The Wild Rose Press / Wildflowers Books

The Wild Rose Press

Any input? My friend has a manuscript to them and they keep asking for revisions (the editor) but are always making very BIG writing errors in their emails including messing up on dates and such constantly - and they are not telling her if they are offering her a contract.

I have never dealt with them and they seem fine otherwise but this has me concerned for her. This is her first time being published if this pans out.

I'm published (hard copy) and never had this happen like she is outlining.

I was asked to make one revision which I did and then they sent me my contract and instuctions sheets. So far I like my editor, she has been most helpful.

Jennifer Robins
www.jenniferrobins.com

I write for several small romance presses and would expect a contract prior to any editing. I personally don't sweat email typos but that is only because I am prone to making them.

I have only a small data set so far but the Wild Rose sales seem to still be a bit sluggish. I would suggest any author to make sure they know what the press can deliver.

I wouldn't even consider editing before a contract!

I believe we had a thread going for them, under "White Rose Press".

I personally am concerned about the number of people they say they employ vs what sounds reasonable for a small e-pub.

Are they asking for revisions (like, "Make the ending happier and I'll take another look at it" or are they actually doing edits, full edits of the entire ms?

What press has the time to waste doing full edits for a book they don't have a contract on? I've heard of this press doing that at least once before. The writer didn't get the contract offer email, but Wild Rose sent her edits anyway. It certainly gave me pause.

Maybe it was a suggestion to edit and re-submit? That would make more sense and it does happen. Even then, I don't edit unless I have a contract in hand.

Jerseychick has a book coming out with them this year. I believe it is being released as an ebook first, and then it will be released as a trade paperback later in the year. I'm sure she'll drop in and give us the scoop on her experience with WRP.

Dragon-lady said:

Maybe it was a suggestion to edit and re-submit? That would make more sense and it does happen. Even then, I don't edit unless I have a contract in hand.

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The beauty of computers is you can do all the revisions, save as another draft and re-submit.

If I hadn't done that very thing, THE CROWN OF ZEUS wouldn't be coming out in two weeks.

I won't say it's always in your best interests to do it. Depends on the publisher/agent, what they're asking for, and how you feel about it. The editor who originally looked at my ms made it very clear what kind of changes she needed before she'd look at it again. I thought about it, realized she was right, and spent a week doing the revisions. Which got the contract.

So don't always pooh-pooh someone's revision request, even if you don't have a contract. If you do the revisions and you still get rejected, you always have that original version saved on your computer.

DecemberQuinn said:

What press has the time to waste doing full edits for a book they don't have a contract on? I've heard of this press doing that at least once before. The writer didn't get the contract offer email, but Wild Rose sent her edits anyway. It certainly gave me pause.

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That would give me pause too--assuming, as others have said, that it's actual editing and not a "revise and resubmit" request. I can't imagine that a publisher would waste its editorial resources on editing a work that it hadn't already contracted--if nothing else, this is very inefficient. It's also (IMO, anyway) unprofessional, which would make me wonder if I could trust the editorial expertise of the person making revision suggestions.

- Victoria

Well I can say in my own case that for the Rose line my book is coming out through it was a revise and resubmit request. I certainly never thought of it any other way and the editor I dealt with/am dealing with was always professional. FWIW

I got a direct offer from them when I submitted, but I do know of other authors who have received a "revise and resubmit" request. From what I've seen working with them, they go above and beyond to help cultivate authors' writing and polish. I do not believe this editor would be doing/requesting actual edits, more likely asking to change a character/action/motivation/ending/etc. I think they prefer doing that to sending an outright rejection.

I've gotten a revise and resubmit request from Samhain, even though i went with Echelon in the end. so i guess it's not that unusual to receive.

victoriastrauss said:

That would give me pause too--assuming, as others have said, that it's actual editing and not a "revise and resubmit" request. I can't imagine that a publisher would waste its editorial resources on editing a work that it hadn't already contracted--if nothing else, this is very inefficient. It's also (IMO, anyway) unprofessional, which would make me wonder if I could trust the editorial expertise of the person making revision suggestions.

- Victoria

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In the case I referred to, it was indeed actual edits, not a revise-and-resub (which I don't get why people have issues with those). She found the acceptance email and contract in her Spam filter after getting her edited ms back.

