Romance-Novel Writing - Get it Written, Get it Published!

The cover... so glossy. The pages... so smooth, with that brand-new paper smell. And the best part? My pen name, Amelia Elias, right across the spine. There's nothing in the world like holding your book for the first time. But how do you get there? I've been writing stories off and on since I was in junior high, and seriously writing for the last decade. I was lucky enough to stumble across an extremely supportive romance author's group, and those great ladies (and gentleman!) helped to guide me through every step from rough draft to submission to publication and promotion. If you haven't been fortunate enough to find a support group of your own, this short guide can help you make it from aspiring writer to published author.

The first thing you must consider is what to write. Obvious, right? Not exactly! I can't tell you how many aspiring authors I've spoken with who've said things like, "I love historical romances, but I know paranormals are really hot right now, so I'm writing a vampire book... but I'm having trouble finishing the story." Well, of course you are! Vampires aren't what you love. Write the type of romance you'd love to read. Your passion and enthusiasm--or lack thereof--will show on every page. Also, remember that the books that are selling like hotcakes now are manuscripts that were contracted as much as two years ago. Your book, should you get a publishing offer, won't hit the shelves for a year at the very least. Unless your crystal ball is in fine working order, you don't know what'll be the hot market in a year or two. That historical market might revive just in time for your story to hit the shelves. So write what you love.

Once you know your genre, check into the publishers' websites. You can find a lot of excellent information on the web. Word count requirements, submission guidelines, formatting preferences, whether or not you need an agent to submit--publishers put all that information, and more, on their official websites. Pay special attention to the word count guidelines as you write. While you can add or subtract a little to shape your manuscript to their guidelines, editors can easily spot when you've added or subtracted tens of thousands of words just to hit their guidelines. The flow of the story is important, and chopping huge chunks out (or adding filler scenes) will hurt your publication chances.

The most vital step is also the most obvious one--write the book! First-time romance authors almost never sell on proposal. The publisher wants to know that you can follow through on your ideas, that you can complete a full novel, before they spend their time and money on you. Anyone can come up with an idea for a story, but not everyone can complete a fifty-thousand to one hundred and fifty-thousand word manuscript. So finish that manuscript and perfect it to the best of your ability before you try to take any other steps.

Now that you've got an completed first draft, start growing a thick skin and find a critique partner. It's best to find another writer for this because friends often limit their remarks to, "Oh, I loved it!" You need an in-depth critique that'll highlight the weaknesses of your manuscript so you can fix them before your work lands on an editor's desk. The Romance Writers of America has groups in many, many cities around the country, and also offers several online chapters where you can meet other authors. If you haven't joined the RWA, it's a good idea to do so when you're searching for a critique partner.

It's also very important to change your mindset at this point. That manuscript you've slaved over, cried over, sweated over, and perfected as best you can--that's for you. Save a copy somewhere safe. The manuscript you send to your critique partner or partners, edit, cut, pare down, expand... that's a product. You want to sell it. It's not your baby at this point, it's a commodity. Keeping that in mind will save you a lot of grief as you move on through the process of submissions, rejections, more rounds of edits, even more submissions, and finally, hopefully, publication.

Now that you've worked with your critique partner(s) and made your manuscript shine, go back to the first three pages. Read them critically. Do they grab your attention immediately? Do you care about the characters? Are you curious about what happens next, or are those first three pages full of history and backstory? You have three pages to get an editor's attention. Start with action. Make that editor care within those three pages, or your submission goes into the reject pile. Harsh? You bet. Editors are busy, and they don't have time to wade through ten or twenty pages to get to the good stuff. Neither do your readers. Those first three pages are the most critical part of your submission.

You'll also need a synopsis. Many authors hate these with a purple passion. Each publishing house has guidelines on synopsis writing, but a general rule is three double-spaced pages. This should cover all the major events in your book. The characters' emotional state through each trial must be highlighted, along with plot twists, sexual tension, and any major secondary characters. Remember that this must cover the entire plot. Editors hate to get to the final line of the synopsis and see something like, "Want to know how it ends? Request the full manuscript!" No, no, no. Tell it all. There are no surprises or cliffhangers in the synopsis.

At this point you're ready to think about submitting to publishers and contests. It's up to you if you want to enter some contests first. Some authors really enjoy the feedback and the thrill of winning or placing in writing contests, and others don't. It's a personal decision, but keep in mind that almost all contests have editors from major publishing houses as final judges. If your entry goes to the final round, you're guaranteed to have three to five editors read the entire thing. For many authors, that's worth the entry fee all by itself. I know many authors who've gotten their first sale through contests. Even if you don't get to that final round, or if you're not chosen as a winner, you usually get detailed feedback on your submission. Detailed comments from editor judges are golden. If you're interested in entering your writing in some contests, the RWA website is a fantastic place to find information on them, as is Charlotte Dillon's website. And remember to send thank-you postcards to all the judges, not just the editors.

