Seekerville Archives: Ramona Richards

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Seekerville Welcomes Senior Acquisitions Editor for Abingdon Press Fiction, Ramona Richards

Good morning, Seekers!

Grab a cuppa and pull up a chair. This time of year, I prefer chai latte (emphasis on the latte), Harney & Sons’ holiday tea, or a yummy thick hot chocolate by a toasty fire. Years ago, a French teacher introduced me to le pain au chocolat for breakfast – Lord have mercy, starting the day with chocolate. Here’s a huge plate of them, so help yourself!

OK, if you’re comfy and cozy, let’s chat a bit about what I do for a living. I’m living my dream, folks! As Senior Acquisitions Editor for Abingdon Press Fiction, I get to work with some of the most fabulous writers in the business. And I’m always looking for more. After all, instead of curling up by this fire with a book, I do it with a manuscript.

So what do I look for in a manuscript?

…..wait for it….

A unique voice.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Every editor says that. And defining an author’s voice is almost impossible. But this is how I translate that single phrase:

• A character-driven, engaging book, written with an understanding of genre and an excellent execution of the genre readers’ expectations
• A Christian worldview which guides and directs the main characters
• The exceptional ability to construct sentences, paragraphs, and scenes that engage the reader and move both plot and character development forward in a style distinctive to that author

That last one is where the true “voice” lies. For instance, Robert Crais and James Lee Burke are excellent writers with legions of fans, yet their primary characters (RC’s Elvis Cole and Burke’s Dave Robicheaux) are distinctly developed and thorough products of their locations. Mr. Crais’ voice is clean and fast-paced, with lots of white space and clipped dialog, and a non-stop plot, very reflective of the Southern California setting. Mr. Burke’s voice is mellow and meandering, with long, descriptive passages, thoughtful dialogue, and introspective musings…much like a jon boat drifting through a Louisiana swamp.

And you would never mistake one for the other.

So I’m really looking for that writer who grabs my attention on page one and never lets go—and whom I would never mistake for Robert Crais, Karen Kingsbury, or Kathleen Morgan.

So don’t write like them. Write like you.

What? Oh…you want more specifics? OK, let me refill the tea cup and grab another pastry.

Specifically, Abingdon is in search of (why does that make me feel like it’s a speed-dating ad?...):

Historical romance. Emphasis on the romance. Good ole frolicking (in a Christian way, mind you) he said, she said romance. Set in the American West (ca. 1870) or the Scottish Highlands. Early frontier or western expansion tales (ca 1820-1850). WWII.

Contemporary romance. Both light and serious. Please make sure that the conflict that keeps them apart is a distinct and seemingly insurmountable one. If a ten-minute chat would clear the air, that ain’t a conflict. Major overdone theme: commitment phobes dealing with past broken relationships. If I think, even once, “Honey, just get over it,” that’s not a good sign.

And, with both of these, please remember that a “romance” is 50 percent her/50 percent him. Anything less shifts it to another category.

Romantic suspense. Please note that this refers to a story that’s 50/50 romance and suspense. Preferably, the hero and heroine solve the mystery together.

High-tension suspense. I’d prefer character driven (see above) to plot-driven, but the plot has to drive the suspense and keep it moving.

Speculative, especially steampunk. Yes, seriously. And if you don’t know what it is or you don’t have a craving to write it, then please don’t. It’ll show. One exception to the speculative submissions: No “end times” books.

Women’s fiction. We’re doing fewer of these, so it’ll need to be a strong, character-driven tale of one woman’s journey. While I’m open to “healing” stories, I’m most interested in a woman who’s struggling to overcome a major obstacle in her current life, whether it’s a challenge to her faith or a life-changing event. If you’re character spends a lot of time wandering about in her past, I’m probably not going to be interested.

And…this will come as a surprise to some folks….

Young adult. I’m hoping to launch our young adult line with TWO books in Fall 2013. But they have to be strong and…um…unique. Speculative welcome here, too.

Normally, we only accept agented material. But…for readers of this blog, I’ll be open to queries until December 5th. Mention you saw this blog. Queries only—three paragraphs max and no attachments. Send them to rrichards@abingdonpress.com.

That’s the specifics for now.

Some of you may have heard that we’re launching a new series, the Quilts of Love. This is true. The first book comes out next fall. However, I’m not taking submissions for it right now. When it succeeds, then I’ll be looking for more.

So…grab another pastry and munch down!

Bio:
Ramona Richards is the Senior Acquisitions Editor—Fiction for Abingdon Press. She is an award-winning writer, editor, and speaker with more than 30 years experience. Before joining Abingdon Press, Ramona worked on staff with Thomas Nelson, Rutledge Hill Press, and Ideals. Over the course of her career in Christian publishing, she’s edited more than 350 publications, and worked with authors such as John Maxwell, John Eldredge, Charles Stanley, Chris Seay, Eva Marie Everson, Denise Hunter, and Melody Carlson.

The author of 8 books and a frequent contributor to devotional collections, Ramona has also written sales training videos, feature film scripts, gift books, Bible studies, biographies, cookbooks, and magazine articles. An avid live music fan, Ramona loves Nashville, which she’s called home since she was ten.

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Not only is Ramona our wonderful guest, but she is a wonderful guest bearing wonderful gifts.
She's brought five Abingdon Press books for giveaways.
Winners will be announced in the Weekend Edition.