many great things going on today and this week in general as the holiday fast approaches and I do my best to close out the last projects in my inbox so I can enjoy it with the family without work interruptions. I'm the queen of lists so here we go:

1. New Releases from Clients Today: Click on covers to purchase books
   
   • Battered Hearts: Defying the Odds Book 1 - by Kele Moon is available for purchase today. This steamy holiday tale will certainly keep you warm throughout the holiday and is features a sinfully delicious UFC fighter with a heart of gold and a body that won't quit!
     

     Book blurb: When struggling waitress Melody Dylan gives a handsome, lonely stranger a simple gift she has no clue her life is about to take a drastic turn.
     
     The stranger ends up being Clay Powers, a famous UFC heavyweight fighter. Clay’s large build and dangerous fists have always intimidated. People in his hometown keep their distance and Clay is fine with that. Everything changes when a new waitress at the local diner buys him a piece of pie on Thanksgiving. Touched by the gesture when it’s obvious she can barely afford to survive, her warm smile and lush body churn up powerful feelings that leave Clay wanting more from her than pie.
     
     Melody is running from her past and the small, country town of Garnet is the perfect hiding place. With an ex-husband after her and scars from her abusive marriage etched deep, the last thing she expects is to fall for a man who makes a living with his fists, but she can’t resist Clay or the tender connection they share.
     
     Finding love in the most unlikely of places, the passion is undeniable, but Clay and Melody know their haunted pasts and unpredictable futures leave the odds stacked against them.

   • The Vampire and the Werewolf by Louisa Bacio is also available for purchase today. This prequel to her very successful The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf series features her gorgeous and darkly delicious vampire and werewolf before their lives were forever changed by the enigmatic Lily made them a family.
     

     Book blurb: Vampires and werewolves don't mix ... or do they?
     Before there were three, there were two. When a vampire swoops in to save Trevor from a rogue gang's blood sport, the werewolf must fight his own inhibitions. The magic of New Orleans and the holiday season bring together these two unlikely lovers.

   
   
2. Awards and Accolades:
   
   • Rainbow Awards - So proud of client Heidi Cullinan for her THREE awards:
     

     • Nowhere Ranch: First Place, Best Gay Erotic Contemporary
     • Dance With Me: Honorable Mention, Best Gay Contemporary Romance
     • Nowhere Ranch: Third Place, Best Character Development

   • So excited to see that The Rainbow Awards made history this year and were featured on the Advocate.com website. Love to see these authors getting the recognition they deserve!
   
   
3. Reviews Are In:
   
   • Valiant One by Jay E. Hughes gets 4 hearts from The Romance Studio. This Historical M/M Romance, dubbed the Gay Braveheart, is one you do not want to miss!
     

     Valiant One surprised me. I do not know what I expected but what I found was better than any expectations I have.

   • The Chameleon Goggles by Maureen O. Betita gets 5 stars from The Romance Reviews and awards it a Top Pick!
     

     THE CHAMELEON GOGGLES was unlike anything I've ever read before. With a combination of steampunk and pirates, [piratepunk] it was full of adventure and fantasy, [with] an underlying love story.

   • Finding Eden by Kele Moon gets 5 hearts from MM Good Bok Reviews.
     

     "Highly recommend to anyone who wants an intense love story between two young men, trying to find themselves and each other."

Career Paths: Livejournal Writer's Block

If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?

I'm almost in the career path I've always wanted. I love working with authors and working in the publishing industry so being an agent has certainly been the right step for me. I love public speaking though so I'd love to be one of those folks that travel across the country talking and teaching about some of the things I'm passionate about: writing, family and GLBT issues.

Originally posted on here

Queries Update

Have finally gone through all of my queries. If you have not received a reply from me, please resubmit the work after the new year when I re-open to submissions. I tried to reply to all queries received but I'm sure I missed a few so forgive me if your work was not acknowledged or replied to. A few folks have been gracious enough to poke me nicely about their submissions and I truly appreciate it.

I hope to re-open to submissions in a few weeks (mid-January) and will update this blog with new submission requirements and what I will be shopping for at the time so keep watching this space. Lots of great stuff coming up in 2012!