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~~ INTERVIEW WITH A
CO-OWNER OF AMBER
QUILL PRESS, TRACE EDWARD ZABER ~~ JUNE 2004
Trace
Edward Zaber, editor, writer, singer, webmaster, artist and one of the
most
highly spoken about men I think I have ever encountered.
Not only is his music boasted about, his
writing is highly praised, his book covers rate above many, and he is
also a
much-respected editor/owner and friend. Today I
nabbed him for an insightful interview about Amber Quill Press…
Welcome to
The Road to Romance, Trace!
Tracey – Ok, Trace. You have to tell us, is there anything you
CAN’T do? <g>
Trace - Hi,
Tracey. Yes…give birth and perform brain
surgery :)
Tracey – How long has
Amber Quill
Press been in Publication?
Trace – In
July of 2002, I, along with nearly the entire staff of another
e-publisher and
its four top-selling authors, got fed up with the owner’s shady
business
dealings and lack of bookkeeping (i.e. no royalty or salary payments).
The
owner basically told us, “If you think you can do better, I dare you to
do it.”
So we did! We quit the company, formed
AQP within weeks, and officially opened our books with 12 books in
October,
2002.
Tracey – What is AQP’s
goal,
mission?
Trace –
It’s quite simple, actually—1) To provide quality books for our devoted
readers, and 2) To support our authors’ marketing efforts. And after
surviving
the debacle at the other publishing company, we learned “what not to
do,” and
have faithfully dedicated ourselves to being honest with our authors
and
running things as professionally as possible.
Tracey – What is a day
like in the
world of an owner/editor at Amber Quill Press?
Trace –
First, there’s no such thing as a typical day, so depending on what’s
on the
schedule, what questions or dilemmas may arise, each day is a “crap
shoot” on
what needs to be done. Thankfully, the company owners as well as the
members of
the Senior Staff have various duties (areas of expertise), which they
perform
brilliantly. I certainly couldn’t do
half of what I do were it not for them taking the load off my
shoulders. Basically,
my day starts out around 4 or 5 AM. The work could be any
combination
of tasks, including creating e-book covers or paperback flats, editing
or
copyediting manuscripts, reading new submissions, contracting and
scheduling
new books, preparing final galleys, registering ISBNs, uploading files
to
shopping carts or third-party vendors, dealing with Amazon or other
book
sellers, webmastering, etc. I take a
break at noontime to watch All My
Children (addicted for 20+ years—sorry, a “guilty pleasure”), catch
a few
hours sleep, then get back to work by late afternoon/early evening,
where I
usually go until about midnight. I’ll
occasionally take a day off to do absolutely nothing (and feel guilty
the
entire time) but generally the work doesn’t stop, and I enjoy it, so
I’m
content.
Tracey – What all do you
do within
the company?
Trace – My
specific titles are…Editorial Director (making certain editing duties
are
assigned for all projects, scheduling manuscripts, preparing final
galleys,
etc.) Acquisition’s Manager (evaluating
the new manuscripts our authors send for consideration and contracting
what is
suitable.) Creative Director (I create all but a few of our book covers
and
prepare them for the electronic releases, as well as prepare the
paperback
cover flats.) Webmaster (typical duties
that go with the territory.) Editor/Copyeditor (I do the occasional
edit and
copyedit.) Also, other small tasks need doing from time to time, so
I’ll pitch
in where needed, as will the other members of the team.
Tracey – What makes a
company
successful?
Trace – In
our case, first and foremost, its teamwork. Each owner and staff member
has the
same dedication to quality, and as I mentioned earlier, each also has
their
area of expertise. Every day I’m amazed at how smoothly the company
runs—a
well-oiled machine with everyone doing their individual jobs yet
working in
sync with the same goal in mind. I’m blessed to have gathered around me
such a
talented and hard-working group of individuals. Of course, having some
of the
best authors in the business within our roster doesn’t hurt in the
least! Additionally, I love having
multiple owners
of the company—each of us holds the others in check when new ventures
present
themselves, etc. In other words, if I had sole ownership of the
company, had
been the sole voice of authority, I’m certain the company would not
have grown
as swiftly and as successfully as it has. Once
again, with our experience working for another
e-publisher, we saw
firsthand what happened when a company’s sole owner made snap
decisions, didn’t
rely on her team for advice, and suffered for it.
Tracey – What do you
think keeps AQP
one of the top publishers that readers continue to return to and count
on
continuously?
Trace –
Again, it’s not only the authors we have contracted, who produce
absolutely
amazing, top-notch work, but it’s also the staff’s dedication to
quality,
customer service, etc. Our loyal customers know, without a doubt, they
will
always be able to find excellent stories at AQP where everything from
the cover
art to the book formatting to the customer care is as professional as
possible.
Tracey – Amber Quill
Press releases
a vast variety of genres. Do some genres
do better than others? What seems to be
the most popular?
