Researching how to publish a romance novel is not difficult, but it can be intimidating and time consuming. Remain diligent and committed enough to follow through on what you've learned, and use Web tools available to even the most inexperienced author to demystify your quest to publish a romance novel.
Many romance novel publishing companies request only a couple of chapters, but it's certainly to your benefit to have your manuscript written, edited and polished to the best of your ability before pursuing publication. There are many publishing companies that publish romance novels, but you should consider all avenues and find the one that works best for you:
1. Traditional publishers generally accept solicited agent material. Unsolicited material received from authors is not considered. Research using industry books such as the "Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents."
2. E-book publishers welcome new and already published romance authors, without requiring agent representation. There are numerous romance book publishers that specialize in e-books.
3. Vanity presses and self-publishing give an author the most freedom in publishing a romance novel.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Submit your unagented manuscript to publishers of romance novels
The romance genre includes action/adventure, time travel, suspense/mystery, chick lit, historical paranormal and regency, to name a few. The genre's variety makes it popular for publishing houses at every level, and new writers can benefit from publishing with smaller presses and saving themselves an agent's fee. You have an advantage if you follow the submission, manuscript content, and formatting requirements of the publisher. Sounds simple, but many people don't pay attention to the details.
I recommend: Avon Romance is the only division of HarperCollins that accepts unsolicited novel manuscripts. It's a big house with steep competition and you have nothing to lose by pitching your best romance novel to them.
Avalon Books is also a large publisher. They seek romantic comedy and historical romances in the 40,000-70,000 word count range.
Search for romance book publishers using publisher databases
Romance is a the largest novel category and with romance sub-genres expanding, the number of publishers is also increasing. It's important to know where your novel fits best so you spend your time in the most productive manner. You may start your search looking at well-known presses, but end up publishing a romance novel as an e-book with a relatively unknown company.
I recommend: Duotrope's Digest is an excellent starting point for any publisher search. It is an extensive database which is constantly updated and includes feedback from writers who submit to markets.
SearchForPublishers.com provides free publisher searches by genre. Review each publisher's home page for details and to see what they've published to date, before submitting.
Locate smaller romance novel publishers, e-book publishers open to new authors
Getting caught in the catch-22 of locating the perfect publisher for your manuscript to discover they only seek work from published authors is frustrating. Persist in your research. Romance fiction book publishers need engaging novels for their readers. Many may offer non-traditional publication in the form of an e-book.
I recommend: Draumr Publishing is open to any novels of at least 45,000 words that fall under the romance genre. They publish in trade paperback and e-book formats.
Red Sage is an e-book romance publisher seeking romance manuscripts ranging from the conte (15,000 words) up through the epic (90,000+ words).
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- The romance novel publishing market is competitive, so don't get frustrated with negative responses when you know you have a strong manuscript. Use the Web's many resources to prepare your manuscript and query: genre-based author sites, general and specialized e-mail loops and blogs and peer editing boards.
The official source of Romance Fiction Book Publishers is
the Romance Fiction Book Publishers page at Business.com
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