The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Your Romance Published (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Ain't love grand?..." (more)
Key Phrases: affecting romances, network with other writers, romance industry, Stop the Presses, Speaking of Romance, Love Letters (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 1 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; illustrated edition edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 002863196X
• ISBN-13: 978-0028631967
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #142,117 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for aspiring writers!, July 28, 2000

By	Carolyn (Texas) - See all my reviews

If you are interested in becoming a published romance writer, this is the best book I have read on the topic. Julie Beard is an excellent writer, so I knew this had to be a great book. Her advice is simple to understand and to-the-point. She gets right down to what is important and what isn't. The format of the book makes it fun to read, and the expert advice offered from other superb writers is helpful and informative. After reading The Complete Idiot's Guide, I felt inspired and motivated, and I still use it as a running workbook for my manuscript. She touches on just about everything I have thought about, from plot development to how to negotiate a contract. I applaud her ability to explain what sells and what doesn't, yet encourage writers to push the limits of what is currently popular. Even if your goal is to publish in another genre, The Complete Idiot's Guide gives great overall advice concerning characterization, dialogue, voice, conflict...all of the important aspects of creating memorable fiction. This is a wonderful book, and I recommend it to anyone interested in writing fiction. Thanks Julie!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Your Romance Published, May 10, 2000

By A Customer

Terrific! When I first read this book I'd just finished the first draft of my first novel, and while I was pleasantly surprised at parts of my work, whole sections of it were just plain sucky. I had no idea why some things worked and others didn't. I started by reading Chapter 14, Polish Until It Shines, and found the advice on using your strengths to fix your problems especially helpful. After being mesmerized by this chapter, I went back to page 1 and read the whole book. Golden nuggets were everywhere!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for writers and readers of romances alike, August 9, 2000

By	Annette Autrata "autrata" (Chicago) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Make sure you read this book when you plan to write a romance, possibly before you even start. Julie Beard covers all aspects of the subject and keeps her tone light and encouraging. She also includes great references to publishers, resource books and organizations.

She mentions so many other authors that all have something unique to contribute, that I would have liked an alphabetical list and maybe their specialty and of course where they are mentioned in the book.

But even if you don't want to write a romance novel, you learn a great deal about why they are so fascinating, what their basic structure is and what separates the good ones from the rest.