Black Velvet Seductions Writers Blog

Recipes aren’t just for cooking! Every publisher has a perfect winning recipe for success! Having one is what drives their business.

In tonight’s chat we’ll talk about how to discern a publisher’s secret recipe and how to use the knowledge of these secret recipes to communicate with editors in a way that gets more positive responses to query letters, pitches, and submissions.

The chat is at 9 PM Eastern in the Black Velvet Seductions chatroom at: http://www.blackvelvetseductions.com/Chat%20Room.html

According to a blog post by Emily Williams on the Digital Book World Blog book deals were once upon a time easy. Books were a physical, tangible thing. There were paperbacks and hardbacks. Even audio books were physical in the sense that when you purchased them you purchased a box containing audio tapes or a CD of the recorded book.

In days of old book contracts were simple–or at least more simple according to Emily’s post. Publishers bought rights to paperback, hardback, and sometimes audio. They bought the rights for the life of the copyright or until the book went out of print.

But, according to Emily things are changing…for authors and publishers.

Ebooks are shaking up the status quo…and no one, publisher or author, really knows what the landscape of that future will look like. Big questions for everyone in the industry include questions about just how much of a role ebooks will play. Will they overtake physical paper books or will they continue to be just one piece of the pie…and how big will that piece of the pie be? In the wake of the many changes affecting the publishing industry more agents are opting for shorter contracts — those that renew in 3-5 years as opposed to those that extend the full life of the copyright.

Would a short term contract or a long term contract be better for you? Given the option, should you opt for a life of the copyright contract or a shorter contract that gives you (and the publisher) the right to reevaluate the publishing agreement at pre-defined intervals?

Emily’s post includes some things to think about when making this decision.

At Black Velvet Seductions our contracts extend for three years but renew automatically each year following until such time as the author notifies us that they no longer want us to continue publishing their book — or we notify them that we no longer wish to continue publishing their book. The reason why we think this is the best idea (and why we set up our contracts this way) is that we don’t think it is a good idea for any author to sign away the lion’s share of their rights — or their ability to seek a better offer for their work for an extended period of time. Things change. The industry changes. Paperback rights may be more important than ebook rights right now, but no one knows for sure whether that will continue. With paper book sales struggling and ebook sales growing by triple digit percentages there is every possibility that ebooks will become a force equal to or greater than paper books. The day that happens may not in all actuality be that distant. Amazon already announced that their sales of Kindle ebooks outpaced their sales of hard back books. Given that one must wonder how long it will be before the same happens with paperbacks.

As an author, most authors are paid a larger percentage of royalties on sales of ebooks than on sales of paperbacks. Paperback royalties usually range from 7% – 15% and ebook royalties from 10%-50%. Currently authors published by big houses tend to give up some ebook royalties in favor of more distribution into brick and mortar stores. The question for authors to consider is how long will this be a good decision…and whether they want to tie up a book this way for the life of the copyright or whether they would prefer to sign a shorter term contract that gives them (or their agent) the right to renegotiate the royalties for ebooks down the road when ebooks have a bigger piece of the overall sales pie.  

It is my personal opinion that it is to an author’s advantage to maintain some degree of flexibility as the industry changes.  Books are the author’s work product. Author’s spend months or years creating that product. If they wish to make their living from writing they must value not only the product they create but the rights to publish and distribute that product which they assign when they sign a publishing contract. They must look for the potential changers within the industry and protect their interests within that changing environment.

Black Velvet Seductions is seeking short, romantic, relationship focused domestic discipline/spanking stories for the domestic discipline area of its website and for inclusion in domestic discipline anthologies which will be released in paper and electronic formats through all of Black Velvet Seductions’ typical distribution channels.

Spanking stories for Black Velvet Seductions should involve a relationship. The relationship should be a romantic one, typically a marriage, dating relationship, or other relationship which either begins and ends with the characters in a committed dating or marriage relationship or ends with the characters entering a committed relationship.

Stories for this area are focused on both the romantic relationship and the domestic discipline aspect of the relationship that develops throughout the story.

 Common scenarios which are popular include:

 First spankings – these stories usually start with one character doing something that vexes the other. In the case of In The Driving Seat by Richard Savage the heroine Barbara has bought an expensive $1500 pair of shoes after the hero has already tried to limit her excessive spending. Vexed, Allen decides that a spanking would set things right. Through the experience of being spanked Barbara thinks about her actions and discovers that what she wants more than anything else is for Allen to treat her like a princess as he did in their early marriage. She conveys this and Allen realizes that he must change too…and that the spanking will clear the slate and allow them to start over with each other.

