How to Write for Love … and Money

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Dear Reader,

Hello. My name is Marcia King-Gamble. As the former Director of Member Services at AWAI, I discovered that most of the AWAI copywriting members have one thing in common: They want to write a book.

I certainly understand that desire. It happens to most writers at one time or another. It even happened to me, and I was anything but a writer at the time …

When the "book-writing" bug bit me, I was holding down a high-pressure job with the Trump organization and working part-time as a freelance reader (someone who reads manuscripts to see if they are publishable).

Well, I must say that after reading hundreds of manuscripts for Harlequin Silhouette, I had the formula for a good romance down cold. And one day I thought, "My goodness! I can do this!"

So I did some research and uncovered the facts about romance novels. It turns out that this is the most popular type of fiction, generating an average of $1.3 billion in sales every year. Year after year, it accounts for between 49% and 56% of all popular paperback fiction sold in the United States. And, according to the Romance Writers of America, 74.8 million Americans read at least one romance novel each year, with the core of the romance fiction market at 29 million regular readers.

The high demand makes romance the most profitable market for fiction writers. AND it's the easiest market to break into, because publishers are constantly looking for new authors and new ideas to keep multi-dimensional romance readers happy.

My research made the decision easy for me. I threw my hat into the romance ring.

It was, without a doubt, one of the most satisfying decisions I ever made. My first romance novel, Remembrance, was published in 1998. Today, I have 23 more novels to my credit.

And now, as an AWAI member, you can profit from my experience – as well as the experience of half a dozen other successful romance authors and acquisition professionals – and turn your dream of writing a book into stone-cold reality.

AWAI’s program Writing for Love and Money: How to Become a Successful Romance Writer tells you everything you need in order to write a complete, compelling, saleable romance novel. And it tells you exactly what you need to do to get your manuscript published.

In a matter of months, you can go from dreaming about it to actually writing a romance novel. You can unleash your creativity. You can turn your passion for writing and romance into a fun and profitable side business. And you can gain a small – or large – measure of fame.

If you think that romance writing isn’t real writing, that it’s just "formulaic fluff," you are in for a big surprise. Trust me when I say …

This is not your grandmother's romance

Granted, in the ol' days, there may have been some truth to the idea that romance sticks to a rigid formula. But that was then and this is now.

You see, the romance genre has grown up in the last 10-20 years. There are more diverse storylines. More complex characters. A wide range of sensual content. And there are romances tailored to just about every age group, ethnic group, moral or spiritual group, and lifestyle. In other words, writers can tailor romances to nearly any "taste."

Nowadays, it's not just romance. It's contemporary romance … historical romance … romantic suspense … romantic action/adventure … inspirational romance … multi-cultural romance … or futuristic romance, to name a few of the categories that currently fall under the romance genre.

So it should be easy to find a niche that you'll enjoy writing about.

In fact, according to the Romance Writers of America (RWA), you only need to meet two criteria for your book to qualify as a romance novel: (1) It must have a love story as the main focus of the book, and (2) The ending must be emotionally satisfying.

Given today's market, you can write a novel that includes wizards or Martians, if that's what interests you. As long as your book meets the two criteria stipulated by the RWA, it will still be classified as a romance – and you will be in a position to command the higher pay that romance writers enjoy.

You don't need experience
or an English degree
to succeed in this business

I was working as the Director of Guest Relations for Carnival Cruise Lines when my first book was published. As a matter of fact, many highly successful romance authors started their writing careers on a whim …

After losing her television job, New York Times best-selling author Sandra Brown discovered her real passion was writing fiction. She sold her first two books within 13 days of each other.

Popular author Leigh Greenwood (whose real name is Harold Lowry) started his writing career after reading that women could make decent money (more than he was making as a music teacher) writing historical romances. But try as he might, he couldn’t think of a plot. One day, his wife said the words, "I’ve lost everything." Although it wasn’t a plot, evidently it was enough to give him an idea. Harold sat down and started writing. Since then, he’s written 48 novels.

Other successful romance novelists are high-powered attorneys, engineers, scientists, accountants, and doctors. My point is, anyone can easily learn how to write saleable romance titles.

Yes, it's true that for every big-name author who has enjoyed huge success, there are dozens who have not. But it's also true that the most successful people in the industry have a few secrets to their success. And these are the secrets you will learn in Writing for Love and Money.

When you learn these secrets, you'll know that highly successful authors are more than just a few lucky souls who got the right breaks. More importantly, you will know exactly what they did to get to the top – and how you can use those same strategies to achieve your own success.

A virtual gold mine of opportunity for new writers

Publishers produce an average of 4,800 romance novels each year. That’s about 400 romances per month. A handful of big-name writers (even prolific ones) simply can’t satisfy that kind of demand.

