Interview with Iconic Editor Marsha Zinberg by Marcia King-Gamble

 

                            Marsha Zinberg

                                    marsha@writetouch.ca

I had the delightful pleasure to interview Marsha Zinberg - an icon in the Publishing industry. Marsha was  my editor for  a  Harlequin series Mediterrranean Nights. What a pleasure she was to work with. Please read what she has to say about the publishing world and where it may be heading.

1/ You spent 30 years with Harlequin.  A majority of those years were in an executive editorial capacity. What were some of the highlights of those years?

As executive editor, I became much more involved in the strategic direction of many of the new projects we wanted to launch.  Whenever an idea for an unusual way of packaging or marketing our backlist was suggested, the concept came to me to execute.  It was exciting to work closely  with Marketing and Art to bring these projects to the readers.  We tried pairing a reissue with an original, for example, and would link them is some thematic way, which would then be reflected in the packaging.  There were many iterations of getting backlist to the marketplace that I was involved with…including the conception and launch of the Heartwarming series, which began as a reissue series and was so popular that it morphed into an original line. 

Another highlight for me was the annual international editorial conference.  Being invited to participate in these was always so interesting.  We would learn about what types of content sold best in which countries, and also about the unique packaging and marketing ideas that propelled them forward, many of which were so different from what we did in North America.  Almost always, the international editors and marketing VPs would come to Toronto, but there was a very memorable year when it was decided to hold the conference in Dublin, and I will certainly not forget that trip, which included dinner in a famous castle! 

2/ Who were some of the authors you helped get published?

It is a little sobering to realize that so many of the authors I worked closely with during the early years of my career are now retired or choose not to write any longer, given the tremendous changes in the publishing arena since they began crafting their stories.  When I started at Harlequin, I worked exclusively with the Superromance line, beginning as an assistant editor and working my way up to senior editor. (Sadly, that line no longer exists.) During that time, I worked with Tara Taylor Quinn and acquired her first book—I believe she has now written 133! Bobby Hutchinson was another author whose career I helped to launch. Once I began coordinating the special projects, though, I worked with already-established authors, and there are dozens and dozens of names that I could reference that were well-known then but possibly not so well-known now:  Jasmine Cresswell, Maggie Osborne, Stella Cameron, Judith Arnold, Margot Dalton, Bethany Campell, Penny Richards, Sarah Mayberry, Joanne Rock come immediately to mind.  And Debra Webb!  And Roxanne St. Clair! Jean Brashear.  Nancy Warren. I’ll stop now! Some are still writing, and many are not. Wonderful books, wonderful memories!

3/You brought to life a number of series at Harlequin. I was an author in one of those series. Who comes up with the concept for these storylines?

You’re referring to our special continuity projects, which we launched in the late 80s. A stand-alone limited series was pretty revolutionary at the time, and as senior editor and editorial co-ordinator, special projects, these were my responsibility, from concept through to finished books on the shelves.  Initially, we did market research to determine the kind of subject matter that was selling best in our regular series, and I was assigned to come up with two continuity series, one set in a small town, and one that was a western.  I worked with a small team of editors to come up with the overarching through-line of each (for the small-town series, which became Tyler, the remains of a body is unearthed during the renovation of an inn in Book I, and then the mystery and backstory unfold through the remaining eleven books in the series.)  We came up with a bible outlining the main characters for each of the stories, the types of stories overall, and also brief potential storylines for each.  Then, I selected and contracted with the authors, and they fleshed out those outlines, and, throughout the series, consulted with each other.  We then adjusted the bible, which was distributed to each of the authors. It was so exciting and energizing to initiate something so unusual for our company! 

