Interview with Jasinda Wilder + Announcement - Vilma Iris | Lifestyle Blogger

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Interview with Jasinda Wilder + Announcement

Exciting News from Berkley and Bestselling author Jasinda Wilder
(as first seen on USA Today HEA blog)

jasindaUSA TODAY and New York Times bestselling author Jasinda Wilder joins HEA today to talk about the deal she has signed with Berkley Books, her first with a traditional publisher. Jasinda, a trailblazer in the self-publishing industry, says she has found the right opportunity with Berkley for a story that’s been percolating for some time. The new contemporary romance trilogy, called Madame X, “is a dark, sexy and atmospheric modern-day fairy tale about a mysterious woman drawn to two very different men,” according to Berkley’s press release about the deal.

Madame X, the first book in the series, will come out Nov. 3, followed by the other two books in 2016.

Pre-order Madame X ✦

Press Release

Berkley Books Acquires New Contemporary Romance Trilogy from New York Times Bestselling Self-Published Author Jasinda Wilder

Madame X, the first book in the trilogy, comes out on November 3

New York, NY: April 6, 2015 – Berkley Books, a division of Penguin Random House, will release New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling self-published author Jasinda Wilder’s first traditionally published series it was announced today by Berkley President and Publisher Leslie Gelbman.  Cindy Hwang, Vice President and Executive Editor, acquired World English rights in print and e-book to the contemporary romance trilogy in a 7-figure deal with Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.  Madame X, the first book in the trilogy of the same name, will be published as a trade paperback original on November 3.

Jasinda Wilder is one of the most successful self-published authors writing today.  She has written more than 40 novels and novellas and sold more than two million e-books.  Wilder and her novels have been featured in PEOPLE, New York Daily News, Publishers Weekly, “CBS This Morning,” and Sirius XM, among other national and international media outlets.

“Jasinda Wilder has been one of the trailblazing authors in self-publishing.  I’m excited she is now partnering with Berkley to release an incredible new series that will thrill her many dedicated fans while also appealing to new readers,” Hwang said.

“I have been sitting on this Madame X story for a while now, waiting for the perfect moment. It’s a special story, with drama, intensity and very sexy characters. Fans have asked for years when they’ll be able to buy a book of mine in stores. This trilogy is my response. It was the perfect opportunity to partner with a traditional publisher to reach the broadest audience,” Jasinda Wilder said.

The Madame X trilogy is a dark, sexy and atmospheric modern-day fairytale about a mysterious woman drawn to two very different men.

The second and third books in Wilder’s trilogy are planned for publication in early 2016.

Interview

Jasinda, you’ve been a strong advocate, and example, for self-published authors for nearly 3 years. What made this particular opportunity exciting enough to seize?

Make no mistake, I am still a strong advocate for—and hope to continue to be a strong example of—self-publishing. But I was never AGAINST traditional publishing. This was kind of a perfect storm for me, though. It feels like the right time for me, in terms of my career momentum and in terms of what I see in the market, both traditional and indie. It’s also a matter of the right editor, too. Cindy Hwang was always the perfect editor for this project. She’s done some amazing work, and I’m excited for the opportunity to partner with her and Berkley.

Since you have been a vocal defender of self-publishing, do you anticipate any negative feedback on the announcement? Have your thoughts changed at all on the ongoing discussion related to traditionally versus self-published books?

I will always be a vocal defender of self-publishing. It has changed my life and it has also revolutionized the publishing industry, revolutionized the world for writers, and for readers. That has not changed and it will not. But I have never been anti-traditional publishing. I think there was a lot that needed change, and the indie revolution has sparked those changes, has become a catalyst for change within the industry. For the better, I should add.

Okay, off the soapbox and back to the question. Will there be negative feedback? Maybe? There will be those that will call me a sell out. I anticipate that. But again, being pro-indie does not make me anti-trad. I have always been talking with publishers and looking for an opportunity to partner if and when I had the right project, team, and contract.

