Writing Romances: A Handbook by the Romance Writers of America [Hardcover]

Rita Gallagher (Editor), Rita C. Estrada (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1997

As a writer, what discoveries are you seeking? A more thorough understanding of romance and its readers? A peek at the publishing business, and how an agent can be your bridge into it? Specific writing guidance? If so, your search is over. You've found a collection of instructive articles by those who live by affairs of the heart: the Romance Writers of America. The 25 essays in this guide each highlight a specific - and vital - area of writing or publishing your romance fiction.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For the aspiring romance writer who needs a little direction, Writing Romances: A Handbook by the Romance Writers of America is an excellent starting point. Divided into four sections, the business of romance is discussed in the first section, including thorough treatments of subjects such as agents, handling publicity, networking, and "the life and times of a manuscript." The following two sections closely examine the processes of researching and writing a novel--from writing with passion to point of view and writing with a partner--while the final section focuses on writing specific types of romances, including the regency, the short contemporary, and the historical romance. All 25 topics are handled by experts in the field: the business side of romance is presented by successful agents, publicists, and editors, while romance writing is handled by bestselling authors such as Jude Deveraux, Diana Gabaldon, and Janet Dailey.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089879756X
• ISBN-13: 978-0898797565
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wise, well written, thorough. Well worth buying!, January 21, 1999

By 

Roslyn Carrington "a.k.a. Simona Taylor" (Trinidad and Tobago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writing Romances: A Handbook by the Romance Writers of America (Hardcover)

This book is a wonderful collection of works by experts in the Romance genre. As a first-time published Romance author, I can hardly claim to be an expert in the field...I have a long way to go before I become proficient. This book is ideal for me. It provides me with support from women who have fought battles long before I dreamed of writing. I am grateful for their wisdom.

It also assumes a certain amount of writing ability and knowledge of the genre; again, ideal for me in that it is not so much a beginner's how-to as it is a forum for romance lovers to share their opinions and pointers about the wonderful genre.

It's a delight to read. A great source of encouragement!

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful and Enjoyable, December 30, 2001

By 

Diana R. Sherman (Mountain View, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writing Romances: A Handbook by the Romance Writers of America (Hardcover)

I was honestly surprised by how much I liked this book. Of all the different "how to" books I've read about writing genre fiction, this one was the most helpful and informative on issues of marketing, publicity, and self presentation as an author.

No, this book does not take you by the hand and explain how to plot a story, how to develop a character, or how to format your manuscript. There are, however, many others that do, as a quick search for "writing reference" will show you. This book credits the reader with a certain amount of experience and know how. You do not need to be a succesful writer to enjoy this, simply an observant reader.

Not to give anyone the wrong idea, the book also contains a lovely chapter by Jude Deveraux about the common mistakes new writers make - complete with advice on how to avoid them. There are chapters that discuss the structure of a romance, what the audience expects from heroine and hero, how to do (and then incorporate) research for historical romances, writing the regency romance, long vs. short form, including the paranormal (time travel, magic, etc), and the evolution romance writing has gone through over the years.

I highly recommend this book, not only to romance writers, but to all aspiring writers. After all, many mysteries, westerns, and science fiction stories do have a touch of romance in them, and vice versa.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More for the published author than a beginner., May 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Writing Romances: A Handbook by the Romance Writers of America (Hardcover)

Unfortunately, this book deals mainly with the business-end of romance writing. While that's fine, it shouldn't be marketed as a writing book. It does have some tips for a beginner, but mostly you'll find advice for marketing, promotion, and other non-writing topics.