Trace –
Like the music industry, trends come and go every few years. For
instance,
right now, historical fiction (romance or otherwise) is in a slump, and
while
genres such as horror, adventure, science fiction, and fantasy remain
popular outside the e-publishing industry, they
are usually “tougher electronic sales,” with few exceptions. Young
Adult
fiction is also a “hard sell” in electronic format. E-readers these
days tend
to purchase a lot of romance (erotica, especially) and suspense,
paranormal,
and dark romantic fantasy (vampire) remain consistent high sellers. The
sale of
each release, however, truly depends on the author’s individual
marketing
efforts, but generally, the genres mentioned above seem to be the
consistent
top sellers at the moment.
Tracey – When AQP
started, was the
erotic fiction genre as popular then as it is now in your opinion?
Trace – I
believe so. Originally, we didn’t include erotica in our catalogue, but
it
became apparent after a few short months that we could no longer ignore
the
growing market. Too many customers requested it, so we added the Amber
Heat/Amber Kisses imprints in January, 2003, to great success.
Tracey – What should
aspiring
authors, who might send manuscripts to AQP know about the company? What
types
of stories are you looking for? What are some dos and don’ts that would
be
helpful to them?
Trace –
Well, for one, we have never been open to outside submissions, nor do
we ever
see that happening. Our entire catalogue was based on invitations we
sent to
certain writers just after our formation. With the prolific authors in
our
roster, we truly never needed to “open the submission doors,” since we
had so
many wonderful manuscripts to work with. I’m also a firm believer in
that I
would never dictate to our authors what they can and cannot write—if it
comes
from the heart, it’s bound to be good, regardless of genre. So when our
authors
have something new for me to read, I happily receive it, and unless
it’s within
a genre that has absolutely no sales potential (again, depending on the
author’s personal marketing efforts, of course) it’s rare I reject any
of their
manuscripts. Now, if we were open to
outside submissions, a manuscript would quickly find itself in the
rejection
pile due to “sloppy” writing—misspelled words, incorrect punctuation,
POV shifting
every few paragraphs, etc. Every author should master the tools of
their
trade—purchase a dictionary and a copy of Strunk & White’s Elements of Style—and send in only their
polished best. Our editors are too busy to do an author’s job, so
within a few paragraphs,
I can judge whether the work is perfected enough to receive a contract
or
not. As in just about every other aspect
of life, first impressions count. If too many glaring errors appear
right off
the bat, the manuscript doesn’t stand a chance at being offered a
contract with
AQP. We are, after all, running a publishing company and not a writer’s
workshop. I realize that sounds harsh, but that’s the reality of the
business,
and time is at a premium.
Tracey – How long does
the average
book take to get published at AQP? From the submission of a book by an
author
right to the release date, is it a long process?
Trace – It
depends, of course, whether a manuscript is part of a series, which
would
affect the release date, but in general, the time from submission to
publication is 9 months to a year. Also, depending on the genre and the
amount
of editors available, some books are released much quicker as well.
Tracey – How do you find
time to do
all that you do? You are webmaster, not
only for AQP but for various authors, editor, cover artist, etc. Are some days stressful?
Trace – Not
really too stressful, no. To be honest, I get bored very easily, so
with so
many different types of duties on my plate, I can work on what
“inspires” me
that day, which makes the days fly by. It
also helps that I have no other “job” so all of
my time is dedicated
to AQP.
Tracey – This month is
the Amber
Heat Wave theme releases. This was a
contest that you ran for aspiring authors to submit their work and 15
winners
were chosen. Will all of them be
released this month, or are some to come later?
Trace –
Yes, all 15 winning manuscripts will be released in June, along with
several
books by our “established” authors. 25 releases in total; 5 per week.
We’re
also introducing a new erotica imprint this month—Amber Briefs.
Basically,
these are very short stories, between 2,000 and 5,000 words, and a new
“Brief”
will be released each week this month.
Tracey – On the AQP
website it
states that you are currently not accepting submissions because of the
large
amount of manuscripts presently being done. Why
hold a contest for brand new authors to enter,
releasing new
manuscripts when there are so many currently waiting to be done?
Trace –
Good question. Actually, the contest came about for two reasons. For one, we had planned a “month of erotica”
for some time, but with our “established” erotica authors involved in
their own
schedules and working on various projects, we would have never been
able to
gather so many releases together in so short a time.
(Normally, we release approximately 4 to 6
new non-erotica titles and only 4 to 6 erotica titles each month.)
Therefore,
we decided a contest would not only enable AQP to gather together a
terrific
collection of new releases for a single month, but also give authors
outside of
the “AQP family” a chance to “get in the door.” And
with many of these newly contracted authors
being prolific (I’ve
already been bombarded with story proposals and queries <g>) we
know
we’ll have an endless supply of new material (both erotica and
non-erotica) for
many more years to come.
Tracey – Your own books, Sins
of
the Father and One Bitter and Deadly Harvest – Book 1 in The
Culpeper
Chronicles, have received great reviews and awards.
When did you decide you wanted to be a
writer?
