Category:Blog

Stop the rules insanity

By: Lucia Macro
November 15, 2011

I’ve been seeing a lot of rules lately about romance writing. My advice today: stop. Please stop. Honestly, I’m not sitting around looking to see if your book has a prologue, if your pov shifts around a bit, or if every chapter is 20 pages long. I just read.

And I keep reading, until I finish the manuscript or I stop because I know it’s not working. I’ve been doing this job a lonnnnggg time, so I do trust my instincts.

So, my advice is for you all to trust your instincts, too.
Actually, wait, I lied. I have two rules for romance novels:
1) Don’t kill the dog* .
2) It has to end happily ever after. (These are romances, after all.)

Now, there is this thing called market. That is different than rules. But I can discuss that tomorrow.

*Dog includes but is not exclusive to cat or horse; small friendly animal of any sort such as chicken, guinea pig or bunny; oddly empathetic animal such as donkey or llama.

OTHER DISCUSSIONS HAPPENING IN BLOG Romance

  • AmyValentini says: November 17, 2011 at 10:34 am

    Besides the fact that Avon produces some of the very best reading, this is why I love you … writers like me who are still trying to get there don’t feel so alone with lovely folks like you extending a hand. Thanks, may be ready to send a submission to Impulse very soon … if the holidays don’t slow me down. : )

  • Lucia Macro says: November 16, 2011 at 1:34 pm

    I know the “agent thing” is such a tough one. Many editors only see agented submissions, but that isn’t true of everyone–at least in the romance genre. At Avon, we do look at unagented queries and do ask for mss through that process.

    Also, if you enter contests you do have the chance to be judged by an editor who will read and love your work.

    My advice has been and still is: don’t always go to the “top” person–the most senior agent/editor. Go to other agents/editors who have good reputations (and believe me, with the internet you know who that is nowadays) who are building their lists.

  • AmyValentini says: November 15, 2011 at 11:52 pm

    Lucia, thank you for posting this … it’s so good to hear a confirmation of what we hope we know. I am curious about something that I’ve heard for years – a writer needs an agent to get published but most agents won’t even consider a writer unless the writer has been published. The old catch-22 – fact or fiction?
    I’ll be back to read what you have to say about the market and hope it matches what I hope I know. : )
    Y’all are great by the way and I trust whatever you tell us. <3

    @Jody … I’ve bookmarked your site and will be doing some extensive reading there. Thanks.

  • jodyrein says: November 15, 2011 at 5:32 pm

    Hello International Woman of Mystery,

    Well said. You will appreciate my own recent essay on query letters; I share your “Enough with the Rules Already!” sensibility: http://authorplanet.org/351/nonfiction-query-letter-goals-intro.

    I will now link to your sensible essay in a new, short entry under my Publishing Fact or Frenzy?! series.

    I thank you.

    Most sincerely,

    Equally Mysterious and Renowned Agent

    oh wait–my email is on this note. oh well.

  • Lucia Macro says: November 15, 2011 at 2:19 pm

    But then how are you supposed to get an agent?

    One thing I will say: know the ‘specialty’ of the editors and agents you do query. I get a lot of queries about End of Days Thrillers and Middle East Terrorism Plots. Oh, where is the love then?

  • Esi Sogah says: November 15, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    Just heard from another editor with a query from an author who was told–by an agent!–to stop querying agents and only query editors instead.

    Ay yi yi.


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