Last year, it was my absolute pleasure to meet Raela Schoenherr at ACFW and share some delicious Japanese food…yum…but I digress! Raela graciously agreed to share more about her role here at Relz Reviewz and she shared such wonderful insights, I’m posting in two parts. Raela is happy to respond to any of your comments here on the blog ~ enjoy!
Introducing
Raela Schoenherr
Fiction Acquisitions Editor
Bethany House
********
Rel: Please share a little about yourself
Raela: First of all, thanks so much for having me here, Rel! As a regular reader of the blog, I admire what a fantastic job you’re doing, and I appreciate all your readers for being so passionate about inspirational fiction. I love connecting with readers and writers, so I hope everyone feels free to come say hello on Twitter at @raelaschoenherr! Or if you’re not on Twitter, I’ll respond to any comments on this post below too.
As for a little about me, I was born in Wisconsin but have lived in Minnesota for most of my life. Currently I live in Minneapolis, just a short drive from Bethany House and not terribly far from my wonderful family. I love the city and enjoy being out and about as much as possible! We have a lot of great restaurants, theaters, and museums here that I try to take advantage of as often as I can. Despite living in MN, I’m a crazy Green Bay Packers fan and a source of amusement around the office on Monday mornings depending on whether the Packers won or lost on Sunday. Also, I’m not quite sure how it happened, but over the past couple years I’ve somehow become a person who enjoys running. And obviously I’m a book nerd—can’t do this job if you don’t like reading!
Your professional title is “Fiction Acquisitions Editor” at Bethany House ~ care to give us some insight into what it is you do?
Sure! I think publishing still remains a bit of a mystery to most people—at least it was for me. Most houses have several different kinds of editors, and an acquisitions editor probably isn’t quite as much of the red-pen-in-hand kind of editor you imagine when you hear the word. An acquisitions editor is the one who’s reading incoming proposals and manuscripts from authors and literary agents. When we receive these projects, we take a look at them and decide whether they’d be a good fit for our company or not. If so, we then present the project to the Publishing Board to hopefully get approval from sales, marketing, finance, etc., to offer a contract to the author. Once the author is contracted, the acquisitions editor is essentially the project manager for that author—basically, the liaison to the rest of the company for that author and all her projects. This includes working with an author on ideas for next books, reading completed manuscripts and offering direction for revisions, writing sales and marketing copy, working with the Art department on cover design, and a lot more that I’ll spare you from. Throughout the year, we may judge unpublished writers’ contests and attend writers’ conferences as well. I’ve also done some line editing, which is what we call macro or content edits around here.
Have you always worked in publishing?
I have actually. As a book lover, I’d always thought that I’d love to work in publishing and was fortunate enough to start working at Bethany House during my senior year of college so that, by the time I graduated, I already had a taste of publishing and the business world and have been here ever since.
What studies/training did you do for this role?
Maybe not exactly what you’d think. Rather than being an English major, I was a business major in college with an emphasis on marketing and a minor in communications. But I’ve also been a voracious reader since the moment I learned to read and, in particular, have read a lot of Christian fiction. A fiction acquisitions editor is actually the perfect marriage of my love for reading and story with my training in business and marketing.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I’m a people person, so I enjoy working with my authors who are all lovely and talented writers. I also love reading a manuscript from one of my authors or an aspiring author for the first time and then having the privilege of working with them to make it the best possible story it can be. When I was an intern here, I couldn’t believe that I got to read all these stories before everyone else and have a say in whether they’d be published, and I suppose that feeling never totally goes away.
What frustrates you most or is most challenging?
I think one of the biggest challenges in the industry right now is breaking out new authors. Consumers are picky about investing their hard-earned money in a new author when they know they can count on the authors they’ve always read and loved. In a perfect world, readers would keep reading their favorites while also being excited about and aware of the new and upcoming authors. Discovery of books and authors has changed a lot—both for good and for not-so-good. So we continue to work as hard as we can to publish excellent authors of quality books and get as many copies as possible into the hands of readers. It’s an exciting challenge and very rewarding when a reader finds a new author to love.
Please describe the process from receiving a submission to acceptance, contract, and publication?
