twenty second Might 2025
Studying Time: 10 minutes
Romance books have at all times been a preferred style – however ‘spicy’ books have a brand new and big readership because of a number of high-profile books currently (Sarah J Maas, we’re you). In the event you’ve at all times needed to earn a living writing books, and you’ve got a artistic creativeness, this may very well be a good way to earn a living. Right here’s your whole information to writing erotica, closed-door romance, and all the pieces in-between!
What’s Romance as a Style?
Romance writing spans a really broad spectrum of kinds of books. There may be one apparent widespread theme: individuals fall in love. However aside from that, virtually something goes!
A current growth in ‘romantasy’ blends romance with fantasy books, and this has launched a complete new era to romance writing (and studying). However there are many differing types. You may both self publish or historically publish, relying on how rapidly you need to earn a living and the way a lot management you need over the publishing course of.
How Spicy Do I Have to Be?
‘Spicy’ is a time period used for erotic writing that’s graphic and/or specific, whereas extra ‘conventional’ romance is commonly referred to as ‘closed door’. It means you get hints of what occurs, however most is left as much as the reader’s creativeness because it occurs ‘behind closed doorways’. Spicy books are sometimes very specific, so that you must be comfy with writing R-rated issues!
The excellent news is there are audiences for all ranges of ‘spice’. So, if you happen to’re not comfy writing specific intercourse scenes, you possibly can nonetheless earn a living writing romance books.
How Do I Write a Romance Guide?
Whereas it’s now simpler than ever to publish your writing because of eBooks and platforms like Amazon, Kobo, and Apple Books, you continue to have to put within the work if you wish to make constant cash out of your romance writing!
Listed below are a couple of vital issues to think about.
Learn, Learn, Learn!
To begin with, earlier than you even set pen to paper or fingers to typewriter, be sure you know your style. Get your fingers on a library card, or signal as much as a free trial of Kindle Limitless, and skim as a lot romance fiction you will get your fingers on. That is the most effective masterclass you possibly can take while you’re studying methods to write romance novels.
Take note of widespread themes and tropes, what you wish to learn and what turns you off (pun supposed), and it will assist you form an thought of what sort of romance author you need to be. It can additionally present you what’s a bit too generally seen, the dangerous sorts of tropes you need to keep away from, and hopefully spark concepts about how one can sort out them in a recent new method.
You Don’t Want Particular Software program… However It Might Assist
You may write a novel in Google Docs, Phrase, or some other phrase processing software program. Nonetheless, as you construct your romance world and get to know your characters and plot, it may be numerous data to wrangle. That’s why there are some novel-specific software program choices on the market you may wish to strive, some are free and fundamental like yWriter, whereas others are paid however have extra performance, resembling Scrivener and Novlr.
You may get 20% off Scrivener if you happen to enter MAGPIE at checkout. (This isn’t a sponsored hyperlink or advert).
If you wish to self-publish your books as ebooks, formatting software program might be actually useful. With Home windows, Atticus is probably the most generally used, whereas Vellum is for Macs. They assist flip your manuscript right into a correctly formatted ebook with out hours and hours of laborious work!
(There has lately been a web based controversy about Vellum, the place some individuals have confused it with Vellum AI. Vellum has been round for over a decade, and is a formatting software program – assume Phrase on steroids – whereas Vellum AI is one thing launched in 2025 and is for pc builders. They’re two very various things and Vellum is NOT an AI programme).
Romance Guide Size
Romance is often between 50,000 phrases for industrial (‘chick lit’) as much as 80,000 for historic romance. Romantasy books that mix romance and fantasy genres are usually longer, as much as round 100,000 phrases, however it doesn’t need to be that lengthy.
You can even strive your hand at brief reads. Amazon Kindle determines the size of a learn by the web page numbers – you possibly can’t set this in your add metadata, however usually if you happen to stick inside sure web page limits you’ll come up in the suitable search filters.
The tough web page depend for brief reads could be:
- quarter-hour – 1 to 11 pages
- half-hour – 12 to 21 pages
- 45 minutes – 22 to 32 pages
- One hour – 33 to 43 pages
- 90 minutes – 44 to 64 pages
- Two hours or extra – 65 to 100 pages
That is ebook pages, moderately than variety of pages in phrase. A ebook web page is round 280 phrases. So, a 30-minute learn at 15 pages lengthy could be round 4,200 phrases. These brief tales do notably properly when enrolled in Kindle Limitless, which is right for brand spanking new writers to construct their model – the returns are smaller, however extra persons are more likely to learn your ebook.
