Knowing that editors can offer some of the best advice on how to publish novels and short story collections, I arranged an interview with Jeanette Perez, Associate Editor for the HarperCollins and Harper Perennial imprints. Perez cut her teeth at HarperCollins after finishing grad school, and has acquired titles such as Polly by Amy Bryant, The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany, and Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon.

About.com: What kind of fiction do you primarily acquire?

Jeanette Perez: Though I'm starting to expand my list into nonfiction, such as narrative nonfiction, memoir, and pop culture, I mainly acquire fiction. In general I would love to acquire more literary fiction, women's fiction, and fiction representing other cultures such as Latin American fiction.

AC: What do editors look for in both authors and submissions?

JP: Of course, we all want something that's written well, but the book also has to have a hook that's easy to pitch. Much of my job as an editor is selling the book in-house to our publicity, marketing, and sales teams. If I can present the book to them concisely and give them a hook they can use when they are selling the book to accounts, the book has that much better of a chance in the marketplace.

As for what I look for in an author, it's always nice to have an author who is connected to the book world in some way. Also, it's wonderful to have an author who's willing to spend some of their own time marketing the book by going to bookstores and introducing themselves or surfing the Internet for websites where we could promote the book.

Some of our more successful authors have been great about blogging on their websites and constantly refreshing their MySpace pages so that their networks continue to grow.

AC: How many first-time novelists do you publish each year?

JP: Lately, our paperback imprint Harper Perennial is where many of our first time authors have been getting published. The general sense is that readers are more willing to take a chance on a new author in paperback, where the prices are a little lower. I personally think the paperback original is a great way for an author to gain a following, and as their readership grows, perhaps with their second or third book, they can make the jump to hardcover.

AC: How finished should manuscripts be before authors begin to submit them to publishers?

JP: It really depends book to book. Sometimes a manuscript comes in pretty clean and the editing process is more of a polishing process. While other times, you may buy a book based on half a manuscript and then really work with the author line-by-line once they deliver the whole thing. But normally, if you buy something that's incomplete or needs a lot of work, you're sold on the story or the book has a highly commercial pitch.

AC: Do you recommend that authors get agents before submitting their novels?

JP: I know authors hate the idea of giving an agent a cut of what's often a small advance to begin with, but agents are a necessary part of the process. First, it's their job to know the editors and their interests, so rather than you sending your literary novel to an editor who buys science books because you saw their name somewhere, an agent will know exactly which editor is best suited for your book. Also, when problems arise, as they tend to do, the agent can act as a mediator, telling the author when they are asking for something that's impossible, or fighting for the author when they feel they should. So yes, I think agents definitely earn the commission they make and are good for the author to have on their side.