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March 18-31

In the month where romance is honored, how fitting we should discuss the romance novel, and how it got its start.

English Renaissance

During the English Renaissance, women's fiction was composed by men and influenced by men's ideas of women's thoughts and feelings. Then came Margaret Tyler's famous translation of The Mirror of Knighthood and Mary Wroth's Urania. The commercial success of the genre was attributed to the increased number of female readers seeking stories of love and romance written by women. Imagine that! Wanting to know how a woman views romance!

Seventeenth century

Seventeenth century satirists made fun of romance readers and writers.
By the early seventeenth century, romance writers and readers were becoming the butt of satirical jokes, yet despite being the object of ridicule, they continued to clamor for more. As the theme of romance novels continued to evolve, shifting from a woman's social behavior to the things that differentiate women from men, the 'sensation' novel and 'new woman's fiction' were born. By the 1860s, critics focused on the sexual elements of the novel and the fact that those elements moved beyond the home and hearth. And women continued to seek more and newer authors.

Harlequin Arrives

In 1949, the Harlequin Publications giant burst onto the scene and the face of romance novels began to change, introducing romances of every genre - westerns, contemporaries, romantic suspense. The queen of it all, Barbara Cartland, wrote of virgins and the men to whom they lost their hearts. Today, they publish more than 110 novels in different genres every month. Other publishers soon came onto the scene, realizing a lucrative market awaited them in a reading public who wouldn't get enough of the product.

Today romance novels corner the market

Romance novels sell: They dominate the fiction marketplace, they occupy multiple positions on bestseller lists, they take up racks and racks of display space in bookstores, supermarkets, airports and drugstores. They are powerful. As a market force, they
cannot be denied, comprising 67 percent of all fiction sales today.
Why is this so? Women around the world are drawn to the romance novel because it promises that ultimate goal - the happy ending. They cover the spectrum of readers - stay-at-home moms, career women, students, executives - you name it. They read romance to relax, and because they know in the end, everything will work out the way they want it to. Someone's dreams will be fulfilled. Hopefully yours.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day.

Kimberly Kaye Terry's
Interview with
Hilary Sares
Editor with Kensington Publishing
(contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and thrillers, women's fiction, erotic romance)

KKT: Hello Madam Hilary and thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions that inquiring minds HAVE to know about you!

HS: Go for it.

KKT: First, let's start with the basics: How long have you been in the publishing business, as well as with Kensington?

HS: One year at Simon & Schuster (that was a long time ago), several years of fulltime mommyhood, then the last ten years with Kensington.

KKT: What lines do you acquire for at Kensington?

HS: Aphrodisia, Brava, and Zebra. Basically, I do fiction.

KKT: Have you always been involved in publishing, or did you have a background in another field?

HS: Television (researcher for various shows, series, and movies produced for television). Dialogue writer for a couple of soaps and YA series.

KKT: Are you looking for anything different in a submission package from a published author versus an unpublished author?

HS: It's always about the book and it's always about whether we can make money by publishing the book. Yes, we can fall in love with a book but our love alone won't sell a single copy. Readers have to love the book enough to buy copies in numbers that will generate profit after all production costs are recouped. An established author can bring loyal readers along and boost sales from the get-go.

KKT: What do you, or the marketing folks at Kensington, look at, besides the strength of a novel when buying a new author?

HS: Is this story…. Intense? Imaginative? Sexy? Thrilling? Clever? Spooky? Funny? Heroic? Touching? Inspiring? If it's a romance, are women going to fall in love with the hero? If it's a thriller, are readers going to be really scared? Do I care about the characters? Does the plot move? (Note: it is more important that the plot move than that it be plausible in every detail. Thrillers typically have somewhat implausible plots (for example, supernatural elements or arch-fiend villains). What a thriller reader is after is the roller-coaster pace.

KKT: Can you share some insider marketing strategies that are considered when building a new author's career? Depending on genre and audience, how does it differ for each author?

HS: Write the best book you can every time. And always remember that it takes time (at least a few years) to establish a name and build a substantial readership. Other authors in your genre are usually the best source for this information, as the market and readers do vary from genre to genre. Romance readers will want to know about upcoming stories if you have a band of brothers, for example.

KKT: You are an editor for the exciting new Aphrodisia imprint with Kensington. These books are verra hot indeed! I'm sure you've received many submissions from those wanting to write for the imprint. Are there some automatic "ewww" things you steer away from? Has any submission scared you with the level of "ewwwism"? If so…can you share it with us?

