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Editor Interview: The Book Folks

Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

A: Convincing crime fiction

Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?

A: Pete Brassett, for his wit and easy-going style. John Dean, for his clever plots. David Pearson, for the atmosphere in his Irish detective stories. Diane Dickson, for her weaving of a good yarn. Anna Willett, for her power to ratchet up tension and suspense.

Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?

A: We like crime fiction that is set in real rather than imagined places. We don't do too much gore or anything too shocking. We aim to satisfy readers' desires to get to know characters deeply, by mostly publishing books that form part of a series. We focus on getting returns for authors and their books high in the rankings.

Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?

A: Look at the other books we publish and consider if you would be a good fit. We are currently mostly looking for murder mysteries. Plot-wise, we like for the premise to be established early on. Show the potential your book has to be part of a series. We don't mind reading a strong "sell" for the book, but make sure you tell us what it is actually about.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: A book of between 50 and 60k words about likeable or relatable detectives solving a murder. The book will be written in third person but mosly follow one main protagonist. It will form part of a series of at least three books. It will be set in a real location in the present day. The book will convey the atmosphere of the location but not contain much in the way of regional dialect. The plot will be ingenius but not completely confusing. The detectives will solve the murder by good police work, finding and deciphering clues and collaring the killer.

Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?

A: Either too little detail or too much. Not explaining what actually happens in the book.

Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?

A: We like to know a bit about authors' backgrounds, but we rarely make a decision to review a book on that basis. Previous publications are interesting, but we prefer to work with authors at the beginning of their careers, so we can develop their profile together.

Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?

A: It really depends. Sometimes we can tell straightaway that a book is not right for us. Generally, the better the book, the longer the reviewing process takes.

Q: What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?

A: A considerable amount. We look to see if there is enough of an audience for the book to be a commercial success. We look at whether there is room for it to be part of a series - if the protagonist dies, for instance, that is less likely. We consider how open the author will be to working with our editorial team on making the book the best it can possibly be.

Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?

A: Lots of coffee. Lots of head-scratching. We have an editor who filters the submissions, but we share the load of reviewing the books; so we generally find the right time in between other projects to sit down and look at a book. We try to put ourselves in the mind of a reader who has just bought the book and consider what their experience would be.

Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?

A: We try to occupy the space that takes the best of both worlds. Most of what we do is electronic. We prefer email because there is a "paper" trail and we can go back and look at what has been said. Talking on the phone is obviously more personable, but it is easy to hear what you want to hear rather than what is really being said. We are traditional when it comes to quality and ethics. We embrace technology when it is expedient to do so.

Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?

A: Yes, each book goes through three to four rounds of editing - pretty much in the order you present here - no matter the quality of the original submission. At each stage the author is consulted.

Q: Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?

A: Occasionally. But maybe we'll do more of that in the future.