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Back to Articles Our Interview with Emma Holly (November 2004): Q. What do you write? What publisher(s) do you write for or have you written for? Emma Holly: I write erotica, romance and various combinations thereof, all under the name Emma Holly. I enjoy variety, so some of my books have been straight historicals, some paranormal historicals, and some contemporaries. I've published with Black Lace, Red Sage, and Berkley Jove. Q. Tell us a bit about your current/upcoming releases. EH: Strange Attractions came out on
October 5. It's an erotic contemporary set in Seattle, and centers on
one of my favorite themes, the mmf threesome. I always figure two heroes
are better than one! Q. What year did you get “The Call?” EH: I believe it was 1997. EH: I've answered this question loads of times, so it's not a secret or anything, but I'm not sure the actual amount of time is important. Suffice to say, many years. I don't regret them today. Every author is different, but I know waiting gave me an incentive to keep honing my skills in a way an early sale might not have. It also gave me the luxury of going through that learning process without a zillion people watching. I could make the worst of my mistakes in private. As a result, my first published book (Menage) was pretty polished, and I'd developed a habit (which I hope to keep) of always striving to improve. Q. Describe your first sale experience. EH:
The offer from Virgin Publishing, which is headquartered in the
UK, came through the mail, so at first I thought it was a rejection. I
had to read the letter a couple times before it sank in that this was
good news. Once it did, I think I felt more relief than excitement.
Finally I didn't have to explain to people that, no, I still wasn't
published yet! It wasn't until Menage came out and began to
garner the kind of attention I'd always daydreamed that I began to pinch
myself and really feel happy. EH:
No, I did a pretty good job, considering I was inexperienced and
negotiating for myself. I'd belonged to RWA for a few years and was thus
able to stumble my way around a contract better than most first-time
sellers. Having had that experience also made me a much better partner
to my agent when I finally got one. I knew what I wanted even if I
couldn't always get it, and I had relatively realistic expectations of
what an agent could and should be able to do for me. That said, my agent
has often exceeded those expectations - which is quite a nice surprise. EH: Put the needs of the story at the
center of your decision making. The "rules" are crap unless they make
your book a more gripping read. Ditto for common wisdom about the
market. I have nothing against being professional. I simply believe that
the best commercial fiction is written by people who don't ignore their
artist's soul. EH: I've found it smoothes my path when I manage to treat both myself and others with respect. Whether they're editors, agents, fellow authors, or reviewers, whether you think they're idiots, geniuses, or the rudest creatures you've ever met, approach them as equals, with good manners and honesty. Even thinking about the people you deal with in a more even-tempered, patient way can help, since we're not always aware of the signals we're sending out. Back to Articles |