Meet the editor.

You have this great idea for a Buffy story: one where Faith teams up with Ethan Rayne to kidnap Dawn and will sacrifice her to the dark Hell-gods of Xanthrax - unless Buffy and Angel team up one final time to save her.

But there�s a problem. Joss isn�t returning your calls, Marti Noxon�s �at lunch� and Jane Espenson is always in script meetings for Ripper. What do you do with your idea? Write a novel of course.

Before you submit your masterpiece to the good folks at Simon Pulse (they're known as Pocket Books in the UK), however, we thought you�d appreciate a few tips from the experts that might increase your chances of success.

Lisa Clancy edits all of the various Buffy and Angel book ranges. In a nutshell, her job is to review proposals for the novel submissions that demonstrate the best grasp of the Buffy story structure: the personal experiences of a teenage girl, with a supernatural element that reflects these daily hurdles.

Clancy is constantly seeking new and interesting variations on the mythology that will help grow a series. She�s also looking to keep some sort of continuity within the books, to select the best or most interesting storylines, and finally to edit, market and help sell those books in a crowded, competitive marketplace.