When we sent out our 2008 press release announcing the call for submissions, we never expected to get the response that we did: thousands of submissions from talented writers all over the country – and a few international places. It was so overwhelming (in a good way, of course) that we’re still finishing up our review of submissions from the 2008 cycle. 

This year has been crazy and awesome on a number of fronts. We officially got ourselves off the ground after three years of neurotic planning, signed authors for our 2010 list, traveled and met lots of great writers and industry folks. More importantly, we’ve received great emails from authors and readers who support what we do and confirmed that we’re *hopefully* filling a void in the publishing industry.

On a personal front, I’ve been catching crazy hell for not having a personal Facebook page, and I promise that’s coming really soon. My challenge has been staying on top of the day job (while figuring out if it’s time to step back), finishing up my own book, editing our upcoming authors and handling Plenary’s admin tasks. Add in my touch of ADD and acceptance of the fact that I’ll probably live on Facebook, and you’ll understand my delay in not adding one more distraction at the moment. Plus, Twitter’s just easier for me to manage.  

I’m fortunate to have great people working with me, like Margaret Connor, my mom (who didn’t pass on her insane math skills but is changing careers to watch my company’s bottom line), Lekisha Middleton, my diehard BFF and right hand, Al Kao, an SEO guru (w/ultra conservative politics that drive me up the wall, but I still love him) and Kali Sudler, an awesome paralegal who helps me manage legal. Although we’re working with a network of freelancers on production and design, we plan to hire a couple of folks in 2010 that will help us manage what we do.   

So here’s what’s in store for Plenary Publishing:

2010 List: I mentioned in prior posts that we signed three authors for release next year, and, with my book, that makes four titles for our initial list. We’ve actively begun production for each title, and here are the tentative release dates:

April 14, 2010: Brand New Leaves by Tieffa Harper

June 2, 2010: The Other Sister by Cheri Paris Edwards

August 25, 2010: Southern Discomfort by LaTonya Jones

October 6, 2010: The Closest Thing To Heaven by Brian Rhinehardt

We’re visiting all of the major book festivals, from LA and NY to Chicago and Miami, and we’re going to announce a special promo campaign in the new year that involves fab trips that you can win, special VIP events and lots of giveaways. We’ll be blogging, tweeting, youtubing, flickring and facebooking (did I miss any?) our way through our production, launch and travels.    

 2011 List: We plan to release six titles in 2011 (though we may expand this). To date, we’ve signed Karen Simpson (Act of Grace) and Michelle Dixon Thompson (The Other Side of Through) for Winter 2011. We’re currently reviewing outstanding submissions to round out the list and expect to make offers by March 2010. 

Plenary Reading Team: We’re actively seeking five readers to review and offer feedback on our upcoming titles prior to publication. In return, we’ll lace you up with a $25 Amazon or iTunes gift card for every manuscript that you review. Note: this is a test run for the Acquisitions Editor that I want to hire by the end of 2010. If interested, please email us at plenaryreaders@plenarypublishing.com and we’ll follow-up with you.

Plenary’s headquarters: There are places that inspire me as a writer, like Santa Fe, San Juan and NYC. But when I come home to Charleston, SC, I get a surge of inspiration from the city’s beauty and rich (and painful) history. Although this decision was not easy (I’m supposed to be living in NYC, damn it!), I can think of no better place to locate an indie publishing company that’s focused on AA and multicultural stories. We’re planning to host writer’s retreats there, and I look forward to welcoming you to a city that’s a big part of who I am. I still haven’t decided if I’m going to split my time between Charleston and the Philadelphia area, or live in Chucktown 100%, but I look forward to being back home on a regular basis.

So, that’s it for now. I’m going away for a couple of weeks to catch up on things and finish our 2010 planning. I look forward to what the upcoming year will bring, to meeting the people who support us and to reconnecting with the ones that have always been there. 

If you’re an aspiring writer, make a pledge to start that book or finish up what’s been stirring in your mind and heart.  Don’t let another year slip by with your dreams. 

TNH