Finally, it's time to package your hard work for submission. You've tweaked and polished your story within an inch of its life and now you're ready to send it out into the world. Remember that research you did before you started writing? All those publishers you researched should now be on your submission list. Double-check that their submission guidelines haven't changed in the months since you did that pre-writing research. Keep in mind that editors change departments from time to time, or even go to different publishers. A quick telephone call is a good idea to ensure that you mail your submission to the correct editor. "Hello, can you tell me the name of the Executive Editor for Generica Romance?" is all you need to say, and ask for the spelling, too. Print out your submission, your synopsis, and a cover letter detailing any real-world experience you may have that is applicable to your story. (For instance, if you're writing a police-themed romance and you've been a court reporter for twenty years, that's definitely applicable!) Make sure you add any contest wins. If the editor requested your manuscript through an interview or contest, DEFINITELY say so right at the top of the letter, and write "REQUESTED SUBMISSION" on the outside of the envelope.

Mail submissions to only one publisher at a time. Most publishers don't like simultaneous submissions. So if you want to query Harlequin, Avon, and Penguin, you'll just have to wait for each to reply before you move down the list. Mail your submission in a manilla envelope without folds or staples. Paperclips are acceptable. Don't send it using any method that requires a signature. If you want to ensure that it arrived, send it using a method with tracking--Priority Mail or UPS. Another good idea is to enclose a pre-addressed and stamped postcard that can be sent back to you when your submission is opened. Some of these are available pre-printed, but you can print them on your computer. Just leave spaces that can be filled in. "Dear Amelia Elias, Your submission, Most Awesome Book Ever, was received on _________. If you have not heard from us, you may contact us on ___________ for a status check. Please contact us via __ telephone __ mail __ email at ______@________." Sometimes you'll get these back blank, or simply with a date scrawled on it, but if they do take the time to fill in the remaining information, it's good to have. Don't forget to also include a self-addressed stamped business-size envelope for their reply!

More and more editors are accepting email submissions. Never send a submission by email unless it is unequivocally stated that submissions are accepted this way--you don't want to get on an editor's bad side by crashing her email program. If email submissions are accepted, the same rules apply for paper submissions. If this is a requested submission, say so in the subject line. If not, the subject line should say something like, "Submission to Generica Romance, Amelia Elias, MOST AWESOME BOOK EVER." The body of the email should be your cover letter, and never use email shorthand like LOL or smileys. This is a professional business letter. Your submission should be sent as an attachment. Publishers usually request .rtf format because it's less likely to harbor viruses. The file name should be your name, book title, year--for example, AmeliaElias_MOST_AWESOME_BOOK_EVER_2008.rtf would be acceptable. Your synopsis should be the same--AmeliaElias_MOST_AWESOME_BOOK_EVER_synopsis2008.rtf.

By following the rules of submission, you vastly increase your chances of getting out of the slush pile and in front of an editor. If anything on the publisher's website contradicts what I've written here, by all means, do what the publisher says!

And now you wait. Sometimes for a long time. Sometimes for an insanely long time. The longest I've ever waited for a reply was 14 months, and that was a form rejection. Spend this waiting time working on a new book. I won't say put your anxiety out of your mind--that's impossible! Talk with your friends, moan with your critique partners about how long it's taking, but don't complain on your blog--badmouthing the publisher is never a good idea. And write. Did I mention that? Keep writing. When they reply, you want to have something new to send them.

You will probably get more rejections than you'd like. Form rejections hurt, but you've got that new book ready to send now, right? If you get a personal rejection letter from an editor, send back a polite email or letter thanking him or her for taking the time to give you that criticism. Personal rejections can be a step toward a sale. In your thank-you letter, ask if you could resubmit the manuscript after reworking those areas the editor mentioned. It only costs a stamp to ask. Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't--and if they say no, don't send it back anyway. Sometimes you'll get a reply saying they don't want to see that manuscript again, but you're welcome to send something else. That's also golden! Get that new book ready and send it off with "REQUESTED SUBMISSION" on the outside of the envelope.

In my next article, I'll discuss what to do after you get that much-anticipated acceptance letter with an offer of publication. Yes, it's been a lot of hard work to get to that point, but you're not done yet. Edits, cover requests, and the all-important publicity and advertising still lie in your future. Keep writing, and good luck!