Yes, I did raise an eyeborw, that's for sure!

The fact that I don't edit without a contract in hand is a personal decision based on my experience selling my work. I was expressing my own policy, not necessarily recommending it.

The revision takes time that I could be working on something new with no guarantee of a sale, revising something to the taste of one particular editor. So it's something that the one time I got one, I chose not to do and I don't regret it because I sold it elsewhere. As I said, I was simply expressing my own attitude. I don't have consider that as having "issues." It's something everyone has to decide for themselves.

Edit: I can see changing my mind in some particular case, say with an editor I've worked with before. But generally, that's just how I feel about it.

Dragon-lady said:

The fact that I don't edit without a contract in hand is a personal decision based on my experience selling my work. I was expressing my own policy, not necessarily recommending it. And I can even see changing my mind if I looked at a work and decided the editor was right. The revision takes time that I could be working on something new with no guarantee of a sale, though, revising something to the taste of one particular editor. So it's something that the one time I got one, I chose not to do and I don't regret it because I sold it elsewhere. As I said, I was simply expressing my own attitude.

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I wasn't criticizing your personal choice, I hope you didn't think I was. I'm sorry if it came off that way. I was referring more to generalities.

Well, I think my comment about revise-and-resubmit came across as stronger than I meant it or as more of a generality. So I thought clarification was in order. I can understand someone doing one and certainly wouldn't criticize that as long as they realize it's still on spec and may or may not be productive.

I agree, it has to be a choice based on how likely it is you think you're going to get the contract if you make the changes, and if you think the book will actually benefit from the revisions (I did; after two days it hit me, exactly what she was talking about), and if you think it's worth jumping through hoops for a particular publisher (I did - Samhain is awesome!)

The revisions I was asked to do before the contract was not editing, it was to make a few changes that I fully agreed with. Such as not using full names so much and instead use he/she more times. It was no big deal and I was happy to do it. I still will go through some editing I'm sure but I'm ready. I think my editor wanted to make sure I was open to editing, that's all. She said if I would agree to make those changes, she had a contract on the way for me.

Jennifer Robins

I wasn't asked to revise anything prior to being offered a contract. I only did revisions after everything signed and sent out. Unfortunately, I don't have that much to add, since the book I have coming out with them is my first with them, and won't be released until March - which is why I haven't really chimed in.

Just to echo, a revise and resubmit request--or rejection with suggestions and open door to resubmission--is different from edits. Edits would be a marked up manuscript and back and forth.

They sent me my cover which is now my avatar. So far they have been moving right along with my novel and I am kept informed along the way.

Jennifer

I was among the first few authors The Wild Rose Press published. I like them a lot, and they've been wonderful to work with. One of the phenomenally best things about this company is its communication. They highly value the benefits of strong communication between authors and editors, and it shows. It's really amazing. And for being a small epublisher, their marketing department is on the ball 24/7. I wasn't able keep up with the promotional opportunities. It takes a lot of work to promote an ebook.

My romantic suspense novel, DESERT GUARDIAN, was published first as an e-book in October 2006, then in paper in December 2006. Just 2 short months from e to p. Heh. I know it takes something like 6 months now, but that's because the company has grown so much. I'm very pleased they took on my novel because it's pretty light on the romance and very heavy on the suspense. The published book got fantastic reviews, though sales weren't that hot. This was my second published book (first was an sf with a traditional small press) so I wasn't expecting a lot.

Now that I have some publishing credits and a taste of the industry, I'm holding out for an agent and a contract with a mass market publisher. It's been a great journey so far.

Same here, Karen. WRP was a great way to step into the publishing process with a novel I didn't think would get published. The editor did send the first few chapters with editing suggestions while she went through the rest. A contract was offered before the edits were done.

Whether they were edits or not, I'm not sure. Maybe her mind was already made up when she sent me her suggestions.

I'm getting the total opposite experience with book number two, Bad Ice. The contract was signed last October with a July '08 release. I have yet to see any edits, but I'm told they should be soon.

I'm not making a million bucks with The Space Between, but I'm having a lot of fun promoting it and taking it for lunch, etc. I've learned so much since I wrote it that I know I can get an agent and a big publishing contract with either of my WIPs. I still have good vibes about WRP.