Whew! Well, let me see if I can do the extreme nutshell version. And keep in mind that this is generally how we do it, but it may vary at different houses. All in all, a year is about the shortest amount of time this process can take. After the manuscript arrives in my inbox (either from an agent or because I requested it from an author), I will read it and may have others in-house read it as well if I think it’s promising, present the project to Pub Board, and receive approval to offer a contract to the author. The Contracts department will begin working up the contract and communicating with the author or agent from that point. I will send the author a revision letter with suggestions of what to work on when they do the next round of revisions. The author has usually done multiple rounds of revision on a manuscript at this point already, but this is the first time I weigh in on the manuscript. Meanwhile, I will also work with the author and the titling committee here to title the book, then I’ll provide book and author information for the sales catalog and begin working with the Art department on cover development. Once the catalog is complete, our marketing VP will present the book to the sales team who will begin meeting with retail accounts and selling the book. When the author turns the revised manuscript in to me, the line editor then completes a content/macro edit before passing it along to the copy editor where most of the traditional grammar, punctuation, fact checking, etc., comes into play. After that, there’s a flurry of corrections made by both the author and proofreaders, and this is also about the time I’ll be working on writing the back cover copy. The Design department will have transformed the Word file into a file that looks like the designed text and layout you see inside the published book. Eventually, the book goes to the printer to actually be—you guessed it—printed in the physical book form and the ebook will also be created during this time as well. And from there it starts to make its way into the hands of readers!
Please share about a book you have championed of which you are especially proud?
That’s like asking me to pick a favorite child! I’m really proud of all my authors and each of the books they’ve poured their hearts and souls into. Each book has something special about it and there have been unique accomplishments and milestones for every book.
Though I have to say I was very excited on behalf of Elizabeth Camden when she won both a RITA and a Christy for her third book, Against the Tide. We’ve never had the same book win both awards here at Bethany House, and if it’s even ever happened elsewhere, it’s not common.
Thanks Raela! Stay tuned for part 2 of my Q&A with Raela when she talks trends in fiction, what she looks for when acquiring a novel, and what she reads away from work!
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August 12, 2014 at 3:41 pm
Relz, you may have gotten to have Japanese food with Raela in Indianapolis but I got to have a cocktail so I’m going to claim the win 😉
Raela, my question for you is about writing contests. I didn’t enter Genesis this year (slightly distracted by the minor life event of having a baby!) so I’ve been looking at a few of the RWA ones and trying to work out which/how many enter. Have you ever acquired a manuscript directly as a result of judging it in a contest? Secondly, if a writer is agented, does their being a finalist in an ACFW or RWA contest up your interest in it or do publishers just assume that if a writer has an agent they must have reached a high standard of writing regardless?
Loved Against the Tide, looking forward to reading Elizabeth’s new one!
August 12, 2014 at 10:46 pm
Ha! You cheeky thing, Kara – there’s always some battle going on between the Aussies and the Kiwis! We can’t help ourselves, can we?!
August 13, 2014 at 12:45 am
Hi Kara! And wow, congratulations on your precious new little baby 🙂
Great questions. Yes, I have indeed acquired a couple authors through writing contests. One was a contest I judged and one was simply someone I noticed had finaled. I do encourage entering contests when possible simply because you might be able to get some helpful feedback. And hey, a win or final is always nice to include in a book proposal. That being said, sometimes the particular judge(s) may just not resonate with your work, so try to find whatever constructive criticism you can if they provide feedback and then move on to try elsewhere. But sometimes the judge may end up loving your chapter samples, and in that case my best advice is to have the completed manuscript ready to go if at all humanely possible. I understand that sometimes an author may just not have a full manuscript for their contest submission yet, but it’s always a little disappointing to read a submission I’m excited about only to find out the rest of the book isn’t written.
As for agents, I would say I’m equal opportunity there. If an author has an agent, that’s great. If not, that’s fine too. For me personally, when it comes to acquisitions it’s more about the project and the author and the writing than whether she has an agent or not. It all depends on what you as an author need–some of the many great agents in the Christian publishing industry have eloquently addressed this on their own blogs. To answer your question about contest wins/finals though, it’s definitely nice to see that an author has won or finaled in a contest. I wouldn’t step back from a project I was interested in because they’d never entered/finaled/won a contest by any means, but when I’m making a case for why BHP should publish an author it’s always nice to say that the author has an award or two under her belt.
August 13, 2014 at 2:44 am
That would be me, Kara. Raela judged a contest I finaled in, chose me for first place and requested my MS, and now, here I am!
August 13, 2014 at 5:52 am
Yes, indeed! Melissa made a great first impression and, even better, absolutely delivered on it with the rest of her story.
August 14, 2014 at 12:00 pm
That’s great, Melissa! I’d heard it could happen in a “a friend of a friend her critique’s partner’s cousin won a contest and the judge bought the book” kind of way and now I know it’s not just an urban legend 😉
August 15, 2014 at 10:06 am
Thanks for sharing your story, Melissa 🙂
August 13, 2014 at 12:06 am
Raela also brought me into Bethany House. She is a joy to work with.
