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Samhain Publishing

tarak

for certain qualities of "sane"
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Sent off my revised manuscript a week ago. Got a response right away from the editor who requested the R&R that she received it and hoped to get to it soon. I'm not sure I've made the romantic elements strong enough (one of her comments from the last draft), but I'm happy to have it off to her.
 

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Sent off my revised manuscript a week ago. Got a response right away from the editor who requested the R&R that she received it and hoped to get to it soon. I'm not sure I've made the romantic elements strong enough (one of her comments from the last draft), but I'm happy to have it off to her.

Good luck!
 

MattManochio

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Advice for my 2nd Samhain contract

Hi all,
I'm looking to pick some Samhain brains here. I recently was offered a contract for my second contract with SP, Samhain Horror specifically.

I am unagented, and know there was some concern over the metadata clause in the contract.

So, if anyone can please advise me of some things you were able to favorably negotiate that may have changed from previous contracts, I would greatly appreciate it. I plan on modeling it after my current contract but always want to do better. Don't we all?

Thanks!
Matt
 

thethinker42

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For the metadata, I just asked that the contract explicitly spell out *what* metadata they were claiming. Things like the blurb, tagline, etc., which makes sense since Samhain puts quite a bit of work into those (I write my own blurbs at a lot of publishers, but Samhain overhauls the one I write so it doesn't suck -- thus, it makes sense that they have some claim to it).
 

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I asked if they could define meta data as "blurb, tagline and cover art", and they said "sure", and got back to me with the new contract within about five days.
 

MattManochio

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Thanks for the input! I'll be sure to request they define metadata in the way you suggest. Any other thoughts, in general? I find the contract to be author-friendly, but still. One can never be too careful.
 

MattManochio

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I asked if they could define meta data as "blurb, tagline and cover art", and they said "sure", and got back to me with the new contract within about five days.

Hi again, I just reviewed the "new" contract, which basically reflects my current one. I'm keeping audio, translation, merchandising, for instance. My editor explained that a blurb written by another author wouldn't qualify as metadata. Are we on the same page?

I guess I'm confused over what a potential pitfall might be. As it is, I'm not asking the metadata sections be altered. Thanks for clearing this up for me -- if you can!
 

gingerwoman

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Hi again, I just reviewed the "new" contract, which basically reflects my current one. I'm keeping audio, translation, merchandising, for instance. My editor explained that a blurb written by another author wouldn't qualify as metadata. Are we on the same page?

I guess I'm confused over what a potential pitfall might be. As it is, I'm not asking the metadata sections be altered. Thanks for clearing this up for me -- if you can!
I'll reply to this in PM as I'll only be able to give you my understanding of third hand information.

Obviously I'm personally happy with Samhain as I have a second novel coming out with them March 3rd 2015.
 

gingerwoman

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Submitted a novel October 8.

Received a rejection November 26.

At least I didn't have to wait the entire 12-16 weeks to be told no...
Ugg sorry, KimJo, hope it finds a good home. Glad they aren't doing the rejection by silence thing at least.
 

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I'm about to submit a paranormal romance to Samhain, and I'm trying to figure out which editor to send it to. For those of you working with Samhain already (waves at Lori), do you know whether there is more than one acquisitions editor for their romance line (not retro romance)? The executive editor is the only one I see listed on the web site. Is it okay to send directly to her?
 

thethinker42

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You typically submit to the main acquisitions editor, who then passes it on to someone who works with that genre. At least that's how it worked when I subbed to them (I go straight to my editor now), but I don't know if that's changed.
 

TessB

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Same for me - my first sub went to the main address. I received a reply from my editor directly, and now I deal directly with her. They have editorial assistants who, I presume, sort the incoming submissions to the appropriate areas.
 

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I sent an ms to Samhain last year, to an editor I picked out of the list because she liked my genre. She said she "loved" my voice and was very complimentary.Then she said she was sorry, but she was very picky about kidnap plots. I couldn't help but wonder, had I sent it to general acquisitions, if it would have forwarded it to an editor who might have liked it enough to offer. If I submit to Samhain again I'll send it to general submissions. Just my two pence.
 

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I sent an ms to Samhain last year, to an editor I picked out of the list because she liked my genre. She said she "loved" my voice and was very complimentary.Then she said she was sorry, but she was very picky about kidnap plots. I couldn't help but wonder, had I sent it to general acquisitions, if it would have forwarded it to an editor who might have liked it enough to offer. If I submit to Samhain again I'll send it to general submissions. Just my two pence.

Wow, that's bad luck! I mean, of all the editor quirks to stumble over, that's a strange one.
 

Filigree

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I'm wondering why that editor didn't just put the mms back into general submissions? If the 'voice' and writing were decent? Or maybe Samhain, like many other publishers, is so inundated with submissions they have a low threshold for rejection. Either way, sorry to hear that.

When and if I sub anything there, it will be through an agent who knows them. So I don't have any real strategy to offer.
 

CaPooF

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I subbed directly to the exec editor for the romance lines (having read an interview where she says she does acquisitions among other things). Now I'm wondering if I should have sent it to the main submissions email instead. You're supposed to get an auto-response saying that the email was received, but of course I didn't get that because I sent it to the editor. Argh. I hate to re-send to the main email address, because then they'd have it twice. Should I just wait until I hear back from her, and see if she wants me to use the main addy? Dang. I hate it when I second-guess myself.
 

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Wow, that's bad luck! I mean, of all the editor quirks to stumble over, that's a strange one.

I was stumped, also! In a way it might have been better to be told my book wasn't 'there yet' or it didn't suit their list...or something along those lines. Anyhoo, I eventually sold the book elsewhere, but if I sub to Samhain again I'll direct my story to Imogen Howsen, who I believe is the person who handles acquisitions.

Filligree: I wondered the same thing and was very tempted to write back and ask, since she was so complimentary! I didn't, but I was close.
 

Pisco Sour

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I subbed directly to the exec editor for the romance lines (having read an interview where she says she does acquisitions among other things). Now I'm wondering if I should have sent it to the main submissions email instead. You're supposed to get an auto-response saying that the email was received, but of course I didn't get that because I sent it to the editor. Argh. I hate to re-send to the main email address, because then they'd have it twice. Should I just wait until I hear back from her, and see if she wants me to use the main addy? Dang. I hate it when I second-guess myself.

What Filligree said. I sent a submission on Dec. 21st (to a different house) and never received an auto-response. I'm not going to follow-up until January. Deep breaths, and write something else. :)
 

CaPooF

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What is this breathing thing you speak of? :Huh: