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    How to Write a Romance Novel-Getting It Written and Getting It Published-Second Edition
    How to Write a Romance Novel-Getting It Written and Getting It Published-Second Edition
    How to Write a Romance Novel-Getting It Written and Getting It Published-Second Edition
    Ebook100 pages58 minutes

    How to Write a Romance Novel-Getting It Written and Getting It Published-Second Edition

    By Susan Palmquist

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    About this ebook

    Have you ever dreamed about writing a romance novel?
    In this second edition of How to Write a Romance Novel, you’ll learn tips and tricks to getting your story started, completed and ready to submit to an editor or agent.
    You’ll learn-
    How to come up with ideas for stories
    Planning your novel
    The importance of the first three chapters
    How to create conflict
    How to up the emotion in your story
    How to creating characters and dialogue to pull in your reader
    How to create sexual tension
    How to put together a submission package that gets you noticed
    Places you can submit romance stories
    Writing Prompts to fire up the muse

    If you’ve ever wanted to learn the craft of romance writing but haven’t had the time or budget to take a workshop, this book offers you everything to get started.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSusan Palmquist
    Release dateMar 8, 2016
    ISBN9781310862618
    How to Write a Romance Novel-Getting It Written and Getting It Published-Second Edition
    Author

    Susan Palmquist

    An Adams Media author.

    Read more from Susan Palmquist

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      Book preview

      How to Write a Romance Novel-Getting It Written and Getting It Published-Second Edition - Susan Palmquist

      How to Write a Romance Novel

      Getting it Written and Getting it Published

      Published by Coldstream Publishing at Smashwords

      Copyright 2016 Susan Palmquist

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes.

      This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      If you enjoyed this book, please return to Smashwords.com to discover other works by this author.

      Thank you for your support.

      Table of Contents

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Chapter 13

      Chapter 14

      Thank You

      Social Networks

      Back to Top

      Chapter 1

      It’s been almost four years since I sat down and wrote the first edition of How to Write a Romance Novel. A new edition is long overdue and here it is.

      So what will you find between the covers of this one?

      The romance genre continues to evolve, but some things stay constant. With that in mind, I’ve opted to keep most of the first edition’s content and simply add more. Tips and hints that I feel can help you on your journey to becoming a successful romance writer. I’ve also added content related to conflict, writing the opening chapters, and self-publishing.

      The previous edition did contain some writing exercises but for this version, I’ve added a chapter with some story ideas and prompts.

      As well as this e-book, I’ll also be publishing a print version which will contain more resources, picture prompts and story starters.

      Let’s dive right in…

      You’ve purchased a copy of this book which tells me you might be one of the many romance fans who one day decided to pen their own story. Even if you’re not an avid romance story fan, there are a couple of other reasons why this genre is perfect for the beginning writer.

      Romances have, and probably always will be, one of the most popular genres which means publishers are constantly looking for new writers. If you’ve ever checked out publishers’ Web sites or writer’s directories, you’ll often see the dreaded words agented submissions only next to listings for many of the big name companies. If you don’t have an agent, you’re out of luck getting your manuscript into the hands of an editor who might very well love your story. However, one exception is they’ll often look at a romance manuscript. You can get your foot in the door whereas a mystery or sci-fi writer might need to find an agent to submit to the very same publishing house.

      Another reason is the ever growing electronic market. Once again romance novels have taken off the fastest in this format. A new electronic publisher seems to open their doors for business every week which is great news for the beginning writer. Not that I’m saying it’s any easier to get published because it’s not. You still need to write a great story, but at least your work is read and evaluated on an equal footing with published authors.

      What is a Romance Novel?

      Ask an editor, agent, or even a writer, what they consider to be a romance story and I’ll bet you’ll never get the same response from any two people. That’s because the romance genre offers a wide array of stories that cater to just about everyone’s taste, and yet another reason for their wide appeal. Everything from category romances published by Harlequin to the novels calling themselves women’s fiction, but with an emphasis on romance.

      Romances aren’t just love stories, but the journey a couple takes from the first meeting to the rocky start, the complications along the way, and then to the eventual happy ever after.

      Some of the major sub-genres of romance stories include-

      Category Romances

      I probably don’t have to say much about category romance because the name of Mills and Boon and Harlequin immediately spring to mind. Many big name authors who continually find themselves on the bestseller’s list got their start in category romance. People like Janet Evanovich, Lisa Jackson, Debbie Macomber and Brenda Novak to name a few.

      Many beginning romance writers target one of the category lines for their first attempt and with good reason. In each of the lines, they publish four or six books per month which means they need lots of stories. Combine that with the fact that some of their authors move onto mainstream books so new openings emerge all the time. That isn’t to say that it’s any easier to get published. I tried these markets for years before realizing my writing wasn’t suited to these types of books.

      However, if you’re an avid reader of any of their lines, I’d say give one a try because it could be a perfect fit. Here are some pros and cons of writing for category romance-

      Pros

      You’re given specific guidelines and word count so you have a basic outline to work from.

      They’re an already established line with a built in readership and fan base. Some readers buy all the books in a line every month.

      No agent is

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