August 13, 2014 at 12:47 am
Love working with you, Nancy. You are a delight!
August 13, 2014 at 12:07 am
Hi Rel,
My question I have for you is, when writing do you have special spot that you like to write??
oh.hello.hiya@gmail.com
August 13, 2014 at 12:50 am
Thanks for visiting, Danie!
Most of the writing I do is work-related, so my special spot ends up being my office here at Bethany House. For the occasional non work-related writing I may do, it’s more than likely at a local coffee shop.
August 13, 2014 at 12:08 am
It is interesting to see what you studied in college. I have been trying to get my foot into the publishingbusiness as an editor or a fiction writer. I have a BS IN English and a MA in Writing, but I never thought to earn a business degree. Got me thinking. Thank you for the wonderful interview.
August 13, 2014 at 12:58 am
Hi Kelly!
It’s neat to see how many different paths bring people to the publishing industry. There are certain positions in publishing where an English, Writing, or Journalism degree would be of the utmost importance. My job, however, is a bit more of a mix of business and editorial, so my education was relevant. I always encourage people to get as much experience as they can–whether it’s working on a school’s literary magazine, copy editing a local newspaper or magazine, getting an internship at a publication, freelance writing for websites, etc. And, also very important, read voraciously and widely.
As for publishing fiction, you can ask authors about their background and you’ll likely get a different story every time. There’s not really a required background or education we expect. In fact, each author’s unique history and range of experiences informs his writing and helps to make his book stand apart.
August 13, 2014 at 12:16 am
What an interesting post! Thanks for sharing, Rel and Raela. I’m looking forward to reading part 2.
August 13, 2014 at 12:59 am
Thanks for reading, Karen!
August 15, 2014 at 10:06 am
You are welcome, Karen
August 13, 2014 at 12:39 am
What an informative post. Thank you for sharing all this, Raela! Honestly, it answered a few of my questions and encouraged me as I’m diving into multiple edits on my second novel before I begin querying it.
Looking forward to part two!
August 13, 2014 at 1:00 am
Thanks Meghan. That revision stage is so important and is the sign of a good writer, so keep up the good work!
August 13, 2014 at 12:39 am
So fun to see Raela here and loved the interview! Behind-the-scenes stuff is always fun (except maybe for the info on the Packers. Bears fan, cough cough.)
August 13, 2014 at 1:02 am
Thanks for stopping by, Sally!
We appreciate the gift of Julius Peppers this year. Here’s hoping he gets a few good sacks in when we play Chicago 😉
August 13, 2014 at 5:10 am
Oh, trash talking!!! I love it. 😀
August 15, 2014 at 10:08 am
Hey Sally – you girls really need to come over and see a game of real football!! Australian Rule Football is in a whole other stratosphere – LOL!
August 15, 2014 at 11:55 pm
You send me a plane ticket, Rel, and I’ll be there! 😉
August 16, 2014 at 1:42 am
Rel, I’ve seen clips of it! They don’t wear helmets or anything, do they? Wow! The NFL here has been caught up on the lasting impact of concussions. I can’t imagine what your athletes must be like after retirement.
August 18, 2014 at 9:54 am
AFL isn’t a real game. You need to watch the All Blacks. Right, Rel?
August 13, 2014 at 12:48 am
This is such a fun post! I love seeing the behind-the-scenes to all the books that i love.
Raela, what is the most difficult part of the project management aspect to your job?
August 13, 2014 at 1:10 am
Ooh, good question, Rachel! I suppose it is probably balancing the needs and wants of all the various parties involved. In many ways, I’m the go-between so I want to make sure I’m meeting my authors’ needs and representing their wishes fairly and with clarity, but I also have to make sure to represent the goals and strategies of Bethany House. Thankfully, I’ve been able to work with authors who are very bright and open to discussion. If we are ever going back on forth on a question that has arisen, their graciousness and well-thought-out opinions go a long way in helping me to keep that balance!
August 13, 2014 at 12:53 am
Thank you, this interview was extemely interesting. I am sure I am just one of the many readers out there who dream of one day putting their ideas down on paper and seeing them published. It was nice to get a peak at the process and your role in it.
August 13, 2014 at 1:03 am
You’re in the right place for writing encouragement and support, Rebecca! Thanks for reading today.
August 13, 2014 at 1:39 am
Hello Raela Thank you for giving us a peek into being a Bethany House Fiction Acquisitions Editor. You obviously do a great job choosing manuscripts, because I’ve never read a Bethany House book I didn’t love.