 Not enough spankings – in some stories one character wants to be spanked and their partner is not into spanking or is into it but is afraid of introducing it. In these stories the conflict revolves around this unmet need. The story is about the characters finding a way to resolve the conflict and incorporate spanking into their lives.

 Not the right kind of spanking – in some stories spanking is practiced as part of the relationship when the story opens, but there is still something lacking. One character or the other needs something different. She wants discipline spankings and he only gives her playful spankings, for example. These stories are about the couple bridging the gap and finding a way for both parties to be happy with the kind of spanking they are doing in their relationship.

 Unfair spankings –  in some stories the couple already has an established relationship in which spankings occur when one party or the other breaks specific rules that have been agreed upon. Domestic discipline is already a part of these relationships…both characters like that part of the relationship. These stories evolve from the spanker making a mistake and spanking when a rule has not been broken. For example, the light bill doesn’t get paid. The hero believes it is because the heroine didn’t mail it…so he spanks her. A week later the heroine discovers the unmailed payment in the hero’s suit jacket pocket. These are typically switch stories in which one character is usually the spanker but changes roles to become the spanked. The story conflict often revolves around rebalancing the relationship after a miscarriage of justice.

 Spoiled brats – spoiled brats abound in spanking stories. Spoiled brat stories incorporate a spoiled brat that the reader believes NEEDS a spanking if ever anyone did. The spoiled brat is paired with a hero or heroine who is willing to step in and do the deed. Often the spankings are a bit coerced. The spoiled brat doesn’t think they need a spanking but the hero or heroine doing the spanking has something they can use to compel them to accept it anyway. For these stories to work for Black Velvet Seductions there has to be an emotional tension between the characters. Their relationship needs to evolve into a romantic one. The spoiled brat needs to eventually see the spanking as a loving act done for his or her own good.

 Some Frequently Asked Questions:

 Q: Do you accept stories in first person?

 A: No, we do not accept any material written in first person. All material for us must be written in third person point of view.

 Q: How long or short can the stories be?

 A: Black Velvet Seductions publishes everything from short stories to very long books. We cannot bind more than 700 pages…which is around 190,000 words.

For the download area we are looking for short stories of 3,000 words and up. Once a piece reaches 25,000 to 30,000 words it would probably be published as a stand alone story rather than as a piece in an anthology so would probably go directly to publication as a stand alone rather than starting life as a download in the download area.

Q: Is BVS a paying market? What kind of payment can I expect for my story?

A: Yes, Black Velvet Seductions is a paying market. Short stories for the erotic relationship stories area are listed first as PDF downloads on the BVS site. Most are listed for sale at $2.00. Some longer stories will have a slightly higher price. Black Velvet Seductions pays the author 50% of the price the story is sold for. So if it sells for $2.00 BVS pays the author $1.00 each time a copy is sold. Royalties are paid quarterly, the last day of the month following the close of the quarter…so April, July, October, January. Royalties have never been late.

 Q: Can my characters have sex after a spanking?

 A: Yes, characters can have sex after a spanking.

 Q: Am I limited to hero and heroine in stories or can I do a ménage story with more than one hero or more than one heroine?

 A: You are not limited to one hero and heroine. You may have two heroes, you may have two heroines, you may have two heroes and one heroine, you may have two heroines and one hero. Whatever combination works for your story is fine. Do remember that your story must be a relationship story. It must be about the relationship between characters. Secret Desires by Cara Bristol is a good example of a ménage spanking story.

 Q: Does BVS publish any stories where it is the heroine who spanks the hero?

 A: Yes, we publish stories where the heroine spanks the hero. We also publish switch stories where sometimes it is the hero who spanks, sometimes it is the hero who is spanked. Trusting Her by Starla Kaye is a good example of a story in which the heroine spanks the hero.

 Q: Is BVS interested in other erotic stories which do not have spanking?

 A: Yes, BVS is interested in erotic short stories (and novels and novellas) which do not have spanking. We would like to see a broad range of stories from vanilla erotic to those exploring fetishes other than spanking.

Q: Is BVS interested in stories in which enemas, mouth washing, and other punishments are used in addition to spanking?

A: Yes, BVS is interested in stories which explore other aspects of punishment and discipline in addition to spanking.

 Q: I have a story which has a lot of spanking in it, but it isn’t romantic. Is BVS interested?

 A: No, sadly, BVS is only interested in stories which have a strong romantic relationship component.

 Q: I don’t have a spanking story but I have another story I think Black Velvet Seductions might be interested in. What should I do?

