Interview Time & Giveaway with Vinspire Publishing, LLC
I had the pleasure of interviewing the Editor-in-Chief of Vinspire Publishing, LLC over the holiday season. I have always been curious about how the publishing process works and what publishers look for, especially for someone who hopes to publish a book at some point in their lifetime. I found out about the publishing process, as well as how Young Adult still finds a way to thrive in a market being overwhelmed with Erotica.
1. What is your typical audience age group?
We have readers from ages five on up. Because we are a family friendly publisher, our books are enjoyed by people of any ages. The protagonists in our young adult books are generally in the 15-17 age range.
2. What do you look for in a submission when they submit to your publishing house for a YA book?
We look for stories that make us keep reading, stories we don’t want to put down. Recently, I read a young adult book from our submissions inbox (which I rarely do), and I did not want to stop reading it.
Beyond that, we like characters we can connect with and draw us in. We don’t want to just be entertained; we want to be invested in the book.
3. How many YA books do you typically publish in a 12 month period?
This varies greatly from year to year. We like to offer our readers a mix of genres throughout the course of the year so we don’t focus all of our attention on only one. On average, about 50% of the books we publish are young adult, though.
4. Have you noticed that there are certain trends in YA novels, if so what are they?
I have noticed that the draw to young adult novels seems to be straying from romance and more toward general market. Books with more realistic situations, including loss and strong drama are a big draw like The Fault in Our Stars.
5. Do you find it hard to publicize and market YA books in an erotica based market?
Fortunately, since these two genres are at opposite ends of the spectrum, we know where to focus our marketing efforts. By working with YA blogs, we are able to reach readers that are only looking for this genre.
6. Give me your recommendations on what I should be reading.
I would have to say you can’t go wrong with any of our YA titles. Angelhood has won two consecutive awards and is a compelling look at what could happen after suicide while Becky’s Kiss is story that will resonate with teens facing a new school.
If you’re into science fiction, Gamenian will take you on an unforgettable journey into outer space. Maybe you’re in the mood for paranormal. Both Beguiling and Shadowflesh are beyond the grave stories that should probably be read with all the lights on in the house while Zombies Y’all is a comical look at a zombie apocalypse, and Kingdom of Glass is a nail-biting read about a town that’s dying.
Our contemporary stories delve deep into the heart of real-life issues. With girls like Skye from Girl in the Middle facing abandonment by her friends, genius Millie from Genius Summer getting a little help from 1865, and Mia lacing up her running shoes, you really will find something to keep you mesmerized.
How do you know when a book is going to be a smashing success?
I’m not usually into YA genre but maybe i will check some later. Thank you 😀
Great interview
Is it hard I.wonder, for even great writers with success in the indie world to get published traditionally?
Hi, Faye,
There is no set way to know if a book is going to be a smashing success, but we approach all of our books as though that will be the case. We set them up for success as much as we possibly can.
Great question, and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Hi, Vivi,
I wasn’t into reading young adult books for the longest time. Then one day, I downloaded one from Amazon, and I have been hooked ever since.
I would suggest reading the excerpts to get a feel of the book before you make a purchase. If you can, try to read more than one. There are some really good YA books on the market so good luck!
Thanks, Jessica, and thanks for stopping by!
Hi, Brandi,
I think successful indie writers have an even better chance at getting traditionally published than new authors. Here’s why.
As a publisher, we look at an author’s platform and reach. If an author already has an established readership, there’s a good chance those readers are going to be interested in their next work.
In addition, successful authors already know the work it takes to be successful, and publishers appreciate authors who are willing to work in tandem with them to make their book a success.
I hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Have you ever had authors that just publish a “one-hit wonder” if that’s what you’d call it
I don’t have any questions, great interview Thank you for the giveaway.
Thanks for the giveaway 😆 will check out the titles
Awesome giveaway
I write YA fiction and I love reading it. I’ll have to look a little closer at Vinspire Publishing.
Have there ever been books you wished you would have or should have worked on/with?
How do you get ideas for your books
Do Publishers reached out to Bloggers as much as the Author’s themselves do?
Great interview! For those who say they don’t read YA, don’t let the name fool you. As Dawn said, check out some of the excerpts – you may be surprised.
Have you ever published a story from a teenage writer or a young child? Thank you for answering our questions and the giveaway!
I really don’t have any questions at this time just wanted to say thanks for the chance.