Since it’s difficult for you to pick your favorite book, how about your favorite book cover. Is there one or two that stand out to you? Bethany House has such talented and creative cover artists and that’s so important. Initially, it’s what piques my interest in a book.
August 13, 2014 at 2:03 am
So glad to hear you’re a Bethany House fan, Cheryl! I’m so thankful for our excellent designers and what a great job they do. Maybe I’ll pick a favorite cover from each of my authors *who have books out so far), how about that?
Bethany Pierce–Amy Inspired
Elizabeth Camden–Against the Tide
Jen Turano–A Change of Fortune
Nancy Mehl–Gathering Shadows
Melissa Tagg–Here to Stay
Melissa Jagears–A Bride for Keeps
Kate Breslin–For Such a Time
August 13, 2014 at 2:07 am
Thanks, Raela! For Such a Time is such a great story. One of my favorites this year–or ever. And oh…what a lovely cover. 🙂
August 13, 2014 at 5:50 am
I’m so thrilled you love it! Kate really told an amazing and heartbreakingly beautiful story.
August 13, 2014 at 1:46 am
Yay so fun to see Raela here. Raela brought me into Bethany House and was a huge part of making my publishing dream come true. So I’m a fan. 🙂 Thanks for all your hard work, Raela, and for championing authors and books!
August 13, 2014 at 2:05 am
Thanks for letting Bethany House take on your baby, Melissa 🙂 It’s such a treat to work with you!
August 13, 2014 at 1:57 am
Rel and Raela, two such delightful people in one place! This was such a joy to read. Thank you both. 🙂 Raela, you’ve talked about the challenge of breaking out a new author, the hesitancy consumers have to try someone new. From what you’ve seen, are there things a new author can do to help pave the way? Trust-building with readers is a joy for sure, and in the pre-publication period I’m in it’s a fun challenge to try to find creative ways to connect. I’m wondering if, from your standpoint, there are things you’d love to see going on already when you see a proposal cross your desk.
Thank you both again for the time and care you poured into this interview!
With Joy,
Amanda
August 13, 2014 at 5:18 am
Thanks Amanda!
That is a great question, and I wish there was an easy answer! It’s always good to see that authors–even fiction authors–have worked on developing a little bit of a platform and are trying to engage in the world of social media a bit. Every format isn’t for everyone, so pick whichever one floats your boat the most. That being said, I understand it’s hard to have a huge following of readers built-in when you don’t have a book out.
In a time when there are so many books available, the best thing aspiring authors can do to get attention for editors and agents and, eventually, readers is to do everything they can to simply and immediately establish what sets them apart from the rest of the crowd. Agents and editors are constantly reviewing proposals and manuscripts, so the more apparent an author makes what is different about her than everyone else the better! An interesting/fun/unique spin on a familiar theme within a crowded genre goes a long way. Or if a story/setting is less common in CBA and the author connects the dots about why it will work in the market. And beyond the actual project, it’s always interesting if an author has tried something different or creative with whatever online presence she has. How’s that for vague?
From there, just show that you’ve been paying attention and studying the industry by putting together an informed and professional proposal. One of my authors’ original proposals wowed me by being a great mix of both thoughtful, knowledgeable content and a strong voice that completely fit her genre. It made her proposal come to life. Another way to show that you know the industry is to compile a realistic and fitting list of comparable/competitive authors. One author I work with talked about a promotional idea for her books that is something we as a company have invested in and I was impressed by her awareness of this strategy.
August 14, 2014 at 2:27 am
Wow, what a thoughtful and generous reply! Thank you so much, Raela. Such great insights, and I so appreciate the time and care you poured into this. Hope your week is going well!
August 15, 2014 at 10:09 am
Appreciate your encouragement, dear Amanda xo
August 15, 2014 at 1:49 pm
Sending a hug your way, Rel!
August 13, 2014 at 2:02 am
Raela, thank you for doing this interview. Your job sounds fun. I would love to read a Bethany House book where the heroine has the job that you do! Maybe a chick-lit or women’s fiction series. There could be a romance, but the books would mainly concentrate on her job.
August 13, 2014 at 2:02 am
Oh, Raela, how do you pronounce your name and last name?
August 13, 2014 at 2:12 am
Ray-la Shane-hair is the phonetic breakdown.
Thanks for asking! It’s an unusual name, so I don’t expect people to automatically know how to pronounce it.
August 13, 2014 at 2:10 am
Thanks for being interested, Sylvia. I don’t know a lot of books that focus on an editor as the protagonist but maybe someday!