For the last part, short answer…no. My thoughts regarding trad vs. indie have not changed. I have always said to do what makes the most sense for you. If that’s indie, yay, go for it. But be smart, do your research on the industry and the market and best-practices. If that’s trad, same applies. I think at this point Jack and I know enough about both the indie side and the trad side to be able to make an intelligent, informed, rational decision, and we believe we’ve done so in inking this deal with Berkley.

As you mentioned, your readers have been clamoring to see your books lined up at their favorite store, ready to be picked up, devoured and even shared with friends. Have you thought about what that will be like for you?

Right now, I’m trying to focus on writing the most amazing book I possibly can. If you think about that kind of stuff too much, it can cloud your thinking and honestly create little panic. It will be crazy, I’m sure, and I’ll probably be overwhelmed and I might cry. My readers are everything to me, so I really hope they embrace this project, and I hope to get out and see them on the road with this release. It is so rewarding for me to see them, hug them, and sign their books. Nothing in the world is better than that.

You’re well known for being able to write stories successfully across multiple genres. Can you tell us just a little bit more about the Madame X trilogy? What should readers expect?

Expect the unexpected. I mean, duh! That’s sort of the basic mantra for reading a Wilder novel, I hope. But with this series, it really applies. It will still fit within the sphere of style I’ve come to be known for but…more so. It’s high-concept, which means I’m playing around with some classic tropes, cherry-picking elements from the oldest schools—Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, the basic love triangle—and pulling them apart, turning them upside down and inside out, and weaving it all together. Familiar, yet totally new. And the whole will liberally spiced with angst and steam. That’s the plan, anyway.

What are you hoping this deal will achieve?

I’m hoping to reach new readers. There are still a LOT of people who only read in print, and I’m hoping to find some of them. I’m hoping to expand the circle of people who enjoy my books. Most of all I hope to make my readers happy. That is always my number one goal.

Will you continue self-publishing? What else is coming in the next year? I know that your release calendar is always packed!

YES! In negotiating this deal—big shout out to my agent Kristin Nelson for being the tenacious bulldog she is!—we refused to relent when it came to my publishing schedule. You can expect Big Love Abroad really soon, like within April. Omega is coming too, to complete the ALPHA trilogy. And there’s a spinoff of that series I’m contemplating, but I’m going to withhold details on that as it’s still very much in the idea phase. I’ve got some really amazing stuff in the works for a spinoff of the recently-completed Falling series. I would really, really love to tell Brayden’s story, and maybe the rest of that band, so that’s in the works, too. Everything else is too nebulous at this point to really say much about, but short answer? Yes, I have so many ideas in various stages of completion that I could write 24/7 for a calendar year and still wouldn’t get it all done.

Expect a busy, eventful, fun year of Wilder books!

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About Jasinda

New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and international bestselling author Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. Her bestselling titles include Alpha, Stripped, Wounded, and the #1 Amazon and international bestseller Falling Into You. You can find her on her farm in Northern Michigan with her husband, author Jack Wilder, her five children and menagerie of animals.

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House is the world’s most global trade book publisher. It was formed on July 1, 2013, upon the completion of an agreement between Bertelsmann and Pearson to merge their respective trade publishing companies, Random House and Penguin, with the parent companies owning 53% and 47%, respectively.  Penguin Random House comprises the adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print and digital trade book publishing businesses of Penguin and Random House in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa, and Penguin’s trade publishing activity in Asia and Brazil; DK worldwide; and Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial’s Spanish-language companies in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and Chile. Penguin Random House employs more than 10,000 people globally across almost 250 editorially and creatively independent imprints and publishing houses that collectively publish more than 15,000 new titles annually. Its publishing lists include more than 70 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.

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One Comment:


  1. Kim M. said:

    I love all your books and can’t wait to read all the new stuff coming. Also love to stuff you write with your hubby Jack! A fan forever!!?

    Reply

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