You Want a Plot
Romance isn’t nearly individuals falling in love and doing impolite issues to one another! Readers of romance love the story of why individuals fall in love, out of affection, and even once they’re torn between loving two individuals. Plot is essential in romance books, however there are some key moments most may have, together with:
- A meet cute of the couple-to-be
- A honeymoon section
- The issue turning level (have they got a partner or companion already? Does another person come into their lives? and so on)
- An argument between the lovers
- Both an ending the place they get again collectively for good (often called a cheerful ever after) or a minimum of within the short-term (referred to as ‘pleased for now’)
Take into consideration what it’s that makes individuals fall out and in of affection. Spicy books are nice at specializing in the bodily components of relationships, however romance readers are a sensible viewers they usually’ll need greater than floor lust to maintain them studying. Figuring out who your characters are, what their goal is and the obstacles they face to get to it, and why they find yourself in love are all vital plot factors that you must embody.
Suppose About Your Viewers
It helps to have a transparent viewers in thoughts earlier than you begin writing. This can affect the tone of your writing, how specific you might be with intimate scenes, and the kind of plot you’ll write. For instance, some older readers desire traditional Mills and Boon ‘mild closed door romance’ whereas there’s a rising pattern for girls of their 20s and 30s to get pleasure from notably ‘spicy’ novels. Having a few ‘ideally suited readers’ in thoughts while you’re writing will assist you keep on observe and focus the ‘model’ of your ebook.
Choose Your Protagonist Effectively
Your important character must be somebody who’s a go-getter, even when they’re naturally timid. They should have a motive to vary throughout the ebook – this may very well be as a result of they’ve moved from a village to a metropolis (or vice versa), have a brand new job, go on vacation or comparable. A change in circumstance and/or location is often what makes characters hunt down new issues – and that’s what drives the plot of a romance ebook.
Whereas your character might be anybody, usually your protagonist will likely be feminine, as nearly all of romance readers are ladies. You may have male or non-binary views, however there’s a smaller area of interest for them. Many romance authors love to do ‘twin POV’ or twin viewpoint, which implies you write one chapter in your protagonist’s voice and one other within the antagonist (or second protagonist) voice and alternate via the ebook to offer totally different views. That is notably helpful for telling the story in a broader method, moderately than sticking in a single character’s head – however it may be difficult to do, so takes some observe.
In the event you determine on twin POV, be very cautious to not ‘head hop’. That is while you change inside ideas from one character to a different in the identical scene. It’s complicated for the reader! So stick to at least one scene, one individual’s internal ideas – then you possibly can at all times change the character within the subsequent scene.
Discover a Proofreader
Earlier than you publish or ship your ebook to an agent to get revealed, that you must have another person learn your ebook. There are several types of editors, costing totally different quantities. A developmental editor could be very deep-dive and can work on the construction and story of your romance novel. A duplicate editor or line editor will enhance how your sentences circulate and fact-check issues to be sure you don’t make any obvious errors. The most affordable possibility is a proofreader, who reads the ebook and highlights your spelling and grammar errors.
It’d really feel laborious to pay earlier than you get any revenue out of your ebook, however if you happen to’re the one individual studying it you possibly can simply miss errors since you’ve been staring on the similar pages for weeks! A great proofreader will assist you carry your ebook as much as normal. It’s vital for whether or not you might be self publishing or sending to an agent. There are lots of companies out there on-line – be a part of some writing teams on Fb and ask for private referrals from different writers (don’t simply go along with the primary one that approaches you to promote their companies!).
First, with self publishing, it is very important keep away from spelling and grammatical errors which may postpone your readers – and with platforms like Kindle Limitless, you’re paid by the variety of pages which might be learn. So that you need individuals to maintain studying!
Secondly, if you wish to be observed by a writer or agent, you want your manuscript to be in the most effective form attainable to get their consideration. Errors can cease them studying and reject the ebook, which implies you’ll have to start out the lengthy question course of over again.
