Interview: Teresa Medeiros, author and now publisher
Best-selling author Teresa Medeiros has embarked on a novel adventure. Literally. Ready for a fresh challenge, Teresa has jumped ship as a New York-published author and started paddling her way to a new shore as a publisher. Here, she explains her plans, what readers can expect and introduces us to the new Amber House Books.
Joyce: Welcome back to HEA, Teresa! I heard a rumor that you walked away from a six-figure publishing contract to go indie and start your own publishing company. Please tell us more!
Teresa: My naughty little secret is out! What happened was that thanks to my forward-thinking agent, I ended up with the rights to all of my books in the U.K., Australia and most non-U.S. territories. I decided to publish them myself and quickly discovered that I adored everything about the process — from preparing the manuscripts for conversion to designing cover art to uploading them to the various vendors. For years I'd been hearing "The only thing you can control in this business is the writing." Well, suddenly, I could control every aspect of publishing and it was incredibly empowering! I didn't have to sit by the phone any longer waiting for things to happen because I was the one making them happen. That's why I decided to start Amber House Books.
Joyce: What can readers expect from Amber House Books? What books are out right now that Amber House published?
Teresa: The Amber House slogan is "Entertaining readers … empowering authors." I'm looking for the same quality of work that (I hope) has always been associated with my name. We launched this month with four backlist titles that have never before been available digitally — Nashville musician Tommy Womack's cult classic and literary gem Cheese Chronicles: the true story of a rock 'n' roll band you've never heard of and the Borrowed Brides series from Rebecca Hagan Lee, which includes Golden Chances, Harvest Moon and Something Borrowed. (These have been out of print for years with print editions selling for as high as $345.) I'm especially interested in projects from authors who were always wonderful writers, but who got stuck in the midlist mire due to the challenges of traditional publishing. And in Rebecca's case, it's incredibly gratifying to be bringing the charms of Americana romance back to a reading audience hungry for more variety.
I want to publish projects I'm excited about — both as a reader and an editor! I'm already "going after" some of my personal favorites. Romance will be a huge factor, but I'm open to fiction, non-fiction, whatever moves my heart as a reader.
Joyce: What's your favorite part of the road to a published novel now that you get to control the whole process?
Teresa: Would you believe designing cover art? When I know I'm going to work on a cover, I practically run to the computer! After working with words for so long, it's lovely to do something that's creative, yet also the professional equivalent of scribbling in your own coloring book. I also love seeing the books online after they're published. I feel so proud! As if the author was the parent of the bouncing baby book, but I get to be the godmother.
Joyce: What if there's an aspiring author out there who's perking up right now reading about your venture? Could she/he submit something to you?
Teresa: I'm not actively looking at the moment, but that's because I want to keep things intimate enough right now so I can treat each project with the same tender loving care I'd give one of my own books.
Joyce: What advice would you give to an aspiring author trying to decide between traditional publishing and indie publishing?
Teresa: Every author has to choose their own path. I had a wonderful and very successful career in New York and had the privilege of working with some of the best editors and publishers in the business. But I was at a place in my life where I needed a fresh challenge. It was time to put all of the skills I'd gained in over two decades of publishing to use. That was MY path, but it may not be someone else's. My hope is that New York will eventually start offering more "print only" deals so that a partnership could be achieved that would benefit publisher, author and, most important, the reader.
Joyce: What would you say to a romance reader who might be reluctant to give an indie-published book a try?
Teresa: There's some incredibly exciting work being done out there right now. Just keep your ear to the ground so you can separate the good from the bad (or badly formatted). I'm such a perfectionist that I work like crazy just to make sure the books look beautiful, as well as read beautifully.
Joyce: What's next for Teresa Medeiros, the author?
Teresa: I own the U.S. rights to my backlist titles Lady of Conquest and Shadows and Lace, so Amber House Books will be publishing them next. Then I'm going to focus on a brand new Teresa Medeiros book! Since I'm not a particularly fast writer, I'm totally jazzed by the idea that I can finish a book, but won't have to wait a year to see it published. (And my readers won't have to wait, either!)
Joyce: Is there anything you'd like to add?
Teresa: I honestly believe that if a talented author has the drive to succeed and the willingness to work hard at it, anything is possible. I don't think there has ever been a more exciting time in publishing when it comes to options. I'm thrilled that Amber House Books is now an option for some very talented writers. You can check us out at www.amberhousebooks.com.
Joyce: Thanks, Teresa!
You can find out more about Teresa and her books at www.teresamedeiros.com.
HEA curator Joyce Lamb has 25 years of journalism experience and eight published romantic suspense novels, three of which have been RITA finalists. You can reach her at jlamb@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter (@JoyceLamb). You can also follow HEA on Twitter (@HEAusatoday).
