Ukwazi ukuthi abahleli banganikeza ezinye izeluleko ezingcono kakhulu zokushicilela amanoveli nezinqoqo zezindaba ezimfishane , ngahlela ingxoxo noJeanette Perez, uMnumzane Editor weHarperCollins kanye ne-Harper Perennial imprints. UPerez wanquma amazinyo eHarperCollins ngemuva kokuqeda isikole, futhi uthole iziqu ezifana nePolly ngu-Amy Bryant, i-Yacoubian Building e- Alaa Al Aswany, ne- Promise Not To Tell nguJennifer McMahon.
Q: Nguyiphi uhlobo lobuqili obuthola ngokuyinhloko?
UJeanette Perez: Nakuba ngiqala ukwandisa uhlu lwami ukungabi nalutho, njengokungabonakali kokulandisa, isimiso somlando, kanye nesimo samasiko, ngithola ngokuyinhloko inganekwane. Ngokuvamile ngingathanda ukuthola izinkolelo eziyinkimbinkimbi , izinkolelo zamakhosikazi, nokuqamba okumelela amanye amasiko afana neLatin American fiction.
I-AC: Abahleli babheka kubani abalobi kanye nokuthunyelwa ?
I-JP: Yiqiniso, sonke sifuna okuthile okubhalwa kahle, kodwa le ncwadi kufanele ibe ne-hook elula ukuyifaka . Iningi lomsebenzi wami njengomhleli udayisa le ncwadi ngaphakathi kwendlu yethu emphakathini, emakethe, nakwezokuthengisa. Uma ngingabanika le ncwadi ngokushesha futhi ngibanike ingweba abangayisebenzisa uma bethengisa le ncwadi kuma-akhawunti, le ncwadi inalo kangcono kakhulu emakethe.
Ngokuqondene nalokho engikubuka kumbhali, kuhlale kunomusa ukuba nombhali oxhunywe emhlabeni wencwadi ngandlela-thile.
Futhi, kumangalisa ukuba nombhali ozimisele ukuchitha isikhathi saso ekukhangiseni le ncwadi ngokuya ezitolo zezincwadi futhi azethule noma ukuvula i-intanethi yamawebhusayithi lapho singakhuthaza khona le ncwadi. Abanye abalobi bethu abaphumelele baye baba kuhle ngokubhula kumawebhusayithi abo futhi bavuselela njalo amakhasi abo e-MySpace ukuze amanethiwekhi abo aqhubeke ekhula.
I-AC: Bangaki ama-novelists okuqala owashicilela unyaka ngamunye?
I-JP: Muva nje, iphepha lethu le-paperback elithi Harper Perennial yilapho abaningi abalobi bethu bokuqala bekhishwa khona. Umqondo jikelele ukuthi abafundi bazimisele ukuthatha ithuba kumlobi omusha ephepheni, lapho amanani aphansi khona. Mina ngokwami ngicabanga ukuthi i-paperback yokuqala iyindlela enhle yokuba umbhali athole okulandelayo, futhi njengoba abafundi babo bekhula, mhlawumbe ngencwadi yabo yesibili noma yesithathu, bangenza ukuthi bafinyelele ku-hardcover.
I-AC: Yeka ukuthi imibhalo yesandla ifakwe kanjani ngaphambi kokuthi abalobi baqale ukuzithumela kubamemezeli?
I-JP: Incike kakhulu encwadini encwadini. Ngezinye izikhathi umbhalo wesandla ufika ngendlela ehlanzekile kakhulu futhi inqubo yokuhlela ingaphezulu kwenqubo yokupholisa. Ngenkathi ezinye izikhathi, ungathenga incwadi ngokusekelwe kwesigamu sombhalo bese usebenza ngempela nomlobi we-line-by-line ngenkathi behambisa yonke into. Kodwa ngokuvamile, uma uthenga okuthile okungaphelelanga noma udinga umsebenzi omningi, uthengiswa endabeni noma incwadi inomsebenzi omkhulu wokuhweba.
I-AC: Ingabe uncoma ukuthi abalobi bathole ama-agent ngaphambi kokuhambisa amanoveli abo?
I-JP: Ngiyazi abalobi banecala lokunikeza i-agent isikhala salokho okuvame ukuqala kusengaphambili, kodwa ama-agent angxenye ebalulekile yenqubo.
