However, before you can produce a romance novel, there are a few things you should know. First, the 2008 report from Simba Information reported that romance fiction generated a whopping 1.37 billion dollars in revenue despite the worst economic slid since the Great Depression and snagged the largest share of the consumer market. Why is this? Despite the cynicism of some for romance fiction, it has proven to be smart, fresh and diverse.

Secondly, you first need to know how to write a romance novel. “Know the romance market,” says Sheri McGregor, author of “Under One Roof.” Romance novels make up more than 50 percent of mass market fiction. “Read in the genre and find where you think your story ideas fit. Get the guidelines. Then write your story with the market in mind, without letting go of your story’s heart,” McGregor says.

1. Know the story you want to tell, and know your characters.
2. Join a writer’s critique group, either online or face-to-face.
3. Write, write and write more. Nothing helps more than practicing your craft.
4. Develop a thick skin. No one writes a masterpiece the first time.
5. Learn from criticism, but don’t lose the voice that makes your writing unique.
6. Read books about writing, such as Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird,” Natalie Goldberg’s “Writing Down the Bones,” or Evan Marshall’s “The Marshall Plan for Writing a
Novel.”
7. Study your market, and be prepared to write for a specific genre.
8. Become familiar with the publishers in your genre and subgenre.
9. Join a romance writers’ club and attend writers’ conferences. Make sure to schmooze with agents at these conferences.
10. Submit your book to an agent to make the rounds of publishers.

Blessed is the author who continues to write despite the circumstances in their lives, for eventually their story will be published. Times are tough in the publishing industry? Write! Your personal life is going to hell faster than a jet? Write! You can’t find an agent? Write! Your manuscript is still orphaned? Write! Your book finally sold? Keep writing!

Until next time – stay well and be blessed!

HOW CAN I GET MY BOOK PUBLISHED?

The first tip I’d give an aspiring author is to prepare. Preparation can be accomplished in a variety of ways such as: reading books from authors published in the genre you want to writing in, taking courses or workshops, entering contests, and if possible, speaking with published authors in your targeted genre. Once you have a workable draft of your manuscript, join a critique group and above all, accept constructive feedback. All of these things will help in the end so that you provide a quality product for agents and editors to review.

A couple of books I’d highly encourage aspiring authors to purchase are: Building Better Plots by Robert Kernen and Writing Novels that Sells by Jack Bickham.

See you on the New York Times Bestsellers List!!

Until next time – stay well and be blessed!

It’s reported that half of the movies made in Hollywood are adaptations of stories written as novels, non-fiction books, comic books, short stories, plays and poems. So where do the powers-to-be in Hollywood find these books? They scan publisher’s listings looking for big, popular commercial books. Let me note here that self-published books or those published by smaller presses are less likely to be assessed for movie potential. Not impossible in these cases, just not highly probable.

So in the case of the Twilight Series, it’s fairly easy to see how it catapulted to the big screen. First published in 2006, New Moon quickly landed on the New York Times and USA Today’s bestseller’s lists. It also became the biggest selling children’s paperback book with over 5.3 million copies sold.

What books have you read lately that you’d love to see on the big screen??

Until next time – stay well and be blessed!