For Those Poor Souls Seduced by the Muse . .

Recommended Reference Books |Recommended Motivational Books | Romance Writers of America |
| Steps and Tips |

First let me tell you this:  I am self-taught on the subject of writing, writing romance, and writing well.  I never so much as took a class in typing.  Not by choice, by necessity. One of the main ways I taught myself was to build my own library of reference books, read them, and put into practice the things I leaned from them.  At first, I got books out of the library, and later, began buying my own copies of those that worked best for me.  I have a huge collection, and the books listed below are my top picks for a writer starting out.  Contrary to popular belief, an Ivy League Degree is NOT a prerequisite for becoming a successful, best-selling author! Education is crucial--but there's more than one way to get it.  And if you want it badly enough,  you can get it. But whatever route you take, know this--you're not getting anywhere if you aren't willing to do the work! 

Reference Books I Would Not Be Without!

(Click on the cover to order from Amazon.com)

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Books that are Motivational, History of Art and More

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If you want to write romance, then you must visit the Romance Writers of America website.

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SIMPLE STEPS FOR WRITERS!

Step One: READ.  Read everything, but mostly read the kind of books you aspire to write.

Step Two: LEARN.  You must have mastered basics such as grammar, spelling, punctuation before you even begin.  No, that's not what editors are for. 

Step Three: LEARN.  You must have a understanding of the basics of creative writing.  If you don't know proper use of point of view, if you don't know what motivation is, how to develop characters, what a theme is, how to develop conflict, then master these things.

Step Four: LEARN.  You also need to learn all you can about the industry in which you intend to work.  If it's romance, you need to know who publishes it, what the different sub-genres are, who the editors are, what their length requirements are, and on and on.

Step Five: WRITE.  As with anything, the best way to get good at writing, is to write and write and write.  Practice makes perfect. 

Step Six: NETWORK.  Join a writers group.  For Romance, nothing beats RWA, and they have local chapters all over the the U.S. and Canada. But please, consider this group only if you are "seriously pursuing a career in romance fiction."  It's not a fan club.  It is the premiere organization for romance novelists, published and aspiring.

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MORE TIPS

1. Be prepared to face rejection.  Mourn five minutes, then move on.  Never give up.

2. Attend writers workshops, conferences, conventions, critique groups, meetings.  The more you time you spend with those who get it, the less insane you'll feel.

3. Never, ever, ever pay anyone to read your work.  Not so-called literary agencies who charge a reading fee, not subsidy publishers who ask you to pay part or all of the cost of publishing your work, not anyone.  The one exception to this rule is professional editing services, but on those, I advise caution. Get recommendations from other writers first before shelling out a nickel.  Chances are your fellow writers can do as well or better at critiquing your work.  For free.

4.  Never give your work away.  If a publisher tells you they'll publish your book, they ought to be willing to pay you an advance.  If they're not, then they aren't in financially sound condition and you should run in the other direction. 

5.  Standard Minimum Terms For a First Sale in Romance Publishing:
 *Advance payment of $5,000.  (May be less certain niche markets--but never under $3000.)
 *Author Retains the Copyright.
 *Royalties 6% to 8% on the first 100,000 copies. (paperback only--hardcover is higher.)

6. Once you begin submitting to publishers, practice the mantra you must recite when you get the call: "Thank you very much for your interest.  I'm going to need to call you back tomorrow."  Get the offer, jot down the details, say NOTHING that could in the least indicate agreement to anything, and call them back the next day.  If you're smart, you'll use the 24 hours in between to contact an agent and allow them to broker the deal for you.  This is the easiest time to land a good agent--when there's an offer on the table.

7. Submit only to publishers you've checked out.  These should be people you've heard of, with works you have seen published.  They should not be brand new to the business.  Check with their authors. 

8. Ditto the above with agents.  Check them out thoroughly.  As a rule, agents charge a 15% commission on sales they broker for you.  Agents who charge other fees, such as annual expenses or reading fees are to be avoided at all costs, in my personal opinion.  If an agency isn't making enough off sales to keep itself in paper and copying machines, then they aren't doing a very good job managing their business.  Or that of their clients.

9. You will never sell if you don't submit your work to publishers.  Aim high, start at your dream publisher, the one who publishes your favorite authors.  It's easy to get guidelines, just look them up on the internet or pick up the phone and call them, or send a self addressed, stamped envelope to the mailing address with your request inside. 

10.  Finally, it's not realistic to expect your first efforts to pay off.  One or two authors have had that happen, but it's incredibly rare.  I wrote four or five complete novels before one sold.  So be patient. And remember, like anything else, you have to be willing to do the work to get to the goal!  So buckle down, work hard, and go for it!

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