Wow MalibuPam, that's awesome!
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Originally Posted by hepcat
Wow MalibuPam, that's awesome!I'm working on it, Hepcat, I'm working on it. The average "first time author" has completed 4-5 full manuscripts before one finally sells. I'm paying my dues, hoping 4 will be my lucky number.
I'm kinda giggling at the white bread feeling I get when I see the coinage of S&M/Bondage with romance. I suppose there will always be cottage publishers for the fringes. When I was young I sought out books based on publisher more than I do now, Grove Press being prominent in the works that they were offering that I wasn't able to find elsewhere. Now it seems that Grove Press is mainstream and I'm happy and sad about that at the same time.Actually, this applies only to the mainstream Romance publishers. They tend to have the same set of "rules": no sexual violence (tearing bodices off, for instance) and there must be "an emotionally satisfying ending" (ie happily ever after, no heros or heroines die.)
Now if someone wants some good old fashion bodice ripping, classic The Flame and the Flower will probably never go out of print. For some new style bodice ripping, romantica publisher Ellora's Cave has a whole line of S&M/Bondage romance which they say is their most popular sub-genre.Some of it is a little harsh, but they too have a rule--all sex must be consensual by . . . eh-hem . . . the joining, if I may put it like that. In other words, clothes can be torn off as long as she's happy before the act is done.
I can see where the romance community might like to have certain standards, killing characters off seems like it might detract from the satisfying ride of an hour or two that most readers probably seek.
I would like to add that SEM has given me here copy of this book and she is not exaggerating at all, this book is poor!I already promised (threatened actually) to lend it to Yardgnome, but after she's done, it's yours!
Oh, and Duxxy, just so you know what to stay away from, the book is called "Bad Boys Online." I'm embarrassed even typing the title!
It is extremely trashy but good to keep me occupied the next couple of days!
I am very impressed that you have written four manuscripts already. One of my FORT friends (SueEllen) and I have started to work on one as well. We thought it would be fun to try and write a modern day romance novel. We have everything layed out for the story, and character description done, we just need to take the time and fill in the blanks.Hopefully we can get this done by next year and then I am not really sure what the plan to do with it is.
I will still call them trashy romance novels, though.I can't help it. My mother-in-law calls them "ladies' fiction."
When I was pregnant and on bedrest, we didn't have a TV. My husband would go to the library for me. At first I read a lot of mystery novels, but I found that I would have vivid, horrible dreams about bloodshed (unusually vivid dreams are a side effect of pregnancy). I had to limit the books I could handle to very light, non-anxiety-producing fluff. That means even moderately suspenseful authors (like Nora Roberts) were off-limits. I was stuck with Harlequins.
At the library in our town, there are so many Harlequins that they don't bother to catalog them. My husband would fill a bag with them once a week (about 30) without trying to pick ones in particular. What I learned:
• There's an enormous amount of Harlequins written about cowboys.You'd think they made up 50% of available men.
• If someone has a child already, it's because she didn't want to force the father into "doing the right thing" so she didn't tell him she was pregnant. Naturally, when the kid is about 3 he comes back into her life.
• Older Harlequins were mostly about secretaries charming their wealthy, charming and single bosses.
• Even in modern ones, a happy ending makes it clear the pair will be married.
Most weren't written that well, but a fair amount were genuinely good. Every now and then there would be one that was truly original and interesting. One of the best I read was about a young woman who had been raised by dwarves in a traveling circus. (It doesn't sound promising, but it was intriguing.) On the other hand, I remember one author who capitalized TEXAS every time it came up in the text - and TEXAS came up a lot. You might have guessed that this book was one of the cowboy ones, and it took place in TEXAS.
I'm just blathering on. Now that I'm hormone-free, I do indulge in trashy romance novels just for fun, but I aim a little higher than Harlequin.
Oh Muduh, you slay me! I've seen Lust In The Dust half a dozen times. Cheesy fun!
Man, this sounds like fun, and I live in Texas. I wish I had known about it at the time. Do you have to be a writer to attend? I'm not that big a fan of straight romance novels, but I do like Nora Roberts and similar writers.
Muduh, pack your bags!
The conference itself is just for RWA members, but the night before it starts, there is a huge-mass booksigning of all published authors attending, usually about 500-600 of them, who sit at tables in a huge ballroom. That part is open to the public and proceeds go to promote literacy projects. Nora was there. She always has a huge line in front of her table. Most other writers are immediately accessible. I was excited to see Christine Feehan, because I'd bought her MIND GAMES at the airport and read it on the plane, and it was awesome. I was so happy to thank her in person for keeping me so blissfully entertained through a day of travel. Next July the conference will be in Reno.
Have you guys checked out the Romance Writers of America? It is a wonderful organization for anyone serious about getting into the business. They are for both published and unpublished authors alike (something like 2000 of 8000 members are published). The regional chapters hold mini-conferences all the time, with workshops for beginners as well as pros. The chapters also hold contests, often with editors as final judges. I was finalist in the greater Seattle RWA chapter's contest last year, and as a result won a half-hour private meeting with an editor from Avon at the Seattle conference. Eventually, she still rejected my manuscript, but I got to tell her all about being on Monster House, so I know she will remember me next time!
http://www.rwanational.org/
They also have a number of online chapters for special interests like historical, paranormal, etc. There is no better resource for information about the industry, and members are all very supportive.
Hey, thanks for the advice. It is good to know. All I currently have is Writing Romance novels for dummies (yes they make such a book!
On a side note, I have never been a big Nora Roberts reader. My English professor in college's name was Nora Roberts and she would write these horrible trashy stories and make us read them in class. I think this is part of the reason why I can't read the "real" Nora Roberts, flashbacks to class!
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