Do I Want an Agent to Publish My Romance Novel?
Sure or no! There are two causes each solutions are true.
Self publishers don’t want an agent – they’ll publish no matter they need, every time they need. However as we talked about earlier, in addition they need to do all of the advertising and enterprise aspect of promoting romance novels, too.
Some conventional publishers, like Mills and Boon (learn extra under) will settle for ebook submissions from somebody who doesn’t have an agent. There aren’t many locations that do that, they usually’re very aggressive, however it’s a method in to the business if you will get it.
Most conventional publishers will solely take submissions from an agent. This implies that you must get literary illustration earlier than you possibly can take into consideration publishing. This tends to be extra for industrial ladies’s fiction or high-profile genres like romantasy.
The place Can I Publish My Romance Guide?
You may select to self publish your ebook on platforms like Amazon, or historically publish to get your ebook into retailers. There are execs and cons to each.
Self publishing offers you whole management over what you write, when it’s revealed, and also you obtain a better share of sale income. Nonetheless, you additionally have to design your ebook cowl, run your PR, and proceed to market the ebook as soon as it’s revealed, all of which may price cash and take numerous time to be taught and perform. You don’t get an advance cost with self publishing, so that you want some funds to get began.
Conventional publishing is traditionally extra ‘prestigious’, however that issues much less as of late. Nonetheless, you should have an editor and advertising workforce behind the ebook if you happen to handle to promote it to a writer, so that you don’t need to do all the pieces as you do with self publishing. Additionally, you will be paid an advance if you happen to promote the ebook, however make a smaller share on royalties.
Publishing on Amazon
It is extremely simple for anyone to self publish on Amazon and comparable platforms. That you must have a completed ebook that’s in a ebook format – software program like Vellum will help you with this, or there are Phrase templates on-line you should utilize.
You want a couple of issues earlier than you possibly can hit publish:
- A ebook cowl
- A again blurb (the brief description on the again of the ebook to entice readers)
- The manuscript
- An ISBN quantity (two if you happen to plan to permit for bodily copies to be bought)
- Social media artwork for promotion
- Brief descriptions for meta knowledge
- A listing of key phrases that relate to your ebook to assist individuals discover it in searches
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is the commonest platform for brand spanking new writers to start out on. There’s a useful tutorial on the web site, and many YouTube movies for extra in-depth classes concerning the nuances of selling your romance ebook.
Publishing Mills and Boon Books
If self publishing sounds too sophisticated, otherwise you need the status of being a historically revealed writer, Mills and Boon are probably the most well-known title in romance. The good information is that you simply don’t have to have an agent to undergo them – which could be very uncommon on the earth of conventional publishing!
There are some pointers to comply with earlier than you submit. Learn their submission pointers on the web site – and be sure you know which imprint you need to undergo, too. Totally different imprints are like totally different manufacturers beneath the Mills and Boon umbrella, they usually every have a particular voice, viewers, and kinds of story.
Mills and Boon Fashionable – has a hero keen to take cost, however the heroine has a feisty aspect to her. Suppose worldwide glitz and glamour for this sequence.
Mills and Boon True Love – this sequence is about relatable ladies and deeply fascinating males, with out graphic scenes however intense emotion and rigidity.
Mills and Boon Medical – the clue is within the title right here, with medical settings taking the foreground, and devoted medical professionals with hearts of gold who work collectively.
Mills and Boon Historic – each time interval as much as the Nineteen Fifties and each stage of spice is accepted, with dynamic characters who’ve relatable conflicts
Harlequin Books
Mills and Boon even have Harlequin books, which is one other kind of novel. They’re extra cross-genre than the above imprints. The Intrigue submission pointers state that books with thriller storylines round 55,000 phrases are welcomed. The Suspense submission pointers state that imprint is for extra advanced, sustained suspense romance tales round 70,000 phrases lengthy.
Getting Began Assets
The web is your pal! There are such a lot of superb YouTube channels and podcasts and Substacks, it’s too many to listing, however these ones are nice for newbie writers – some are romance-specific, whereas others assist you be taught extra concerning the craft of writing and in addition self-publishing.
YouTube Channels
Podcasts, Web sites, and Newsletters
