Knowing what your readers want is a major aspect before creating the first romantic novel page, but knowing what your publisher wants is more important. It is the publisher who puts your novel before the readers.
Knowing if they want historical romances, sex filled, bodice ripping or door closed, less than overt sex stories will get your manuscript before a editor faster than just sending it from one publishing house to another.
Would an agent be helpful to getting your manuscript to a publisher? If you think so, you need to research agents. You might try 'Literary Agents Indicating Interest in Representing Romance',
http://www.karenafox.com/agentlist.htm
Query Letter are important and either has to catch the eye of an agent or an editor enough that they ask for more material to see how you use setting, dialogue, description, and plot intrigue.
Writing and publishing romance novels is more than creating scenes. It is creating strong characters, believable dialogue, and tension between your hero and heroine.
Do your homework. Learn your craft, your market, and what your publisher is looking for then go for it and someday I'll be reading one of your well crafted romance novels.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Find Your Romance Genre
The main common elements of content in a romance novel are the following:
A relationship and romantic love between two people
It's almost always, boy meets girl. Attraction is paramount, obstacles arise. Boy loses girl.
In between are overcoming obstacles. Becoming close to success, falling back, continuing in spite of those obstacles. Love shall win in the end.
Oh Yes, the ending.
Your novel must have an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
That's the basic common elements for a romance but what are the genres?
Category Romances
Usually the short romance. Generally they are the type of books you read when you have a few minutes free time. They are quick and easy to read without a lot of sub-plots.
Historical Romance
Often containing a sense of humor, kind of a tongue-in-cheek theme. Sometimes blended with suspense and intrigue but the romance is the thing and the historical background is just that, background.
Classic Regencies
Usually featuring more sex blending with elements of mystery. It is sometimes a basic love story with some mystery or adventure to ease off the sex.
Time Travel/Futuristic
The main character travels from past to present or present to past encountering obstacles. Can it be in the past and the character has the answers or in the future where he/she must learn how to overcome it?
Romantic Suspense
What is about to happen to our heroine? Who is the devious plotter, the hero? How will she know? How can she slip from the clutches of disaster and into the arms of her true love?
Pick your genre, read and read books in your selected genre and soon you will be falling in love with the romance genre of your choice.
Now it's time to write it.
A relationship and romantic love between two people
It's almost always, boy meets girl. Attraction is paramount, obstacles arise. Boy loses girl.
In between are overcoming obstacles. Becoming close to success, falling back, continuing in spite of those obstacles. Love shall win in the end.
Oh Yes, the ending.
Your novel must have an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
That's the basic common elements for a romance but what are the genres?
Category Romances
Usually the short romance. Generally they are the type of books you read when you have a few minutes free time. They are quick and easy to read without a lot of sub-plots.
Historical Romance
Often containing a sense of humor, kind of a tongue-in-cheek theme. Sometimes blended with suspense and intrigue but the romance is the thing and the historical background is just that, background.
Classic Regencies
Usually featuring more sex blending with elements of mystery. It is sometimes a basic love story with some mystery or adventure to ease off the sex.
Time Travel/Futuristic
The main character travels from past to present or present to past encountering obstacles. Can it be in the past and the character has the answers or in the future where he/she must learn how to overcome it?
Romantic Suspense
What is about to happen to our heroine? Who is the devious plotter, the hero? How will she know? How can she slip from the clutches of disaster and into the arms of her true love?
Pick your genre, read and read books in your selected genre and soon you will be falling in love with the romance genre of your choice.
Now it's time to write it.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Queen of Romance
If you've ever thought of writing a romance novel, you can't go wrong reading Barbara Cartland. She had the magic formula that all romances contain.
For many years, Barbara Cartland wrote more than 723 books, and was considered the most prolific author of the 20th Century.
The Step Grandmother of Princess Diana, she reigned throughout the world as the Queen of the Romantic Novel.
Not only was she a prolific and well-loved author of her time, but as the author of over 1,000 million books sold, she was listed in the Guinness book of Records. Her novels of romance and love have been enjoyed by generations in over 36 countries.
As well as her romantic novels she also wrote books on health and vitamins and was a great believer in the healing power of honey and the benefits of vitamins. She also wrote a number of cookery books; the recipes from which were often used in the House of Commons.
Barbara wrote a number of biographies of famous characters from history, including the biography of her brother, Ronald Cartland, who was the first Member of Parliament to be killed in the Second World War. This book has a preface by Sir Winston Churchill.
It would help you on your road to becoming a successful Romance Novelist to read some of Barbara Cartland's books as well as her Biography.
She is one of my favorites and she had the magic, best seller formula.
And what is the magic formula?
Heroine meets hero; emotions fire between them; she is drawn, can't resist, but obstacles keep them apart. They struggle, finally come together in a satisfying, happy ending.
That's the formula, now you need to figure out in what genre you want to place your heroine and hero.
For many years, Barbara Cartland wrote more than 723 books, and was considered the most prolific author of the 20th Century.
The Step Grandmother of Princess Diana, she reigned throughout the world as the Queen of the Romantic Novel.
Not only was she a prolific and well-loved author of her time, but as the author of over 1,000 million books sold, she was listed in the Guinness book of Records. Her novels of romance and love have been enjoyed by generations in over 36 countries.
As well as her romantic novels she also wrote books on health and vitamins and was a great believer in the healing power of honey and the benefits of vitamins. She also wrote a number of cookery books; the recipes from which were often used in the House of Commons.
Barbara wrote a number of biographies of famous characters from history, including the biography of her brother, Ronald Cartland, who was the first Member of Parliament to be killed in the Second World War. This book has a preface by Sir Winston Churchill.
It would help you on your road to becoming a successful Romance Novelist to read some of Barbara Cartland's books as well as her Biography.
She is one of my favorites and she had the magic, best seller formula.
And what is the magic formula?
Heroine meets hero; emotions fire between them; she is drawn, can't resist, but obstacles keep them apart. They struggle, finally come together in a satisfying, happy ending.
That's the formula, now you need to figure out in what genre you want to place your heroine and hero.
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