Avon FanLit Returns: In Search of the Next Avon Star

NEW YORK - May 5, 2015 - PRLog -- Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, is partnering with JukePop, a crowdfunding platform for authors where supporters share in royalties, to offer romance writers the opportunity to participate in Avon FanLit (www.avonfanlit.com).  This 12-week venture encourages participants to submit, rate and discuss fan-written chapters, offering unprecedented access to mentoring tips from bestselling Avon authors and editors.  All who write are eligible to win a variety of prizes, and the finished manuscript will be published by Avon Impulse as an original e-book.

The JukePop partnership is an extension of HarperCollins’ commitment to stay at the forefront of digital publishing by piloting with innovators and emerging technology leaders.  Angela Tribelli, Chief Marketing Officer, HarperCollins Publishers, notes, "This initiative is yet another smart way in which the Avon team is engaging the romance community – both readers and writers – as well as discovering and developing new talent.”

“This is Avon’s second venture into serialized publishing via the fan fiction community,” notes publisher Liate Stehlik.  “We are the first major publishing house to work with JukePop, and we think they’re the perfect partner with whom to relaunch Avon FanLit.  Many aspiring writers already recognize JukePop as a community for authors who want to tell their stories one chapter at a time. This crowd-sourcing concept aligns beautifully with FanLit, which Avon first hosted in 2006, and introduced readers to Avon’s own Tessa Dare.”

In fact, current New York Times bestselling authors Tessa Dare and Courtney Milan were “discovered” during the first Avon FanLit.  These two chapter winners were joined in the original contest by the likes of now-published authors Darcy Burke, Tiffany Clare, Manda Collins, and Erica Ridley, to name a just a few.

Senior editor Tessa Woodward, who was the driving force behind the original Avon FanLit platform, will co-host this year’s writing forum with help from bestselling author Tessa Dare, who admittedly has a soft spot for the program.  Dare says, “FanLit provided me with a crash course in story structure, connected me with other talented writers, and encouraged me to start writing my own original romances. I am so excited that Avon is reviving FanLit for a new group of aspiring authors."

“FanLit is a fabulous editorial opportunity,” says Woodward. “It’s the perfect way to get your toes wet if you’re not sure what you want to write or it can give you that extra push if you need something to get yourself in front of the computer each day. It’s also a wonderful way to have your writing seen by a panel of editors and to receive feedback from other romance writers and fans. I can’t wait to see what treasures we find this time!”

How it works: Avon FanLit challenges unpublished romance authors to contribute to an unfolding story, while working in tandem with other writers, receiving writing tips from top authors, such as Lorraine Heath, Beverly Jenkins, Sophie Jordan, Cathy Maxwell and Julia Quinn, and mentorship from Avon editors.

Launching the first week of May with the first writing prompt, and an interactive title vote, Avon FanLit will play out over the course of twelve weeks.  The storytelling starts on May 8, 2015; each writing round will last ten days.  Entrants will have the chance to write, read and vote for five chapters of a historical romance.  Every two weeks, a winning chapter will be announced, and will set the narrative thread for the next round.  The grand prize winner will be announced on July 20, 2015; and the finished continuity will be published as a digital-original book by Avon Impulse.

Avon plans to announce five chapter winners, who will all win 3 signed Avon romances.  The Grand Prize winner will be considered for an Avon Impulse publishing contract as well as receive a reading bonanza: signed copies of all of Avon’s August 2015 novels.

“We’re so excited to be back with all-new prompts, a new story idea, and a fabulous way to take the plunge into writing,” exclaims Woodward.

"Storytelling is a wonderful creative process that deserves to be shared along the way, and Avon FanLit is a celebration of just that. We're so excited to be a part of this tradition, and can't wait to read along with everyone each week," says Jerry Fan, Founder & CEO of JukePop.

About JukePop:

JukePop (www.jukepop.com) is a crowdfunding platform for authors, where supporters share in the sales royalties. It's simple: Writers keep readers hooked and tackle their book by releasing it one chapter at a time. Next, they use plot point analytics to see how each twist and turn is impacting readership, so the best possible story gets written. They then use the nifty—yes, nifty—tools to attract and engage fans who want to help them get published. The end. (Great story, huh?)

About HarperCollins Publishers:

HarperCollins Publishers is the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 18 countries. With nearly two hundred years of history and more than 65 unique imprints around the world, HarperCollins publishes approximately 10,000 new books every year, in over 30 languages, and has a print and digital catalog of more than 200,000 titles. Writing across dozens of genres, HarperCollins authors include winners of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Newbery and Caldecott Medals and the Man Booker Prize. HarperCollins, headquartered in New York, is a subsidiary of News Corp (NASDAQ- NWS, NWSA; ASX- NWS, NWSLV) and can be visited online at corporate.HC.com.