Trace – I
always wanted to be a writer, just never knew where or how to begin. Thanks to Phyllis Whitney, who wrote a
wonderful “how-to” book regarding writing, I was able to “see” the
process in a
whole new light. I then took a writing
course;
joined and formed several critique groups in my area, and read just
about every
“how-to” book on the subject. About
seven years ago, I plotted Sins of the
Father, which combined my love of words with my obsession of
all things
Civil War related, and within a year, had a first draft, which then
went
through about 50 edits/revisions.
Tracey – Do you have as
much time to
write these days with all other duties you have to do with AQP and
outside of
the publishing business?
Trace –
Unfortunately, no. My writing has taken a back seat to my duties at
AQP.
Indeed, the reason I never re-released the first book in the Culpeper Chronicles is that I haven’t
been able to make a dent in the second book; therefore, I decided to
shelve the
series for the time being. And several
months ago, I also made the difficult decision to leave the music
industry. After twenty years and five
recording contracts, I just couldn’t face the notion of yet another
upcoming
tour, another two albums (one with the band, and one solo) to write and
prepare
within the year, and spending prolonged time away from AQP. The most recent recording contracts came
about as total flukes anyway (isn’t that the way of it?—just when you
couldn’t
care less… :) and I decided my heart just wasn’t in it any longer. I
truly
enjoy what I’m doing now in the e-publishing industry, so I didn’t want
a music
career getting in the way and gobbling up all my time. Therefore, to my
vast
relief, the record company and my management company have released me
from my
contracts, and as of this month, I fulfilled all of my final
commitments with
the band and put my “solo deal” on hold.
Tracey – What can readers
look
forward to from AQP through the rest of the year, coming on 2005?
Trace –
Just lots of terrific electronic books and paperbacks in every genre
from
Action/Adventure through Young Adult releases. In other words, business
as
usual :)
Tracey – Thank you Trace
for taking
the time to visit with the readers here at The Road to Romance.
Speaking candidly, you are a
remarkable man with what must be at least 10 hands to do all that you
do. As a reader, I have been attracted to
many of
AQP’s releases for the simple fact that your covers are amazing! Is there anything else you would
like to add for the readers?
Trace – No,
except I want to thank you for your generous praise regarding not only
my cover
art work, but for AQP as well. The
feedback we receive from both reviewers and customers is priceless, and
I
appreciate the words more than you can ever know!
Thanks so much, Trace!
Amber Quill Press website
is www.amberquill.com
Unbeknownst
to Trace, I ventured outside of just interviewing him and contacted
some of the
authors/friends who have worked with him. Here
is what many of them had to say about Trace
Edward Zaber…
- I met Trace when he
organized a writing critique group in the Chicago area and I attended his
first meeting! At the time, I was struck with his vibrant personality,
keen writing instincts, and amazing talent. Those observations have
been affirmed repeatedly throughout the ensuing years. Trace
is a key player in the world of Amber Quill Press. His ability to
create brilliant covers leaves one breathless. He edits in a
judicious, sensitive way that always honors the author. His
superb prose sets the mind afire and leaves the reader
yearning for more. His historical epic, SINS OF THE FATHER, is THE
benchmark for all Civil war novels. And I can't forget to mention
his incredible singing voice. As lead vocalist for the heavy metal
band, DSG, his voice provided a cohesive lyricism unique to
that group. I am honored to work with Trace, and
am blessed to call him "dearest friend." ~Delphyne DeRouge/J. L. (Laura) Abbott,
author of The Women of Maison D'Estelle Series & The Third Corner~
- "I have to use words to
share the pictures in my head. Trace can actually make those visions
come to life. Every cover he's created for me has captured the essence
of my story. I consider it an honor to be able to have a Trace Edward
Zaber cover on my work." ~ Megan
Hart, author of Playing the Game & Sand Castle ~
- "Back in the summer of
'99 at the National RWA conference, I gave my first ever workshop. It
was on vampires: real vs. fictional. I looked up to see a woman in the
audience gagging at my descriptions of a murder scene. Horrified I look
to my right as I quickly concluded my speech when who do I see...Trace
Edward Zaber. We had a chance meeting online prior to that workshop.
But when he walked over and gave me a hug, we became instant buddies.
We've shared a lot of laughs and memories since and a friendship to
last a lifetime. I could talk about how brilliant his covers are, what
a wonderful editor and mentor he is--but the most important roll he
plays in my life is the best friend he has become." ~ Patricia A. Rasey, author of Kiss of
Deceit and Eyes of
Betrayal ~
- Trace is one of the best
things about working for Amber Quill Press. He does it all, and
still manages to make each author feel special. When I started, I
didn't know what to expect, and he was there for my questions and
problems. I couldn't have asked for someone to be more
understanding than Trace. In the short time I've been with Amber
Quill, Trace has been a big reason why I enjoy writing so much.
He is my editor for the Descendants
series, and it is exciting to entertain such an amazing person with my
stories. Of course, that is only a small portion of what he does
there. He is The Man (as Cathy calls him) that runs the show and
we all love him for it. ~ Marianne LaCroix, author of the
Descendants of Darkness Series ~
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