New Literary Development Company Spotlight: Sacha Wunsch Interview and Five First Page/Query or 10 First Page Query Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have Sacha Wunsch here to share about a new literary development company, As You Wish Literary, that she recently founded with Stacey Hertz. Sacha is a debut YA author, and I will be interviewing her on 10/6/21 to celebrate the release of her YA psychological mystery, Lies My Memories Told Me.

Update on 8/7/2022: As You Wish Literary does not appear to be in business anymore. 

Hi Sacha! Thanks so much for joining us.

Thank you so much for having me, Natalie!

About Sacha:

1. Tell us about yourself and your background as an author and in the publishing industry. What is Stacey’s background?

Sure! I was a bookseller for years and have been writing and editing for the better part of two decades. I am a USA Today bestseller under a romance pseudonym, and my first YA, Lies My Memory Told Me, which is under my own name, comes out in October with Inkyard Press.

Stacey has a background in journalism and communications and has also been writing and editing for the better part of two decades. She holds a BA in English and a Masters of Novel Writing from the University of Middlesex (London).

2. What made you decide to found As You Wish Literary?

We believe there’s a gap in the publishing industry that we can help with. As publishing houses continue to merge and/or downsize, more and more work gets piled on the shoulders of hardworking publishing employees. There’s no question that people in the book world are overworked! It’s our aim at As You Wish Literary Development to help ease that burden, as every project we create will have a multitude of eyes on it at each stage of the process – before it ever finds its way to an acquiring editor, as well as after. As such, we are able to deliver a product where great structure, writing, and editing are always ensured.

About As You Wish Literary:

3. Tell us about As You Wish Literary and what it has to offer to authors?

As You Wish Literary has a unique business model in that we’re not a literary agent, nor are we a publisher. We’re all about developing high-concept ideas and producing detailed book blueprints - then finding the perfect writer to bring that idea to life, before it gets to the agent or editor stage.

As writers ourselves, we know it’s hard to stand out in publishing. We want more artists to be able to make a living doing what they love and hope to be a bridge toward making that dream a reality for as many writers as possible. As such, we are continuously hiring writers on a freelance basis to bring their magic to each of our projects.  

4. How are authors paid for their work?

We are proud to offer high royalty rates because we believe the best work comes from writers who have the most to gain. When a writer is chosen for a project, they receive an up-front advance on royalties, and then every time the book creates revenue, they get paid again (this includes advances, book royalties, foreign, and audio rights sales).

5. Is an author you hire listed as the author once a submission is published?

The determination of what name the book will be published under will be decided on a project-by-project basis depending on the goals of the writer, As You Wish, as well as input from the publisher. Some authors prefer to have their name (or pen name) attached to a project, while others prefer not to (for example, when a project is very different from their usual writing, if they have social anxiety, or for any number of other reasons).

What She’s Looking For:

6. What age groups do you develop stories for—picture books, MG, YA, and/or adult? What genres do you work in?

As You Wish Literary develops high-concept, high-quality stories in various genres including Commercial Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Upmarket, Speculative, Romance, and genre-defying hybrids. As far as age groups, we are currently working with mostly adult projects, but hope to expand to YA and MG in the coming months.

7. What types of writers are you looking for?

We have a few types of ideal writers that we love to work with:

●        Prolific authors that are already traditionally published but find the publishing industry can’t keep up with their abundant output

●        Authors who would like to try a new genre

●        Successful self-published authors who’d like to try the traditional publishing market

●        Unpublished writers who can show us something we’ve never seen before. We love to be wowed and we want unique voices!

●        Other experienced writers - tell us why you’d be a great fit!

Publisher Philosophy:

8. What is your philosophy as a story developer both in terms of the authors you want to work with and the books you develop?

We love to bring unputdownable stories and fresh ideas to the marketplace. It is our greatest wish to help ease the workload in the publishing world, as well as give more writers hands-on guidance through the publishing process. Working with story developers is a great way to learn everything you need to know - it’s like a master class in writing a novel . . . and you get paid to do it!

Query Methods and Submission Guidelines: (Always verify before submitting)

9. How should authors submit to you?

We’re always on the lookout for more writers to add to our roster! We have a lot more information available for anyone interested on our website at https://www.asyouwishliterary.com/writers, but in general, we’d like the following materials sent to: contact@asyouwishliterary.com.

●        CV/resume (including any writing credits)

●        a short biography - tell us about what you love in literature (genres, authors, favorite titles, etc.) and about your life outside of it (hobbies, interests, and unique experiences)

●        a 25-page writing sample that you think is a good representation of what you can do

10. Can authors submit to you through their agent?

Yes! We work with both agented and unagented writers.

Self-Published and Small Press Authors:

11.  Are you open to work with authors who have self-published or been published by smaller presses?

Absolutely! 

Links and Contact Info:

12. Please share how writers should contact As You Wish Literary?

Our email is contact@asyouwishliterary.com. If you’re interested, we can also be found on Twitter: @AsYouWishLit and on Instagram: @AsYouWishLiterary.

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Sacha!

Giveaway Details

Sacha has generously offered a five first pages + query critique or first 10 pages query critique—winner’s choice—for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment telling me which critique you want by July 10th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you don’t want to enter the giveaway contest, that’s fine. Just let me know in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. The giveaway is international.

Upcoming Interviews and Giveaways

Thursday, July 1st I’m participating in the Sparkle Time Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, July 7th I have an interview with debut author Kate Norris and a giveaway of her YA contemporary When You and I Collide

Monday, July 12th I have an interview with debut author Cliff Burke and a giveaway of his MG contemporary An Occasionally Happy Family

Wednesday, July 14th I have an agent spotlight interview with Analieze Cervantes and a query critique giveaway

Friday, July 16th I’m participating in the Sip Sip Hooray Giveaway Hop

Monday, July 19th I have an interview with debut author Alysa Wishingrad and a giveaway of her MG fantasy The Verdigris Pawn

Wednesday, July 21^st I have an agent spotlight interview with Mary Cummings and a query critique giveaway

Monday, July 26th I have an agent spotlight interview with Allison Hellegers and a query critique giveaway

Hope to see you on Thursday!