After developing our first two series that way, we brought the authors in at an earlier point in bible development:  for Crystal Creek, a second twelve-book series was requested almost immediately, and I spent four or five days in Texas Hill Country with a number of authors we’d invited to participate, exploring the setting, coming up with storylines and new characters. Another series for which we came up with the initial concept was set in San Francisco, (the DeWildes)  and again, I met there with several of the authors to flesh out the storylines.  Afterward, in subsequent years, we developed several more series (Marcia—you participated in a series called Mediterranean Nights, and if I remember correctly, each cover had a cut-out porthole! Pretty fancy!) but probably the most complicated one to execute was our Nascar series.  Harlequin had entered into an agreement with Nascar, because research had uncovered that there was significant overlap between Harlequin’s and Nascar’s target markets.  So, a deal was struck to set a series during a Nascar racing season, with fictional (and a few real) drivers, and other associated characters within the Nascar universe, with the books to be sold at the Nascar raceway shops, as well as through our regular channels.  The kicker was that Nascar had approval over the editorial, and they were extremely conservative in their standards of what was appropriate to depict in romantic fiction.  I have to say, it was a pretty nerve-racking experience for the authors and myself to finalize stories we were all comfortable with! And oh yes!  Because of the book launch, I attended the Daytona 500 that year—another Harlequin experience I’ll never forget!

 4/Books and readers’ expectations have changed over the years. In your opinion what are some of the tried-and-true tropes that continue to attract readers?

You hit the nail on the head with the phrase “tried-and-true.”  There are some tropes that have probably been with us from time immemorial and they’re not going anywhere because they speak to something deep within the soul of the reader.  A big, strong man tenderly caring for a baby or small child is always going to tug at the heartstrings; everyone relates to fish-out-of-water stories, as well as ordinary people enmeshed in extraordinary circumstances. I work with many indie suspense and thriller authors now, and vigilante justice stories seem as popular in fiction as they are on TV and in movies.  A sympathetic protagonist committing bad/immoral/illegal acts for a good reason is always an intriguing premise for a captivating storyline.

5/ What are some of the changes you have seen in the publishing world over the years? Any predictions of where publishing is heading?

At the risk of sounding like a dinosaur, during my publishing career, I have watched the introduction and rise of audiobooks, e-books and the phenomenon of self-publishing—all absolutely major shifts in the way that the public accesses its reading material.  I have watched authors transition from being published by traditional houses—then the only game in town—to becoming “hybrid” authors, publishing traditionally while dipping cautious toes into self-publishing… and then transitioning to solely self-publishing as a way of gaining control of almost every aspect of how their books are presented to the reading public. It’s breathtaking to contemplate how far we have travelled in the past few decades.

I hesitate to make predictions. After all, when I started in this business, the certain death of newspapers was widely forecasted, and yet, they’re still with us.  Similarly, as Mark Twain might have put it, the predicted forthcoming death of print books seems to have been greatly exaggerated. I read a 2024 US Book Reading Statistics survey recently that recorded five key findings, several of which were contrary to what I would have imagined:

·       Almost half of the respondents haven’t read any books in over a year:  48.5% (ok, this one doesn’t shock me so much….)

·       Print books were the most read books:  35.4% (huh! I would have thought e-books, particularly given the next key point)

·       The 65+ age group recorded the highest population of print book readers: 45.1% (seriously?  With the ability to enlarge font on e-readers, I would have thought most of this demographic, which should have some facility with technology, would not still prefer print.  And let’s remember, this demographic segment encompasses the Baby Boomers, a large swath of the population).

·       The 45-54 age group contains the highest population of non-readers: 60.9% (I would have guessed it was the Gen Xers and Millennials who weren’t reading! All the ones I know are too busy!)

·       Males recorded a slightly higher population of non-readers compared to females: 51.4% (I would have thought this would not be a slight difference but a big one! Marketing wisdom when I was in-house at Harlequin always suggested that women made the majority of book choices in the household...for themselves and their partners!)

 6/ Why do you think Traditional Publishers have struggled these last few years?

The “new” formats such as those I mentioned above—for example, audiobooks and e-books—have obviously significantly cut into the profits that traditional publishers used to be able to count on, even though many surveys indicate that print is still the preferred book format. Yet, smaller publishers and independent bookstores have been unable to survive, given all the electronic options that readers now also have at their disposal to access their reading material. And then there is the habit of reading itself.  According to the survey I referenced above, almost half the respondents hadn’t read any books at all in a year, and the 45-54 age group—people probably at the height of their earning power given the stage of their careers—are not buying books!