Okokuqala, kuwumsebenzi wabo ukwazi abahleli nezithakazelo zabo, ngakho kunokuba uthumele inoveli yakho yokubhala kumhleli othenga izincwadi zesayensi ngoba ubona igama labo endaweni ethile, i-ejenti izokwazi ukuthi imuphi umhleli ofanele kakhulu encwadini yakho. Futhi, lapho kuphakama izinkinga, njengoba zivame ukukwenza, i-agent ingasebenza njengomlamuleli, etshela umlobi lapho ecela okuthile okungenakwenzeka, noma elwa nomlobi lapho bezwa ukuthi kufanele. Ngakho yebo, ngicabanga ukuthi ama-agent azuza ngokuqondile ikhomishana abenzayo futhi enhle ukuba umbhali abe nohlangothi lwabo.
I-AC: Ngizwile ukuthi amashiya amaningi ayeke ukucabangela ngempela ukuthunyelwa kwe-over-the-transom. Ingabe kunjalo kuyiHarperCollins?
I-JP: Ngokudabukisayo, kuneziphakamiso eziningi kakhulu ezivela kuma-agent, ukuthi asinaso isikhathi sokubheka izinto ezingenazo izinto ezifakelwe.
I-AC: Kuthiwa imboni yokushicilela ishintshile kakhulu eminyakeni yamuva, ukuthi omunye umsebenzi owenziwe ngabahleli manje usenziwa ngama-agent. Ungayichaza kanjani indima yakho njengomhleli eHarperCollins?
JP: Ngithanda kakhulu inqubo yokuhlela. Nakuba ama-agent enza ukuhlela okuncane ngaphambi kokuba athumele izincwadi, ngokuvamile kunomsebenzi omningi okumelwe wenziwe. Ukusebenza eduze nabalobi kungimi, ingxenye engcono kakhulu yomsebenzi. Kodwa uma inqubo yokuhlela isiphelile, indima yami ishintsha kusuka kumhleli kuya kumthengisi nomthengisi. Njengoba ngishilo ekuqaleni, enye yezindima zami eziyinhloko ukuqinisekisa ukuthi wonke umuntu endlini uyazi le ncwadi nokuthi kungani izokwenzela izethameli.
I-AC: Ungabe uchaza kafushane lokho umbhali angalindela lapho inanethi yakhe yamukelwe?
I-JP: Uma le ncwadi isamukelekile, ngokuvamile ithatha izinyanga ezingu-9 ngaphambi kokuthi ishicilelwe. Phakathi nalezi zinyanga ezingu-9 le ncwadi ihlotshaniswa, ihlelwe futhi ibukezwe izikhathi eziningi. Umlobi uzobona ukubona futhi avume ukuklama kwendwangu kanye nomklamo wangaphakathi futhi abe nethuba lokubona ikhophi ye-flap. Umhleli kufanele futhi athumele le ncwadi kwabanye abalobi be-blurbs ngokushesha nje lapho lo mbhalo usulungile.
Cishe izinyanga ezingu-3-4 ngaphambi kokushicilelwa, ukusakaza nokukhangisa kuzosungulwa ngempela. Ummemezeli uzokwenza ukuthunyelwa kwe-galley enkulu kuzo zonke izincwadi azicabangela ukuthi le ncwadi ilungile futhi ubeke leyo ncwadi emibonisweni yomsakazo, imibukiso ye-tv, nomagazini. Umnyango wokuthengisa ungenza ukuthunyelwa okukhulu ukuthunyelwa kubathengisi nababhulogi, abaqhubeka behileleka ekuletheni izincwadi ezithameli. Into engcono kakhulu umlobi angayenza ukubhalela incwadi kubathengisi abachaza indaba encwadini bese bezethula. Akukaze kwenzeke kakhulu ukuba umbhali aqale iwebhusayithi noma ikhasi le-MySpace.
I-AC: Unayo iseluleko sokugcina sabalobi abafuna ukushicilela?
JP: Ungalokothi uyeke ukubhala futhi ungalokothi unqabe ukuhambisa umsebenzi wakho kuma-agent nabashicileli. Ngibonile abanye abalobi abakhulu bekhungathekile ngoba bengakanikezwa umsebenzi okwamanje, kodwa mhlawumbe incwadi yabo elandelayo iyoba yinye. Ngicabanga ukuthi kuyasiza ngempela lapho abalobi bejoyina ama-workshops noma bathatha isigaba sokubhala. Ngaleyo ndlela bangathola ukugxekwa kokuqala okudingayo kanye nokuxhumana nabo ezweni lokubhala. Futhi, abalobi abalungile abafundi abakhulu. Kufanele ufunde okuningi ngangokunokwenzeka. Futhi i-tip encane - abalobi abaningi babonga amanxusa abo ekuqaphelisweni. Uma ufuna i-ejenti, hlola izincwadi ezifana nezakho bese ubona ukuthi yiziphi ama-agent azimele. Ngale ndlela wazi ukuthi yiziphi ama-agent anesithakazelo ekumeleleni izincwadi ezifana neyakho.