My first exposure to the idea of a book editor actually came from the Lori Wick book Pretense. One of the main characters was an author, but she had several interactions with her editor and I was very intrigued!
August 13, 2014 at 2:30 am
Cool! I have that book by Lori Wick. Every time I talk about a book being long my sister says is it as long as Pretense? That’s her standard for a long book! 🙂 Robin Jones Gunn’s book Waterfalls has the heroine, Meredith, working as an acquisitions editor for children’s books. It’s a romance, so Robin doesn’t delve deeply into Meredith’s job. She does have her attend a writer’s conference. I always think of that when I hear people talk about ACFW.
August 13, 2014 at 5:20 am
Haha, it IS a long book. I haven’t read Waterfalls, but I’ll have to take a look!
August 15, 2014 at 10:11 am
Tamara Leigh’s Stealing Adda is another great novel about the writing world – highly recommend it to you, Sylvia!
August 15, 2014 at 11:26 am
I’ve heard of her books, but have never read them. I’ll have to read this one and try her others too. Thanks.
August 13, 2014 at 2:10 am
What a great article, Raela! I’m not in the publishing field so I enjoyed hearing your clear explanations about your job. And, since I had the blessing of watching you grow into the lovely lady you are today, I can say how proud I am of you! 🙂 Looking forward to part 2 soon.
August 13, 2014 at 2:13 am
Aw, thanks for stopping by, Jill. Lots of love to you and your family!
August 13, 2014 at 2:38 am
Very interesting interview! Can’t wait to read the second part.
What is your advice for a foreign author who writes contemporary Christian fiction set in Portugal?
August 13, 2014 at 5:25 am
Thanks for reading, Lucinda!
I don’t have much experience working with foreign authors, but in this world of technology, I’d say much of the advice to US authors applies to international ones too. Keep apprised of what’s going on in the industry, read a lot and especially in your genre, engage with the online CBA community, try to find a writer’s group and/or critique partner, etc.
So far, Christian fiction tends to be largely set in America, but I think the opportunities for international settings might be growing a little. I’d love to see it, and I think readers would enjoy it when they gave it a try.
August 13, 2014 at 8:23 am
Thanks for the advice, Raela! I was born/raised in Portugal and I’ve been in the USA for about 18 years.
I write in English and my characters are mostly Portuguese with one or two Americans throw in, but the stories are set in Portugal, which I know well, of course. 🙂
August 15, 2014 at 10:14 am
Oh, I hope so, Raela!! As someone who lives outside of the US, it’s a real treat to read books set in other international settings – no offence to my lovely American friends 🙂
I’ve been interested to see the uptake of WWII novels, including the fabulous Kate Breslin’s. There’s been very little since the ground-breaking Thoene series. Love the European setting – it adds a richness to a story to be learning about different places and different times.
August 15, 2014 at 11:53 pm
We’re starting to see a lot more into the 19-teens, so maybe we’ll gradually work our way into the forties more regularly. Sarah Thomas is the fifties in her first book and, I believe, the sixties after that, believe it or not!
Personally, I’m crazy about the 1700s so I would love to see the market accept earlier eras more often. I really appreciate that most of Laura Frantz’s books are set in those years.
August 18, 2014 at 10:28 am
I’m another one who loves some non-American settings, so I’d love to read a book set in Portugal.
August 13, 2014 at 3:15 am
Hi Raela! Just for fun, what books did you read as a child? Any particular favorites? And how about fairy tales. Which ones pop into your mind as classics? It’s always fun to get a bit of back story (just a little!) about editors and authors. I thoroughly enjoyed the interview and am looking forward to reading more tomorrow. I have to add that writing for Bethany House is pure joy. Definitely “dream come true” stuff!
August 13, 2014 at 5:38 am
Hey Vicki!
I read a lot of authors I think many will be familiar with. All the Little House on the Prairie books, the Anne of Green Gables series, Caddie Woodlawn, and the Chronicles of Narnia. Absolutely anything that had to do with horses (Saddle Club, Pony Pals) or dogs. There was a series of book called Great Illustrated Classics my brother and I read voraciously. They were versions of all the classics with illustrations from Dickens to Austen to Alcott that had been abridged for children. The first Christian fiction I read was Janette Oke, which I borrowed from my mother. And, just to keep things interesting, my brother and I were big readers of the Archie comics 🙂
Beauty & the Beast has always been my favorite fairy tale primarily because it was my favorite Disney movie and the first movie I ever saw in the theater. My brother and I also loved Robin Hood and Ivanhoe–there was just enough fighting for him and just enough ladies in pretty dresses for me!
