I started out with fantasy, the Gods of War series (ongoing) in 2016 and released my first contemporary romantic BDSM novel last year, and the second in the series (Club Whisper) in April this year. I’m with Dreamspinner, which, in my opinion, is the best publisher for a newbie like me to start out! As for how I got into writing, I always loved to tell stories and then I got pregnant and really needed the distraction. As to why I write in English, even though I’m from Germany, a former professor of mine from New Jersey told me to try the English-speaking market and he was right. Some of the best advice I ever got.
2) What do you enjoy most about the editing process?
I love to see how my story turns into something sleek and beautiful, how it gets polished like a gem stone (which to me, it is from the moment I start writing it) so that others might see its beauty as well.
3) What do you find hardest about the editing process?
Getting the first round of edits back and seeing all the red. You know it’s really bad when Word takes forever to open…
4) What are your general thoughts on editing as part of the overall publishing process?
I’m grateful for it. Once I’ve worked on a story for some time, I get blind for its logical flaws and grammar mistakes. Of course it hurts to read somebody’s critique of your brain child and sometimes I’m close to tears, especially when the editor’s arguments for removing a scene I really like or spent a long time writing are too convincing to dismiss. It’s a lesson in humility and I like to think it makes me better at dealing positively and fruitfully with critique.
5) What are your top editing-related tips for authors?
Always stay polite. If you get the feeling there’s no chemistry with your editor, be honest about it and get another one. Don’t dismiss anything the editor suggests without having slept on it and perhaps talked to somebody else. The editor has a very different view on and of your book, one your story can profit from greatly, if you allow it. The editor is NOT your enemy, he/she is there to make your story shine!
About the Author
Xenia Melzer was born and raised in a small village in the South of Bavaria. As one of nature's true chocoholics, she's always in search of the perfect chocolate experience. So far, she's had about a dozen truly remarkable ones. Despite having been in close proximity to the mountains all her life, she has never understood why so many people think snow sports are fun. There are neither chocolate nor horses involved and it's cold by definition, so where's the sense? She does not like beer either and has never been to the Oktoberfest – no quality chocolate there.
Even though her mind is preoccupied with various stories most of the time, Xenia has managed to get through school and university with surprisingly good grades. Right after school she met her one true love who showed her that reality is capable of producing some truly amazing love stories itself.
While she was having her two children, she started writing down the most persistent stories in her head as a way of relieving mommy-related stress symptoms. As it turned out, the stress-relief has now become a source of the same, albeit a positive one.
When she's not writing, she translates the stories of other authors into German, enjoys riding and running, spending time with her kids, and dancing with her husband. If you want to contact her, please visit her website.