HS: Incest. Gore. Psychological brutality. Four-legged participants in two-legged sex (yes, you can get away with this in fantasy shapeshifting plots, but do be careful. A centaur is okay, an actual horse isn't. Ever.)

KKT: What type of story draws you? Pulls you in as an editor as well as a reader?

HS: Anything intense. Anything truly funny. Anything really real.

KKT: What type of story makes you either yawn or yell out to the heavens, "Why me Lord?"

HS: Emotionally arid, nervously written tales of upper-middle-class whiners with liberal arts degrees sitting around their tastefully furnished living rooms and wondering where the magic went. So they decide to (a) write a book exploring that not very interesting set of circumstances or decide to (b) have a guilt-racked, depressing, futile affair with another whiner who also doesn't know where the magic went. Sometimes they cry. Nobody moves. Who cares?

KKT: Okay, so now it's time to relax, take off our shoes and get to the fun part…you game?

HS: Always. I have a big mouth.

KKT: Because I'm nosy I want to know about your love life! Can you describe a perfect date you've had? How about the date from hell?

HS: Kicked up my heels a lot (still kicking). Married twice. Men are wonderful. I tell no tales.

KKT: What do you do in your spare time to just kick back and have fun? (yes, I know…you're an editor, when in the world do you have time to kick back and have fun!)

HS: Anything that doesn't involve words. Dancing. Biking. Laughing. Gardening. Being with my daughters (OK, that involves words but we could be talking backwards and upside down, and we'd still understand each other).

KKT: What do you think of Angelina and Brad? Really? Do you think that heffa went after Jennifer's man on purpose? And if so, if it were you, would you pull out a can of whoop ass on Angelina?

HS: Angelina Jolie gives away a great deal of the money she makes to charities that make a meaningful difference in this world, so she's all right with me. And I think she's beautiful. He's no fool. They have a right to be together and live their lives in peace. In general terms (no disrespect to Jennifer Aniston), marriages end for a lot of reasons, but it usually isn't because somebody got somebody away from somebody. Most likely scenario: one of the somebodies lost interest and one of the somebodies wasn't paying attention when it counted and one of the somebodies was prettier.

KKT: Hmmm…the jury is still out on that one, for me. I'm thinking had it been me, and Brad was my man…well, let's just say that Angelina might be missing a few front teeth. Onward to the next question! Hilary, what do you absolutely love the most about your job? At the end of your weekday, what makes you say, "Damn, I love what I do"?

HS: Laughing with naughty, witty, warm-hearted authors. You know who you are.

KKT: Have I sufficiently embarrassed you enough, Hilary? No? okay…let me have it! What would you like to share with our readers? What do you want them to know about you? What wisdom would you like to impart?

HS: Write with joy. Be stubborn. Have patience. Remember that critique groups don't know everything and that little things don't matter in the long run. Concentrate on the big thing: writing well. Don't blog your brain to death. Create characters that readers can identify with and that rev up reader's emotions. Don't bore people with your meticulous research, or philosophical digressions, or political agenda.

What should they know about me? I'm a sucker for a good story, strong emotions, funny dialogue, heroic men, cheap thrills, fast cars, and treehouses.

KKT: Hilary, thank you again for taking time out to answer my nutty…I mean, informative, hard-hitting interview questions!

HS: My pleasure. Thanks for all the music. At ease.

KKT: The pleasure was/is mine. I am now standing at ease, drill editor :

Hilary Sares is a New York native, and has been an editor at Kensington for nearly ten years. She acquires for Aphrodisia, Brava, and Zebra and whatever new lines Kensington will come up with next! She has two daughters and one dachshund.

Judging Others

If you are a registered RWA member, particularly one who belongs to a local chapter, you've most likely been hit up to judge a writing contest. Being new to writing yourself, you may wonder if consenting to be a judge is a good idea. You may doubt your ability to judge others' work when you haven't even published a story, or maybe even finished a manuscript yourself. What can you, a writer wanna-be, offer to another person who may be writing at a higher proficiency?

If this is your reaction, it's understandable. I've been there myself. Just keep in mind that everyone has been in this boat at one time or another. Everyone starts out as a new writer--a newbie.

