Meet the Editors: Jillian Bell

Jillian Bell - EC Editor

Many authors tell of writing stories from the time they could hold a pencil or, in the great oral tradition, making them up even before then. Jillian has been editing since she first realized the power of the red crayon. She has been with EC since 2009, but has worked in literary, academic and legal editing since [censored—it's a woman's prerogative not to reveal her age, after all].

Jillian lives and loves in NYC, which she insists on claiming is the best city in the whole world, but she's up for traveling to confirm. Oddly, she roots for Pittsburgh sports teams (and hunky tennis players). Jilly would spend all day reading in the sun, curled up like a cat if she could, and she loves helping authors tell their stories so others can do so. In her favorite stories, nothing is too taboo, and the more the merrier in the bedroom.

Winner: Fifty Shades of Parody Contest

So sorry for the delay in announcing our winner. We've been away at conferences the last few weeks.

SO...the winner is Olivia Waite for her "Fifty Shades of Fame" entry. Olivia, you'll be getting an email this week with your EC gift card code.

And here is Olivia's next bestselling book:

Fifty Shades of Fame is a sizzling contemporary erotic romance, complete at 300,000 words.

Belladonna Pigeon never expected her first erotic novel to be a success, but lately she's topping every bestseller list and her name is on the laving tip of everyone's tongue. A major studio has purchased the film rights and handed the project to cutting-edge director Greyson Xian -- whose smoldering good looks are as heart-stopping and pants-moistening as the scenes in Belladonna's book.

Only one problem: Greyson doesn't believe her sex scenes as written are plausible. Belladonna will have to prove to him, paragraph by paragraph, that each position is both physically possible and impossibly pleasurable. But can a shockingly innocent girl play the naughtiest of sex games with an aggressively dominant man and NOT lose her heart? Eh, probably not.

Bad Bunny is Back!

Remember our post from last Easter? Bad Bunny. All about the Easter Bunny terrorizing the daycare children.

Well, the Easter Bunny came back to the office this year, and we decided to make him useful. We always need more cover model photos. So look for these on upcoming EC books...

House of Books

by Raelene Gorlinsky

My house is full of books. After I read them, it would be nice to have other practical decorating ideas for their use.

This looks really neat - turn books into planters, from ApartmentTherapy.com.

And I could wallpaper in books. From the Martha Stewart collection at House Beautiful:

And of course, the ultimate use of books is to make bookshelves (from RealSimple):

Any other good home decorating ideas?

Shades of Parody Contest

As always when there's a big hit book, spinoffs will rapidly appear. Related books, parodies, "if you liked hers, you'll love mine" books, movies, ads, jokes on talk shows... I'm anticipating Shades of Grey action figures any day now. Tiny little sex toys and BDSM implements...

The critique group I'm in is discussing jointly writing Fifty Shades of Beige, a story full of bland, missionary-position-only sex.

Fifty Shames of Earl Grey, a parody by Andrew Shaffer, has been acquired by Da Capo Books for release in spring 2012. (Gotta get these things out quickly before the fever dies, you know.)

I know we've got brilliantly imaginative minds reading this blog. So--contest time! Post in Comments your parody of Fifty Shades of Grey. A title and a brief (a sentence or three) description. Haven't read Fifty Shades? Excerpts are available at the various ebook etailer sites, discussions are everywhere on line, enough to give you the idea.

Give us your best or snarkiest, we'll love it and give an EC webstore gift certificate to the winner.

Naming Your Novel

Coming up with a good, catchy title for your book is always difficult. Here's some advice from NPR:

How To Name Your First Novel

If Your First Novel Will Be A Busted Romance

[ANY OF THE SEVEN DWARFS]: A Love Story

If Your First Novel Will Be A Harrowing Historical Account

The [A COLOR] [REPEAT THAT COLOR] [A FLOWER]s Of [A CITY IN EUROPE]

If Your First Novel Will Be A Withering Teenage Quasi-Memoir

How I Flunked [YOUR WORST ACADEMIC SUBJECT] But Passed [THE FIRST MUSICIAN YOU SAW IN CONCERT]

If Your First Novel Will Be A Workplace Satire

At Least They Left Us The [A PIECE OF OFFICE MACHINERY]

If Your First Novel Will Be A Quirky Woman's Story From Someone Else's Point Of View

[A CHILD-CARE-RELATED TRANSITIVE VERB]ing [THE NAME OF YOUR PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER]

If Your First Novel Will Be A Quirky Man's Story From His Own Point Of View

[THE FIRST NAME OF YOUR MATERNAL GRANDFATHER] Reads The Works Of [CLASSIC AUTHOR]

If Your First Novel Will Be A Miserable Story Of One Person's Suffering

My [A FRAGILE OBJECT] Is [A WORD THAT MEANS "BROKEN"]

If Your First Novel Will Be Self-Consciously Ironic And Self-Congratulatory

[A COMIC-BOOK SOUND EFFECT WORD] Goes [A NEIGHBORHOOD IN BROOKLYN]

If Your First Novel Takes Place In Gorgeous Locations

The [ANY COUNTRY] [ANY COMMON SOCIAL EVENT] Chronicles

If Your First Novel Is Intended To Launch A Giant Moneymaking Franchise

Everything Starts With ["1" OR "A"]