August 13, 2014 at 3:26 am
I had no idea it took so long to get the already written book from the author to our hands.
August 13, 2014 at 5:45 am
Thanks for chiming in, Rachel! Yes, it’s a longer and more complicated process that most people realize. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to do it right!
August 13, 2014 at 4:18 am
Hello, Raela! It’s so fun to see you here on Rel’s blog. I love hearing about the publishing process. It’s always a good reminder that authors, in whatever stage, need to exercise patience. It’s also a reminder that editors and agents have to have patience too. 🙂 So many pieces need to fit together to get a book in the hands of a reader. You’ve done such a good job describing the process, I can’t think of a question. 🙂 I’m looking forward to the second part to this interview!
August 13, 2014 at 5:46 am
Thanks so much for reading, Gabrielle. And congrats on your upcoming novellas–so exciting!
August 15, 2014 at 10:15 am
Hey Gabrielle – thanks for sharing your thoughts. Part 2 is on its way soon!
August 13, 2014 at 7:18 am
So how do you get the market excited about a new author? How much does the author need to be out there drumming up excitement?
August 14, 2014 at 12:46 am
Thanks for reading, Nick! We try a lot of different strategies to get the market excited about new authors including putting a great cover on the book and getting it placed in as many stores as we can. Marketing and publicity works to drum up attention for the book and a lot of that has shifted online these days. We’ve also tried various promotional strategies to give potential readers a taste of the author’s writing or a preview of the book. And much more! Of course, then the book has to deliver when readers do pick it up, which is the job of the author and the editorial department. Aside from making the book the best it can be, it is nice to see authors out there connecting with readers. It may feel like it’s on a smaller scale, but the individual level is where word of mouth comes in.
August 14, 2014 at 5:14 am
Thanks. Good advice. I am just trying to figure out what this all looks like.
August 15, 2014 at 10:16 am
I’ve loved the free novella idea you have run with Jen Turano, Melissa Jagears, and Sarah Loudin Thomas. It enables readers to get a taste of a new author’s style without the outlay. Do you think this has made a difference to the uptake of their full length debut novels, Raela?
August 15, 2014 at 11:49 pm
Once we made sure they were available internationally, right? 😉
Yes, the novella idea has been a lot of fun and the authors have enjoyed writing them as well. They’ve absolutely made a difference, so we just continue to monitor the effectiveness and have plans for several more coming out (Jody Hedlund, Melissa Tagg to name a few).
August 13, 2014 at 7:56 am
Love these different types of posts!! Thanks for sharing such great insight 🙂
August 14, 2014 at 12:46 am
Thanks for visiting, Jamie!
August 13, 2014 at 8:07 am
Great interview!! Thank you, Rel & Raela! Loved reading about how Raela “grew up” with Bethany before becoming acquisitions editor.
August 14, 2014 at 12:47 am
Thanks for stopping by, Ronie! It’s certainly been a lot of fun to work for a company I was a fan of growing up.
August 15, 2014 at 10:17 am
Waving to you, dear Ronie xo
August 13, 2014 at 8:55 am
How many acquisitions editors are there at Bethany House? I assume at least one each fiction and nonfiction, though I’m guessing more . . .
Incidentally, who do YOU believe invented the juicy lucy?
August 14, 2014 at 12:49 am
Hey Rachael!
Currently we have three fiction acquisitions editors and two nonfiction. Some houses have editors acquiring both, but we still keep fiction and nonfiction separate.
And I’d have to go with Matt’s Bar 🙂
August 13, 2014 at 9:13 am
Hi Rel and Raela, what a fun interview. 🙂
So good to see behind the scenes and learn more about the much-loved books on my shelf. Thanks for sharing the publishing process, Raela. And thanks for sharing the books with us Rel. What a fabulous team.
Looking forward to part two. 🙂
August 14, 2014 at 12:50 am
I appreciate you taking a look, Dorothy! See you for part two 🙂
August 15, 2014 at 10:18 am
Thanks Dorothy – you are a lovely encourager. See you soon!!
August 13, 2014 at 9:14 am
Great interview! And Rel, I love that your time stamps are Aussie time! Why that thrills me, I do not know…
Raela, two questions…
First, in your response to Amanda Dykes, you said “…so the more apparent an author makes what is different about her than everyone else the better! An interesting/fun/unique spin on a familiar theme within a crowded genre goes a long way”.
I’m an Anglo Canadian writing hist/fic about Navajo Indians for the CBA market. In order to be historically and culturally accurate, there are references to Native beliefs and practices in the books. How much interesting uniqueness is too much?
