The romance market is the most interesting and lucrative field in publishing today. New windows of opportunity have opened to talented writers with persistence and determination. Prolific authors who consider themselves storytellers, rather than literary greats with an inclination to change the world, often resent the analysis of a commercial endeavor. Romance novelists are entertainers. They write from the heart with inspiration and hope. Scholars who try to decipher their words usually fail. The message of the romance novel is not a complicated one. It is above all else a love story. Complications set in when a critic examines the various types of romance, its categories and sub-genres. The literary criticism of romance has led to numerous scholarly books, some of which cast a gray sheen on the business through a dark filter. Just like an uplifting rose-colored glass, these negative distortions do not give an accurate picture of reality. Reality to the millions who enjoy romance novels is the pleasure derived from reading and the feeling of contentment that lingers afterwards. Reality to the published author is an advance and quarterly royalty statements. Accomplishment and creative achievement are deeper motives for pursuing this spectacular profession, a glamour job with awards and acclaim. This book explores romance writing from its literary roots to its commercial categories today, a guide for aspiring beginners and established professionals.
