Publisher interview: HQ shares the stories they love to read (and publish!)

6.10.21

In celebration of the opening of the 2022 ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize we interviewed Rachael Donovan, Publisher at HQ Fiction, HarperCollins Australia, about the stories the HQ team love to read (and publish!).

What makes HQ's list unique?

HQ is a boutique publishing division under the auspices of the multinational publishing house HarperCollins. Our local publishing program is one of the most prolific in the country and we’re actively looking for exciting new voices to publish. We publish a wide range of fiction from psychological thrillers, gripping family sagas and gritty crime to layered historical novels, romance and contemporary book-club fiction.

How do you define commercial fiction?

Defining commercial and literary fiction is quite difficult; subjectivity always plays a role in assessing manuscripts for publication. But, for me, commercial fiction is well-crafted writing in a story that has its own attention-grabbing voice. It’s entertaining and hooky, with characters you can really dig into and care about (or crave to see them get their comeuppance).

Are there any particular trends in commercial fiction that are proving popular with readers at the moment?

Happily, local Australian storytelling is well supported by all the book buyers out there, and in a vast array of styles and genres. With the pandemic, we’ve seen readers taking up books that are uplifting or comforting in the past year or two. But crime and thrillers, historical fiction, family dramas, dramedy and sagas, cracking adventures and particular kinds of romance have continued to be popular with readers this year.

What are the key things you take into account when considering a work for publication?

For me, the first thing that I notice is an interesting voice. A slippery, hard-to-define thing but it’s what makes every book and author’s style interesting. Generally, for the kind of immersive highly commercial fiction I’m looking for, the work will have great depth of character, most likely in a close point of view. I’m looking for writing that makes the world melt away. 

But, also, at the top of my mind is the marketplace. For a successful acquisition, I have to be able to make a business case for how and why this book will sell, so what’s going on out there has a big impact in what and how we publish.

What are some of the biggest turn-offs when you're reviewing manuscript submissions?

Wading through swathes of backstory and telling to get to the character and action. Prologues are often a red flag: too often they fall into the trap of trying to world build or impart the motivation for what a character is about to do. But this is all before I know or care about the character, and is off-putting.

What stood out to you about the inaugural winner of the ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize: Brunswick Street Blues by Sally Bothroyd (due to be published in March 2022)?

From the outset Brunswick Street Blues had an incredibly strong snarky (but not unkind) voice that jumped off the page and really made me laugh. It also brought to life a particular time in Melbourne’s history as the old neighbourhoods were slowly being gentrified in a way that was just fascinating. This uniqueness - along with a rollercoaster madcap mystery and larger-than-life characters – just made for a distinctly Australian and incredibly fun read that we had to have.

What advice would you give to writers thinking of submitting their work to HQ?

Think about entering the 2022 ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize! Entering the prize can be fabulous exposure for any debut commercial writer. 

For submitting to HQ generally – have a look at what we’re publishing, perhaps dip into some recently published works that your book might sit alongside, and check out our submission guidelines page. You don’t have to be represented by an agent. We want to hear from you!