Honing your craft, learning the art and technique of writing, is one of the major benefits of judging others' work. By reading another person's story, you take on the role of an evaluator. You look at a manuscript with a different, more critical eye. You start to see what works in stories and what doesn't. You catch the subtle ways other writers develop characters, move the story along, create conflict, drop in goals and motivation, and keep the reader's interest. Once you've developed this skill, you can apply what you see and learn to your own work.

Most contests I'm aware of provide on-line training for their judges. If you doubt your ability to evaluate another's work and provide feedback, the training you receive will help you conquer these concerns.

If you're concerned about your technical writing abilities, you can supplement your judges' training by conducting self-study. Here are a few websites that may help you brush up on your grammar and other writing skills.
http://esl.about.com/od/beginningenglish/ig/Basic-English/index.htm
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/index2.html
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

Don't hesitate to take a look and provide feedback on another writer's work. What you gain from the experience may be as beneficial to you as what you provide to your fellow writer.

Interested in trying your hand at judging a RWA chapter's writing contest? If so, contact me at bevoz@yahoo.com.

Guidelines for the Confessional Market
or
Why that True Romance might not be a True Story

By Roni Adams

Dorchester Media publishes several magazines each month that fall into the genre called confessionals. The stories in these magazines have one thing in common-they all could have happened to someone somewhere.

All the editors for True Love, True Confessions, True Experiences and True Story reside in the same building and require postal mail submissions. Include a cover letter outlining your story addressed to the appropriate editor and a hard copy of the story. Also send your story on either diskette or CD, along with a SASE envelope for the editor's reply. The mailing address is:

Submissions should include a notation on the envelope as to which magazine. Allow 6 to 12 months to hear back from an editor on a story. Always include your phone number and a good email address where the editors can reach you.

The best thing a writer can do is submit continuously, although not the same story to multiple editors. Doing that is a huge No-No and a fast way to get you on a list of undesirable authors. Here is the current list of the editors who handle each magazine:

When asked about the differences in the stories between the magazines, Nausheen Haque, Editor of True Love magazine, noted: "The biggest differences between True Love and True Confession stories are that TC stories tend to be a bit more risqué, highlight struggles and victories of life, and target a slightly older audience. We look for stories that involve real people and real emotion. Detail is encouraged, and we seek rich, evocative writing that sheds new light on different perspectives."

All stories (typed in double-spaced format) should be written in first person and in a tone that evokes how people live today. Any holiday submissions should be sent at least 6 months in advance, with the holiday name noted on the envelope. The magazines buy all rights.

Gia Portfolio is the Senior Editor of both True Romance and True Experience. She sent the following as her recent guidelines. "I want a minimum of 2500 words and a maximum of 10K. The stories we publish are sweet and spicy romances, and uplifting stories that deal with a variety of women's issues. Stories that are more risqué and less focused on romantic love, I save for True Experience."

True Experience stories can certainly include romantic love, but their characters often deal with weightier moral issues or taboo topics: addictions, illnesses, difficult decisions, etc. True Experience stories are more likely to have controversial characters, whereas True Romance stories are more of the romantic comedy genre, or even, to use a modern term, chick lit."

If you're trying to break into the confessions market, remember the following:

Small town, farm-related rural and suburban settings often ring truer with the True Love readers than big city glamour. Another popular, though unfortunate subject, the editors say seems to sell are stories about victimized children. Gripping stories that simply involve women dealing with mundane problems that may not seem dramatic, but, written well, can strike a note with readers. An example would be a story of a young bride who can't cook and gets hell from her nasty, French-born mother-in-law because of it. True Love heroines are generally younger in their 20's and 30's. Think: Bridget Jones, Julia Roberts, "Chick Lit". Spunky older heroines who actively seek out love and life are also popular, as are stories about teenage college-age girls and their complicated lives.

Always remember these are also love stories. Romance is the definite niche of the magazines and what women like to read about. Wacky subjects and exploring societal taboos are also acceptable.

Portfolio and other editors at the magazines are careful to change character names in the stories. No one wants to pick up the latest True Confessions and read about something that happened to them and now the whole world knows about it. For that same reason, the stories contain no bylines. The authors remain completely anonymous unless they choose to tell someone what they wrote.

All editors are looking for stories and eager to work with new writers. Information, some is outdated, can be found online at www.dorchestermedia.com. The confessional market is the perfect place to build your confidence as a writer.