I’m delighted to welcome Katrin Lloyd, Commissioning Editor of Accent Press to the RNA blog today.

Morning, Katrin. Welcome to the RNA blog. Could you tell us a bit about Accent Press and how you came to work there?

Accent Press is a feisty independent publisher founded by Hazel Cushion in 2003.

Despite being a small team, Accent Press has proven itself very capable of keeping up with the ever-shifting world of publishing. With a great new office space and a new website launching soon, 2019 is shaping up to be a really exciting year for the company already!”

I started at Accent Press doing work experience back in October 2017. I was working at a bar in Cardiff during the evenings, so I had day-time hours to pursue what I really wanted to be. And I really wanted to be in publishing.

I did social media marketing for Accent Press every Friday and pretty soon Hazel, the Managing Director, bumped up my hours to two days a week, and by Christmas time I was offered a full-time job – my dream job – I was so happy I cried at my desk.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Is it a bit lame to say I love everything about my job..? Because I do. I love connecting with authors, I love the editing, the proofreading, the typesetting, I love making graphics to share on social media, and I love reaching out to bloggers and arranging tours to promote new releases.

What makes a submission stand out for you?

A bold, fresh-sounding narrative tone – a voice that excites me right from the first paragraph and tells me that this is something totally new.

What are you personally looking for at the moment?

I’ve been reading some really amazing grip-lit recently, so I’m looking for an edgy crime novel with some unexpected twists.

A lot of authors struggle with writing the cover letter and synopsis, do you have any advice for them?

Be excited about your book – don’t be modest – if you think it’s great, tell me why! It’s sometimes helpful to mention other books that are similar in tone or genre, and if you’re already thinking about a sequel, a little paragraph on where you think the series might go is a good thing to draw attention to.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I like going to the cinema and immediately talking to everyone about what I’ve just seen at the cinema.

What books do you enjoy reading?

There is nothing I enjoy more than really good chick-lit – something funny and romantic with a relatable and clever heroine.

Thanks so much for talking to us today, Katrin.  Accent Press are currently open for submissions, you can find out more about them and their submission guidelines here: Accent Press

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Katrin was talking to Karen King. Karen writes sassy, heart-warming romance and edgy YA with a heart. You can find out more about her here: Website

And you can follow her on Twitter and Facebook