 A: The best way to reach Black Velvet Seductions is through email. You can pitch your story idea to Laurie Sanders by email at: LaurieSanders@blackvelvetseductions.com 

Q: Is BVS interested in erotic short stories which don’t include spanking?

A: Yes, we are interested in all manner of erotic short stories as long as they include a strong romantic relationship focus. We do not publish any material that doesn’t include a strong romantic relationship between characters. If the characters begin as strangers we want them to be romantically (emotionally) connected by the end.

Q: Do you have an example of the kind of stories you are looking for?

 A: Yes, actually, the stories linked above are all excellent examples of the types of stories we are interested in.

Q: How do I submit a manuscript to BVS?

A: Black Velvet Seductions accepts submissions through email. To submit your manuscript attach it to an email addressed to LaurieSanders@blackvelvetseductions.com  Be sure to include a brief note in the body of the email describing your story. Be sure to use a subject line like “Domestic Discipline Manuscript” or “Question About A Story” for your submission or email so that it doesn’t get mistaken for spam. Be sure to include your postal mailing address with your submission. Most notifications of publishing decisions (contracts) are sent via postal mail.

Deep Point Of View – What It Is – Why It’s Important

There is one weakness that results in more rejections than any other. That weakness is shallow point of view. Though most editors don’t pinpoint the flaw as shallow point of view, shallow point of view is usually to blame when manuscripts don’t have that “spark” that compels a reader to care about the characters and their situation.

Many authors do not understand what deep point of view is and are even more
stymied when it comes to actually using deep point of view to construct their stories. This may be because deep point of view isn’t one technique, but is a series of techniques which all work together to give the reader a certain kind of reading experience.

When most authors hear the term point of view they think about whose viewpoint a story is told from. They think about whether it is told from first person, third person, or omniscient. They think about whether to use the hero’s point of view, the heroine’s point of view, or the villain’s point of view. These are not bad thoughts, as which viewpoint to use is a crucial decision with numerous implications. However, which viewpoint is used is only peripherally related to implementing deep point of view. Deep point of view is about making the best use of the viewpoint that is chosen. 

Understanding deep point of view and mastering the techniques associated with using it is important for fiction authors because when a reader picks up the latest romance, suspense, or erotic romance novel they want to be swept away. They want to, for a time, exist in an alternate reality. They want to imagine they are a character in another time, in another place, with different concerns than they have in their real lives. The vicarious experience, the virtual reality escape is what the reader seeks when they pick up a book and thumb through its pages. As authors vicarious experience is what we sell. If we don’t use deep point of view, the reader will be cheated of the deep experience of the story that they first sought when selecting the book in the first place.

Many multi-published authors write using shallow point of view. However, the experience for the reader when reading those books is like reading about the characters and their adventures. The reader can see the character going through the story, the reader can understand and relate to the character’s thoughts, feelings, and backstory. However the reader never makes the jump into experiencing the story along with the character. The reader never feels as if  he or she has become the character. Their heart doesn’t pound when the heroine’s heart pounds. They don’t feel her anger and sadness threading its way through their veins when the hero leaves her after a misunderstanding. In short, when reading a book written in shallow point of view, the reader remains tethered to their own world, reading about the fictional world without wholly escaping into that world. 

The reader of a book written in shallow point of view is in the end left with a shallow experience of the story and  is in the end cheated of the vicarious experience they sought.

What Is Point Of View?

In writing, point of view refers to who tells the story. It is an important consideration in the telling of a story as it has a huge influence on what the reader will know and when and how they will come to know it.

The choice of viewpoint also impacts the way that events within the story will be described to the reader. The manner in which events and experiences are conveyed strongly influences the reader’s interpretations and experiences of those events and determines such things as whether the reader finds the character believable, the character likeable, the plot credible and the conflicts realistic.

This makes view point one of the most crucial and far reaching decisions a writer faces when crafting a piece of fiction. This single decision impacts on every other element of the story.

The Most Common Points Of View Used Today Are:

First person point of view – With first person point of view one character (narrator) who identifies himself or herself as I tells the story by describing his or her own experiences as they occur throughout the story. This can be a powerful viewpoint for some types of stories. It is the viewpoint used for confession stories and is also a common viewpoint for detective stories and other stories where the author wants the reader to experience the story through only one character and to know only what that one character knows, and to know it only when that one character knows it. Shortcomings of the viewpoint are that the author is limited in how he or she can transfer knowledge to the reader. With this point of view the reader can only ever be aware of information that the viewpoint character is aware of. First person point of view then, would not work for a story which required the reader to gain information held by a second character but not known to the first person narrator. 