Second, what about character names? How sticky are the various voices giving their editoraial input about non-traditional names? Names such as Laura Frantz’s Red Shirt, or Sandi Rog’s White Eagle were easy. But Navajo names do not fall into Shawnee or Cheyenne traditional names. Where does Bethany House stand on the matter of being culturally sensitive without turning the average reader’s brain upside down with unusual names?
August 14, 2014 at 12:58 am
Hi Jennifer!
Let’s see, to answer your question about Native beliefs, I think our concern would be to make sure that they are presented accurately and historically but that, at the end of the day, the reader knows the truth. No reason to preach or become didactic of course and it depends on how the story is written and how you present these themes, but it would be wise to leave the reader with an understanding of where the truth lies.
As for the names, that would likely depend as well. Off the top of my head, perhaps you could introduce the full name at the outset and then transition to nicknames? I don’t know the culture, so that may not work, but it’s an option.
August 15, 2014 at 10:18 am
Our time stamps put us ahead of the pack, right?! Although my Kiwi friend, Kara, may have something to say about that 😉
August 13, 2014 at 10:04 am
What a pleasure to “see” you on Rel’s blog/site, Raela! How fun. It was fantastic to learn more about you – I think all of the projects I’ve read that you were involved with have been memorable and just… perfect. Congrats on all of your jobs well done. 🙂
August 14, 2014 at 1:27 am
Thanks so much, Rissi. Your support for Bethany House books is so fun and we appreciate you!
August 15, 2014 at 10:19 am
Always a treat when you drop by, Rissi xo
August 13, 2014 at 10:19 am
Raela and Rel, thanks so much for this great interview! It’s been fascinating! Hearing the process broken down really does show how much work goes on behind the scenes and it’s so neat to get a peek into Bethany’s process from start to finish. For you to serve as a liaison through the process sounds like it would be a comfort to your authors to have that familiar face to turn to for each step of the way. Thanks so much for sharing! I’m looking forward to part two!
August 14, 2014 at 1:29 am
Hey Joanne!
And you authors know how much time and work goes into the manuscript before the publishing house even sees it 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
August 13, 2014 at 1:05 pm
This doesn’t have much to do with editing, but I tried to get some jobs in freelance editing/proofreading, but since I had no references or “experience,” I was turned down for the jobs. These were textbooks, but I would prefer something more in the fiction line. My grammar, punctuation, and spelling borders on the OCD level, so I could certainly make a case for experience, as I was usually the designated proofreader for college submissions. I often find spelling and grammar mistakes in published works. How does one gain the experience, and therefore, references to do this as a part-time, freelance job?
August 14, 2014 at 1:34 am
Great question, Lisa! I know textbooks are very specialized so they can tend to be quite particular. It’s great that you have experience proofreading for college submissions! And it sounds like you read a lot, which is a great start.
One way to build your official copyediting chops might be to start out doing it for free. That’s probably not very appealing, but there may be more of a chance to get a foot in the door if you’re doing it on a volunteer basis. And then, once you have some real-world experience, you can include that on a resume. Another suggestion would be to find someone who does freelance editing and see if they’d be willing to share their path to the field and mentor you. Maybe they would even let you volunteer with them for a little while to learn the ropes–or, if you’re lucky, maybe someone would be looking for an assistant!
August 18, 2014 at 11:16 am
I’ve just finished three fiction editing courses on editing with the Christian PEN (Proofreaders and Editors Network), which were very helpful (they’ll run again next year, starting in January).
You can also learn by reading books on the subject, joining Facebook groups, and by making sure you are well-read in the genre you want to edit. If you’d like some suggestions, find me on Facebook or via http://www.christianediting.co.nz.
August 13, 2014 at 2:58 pm
Wow! Your job sounds so fun and fascinating! I can’t wait to hear more about it! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
August 14, 2014 at 1:35 am
Thanks for stopping by to read, Danielle!
August 13, 2014 at 9:23 pm
Thanks for the look inside the publishing world! I started reading inspirational fiction last summer, and I fell in love with it. Your job sounds challenging and wonderful. I pray God leads you to fresh authors and the public embraces them.
August 14, 2014 at 1:36 am
I’m so glad to hear you love Inspy fiction, Becky! It’s a great community and there are so many wonderful authors to read. Thanks for the prayers!
August 15, 2014 at 10:21 am
Welcome to the world of Inspy fiction, Becky!
August 15, 2014 at 10:21 am
Welcome to the world of Inspy fiction, Becky! Have you discovered a few favourite authors by now?
