Plot Monkeys

We’re so excited here in the jungle today, because we have one of our very favorite people visiting!

If you read our “first call” stories during the past several Saturdays, I am quite sure you will recognize the name Brenda Chin. Brenda, an Associate Senior Editor with Harlequin Enterprises (who is currently in charge of the exciting and vibrant Harlequin Blaze line) bought the very first books Carly, Julie and Leslie ever sold, and bought Janelle’s very first contemporary. So as we’re sure you can imagine, we all :love2: :love2: Brenda VERY much.

Please give a warm jungle welcome for her as she gives her perspective on making that first call!

The Best Part of My Job

First of all, I’d like to thank Julie, Leslie, Janelle and Carly for having me here. I’ve never blogged before, so be easy on me, will you?

Anyway, since all the Plot Monkeys talked earlier about their first sales, I thought I’d tell you what it’s like on the other side - being the one to make those calls. It is, without a doubt, the best part of my job.

Over the past 18 years, I’ve had the privilege of making The Call 31 times!

Some authors, like Leslie, were pretty cool (it’s nice to know she jumped around AFTER she hung up the phone ) but the majority of writers are really, really excited…and it makes me feel great! I even had one woman scream and hang up on me. It’s something I tease her about to this day.

Part of the reason I’ve been so lucky with new authors is the fact that I’ve always worked on series romance–and series romance always needs new blood and fresh ideas. (Part of the reason Blaze did well enough in Temptation to warrant its own series is because many writers new to Temptation decided to push the envelope). For my series, new authors are very important because many of our core writers became very good, very quickly. Now, most of them are writing for other houses as well as Harlequin. This means fewer books in the schedule for me…and more opportunity for new authors.

My personal author base is mainly made up of authors I brought in, either brand new or new to Harlequin. I acquired many of these writers, like the Plot Monkeys, when I was just a junior editor, and we all sort of grew up together.
This fact hit home when I realized that 95% of my authors are within 5 years of my age. Now I know why we all watched the same thing on TV when we were kids….

(ahem…

The most amazing thing to me is realizing what one book can start. And it’s even more amazing to know I’ve been a part of it. It just seems like yesterday that manuscripts from Leslie Kelly, Carly Phillips, Janelle Denison and Julie Leto crossed my desk.

And look at them now! And they’re not alone. The Temptation/Blaze lines have introduced the world to some incredible talent - authors like the Plot Monkeys, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Tori Carrington, Jennifer Crusie, Julie Kenner, Stephanie Bond, Kate Hoffmann and Lori Foster, to name just a few…

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve often wondered if I should be doing something else, something that makes a difference in the world. But then I realize that I am making a difference - to every author who gets a chance at her dream, and to every reader whose day becomes a little better because she picked up one of our books.

All in all, it’s not a bad job at all…