Romance Writers: 5 Tips to Improve Your Chances of Getting Published

Romance novels account for over 50% of all mass-market paper back sales. With such a huge market and so many readers, the romance genre is the perfect one to try to break into for new and emerging writers. However, like any market, getting a book published in the romance market is a difficult task when you don't know what you're doing. There are some things that romance writers can do to increase their chances of publication and hone their skills.

The first thing any romance writer should do to keep sharp is to read other romance. Reading romance will give you an idea of what is out there and what different publishing houses are looking for in a novel. Also, I have gotten many book ideas from other books. For example, I read a great novel about a woman who was dating her deceased sister's ex-husband and it inspired me to write a romance about two brothers fighting over the same girl.

Secondly, pay close attention to writer's guidelines. If you really want to be published in a certain romance series, there are guidelines that you must follow. For instance, Harlequin has a great series called Intrigue. If you want to write for this particular line, your story must fit a certain criterion. Intrigue books must be a certain number of words and the plot must have a "mysterious" tone to it.

Thirdly, attending a writer's conference or joining a writing group is helpful in many ways. Most importantly, it gives you the chance to network with other writers. Ask them how they first got published or maybe even let them critique your current work-in-progress. Remember, some of these people are already successful and will help you to avoid making the same mistakes that they did as a novice.

Entering contests is another great thing that romance writers should do as often as possible. Contests give you the opportunity to keep writing while you are in between projects and sometimes get opinions on your work from judges that are already in the business. Plus, if you do happen to win a contest or at least get into the finals, it may give you some credibility or recognition from the judges, whom are often in the publishing industry and contest wins do look great on your writing resume as well.

Lastly, when submitting to an editor, be sure that you are well versed on the proper way to submit your novel. A great deal of times specific information on what format to submit is in a publishing house's writer's guidelines. However, if it is not, be sure to type your manuscript double-spaced on plain white, 8 1/2" X 11" paper (16# stock is good).

Be sure to only type on one side of the paper. It should have a title page that includes the title of your work, the number of words that are approximately in your manuscript, and all of your contact information. Also, each page should be numbered in the upper right hand corner and should also contain your last name (i.e. Davis - 10). Do not staple or bind your pages in any way.

This makes it harder to read and annoys most publishers. It is also extremely important to provide a cover letter with your submission. It should be addressed to the correct person (not just "Dear Sir or Madam"). The cover letter should contain a brief history of your writing background and accomplishments, as well as a short synopsis of your story. You may also want to include a SASE for the return of your manuscript, although a great deal of publishing houses won't return them anyway. Remember, never send your only copy because you may not get it back!

While becoming a romance writer can be difficult, it is the one genre that I have met a great number of people that solely make their living writing about love. With lots of patience, practice, and persistence, you can also be one of these authors that "live on love."