August 14, 2014 at 6:56 am
You must really enjoy your exciting job. It certainly sounds interesting.
Thanks for sharing the process of what happens from start to finish with publishing.
~Cindi
August 14, 2014 at 7:57 am
You’re most welcome. Thanks for stopping by, Cindi!
August 14, 2014 at 10:11 am
How fun! I’ve seen you around twitter and knew you were involved in publishing somehow, but wasn’t sure exactly what that truly meant. Your job sounds pretty amazing! And hard. But fun at the same time, right? At least most days? 🙂
It’s nice to be introduced to you properly. Now I’ll know who you are when your name pops up in my twitter feed. 🙂
August 15, 2014 at 12:44 am
Thanks Kara! Glad we’re officially introduced now 🙂 Twitter is a great place to find fellow book lovers!
August 14, 2014 at 2:54 pm
I’m one of those that the world of publishing is a huge mystery. It sounds like you have a dream job! Have there been authors that you’ve pushed for that didn’t get accepted by your publisher, and have you followed whatever happened with them?
August 15, 2014 at 2:54 am
Thanks for commenting, Heidi! I’ve been fortunate that all of the authors I’ve presented have gotten the go-ahead. But the first gate of approval that a project has to go through is the acquisitions team, so there have been projects I’ve presented to that smaller group that we decided against. In that case, if I see any news about the author in the future, I do tend to check it out. Just because a project isn’t right for BHP doesn’t mean it’s not right elsewhere, so I’m always happy to see the authors who have continued in their publishing careers.
August 14, 2014 at 5:15 pm
Thanks Rel in introducing Raela to us in such away we now know everything about her!!!
Seriously though, I almost had my foot into Bethany House’s door when you asked to see my book proposal through The Writer’s Edge, Raela. Your showing interest was a real encouragement. Since then I have found a lovely agent and have continued working on my writing. I believe eventually I’ll make it as I love the inspirational historical romance genre and the research involved.
August 15, 2014 at 2:56 am
Thanks for stopping by, Rita. I’m glad to hear you’ve connected with a great agent and are moving forward with your writing!
August 15, 2014 at 10:22 am
A pleasure, Rita – Raela did all the hard work, of course!!
August 15, 2014 at 2:06 am
What a fascinating post–thanks for sharing the process with us! I’m looking forward to reading the next installment. And thanks for the giveaway, too!
August 15, 2014 at 2:57 am
I appreciate you reading, Lynda!
August 15, 2014 at 8:54 am
Thanks for sharing how the process works! Looking forward to part 2.
August 16, 2014 at 1:46 am
Thanks Virgina!
August 17, 2014 at 3:11 am
So fun. I do freelance editing, but an acquisitions editor would be my dream job. After, bestselling author, of course. Sorry if someone already asked this, but do you ever do any writing of your own, or are you strictly a reader?
August 19, 2014 at 3:46 am
Hey Erynn!
No one asked yet! At this point, I don’t write for fun. Lots of work-related writing of course, but otherwise I’m a reader. I wouldn’t say it’s completely off the table for the future, but currently I love focusing on helping authors making completed manuscripts even better.
August 18, 2014 at 10:11 am
Thanks for a chance to win. I love Bethany House books.
August 19, 2014 at 12:23 pm
Your job sounds awesome! Working at a publishing company would be my dream job, so I really enjoyed reading your insights. I love inspirational fiction, and it was fascinating to get a behind-the-scene look into the editing and publishing process.
August 22, 2014 at 11:36 am
Raela, Sounds like you studied good subjects. And being able to read at work. 🙂 I can’t read fast enough to have that job. Enjoyed the interview and congratulations on the new baby. I have 19 great-grandkids. I do love babies. Relz thanks for having Raela. She is new to me. I would love to win a
book from Bethany House. So many good ones to choose. Would love to win. GOD bless you both.
Maxie
August 23, 2014 at 1:47 pm
What a fabulous post! I love hearing more about publishing. How wonderful that you’ve been with Bethany House for so long, Raela. To work at a publishing firm is a dream job for me. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
August 23, 2014 at 1:48 pm
LOVE this post! Thanks so much for sharing, Raela!
August 27, 2014 at 11:38 am
Great interview! I LOVE learning everything I can about publishing and the process of a book from the author all the way down to me. I can’t wait for part two of the interview!
August 27, 2014 at 12:08 pm
Here’s part 2, Liz! Enjoy 🙂
http://relzreviewz.com/introducing-raela-schoenherr-fiction-acquisitions-editor-part-2/