Ask the Author: Cheri Champagne
Answered Questions (9)
Cheri Champagne
Good afternoon, Stefani,
My sincere apologies. I did not see this question until now.
Before I self-published my first novel, I'd submitted to countless agents and publishers, but was declined. At the time, many publishers/agents weren't accepting new submissions, or had stopped accepting my genre, others wouldn't even read my manuscript. After that, I decided to self-publish, and did the same for my first four novels. Finding my publisher actually happened as a matter of coincidence. The CEO followed me on Twitter, and I looked up the company. After reading about them on their website, and liking what I saw, I sent in a query email, telling them about me and my books. The CEO expressed interest, and she said I could submit, so I did!
There are great resources on social media, now, that help a lot of authors. One great thing is the Twitter pitch events. There are events for every genre, and both agents and publishers go there to read pitches.
I hope this has helped! Again, I'm sorry for my late reply. Good luck!
Kind Regards,
Cheri
My sincere apologies. I did not see this question until now.
Before I self-published my first novel, I'd submitted to countless agents and publishers, but was declined. At the time, many publishers/agents weren't accepting new submissions, or had stopped accepting my genre, others wouldn't even read my manuscript. After that, I decided to self-publish, and did the same for my first four novels. Finding my publisher actually happened as a matter of coincidence. The CEO followed me on Twitter, and I looked up the company. After reading about them on their website, and liking what I saw, I sent in a query email, telling them about me and my books. The CEO expressed interest, and she said I could submit, so I did!
There are great resources on social media, now, that help a lot of authors. One great thing is the Twitter pitch events. There are events for every genre, and both agents and publishers go there to read pitches.
I hope this has helped! Again, I'm sorry for my late reply. Good luck!
Kind Regards,
Cheri
Cheri Champagne
Good afternoon, Maria,
My sincere apologies. I did not see this question until now.
My self published books did pretty well, I believe, for an unknown author that was new to everything in the publishing world, though not nearly as well as others. Truthfully, I didn't really know what I was doing. I didn't hire a professional editor (which I definitely should have done), and I didn't do enough research on self-promotion, which would have helped a great deal.
I still need to seek out my own reviewers--as I'm sure most other authors published by small publishing houses can relate to--and I must say that I agree with you about finding them. It's a difficult and time-consuming task, and not all of our queries will be answered. It's still something that I struggle with.
I'm sorry that I couldn't be more help on this subject. The best advice that I can give, would be to 1. Join a professional writing group (for example, I'm a member of the RWA, and I'm part of my local chapter, which holds meetings every month). This will let you talk to real people, face to face, and get you connected. 2. Get help. This could be in the form of an editor, or the advice of writer friends, but help is important. And lastly, 3. Don't give up. Keep writing and keep querying!
I hope this helps! Again, I apologize for the lateness of my reply!
Kind Regards,
Cheri
My sincere apologies. I did not see this question until now.
My self published books did pretty well, I believe, for an unknown author that was new to everything in the publishing world, though not nearly as well as others. Truthfully, I didn't really know what I was doing. I didn't hire a professional editor (which I definitely should have done), and I didn't do enough research on self-promotion, which would have helped a great deal.
I still need to seek out my own reviewers--as I'm sure most other authors published by small publishing houses can relate to--and I must say that I agree with you about finding them. It's a difficult and time-consuming task, and not all of our queries will be answered. It's still something that I struggle with.
I'm sorry that I couldn't be more help on this subject. The best advice that I can give, would be to 1. Join a professional writing group (for example, I'm a member of the RWA, and I'm part of my local chapter, which holds meetings every month). This will let you talk to real people, face to face, and get you connected. 2. Get help. This could be in the form of an editor, or the advice of writer friends, but help is important. And lastly, 3. Don't give up. Keep writing and keep querying!
I hope this helps! Again, I apologize for the lateness of my reply!
Kind Regards,
Cheri
Cheri Champagne
Good afternoon, C Bisig,
My sincere apologies. I did not see this question until now.
The sex scenes in my books are definitely not behind closed doors, but nor are they anything close to BDSM. They are full sex scenes, as you would read in most current historical romance novels (think Elizabeth Hoyt, or Sabrina Jeffries, etc.).
I hope this helps! Again, my apologies for my late reply.
Kind Regards,
Cheri
My sincere apologies. I did not see this question until now.
The sex scenes in my books are definitely not behind closed doors, but nor are they anything close to BDSM. They are full sex scenes, as you would read in most current historical romance novels (think Elizabeth Hoyt, or Sabrina Jeffries, etc.).
