Q & A with Rozlyn Press Owner Alayne Fiore

Q & A With Rozlyn Press owner Alayne Fiore Welcome to As The Page Turns  today my special guest is Alayne Fiore and she is the founder of Rozlyn Press, an independent book publisher.  I’ve asked her here to give us an inside look at how her press works and what it takes to get a book published. Welcome, Alayne! Hi Page, thank you for having me as a guest post on your blog! What made you want to start your own publishing business?  The short version of the story is that I wanted to get into publishing but had no immediate opportunity. Instead of trying to get an entry level job somewhere, I took a certificate course in literary publishing which gave me the tools to start a small press. The day I decided to start Rozlyn Press it felt like the proverbial light bulb had been lit. It was exciting and exhilarating and so much fun to know I could read and publish exactly the type of book I loved: female fiction authors. What kind of books/authors do you publish?  I needed a niche for my press, so it made sense that I would publish the type of book I naturally gravitate toward: female fiction authors. Whether it's mystery, magical realism, contemporary, or just literary fiction, there's a certain feeling I get when I read a certain type of book. It's a feeling in my gut, a passion for the book in my hands. My goal is to publish books that bring that intense emotion to others. How do you decide which book will be published?  Well, I mainly go with that gut feeling I just mentioned. Obviously the most important thing is whether or not I like the manuscript. From there I think about the readers I want to reach and the audience the author is looking for. Topic, length, and content are all important. But nothing is more essential than making sure the piece I'm going to put my business name on is a book I am passionate about and would recommend to others. How do you determine the publishing date?  It all depends on the length and shape of the manuscript and the work we have to do to design the layout and cover. Once I work out a timeline with the author we see where the end point is and if that's a good time of year to be releasing a book. Certain times of the year are better than others, but also come with more competition. Who decides the cover art?  Mostly myself, however I don't make all the decisions across the board. Usually I think up a main concept and design, and check with the author for their ideas and opinions. I would never force my ideas onto the cover if the author hated them. Working together means we can create something that speaks to the content of the novel and lures in the audience. Are you accepting manuscripts and if so how can someone get in touch with you?  Unfortunately Rozlyn Press is not open for submissions at this time, as we already have a manuscript for a second novel in the works, however I'm always available if people would like to reach me. If someone is curious to know if their manuscript is something Rozlyn might be interested in, they can certainly send me a query email. Do you need more bloggers to help review your author’s books?  We always need more bloggers! The problem is really that we can't afford to send copies out to all the bloggers we would want to read for us. Hopefully the future will allow us to reach more people that way. We absolutely encourage bloggers to contact us with their reviews should they order one of our books on their own. Thank you Alayne for taking time out to explain to my readers how the publishing business works and being my guest today. Thanks Page! Remember everyone: Rozlyn Press has just released A Long-Forgotten Truth by Rachel Ballard. Visit www.rozlynpress.com for more information and links to order your copy today! Happy Reading! Page