Certain trends come and go within the literary world. Some make their way into everyday discussions and others remain on the fringes. With the societal progression over the past century, particularly in rectifying the gender imbalance within the literature, there’s been added focus on a concept referred to as “the male gaze”.
This is where male writers create female characters purely from their perspective often missing out on intricacies or nuances that can only come from the female perspective. This is particularly relevant when writing romance or erotica with reams upon reams of books catering to a male audience and their desires. Perhaps this was why 50 Shades of Grey become so popular, as the author E L James managed to bring a female perspective to sex and desire unashamedly into the mainstream.
A company continuing this trend is Entangled Publishing, a female owned publishing company that specialises in romantic fiction. In this review, we’ll take a look at their backstory, what they do and whether or not they are worth considering for writers wishing to have their work published.
Who are Entangled Publishing & what do they do?
Entangled Publishing is a 100% women-owned independent publisher of romantic fiction in both the adult and young adult markets.
Since its first release in July 2011, Entangled has published more than 3,300 titles, including the instant #1 New York Times bestselling Crave series by Tracy Wolff, which has been optioned for film by Universal. Entangled publishes some of the biggest bylines seen on the best adult romance books, like New York Times bestsellers Helen Hardt, Lisa Renee Jones, Gina Maxwell, and Victoria James and USA Today bestsellers Rebecca Yarros, Avery Flynn, Stacy Reid, Eva Devon, Kilby Blades, and Jennifer Snow.
Entangled’s titles are distributed by Macmillan in New York, one of the largest book distributors in the world. Their books are available in both print and digital at major retailers around the world, as well as through trial runs with the newest subscription venues.
Several imprints are released simultaneously in print and digital with placement in brick and mortar stores, maximizing visibility and availability to their target audience. Others are released as digital-first titles with print copies available via major online retailers using print-on-demand technology. Most of their titles are also released in audio format.
They presently release 10-12 titles per month, of which two are in mass market paperback, up to two in hardcover, and several in trade paperback. The remaining titles are released as digital-first with a POD print component.
Their marketing team prides itself on thinking outside of the box while remaining sharp, savvy, and connected.
Every book they publish receives a unique, custom-tailored publicity and marketing plan that they revisit regularly to ensure continued sales.
What Books Do Entangled Publishing Publish?
As mentioned previously, their focus is on romantic fiction. Below is a list of titles that will add some colour to that description.
The Wren in the Holy Library – K A Linde
Evergreen – Devin Greenlee
To Kill A Shadow – Katherine Quinn
Sweet Vengeance – Tracy Wolff
Highland Surrender – Heather McCollum
The Sweetheart Crush – Miranda Liasson
Trading Places – Emily Duvall
Frenemies with Benefits – Lydia Sharp
Bloodguard – Cecy Robson
An Earl to Remember – Stacy Reid
As you can see, despite all being romance books, the scope is still broad with titles ranging from fantasy and history to modern day love stories.
Can Authors Submit to Entangled Publishing?
Yes, they openly state on their website that they are committed to acquiring diverse books written by diverse authors. It’s not clear despite their female ownership if they only accept submissions from female writers but most of their releases would suggest that’s the case.
They have a long list of imprints that cover everything from erotica and comedy to historical and fantasy with a full list to be found on their website, which writers who are considering making a submission can reference to determine where their work might best sit.
Writers wishing to make a submission are requested to only submit to one imprint, and to initially contact them with a query containing a synopsis, the first 3 chapters and an introductory query letter. All submissions will then receive one of the following within 60 days;
- Rejection
- Revise & Resubmit
- Request for Additional Time
- Request to Take to Acquisitions Board
What are some alternatives to Entangled Publishing?
There are a few options for writers to consider aside from submitting to Entangled Publishing.
The first of these would be to submit to another publisher. A writer may either be excluded from considering a submission based on the genre of their work or feel that Entangled Publishing as a company does not align with them. There are many romance specific publishers and indeed many others that cover all genres so there would be no shortage of options when considering this route. The availability of choice however does not exclude it from presenting some challenges. Writers are often faced with long wait times or restricted submission windows not to mention a relinquishing of control parts of the creative process.
The other main option would be for a writer to pursue self publishing. This route keeps the outcome in the hands of the writer who not only gets to retain autonomy over the project but also is able to work to their own schedule regarding releases and best dates to proceed. There is naturally more onus on the writer to take control over the marketing, distribution etc but the increasing ease with which these types of things can be accomplished makes this an ever more popular path for writers to tread.
Entangled Publishing Review – Final Verdict
To sum up, then, Entangled Publishing clearly has found its lane when it comes to the publishing world. They’ve carved out not necessarily a niche, as romance is too popular to refer to it as that, but a path that works for them. They deserve great credit for prioritising female writers and giving them a voice to tell their stories. It’s also clear that their knowledge of their genre is genuine and contains real depth as showcased by the number of specific imprints they have that a lesser company would bundle altogether.
With that being said, there are a few things that may still mean they are not the best course of action for a writer considering making a submission. Firstly, the restrictions to genre, as many writers will be working outside the confines of romance so will immediately be excluded.
Secondly, the lack of information available as to the success of their releases. There is not much to be found regarding testimonials, sale numbers etc that would give confidence to a writer that this is the best home for their book.
And finally, the sheer volume of titles they offer could mean a book would be lost in the crowd and harder to stand out when up against such a volume of competition.
Self publishing may be the best route of action or a tandem approach whereby a writer does not put all of their eggs in one basket and tries to cover all bases by making multiple submissions and exploring self publishing at the same time.