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Good idea or Bad idea? Writing for romance to get your foot in the door.

Myshkin

Closed Account
I've been considering writing a Harlequin romance novel in their Nocturne (fantasy/supernatural) category thinking it might be a good way to get my foot in the door with publishers or literary agents. I know it doesn't pay well and I also know that a lot of their books are not what one would consider high fiction, but I also thought if I could manage to write something that they'll print, might it not be a boon? A published work of fiction, even a pulp romance novel, is better than nothing. Right?

However, I've also been wondering if by writing and successfully publishing a Harlequin romance novel might I not be doing more damage to my chances with other publishing houses. Once you've successfully written a pulp romance novel have you trapped yourself in that genre?

The story I'm working on focuses on the sidhe and fairy lore, which I'm enjoying, and the exercise is 'brain candy fun'. Even if I never allow this work (blush) to see the light of day, I don't consider it a wasted effort. Harlequin has an extensive submission section describing how a book for the chosen romance sub-category should be written, which in and of itself provides a unique kind of writing exercise I wouldn't have attempted on my own.

But...is it a good idea or a bad idea?
 

Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
If you're worried about having your name associated with a romance novel you can always use a pen name.

On another note, I'm not so sure it's any easier to get published in romance novels than normal ones. I don't write romance novels, but I do know that they have their own set of tropes and expectations associated with them, and they're not all just "trash" that anyone can write. Thinking of all romance novels as cheesy boink fests is like thinking sci-fi is all space ships and ray guns or that fantasy is all about swords, dragon, and evil overlords.

If you like romance novels and think you want to try and write one, by all means go for it. But if you think you want to take the romance novel route because you think it's easier, I don't know. If you're not writing something you're interested in or have passion about, it'll show. But if it's something you're genuinely interested in trying, go for it. Who knows, you might try it and love it and become a smashing success. Just don't go in thinking it'll be easy.
 

JCFarnham

Auror
The romance market is huge. I know one person who solely reads mills and boon, will check 10-20 out of the library at a time and get through them ALL in two weeks. I'm not sure how true it is to say this, but I've also heard it pays very well if you're willing to write exactly what the publishers want of you.

The problem comes when other publishers expect romance books from you. This doesn't have to be the case if you push from the get go that you also write other things you could manage both.

The old advice in marketing is that you need to be specific if you want to sell a product. Anything that confuses what your goal is, is BAD NEWS. This is probably where the idea that you need a different pen name for different genres came from. I don't know how relevant it is in the current fiction market. Some one with more experience should be able to tell you, but I imagine that agents and publishers will force a pen name on you for "extra-curricular" writing. Just so their branding doesn't get messed up.

This is all assuming that you enjoy READING romance novels.
 

Lucipher

Acolyte
Why write anything you wouldn't like to write? It wouldn't turn out good if you didn't find joy in writing it.
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
I agree that you can use a pen name.

If you're going to write Romance because you think it is easy to write and easy to get published, you are making a mistake. Romance is the top-selling genre, and comprises a huge market, but it is also flooded with new writers trying to break in. I know a few published Romance authors. I also know a handful of people who over the years have tried this same approach thinking Romance would be easier, and if anything their egos were even more damaged when they realized they couldn't sell Romance either. My recommendation is to stick with what you want to write, and get good at it. If that's Romance, then fine.
 

Motley

Minstrel
Why write anything you wouldn't like to write? It wouldn't turn out good if you didn't find joy in writing it.

I also agree with this.

I would venture to guess that most people who write romance novels enjoy writing and reading romance. They want to give their readers a romantic adventure. That's their goal, not to just further their own writing career. I believe that's what some call "a hack." I'm sure there are some who do just that, and I'm not making a judgement call on it, but I have to ask whether you'd create a good product if it doesn't interest you.
 

Caged Maiden

Staff
Article Team
If you enjoy romance, as I do, then by all means, try your hand at it. I love romance, and while my most complete novels are a romantic fantasy hybrid, I recently wrote a stand alone novel which would better be classified as romance. I think as long as you're learning, you're doing the right thing.

Also, there is something to be said about gaining the experience of working with an agent, learning about publishing, and learning about contracts, on a work that isn't your first baby. If you cn write a stand alone romance novel because you want to do it, and it is successful, then I think you've won, whether you ever intended to go that direction or not. It certainly hasn't hurt your first novel, right?

A pen name might alleviate all the worry you have about being labeled a romance writer.

Put it this way, if I wrote a fantasy novel, and had a hard time selling it, then I wrote a romance novel, equally as good, that got all kinds of interest, it would certainly give me a road to go down, when before, I had none, you know?
 

Myshkin

Closed Account
Thank you. This reply was helpful. I enjoy romance novels and I am enjoying writing this one one. Some of my writing friends suggested that making the attempt at writing for romance might trap me in the genre and I wanted to know if this is a real possibility. I enjoy writing a variety of fantasy stories and don't want to pigeon-hole myself. I suppose I shouldn't worry about acceptance and use a pen name if I need to use a pen name no matter what genre.

You may be right about it not being easier to get published writing romance. I was hoping that because they publish large quantities of books and are willing to look at new writers that they might be more likely to consider my work, but there are no guarantees. Especially if I don't do a good job with the story.

Thanks
 
I've been published in two different genres - mildy comic crime thriller and mildly comic speculative fiction. I was briefly worried about sending a mixed message and considered a pen name, but in the end I decided to go with my own name because I thought the advantage of having an existing (albeit small) profile outweighed the disadvantage of potentially disaffecting old readers with a new genre.

In any case, it's a good problem to have.
 
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