 A few other factors come to mind:  increased competition from other leisure-time activities, the increased cost of books, and the decrease in people’s attention spans due to high exposure to digital distractions.

 7/ You coach and provide tips on appropriate speeches for every occasion. Why do you think so few of us are good at public speaking?

Many, many people have an inbred fear of public speaking because it involves exposing themselves, their thoughts and feelings, to people not included in their usual familiar inner circle.  Half the population are introverts, simply uncomfortable with being the center of attention. Many suffer from “performance anxiety,” which can affect lots of other areas of our life, from fear of letting one’s sports team down to anxiety about preparing a successful dinner! 

But as with any skill, you improve with preparation and practice. When it comes to speaking for a social occasion—say, a wedding—speakers tend to procrastinate in the writing of the speech, thinking they have lots of time to prepare.  Then, as the time draws near, they panic, don’t know where to start, and worry about being too emotional That’s when I often get a phone call, interview the client, write the speech and then, after we revise together, I coach them on delivery.  With proper preparation, practically anyone can be coached to deliver a creditable speech. 

 8/ How can writers interested in editorial services reach you for help?

My website, www.writetouch.ca has my contact information listed, but to make it easy for your readers, they can simply email marsha@writetouch.ca  I’m also on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

 9/ Tell us about The Write Touch and the service you provide to authors? Why did you think there was a need?

After spending decades at Harlequin, I had come to know,  work closely with, and maintain connections with dozens and dozens of authors.  At the time that I left, Harlequin and other houses were cutting back on the number of authors they were contracting, and also were decreasing the number of books per year they were acquiring from established authors.  Many of these authors found they had or could produce more books annually than their traditional publisher wished to acquire, so they began exploring self-publishing   And naturally, they then required all the services that their traditional publisher had formerly provided for them.  Editing services, of course, were chief among them, and several authors contacted me at that point to ask if I would be willing to edit the books they intended to self-publish. And that’s how my journey with The Write Touch expanded from speechwriting to include editorial services. 

Now, the major part of my business is in assisting authors who wish to self-publish.  Many write on-going series, and I therefore have several clients who depend on me for the familiarity I’ve established with their characters and their style. Again, I refer your readers to my website, listed above, and to the tab that details “Editorial Services,” which explains more fully what is entailed in services such as “editorial assessment,” “developmental editing,” “line-editing,” etc. I’m always happy to speak with potential clients by phone or Zoom (as well as email) to discuss their projects and how I might be able to assist, so I encourage authors to contact me with any questions about my process and how we might work together.

 10/ Changing directions.  What do you do for fun?

I love to travel, but due to personal circumstances and the pandemic, my last “big” trip (i.e overseas) was in 2018.  So I’m extremely excited to have booked a cruise to Iceland for next spring!

I have five grandchildren with whom I love to hang out, and I try to attend as many of their events as possible:  play performances for my artsy kids and basketball games for my sporty ones!

I enjoy flower arranging as well as the minimal gardening I can now do on my condo terrace, and participate in various activities to keep myself fit.  This past December, after studying for seven years, I earned my black belt in karate.  Practically the best part of that achievement is how cool my grandchildren think it is to have a grandmother with a black belt!

 12/ Before you leave us, are there any words of wisdom for those of us who continue to write?

Naturally, I work almost exclusively with self-published authors now, and I continue to be impressed and amazed at what can be achieved when authors become in effect their own publishing companies! They have educated themselves in learning the ropes with regard to marketing, are disciplined and creative about publicizing their work, and are making their way onto bestseller lists.  Also, they find ways to help each other!  I work with a number of authors who write Caribbean adventure and thriller stories:  they have banded together to form a group called Tropical Authors, (www.tropicalauthors.com) and send out a newsletter in which they promote each others’ books.  They also cleverly cross-promote by having each others’ characters appear in their own series, and even partner in writing anthologies and other projects together. 

I know that many authors are nervous about making the leap to self-publishing, but it can certainly be done and done well.  So my advice is:  don’t be afraid to go for it!  There are many companies available to assist with formatting and the other technological aspects of self-publishing, and if editorial assistance is needed, I’m here to help too!