Interview with Jen Safrey - Harlequin Romance Novelist

Lazy Interviewer: What made you decide to try your hand at the romance genre?

Jen Safrey: First of all, I love romance novels and I truly believe that if you want to be a writer, you should write what you love to read or else you risk sounding inauthentic. The other thing was that after ten-plus years in the journalism business, it was nice to work with stories that actually have happy endings.

Lazy Interviewer: Describe how you came to write for Harlequin and what it was like to find out you would be published?

Jen Safrey: Harlequin is the publisher I really wanted to write for. It's the giant of the romance genre, and it's constantly changing and adapting to trends. It's also distributed all over the world, and I wanted to write for the widest audience possible. I wrote "A Perfect Pair" and sent it to Silhouette Special Edition (a Harlequin/Silhouette line), waited the standard bunch of months for a response, and finally got one from an editorial assistant who'd read my book, passed it on, and said they were interested. Then there seemed to be a bit of editor-shuffling, so it was a little while before I got a new editor and an actual publication date. When I got that first phone call, I don't remember what I said. I sort of babbled and freaked out.

Lazy Interviewer: What was it like for you to see your first book on the shelf? Where did you go first to look for your book? And how many places did you ultimately wind up visiting just to see yourself on display?

Jen Safrey: To see my first book on the shelf was incredibly surreal. I bawled like an infant. Then I kept walking away and looking back at it to see if it was still there. I actually can't remember what the first bookstore was that I saw it in, but it was likely in Boston, since that's where I was living. Since then, I've visited countless bookstores all over the East Coast to sign books in stock and do signing events, so I've seen my book all over, but the thrill never fades. I've pretended just to be a shopper, and recommended the book to people browsing in romance, telling them it was the best book ever. I've also just went up to people and said, "Yo, I wrote that book." You'd be surprised how many people buy it on the spot and have me sign it, so even if they think I'm a goofball, they humor me well.

Another cool thing is that since Harlequin is worldwide, I've had my books translated into Spanish, Italian and German. I get the books in the mail and it's cool to see my name and not be able to understand one other word on the cover or in the book. I recently found one of my books in French at Amazon, but I haven't gotten it in the mail yet.

Lazy Interviewer: While I rushed out to get your books to show my support for your blossoming career, I must admit, I felt slightly odd walking up to the checkout with a romance novel in my hand. Are there a lot of males who read romances?

Jen Safrey: You'd be surprised, actually. I've sold to many men at signing events. I think people just think it's kind of wild to meet an author and generally don't care what they wrote. I can usually convince men to buy the books for their girlfriends or their mothers. And I definitely have male friends who have read my books and actually make specific comments so I know they're not fibbing.

I've also noticed that at the national Romance Writers of America conferences, as well as smaller regional conferences, more and more men have been turning up as aspiring or published writers. Romance packs an emotional wallop, and I don't think women have cornered the market on feelings. Not yet, anyway.

Lazy Interviewer: In what ways has becoming a novelist changed your life?

Jen Safrey: Well, it's funny, because since I've been published, I feel that writing is harder. Not only do I sit down at the keyboard with my own ideas, but there's now reader expectation. And my own standards are higher. I want every book I write to be better than the last. The added stress wreaks a bit of havoc with creativity. That said, I love being a writer. It's the best job in the world, and I can do it in my Hello Kitty pajamas.

Lazy Interviewer: What are your long term ambitions for your writing?

Jen Safrey: My main ambition is to bring my idea file to fruition. I have a bunch of story ideas, some fleshed out and some merely a sentence. Most, but not all, of them are romances. Some are more mainstream fiction. I have been working on trying to write faster. I don't really have a set game plan, except just to keep writing new things and see what happens.

Lazy Interviewer: Do you read the reviews of your novels on Amazon and other sources? What effect do they have on you?

Jen Safrey: You know, I do read reviews, but I don't let them affect me one way or another. "A Perfect Pair" got great reviews, and then I read my first not-so-great review after that. At first, I was devastated, but the key is not to take it personally. I don't care for every book I read, so why should everyone like my books? The book that seemed to get a bit of criticism went on to win an award, so it's all subjective. I'm at the point where I read the reviews out of curiosity. Hey, someone's talking about my work, and that's the important thing.

Lazy Interviewer: One of the trademarks of the romance novel is a consistent look to the covers. How much input do you have on the cover for your book.

Jen Safrey: I get an opportunity to give the art department some criteria for the cover. However, the cover's as much a surprise to me as anyone else. I only just recently saw the cover for my book coming out in September. I think if there was some catastrophic error, like my name being misspelled, it could be rectified, but I've been so, so lucky in that my covers have been really beautiful and effective.

Lazy Interviewer: How hard was the decision to "quit your day job" and become a novelist full time?

Jen Safrey: I actually quit my night job, since I was a copy editor for a daily newspaper and I worked at night. It was very, very hard to leave. I loved my job and I loved the people I worked with, but the opportunity was present for me to move on, so I did. I do miss seeing the same people every night, but I know I made the right decision. In fact, my last night on the job was -- totally coincidentally -- the day my first books arrived in the mail, and I was able to show everyone my book as I left.

Lazy Interviewer: What's the biggest misconception about romance novels?

Jen Safrey: Oh, please do not get me started. Oh, too late. There are a LOT of misconceptions, some that amaze me. The first is that I'm some kind of writer-for-hire, that the publisher tells me what to write and I write it. (Seriously, I've heard this more than once.) Uh, no. The stories are mine. I propose the work and Harlequin buys it, or not, and I try again. Just like every other author in the world. Another misconception is that writing romance novels is somehow easy money. It's about as easy as writing any other kind of book, which means totally not easy at all. Then there's the misconception that if you ask me how much money I make as a romance writer, I'll just be happy to tell you. Last time I checked, it's not polite to ask someone how much they make.

Then there's the worst misconception of all -- that romance novels are cheesy "bodice-rippers" full of sex and not much else. I'll tell you something: I've never read such deep characterization in any other genre as I do in romance. The plots have to be fresh and different because there are so many books out there. The authors, aspriring and published, that I have had the privilege to meet are amazing, brilliant people, who have researched to the smallest detail different time periods and professions and everything else they need to know to give their readers an authentic, incredible experience. Romance authors are the most talented, committed group of working writers out there. I admire them immensely and I consider myself honored to know them -- and read them.

Lazy Interviewer: Your favorite book? Why?

Jen Safrey: I read 100-plus books a year in all genres, buddy. I can't answer this. It changes constantly. Although I will say that my battered copy of Madeline L'Engle's "Camilla" has followed me everywhere I've moved and will probably end up in my coffin with me.

Lazy Interviewer: Last book you read?

Jen Safrey: I just finished "Gil's All Fright Diner" by A. Lee Martinez. Good fun. Zombies and werewolves and vampires. I think it may be this author's first book and I already can't wait for his next one. Actually, Rob, I think YOU would really dig it.

Lazy Interviewer: Best romantic movie of all time?

Jen Safrey: Oh, you're killing me. This is so hard! "Shakespeare In Love" is way up there.

Lazy Interviewer: Best love song of all time?

Jen Safrey: I don't know of all time, but "Send in the Clowns" pops into my mind. It's a fantastic love song, but so, so tragic and sad. When Frank Sinatra sings it, I'm a puddle of salty tears.