Artem Litvinets, Editor-in-Chief of Vivat, on Working With Ukrainian Authors

An interview with Artem Litvinets, editor-in-chief of the publishing house Vivat.

Every year, Vivat publishes roughly 300 books and sells an estimated 2.5 million copies. In an exclusive interview with DeTalks, the publisher's editor-in-chief, Artem Litvinets, spoke about manuscript selection criteria and the balance between concept and execution in publishing Ukrainian authors' work.

What three signs in a text tell the editorial team this could be a breakout hit, even if the manuscript is still 'rough'?

"The first is an original concept that immediately grabs attention. The second is a universal conflict at the core that goes beyond the specific plot and resonates with a wide range of reader experiences. The third is a distinct, recognizable authorial voice, one that comes through even in a text that still needs more work."

"An editor's instinct signals it like this: if, after reading the synopsis and the first chapter, you want to call or message a colleague on the editorial team and tell them about it — that's it."

Have you ever come across a strong idea paired with weak execution, or vice versa? Which is easier to 'save'?

"Yes, both situations happen, especially in genre fiction, where authors often lean on trending patterns and popular tropes.

Fairly often, we see a strong idea: a timely conflict, a sharp genre concept, a formula with real commercial potential. But the execution can be rough, with problems in structure, pacing, or dramaturgy.

A text like that is workable, since a solid conceptual core lets the editorial team shape the form (provided the author is open to collaboration and ready to hear constructive criticism)."

"A technically competent text without a distinct idea or emotional hook, on the other hand, is harder to bring to a breakout level. It might be well-crafted, but it won't have the resonance that drives reader demand."

"That's why, for us, the deciding factor is the combination: a strong idea, market potential, and the author's willingness to work with the editorial team. That interplay is what most often turns a rough manuscript into a competitive book."

How do you work with texts that deal with difficult or traumatic experiences?

"The key principles are ethics and sensitivity, avoiding the exploitation of pain or emotional manipulation. We try to anticipate what could become a potential trigger — and then either soften the edges or add a content warning about potential triggers.

Consulting with specialists who help make sure a text doesn't retraumatize readers is also important to us.

For example, we deeply value the opportunity to work with Svitlana Royz — both as an author and as someone who's helped make some of our children's books more nuanced and therapeutic."

"We also try to follow the principle of ‘nothing about us without us’ — consulting with potential readers and experts on how certain realities and topics of inclusion are perceived."

"As for books on wartime themes, we try to balance honesty and truthfulness with the principle of 'do no harm': we work with respect for people's experiences, make sure texts don't contain state secrets, and take additional consultations with combat veterans on how the information will land."

Do you have a signal that tells you a book isn't right for you, even if the manuscript fits the genre?

"Even if the genre fits, the signals can be a mismatch in values, manipulative or toxic content, or a lack of emotional resonance.

Sometimes the decision can also be influenced by whether another manuscript already in production has a similar plot, central conflicts, or story beats to the one under review — in that case, we'd rather honestly pass on the project so we don't create internal competition, and give the author the chance to publish with a different house."

What percentage of manuscripts make it to a contract, and what does the selection process look like?

"Vivat reviews every manuscript submitted through the contact form on our website, and selection happens in several stages. Every month, that's over a hundred manuscripts across various genres: fantasy, romance and historical fiction, nonfiction, and current affairs."

"Every month, about 10–15% of submitted manuscripts move on to the second round of evaluation. At this stage, we assess the technical quality of the submission, the synopsis and blurb, genre fit, and how clear the concept is."

"In the second stage, we dig deeper into the text, analyzing originality and plot cohesion, market potential, and fit with the publishing house's priorities. If a text shows potential, it may be sent for internal review. Specialists the publishing house trusts are brought in for evaluation: literary critics, bloggers, and literary scholars. Sometimes these reviews include practical advice for the author.

The editorial team may invite the author to read the review and revise the text. Possible outcomes: the author declines to revise; or the author promptly addresses the feedback, which signals readiness for professional collaboration.

After this stage, the project is presented for defense at the editorial board, where the story's potential, market outlook, the author's readiness for promotion, and fit with strategic priorities are all assessed.

On average, about 5% of all submissions make it to the editorial board review stage, and most of those go on to the contract stage."

"That means the key factors for success aren't just the text itself, but also openness to editing, professional communication, and a willingness to work with an audience."

Yuliia Orlova — Interview With Vivat's CEO

Yuliia Orlova, the publishing house's CEO, added to her colleague's thoughts by answering the following question.

What does an ideal first year of working with a new author look like — from signing the contract to the book appearing on shelves?

"The ideal scenario begins even before the contract is signed. Vivat sees working with an author as a shared, long-term process, where what matters isn't just the quality of the text, but also the collaboration, joint work on the author's personal brand, and attention to readers.

So the ideal first year starts with a compelling manuscript submission. It's best when the author submits a finished manuscript, a well-crafted synopsis, a presentation with a clear positioning vision, and shows a willingness to take part in promotion. Projects like that are easier to present to the internal editorial board, easier to fit into annual priorities, and faster to get into production."

"Once a project is approved, contract terms are agreed on, and the licensing agreement is signed, the ideal scenario involves quickly matching the right author-editor pair and the author responding promptly to editorial suggestions.

If the text is structurally strong and doesn't need deep revision, literary editing moves much faster. In that case, work on the text and design can wrap up in six to eight months."

"An ideal first year also means working together on positioning and design. It's valuable when the author takes part in discussing the cover, understands their target audience, and supports the proposed marketing strategy. That helps hit readers' expectations more precisely."

"Ideally, the author starts engaging with their audience even before the book comes out: sharing the creative process, posting material about the book's world, and building interest ahead of the release.

An ideal first year is when the author and publisher work as a team: a strong text paired with openness to editing, strategic thinking, and active communication with the audience. It's a synergy of content, professional collaboration, and a conscious market presence. And then you can say the book didn't appear by chance, but as the result of consistent, collaborative work."

Read the first part of our interview with Vivat's leadership on genre strategy, current trends, and finding untapped niches here.