A note here–I have seen authors use first person point of view but change who “I” is each chapter. This is clunky and jarring to the reader. An author who wants to include multiple points of view would be better served by using third person point of view and changing viewpoint characters as needed. The strength here is that the characters keep their own names. the narrator who refers to himself as “I” isn’t Rodney in this chapter and Lucy in the next chapter when you use third person point of view and share the viewpoint between characters.  

Third person omniscient (sometimes called simply omniscient) – With third person omniscient the narrator has an almost godlike quality and the ability to know everything,  including the thoughts and feelings of all the characters as well as the details of future and past events, even those that the characters themselves do not know. Characters are referred to in third person (he and she rather than in first person I). With third person omniscient viewpoint the story often feels as if it is told from a vantage point outside the characters, which makes sense given the all knowing, godlike vantage point of the narrator.

The third person omniscient viewpoint sometimes feels like a camera view viewpoint as well as there is often the feeling that the narrator is standing outside the characters describing what the characters do, describing what they feel, but usually from a distance, as if the narrator is reporting on the experiences of the character rather than experiencing the thoughts, feelings, and events as if they were happening to the narrator directly.

The viewpoint is typically broader and not as deep.

One of the earmarks of this particular viewpoint is that the narrator may inject his own knowledge into the narrative by saying something like, “Little did he know that everything he held dear would be lost.” This brings in something the character does not know, and brings out the omniscient quality of the viewpoint. This would be acceptable in omniscient viewpoint, but would not be acceptable in first person or limited third person viewpoint.

The shortcoming of this viewpoint is that it holds the reader at arms length, often giving them a feeling of being distant from the character, reading about a character’s experience rather than experiencing the story through the character.

Third person limited (sometimes called third person) – With third person limited viewpoint the story is told through the narrator as if the narrator is the viewpoint character. The characters are referred to in third person (he and she rather than I). Within third person some authors switch point of view between characters within the story so that the narrator moves from one character to another. This allows the author to show the story from multiple points of view and from a vantage point inside several characters within the story.

When the third person limited viewpoint narrator’s viewpoint is too shallow, changes too frequently between characters or when the change occurs in an unplanned manner it is frowned upon and is referred to as “head hopping.” Head hopping is to be avoided.   

When we talk about the depth of point of view or using deep point of view we are most commonly talking about stories which are written in third person limited point of view. The same techniques used to deepen viewpoint in limited third person can be used to deepen point of view in first person point of view as well.

Deep point of view doesn’t usually refer to pieces written in third person omniscient viewpoint. Third person omniscient viewpoint is characterized by its vantage point in a narrator who is outside the character, who knows more than the character knows and this is generally inconsistent with the principles of deep point of view.

Tonight Black Velvet Seductions editor Laurie Sanders will present a 1 hour mini workshop on dialogue mistakes.

In this brief chat learn:
What’s better than the oft recommended he said, she said dialogue tags
sure-fire tips to avoid talking head syndrome
how to make sure your dialogue is an experience for the reader
how to make your dialogue visual as well as auditory

The chat is at 9 PM Eastern time in the Black Velvet Seductions Chat room at: http://www.blackvelvetseductions.com/Chat%20Room.html The dialogue chat will occupy the 9 PM – 10 PM Eastern time slot. After that chatters are invited to chat about anything they want to or to ask any questions they might have about other writing related topics.

Join Black Velvet Seductions editor Laurie Sanders for her weekly chat with authors tonight (Saturday August 21, 2010) at 9 PM Eastern in the Black Velvet Seductions chat room

The evening’s discussion will begin with an examination of character experience and how to structure the descriptions of your character’s experiences to propel rather than stall the forward momentum of your story.

Instructions for logging into the chat room are at the top of the Black Velvet Seductions chat room page. A couple of very easy steps and you can be logged in and chatting.

I’ve added some regular new features to the Black Velvet Seductions Readers blog recently. While I was looking for a video to post on the Readers blog I found this one. I thought immediately that it would be great to post on the Writers blog as inspiration and perhaps a prompt for writers. If you like ghosts, haunted houses, and things that make your spine tingle you’ll enjoy this video.

Don’t these pictures make you think of characters who might have lived and died… I can almost imagine their spirits there…oblivious to the passage of time…living in the houses pictured as they were in their finest hours.

The Writer’s Chatroom presents historical romance author Mary McCall who writes humorous and adventurous historical romances tonight (Sunday August 15) at 7 PM Eastern in the Writer’s Chatroom.

Most authors know that chapters should end at high points, at a cliffhanger. Fewer authors understand how to use the same kind of structuring techniques at the more micro level to create reader tension and a sense of anticipation for the reader.