I hope this helps! Again, my apologies for my late reply.
Kind Regards,
Cheri
Cheri Champagne
Good afternoon, Adonis,
My sincere apologies. I did not see this question until now.
I used to have a goal of 1,000-2,000 words per day (depending on the day of the week--on weekends my goal was 4,000), but since I had my third and fourth children (twins), I haven't had nearly as much time to dedicate to writing. Currently, my goal is 500 words per day.
I hope that helps you! Again, I apologize for the lateness of my reply.
Kind Regards,
Cheri
My sincere apologies. I did not see this question until now.
I used to have a goal of 1,000-2,000 words per day (depending on the day of the week--on weekends my goal was 4,000), but since I had my third and fourth children (twins), I haven't had nearly as much time to dedicate to writing. Currently, my goal is 500 words per day.
I hope that helps you! Again, I apologize for the lateness of my reply.
Kind Regards,
Cheri
Cheri Champagne
Good afternoon, Anna,
My sincere apologies. I did not see this question until now.
My books contain sex, so I would recommend them for a more mature audience. I started reading romances when I was 15. If you feel that is appropriate for your blog, I would be glad to do an interview!
Again, I apologize for the lateness of my reply.
Kind Regards,
Cheri
My sincere apologies. I did not see this question until now.
My books contain sex, so I would recommend them for a more mature audience. I started reading romances when I was 15. If you feel that is appropriate for your blog, I would be glad to do an interview!
Again, I apologize for the lateness of my reply.
Kind Regards,
Cheri
Cheri Champagne
I'm currently working on the third book in my second series (the Seductive Spies series), entitled To Woo A Troublesome Spy.
In addition to writing, I'm also in the middle of substantive edits for the second novel in the Mason Siblings series.
In addition to writing, I'm also in the middle of substantive edits for the second novel in the Mason Siblings series.
Cheri Champagne
I get to put my heart onto the page and share it with others! Writing is emotionally rewarding. If I have a bad day, I put those emotions into the villains of my novels, releasing my frustrations--and likewise, my joys--into my work.
Not only is writing cathartic, but as an avid reader, myself, I know what it feels like to be captured in a story and taken away on an adventure. More importantly, however, reading a romance novel can alter your perspective on others, encouraging you to think about the unique things that make them who they are, and why they're important. For example, the way someone's smile can light up their face, the way their eyes show their feelings, their nervous habits, the way they curl their hair behind their ear… All of those things often go overlooked in our day-to-day lives. Not everyone is perfect, but reading romance novels teaches us to appreciate the smaller nuances of a person's character, and love them for it. I aim to be a part of that world.
Not only is writing cathartic, but as an avid reader, myself, I know what it feels like to be captured in a story and taken away on an adventure. More importantly, however, reading a romance novel can alter your perspective on others, encouraging you to think about the unique things that make them who they are, and why they're important. For example, the way someone's smile can light up their face, the way their eyes show their feelings, their nervous habits, the way they curl their hair behind their ear… All of those things often go overlooked in our day-to-day lives. Not everyone is perfect, but reading romance novels teaches us to appreciate the smaller nuances of a person's character, and love them for it. I aim to be a part of that world.
Cheri Champagne
Don’t give up! Keep writing, querying, and submitting, and eventually yours will be picked. Even the most successful of authors have received rejections in their career, but it only takes one "yes"!
If you’re able to, perhaps seek a professional editor’s advice. As an author, I know we tend to be protective of our projects but, as a result, some glaring mistakes often get overlooked. Those mistakes might make the difference between a “no” and a “yes”. In those situations, a set of unbiased eyes on your work might be worth it in the end.
Lastly, write, write, write!
If you’re able to, perhaps seek a professional editor’s advice. As an author, I know we tend to be protective of our projects but, as a result, some glaring mistakes often get overlooked. Those mistakes might make the difference between a “no” and a “yes”. In those situations, a set of unbiased eyes on your work might be worth it in the end.
Lastly, write, write, write!
Cheri Champagne
Great question! I find inspiration for my plots in many different places, usually dreams, music, or TV. There are times when the characters form first, often when I notice a nervous habit or character trait of someone I know. Then I think about what situation I could put that character in that would prove a challenge or make them shine.
As for the process of sitting at my keyboard and actually writing, I credit the stories for that inspiration!
As for the process of sitting at my keyboard and actually writing, I credit the stories for that inspiration!
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