I will be covering this topic tonight at the Author/Editor chat at Black Velvet Seductions’ chatroom at 9 PM Eastern. Published and unpublished authors as well as those published by companies other than Black Velvet Seductions are welcome.

The Writer’s Chatroom (http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm) which has regular Wednesday and Sunday chats for writers is offering up a different kind of chat this Sunday (August 8, 2010) at 7 PM Eastern USA Time.

This chat will be a critique chat. If you’d like to have your work critiqued by the writers in the writer’s chatroom follow these guidelines EXACTLY.

Submission Guidelines:

Email audrey @ writerschatroom dot com (no spaces) 200-300 words from your work. Paste your submission into the email.

At the top of the body of your email (before the 200-300 words) put the following information formatted EXACTLY this way:

Genre:
Format (short story, novel, etc.):
Name you intend to publish under:
Name you use in the chatroom:

* * *

Submissions that follow the guidelines will be used in the order they are received.

Please submit polished work.

The critique is open to all types of material including fiction, nonfiction, essay, etc.

Good  luck!

Last week we only had one person attend the chat and so we addressed the issues that person whas having their manuscript rather than covering the topic that had been planned. We didn’t go into how to create sizzling sexual tension between the hero and heroine…so we will take another stab at covering that topic tonight.

The chat is at: http://www.blackvelvetseductions.com/Chat%20Room.html
The topical chat runs between 9 PM Eastern and 10 PM Eastern with an open chat following the topical chat.
Everyone is welcome!

What: Free Writer’s Editor’s Chat At Black Velvet Seductions
When: 9 PM Eastern — First hour (9 PM – 10 PM Eastern) will be on the topic of heating things up between the hero & heroine — increasing the sexual tenison by having characters react to each other.
Where: Black Velvet Seductions chatroom at: http://www.blackvelvetseductions.com/Chat%20Room.html

Everyone is welcome!

In an article appearing in The Washington Post on Tuesday Amazon reported sales increases in both the Kindle reader and their Kindle format ebooks. Steep increases in sales in July have taken ebook sales from 143 ebooks for every hardback sold (sales figures for the past three months) to the current 180 ebooks for every hardback sold.

This news is naturally important to authors who have long considered paperback and hardback rights as primary income sources. Ebook sales may now account for a greater percentage of an author’s income than hardback sales…perhaps a lot more…at least if internet giant Amazon’s sales figures are anything to go by. The reason for this is not just the fact that ebook sales are now outpacing hardback sales by almost 2-1 at Amazon, but also the fact that most authors earn a higher royalty rate on ebooks.

The same article mentions that Amazon’s Kindle sales are outpacing sales of ebooks across the broader ebook market. According to the article ebook sales in general have risen 207%. One reason the sale of Kindle ebooks might be outpacing broader ebook sales is that Amazon Kindle has been proactive in releasing the Kindle ebook reading software for devices other than Kindle ebook reading devices. The recent release of the Kindle app for Android phone made the Kindle ebooks attractive to the many users of that device. Other applications for desktop and laptop computers, iPod Touch and iPod phone, and some models of Blackberry which had been released previously had already made the Kindle format ebooks available to users of those devices.

Barnes and Noble appears to be in the process of doing much the same with their ebook reading software which works on devices other than the Nook ebook reader. I already have the Barnes & Noble ebook reading software on my iPod and Barnes and Noble is due to release its ebook reading software in an app for the Android phone soon.  

This news leaves industry insiders wondering if ebooks have reached some kind of a magical tipping point. Though I would love to think so ebooks have a ways to go before they overtake paperback sales but they certainly seem to making tracks in that direction.  

What does this mean for authors? It may well mean that some day in the not too distant future your ebook rights will be more lucrative than your paperback/hardback rights…perhaps a great deal more lucrative. It means that you need to consider that eventuality as you are considering where you submit your manuscripts and the treatment of ebook rights within the contracts you sign. Ebooks have moved beyond being the red-headed step-child within the publishing industry. They are moving into their own and it now seems that no amount of putting the finger in the dike will hold back that tide.

Here we are! The Black Velvet Seductions Writers Blog has moved. The old blog at: http://bvs-romance-writer-u.com/blog/ still exists and will continue to remain up for the foreseeable future. New posts will appear here. Some of the content from the old blog, including the lessons on deep point of view will be migrated to this blog.

Along with more lessons, writing tips, and links to upcoming workshops we will endeavor to inspire your creativity with new images on the site.

The current theme features a castle–a common setting for many medieval romance novels. If the theme inspires you and you are interested in learning about life in a castle there is a workshop being offered on just that topic. Check it out at Savvy Authors.

We hope to see you here again soon.