Plus, romance readers put quite a bit of pressure on publishers to bring them new voices, new stories, and a wide variety of styles. In fact, readers launch internet protests when they feel publishers aren't presenting enough new titles or fresh writers. Unhappy readers mean fewer sales. And, as you can imagine, that gets a publishing company's attention.

All of these factors work in your favor. It's easier for first-time writers to find a publisher than ever before. And let me share something with you that often catches newbies off guard. Before a publisher accepts your first book for publication, it's very likely that one of the first things he or she will ask you is "What else do you have?"

If you need only one reason to write romance,
it should be for love

Many romance writers love putting their stories onto the page so much that the money they make is secondary to the pleasure of writing.

Best-selling novelist Marilyn Campbell recently told us:

"When I started writing, I wasn't thinking about the money at all. I was always working and making money, but I wasn't happy with anything in my life. It was a very long process to figure out that part of why I was so unhappy was because I had completely cut off doing anything creative. Once I picked up a pen and started writing my stories, I could feel everything come alive!"

And Sandra Madden, who began as a copywriter, said, "Once I started writing books, I was hooked."

As for me, writing romance makes my heart thump loudly and my mouth go dry. It fulfills me. But I will not lie to you. I left a high six-figure-a-year job to pursue this dream. So although I am passionate about sitting down to write love stories, I also chose this genre because the potential to make money was there.

Romance and business — now a safe and profitable mix

Writing romance has all the qualities of the kind of business you love:

• You can work from home or anywhere else you choose,
• You can keep whatever hours you want … as long as you hit your deadlines, your time is your own, and
• You have the opportunity to make passive income as your books roll off the shelves.

Writing a novel gives you a chance to fully express your creativity and indulge your fantasies. It allows you to explore and express topics that interest you … from your own point of view. For all of these reasons, it can be the perfect complement to the freelance lifestyle.

You'll have a complete, saleable manuscript
by the time you finish the program

I'm sure you've heard the saying "Do what you love, and the money will follow." The Writing for Love & Money program gives you a practical way to follow your heart and have it all.

You'll learn all of our secrets BEFORE you start to write, so you can sidestep all of the mistakes we made when we started out. You'll learn all the tricks of the trade to make your writing irresistible to publishers and readers.

Besides me, the writers on AWAI's Romance Board of Advisors include Sandra Kitt, Sandra Madden, and Carol Stephenson. We write for all the major publishers, including Harlequin, St. Martin's Press, Signet, BET, Topaz Dreamspun, Leisure Books, Kensington, Waldenbooks, and HarperCollins. Some of us lecture at universities and seminars around the world, some appear on international television, and some write for film and television.

Together, we've published over 80 books, with four million copies in print. And we're joined by Stuart Starr, author of children's books and a district manager for Borders/Waldenbooks.

The fastest way to experience
the exhilaration of seeing
your name on the cover of a book

There's an unwritten rule among published romance authors to reach out and help aspiring writers succeed. Why? Because, somewhere along the line, other people helped us get a leg up and land where we are today.

But until now, nothing like Writing for Love and Money existed. There's never been an opportunity to have access to the secrets of so many accomplished romance writers and experts in the field who are all committed to showing you how to succeed in the fastest way possible. Never before has there been a system that is this formal, comprehensive, or dedicated to giving up-and-comers like you the inside help you need to write compelling, saleable stories.

With Writing for Love and Money, you'll learn …

• The one thing that will make or break your career as a romance writer … and how to nail it time after time
• 10 simple strategies that help you uncover your unique and authentic voice
• How to develop a conflict that will move your reader to care deeply about your characters and follow them through to the end
• How to make a character "real," even if he or she is unlike anyone you've ever known
• Foolproof ways to craft characters that will drive your readers to the bookstore for your titles the minute they hit the shelf
• How to make your audience – and your publisher – love you, by using themes and storylines that work over and over
• The top 10 ways to beat back procrastination (every writer's worst enemy)
• How to use a few well-placed words to build tension in a scene
• Seven secrets that will transform a sagging plot into a tight, energetic story
• How to write a satisfying ending that ties up loose ends and leaves your reader breathless and ready for your next novel
• Proven tips to make sure your writing gets moved to the top of any publisher's pile (We've got it down to a simple formula that makes it easy for you AND the publisher.)

This comprehensive program walks you through every step of the process. Often, the hardest part of writing a book is getting started. So we'll give you an amazing trick to get your first three chapters written quickly! Before you know it, you'll have your first novel completed.

Lead a life that most
people only dream of

Imagine spending evenings in your favorite overstuffed chair, writing your own romance stories. You are immersed in your work as you tap into your creativity and imagination.

Now imagine receiving a $3,000 or $4,000 advance for spending your evenings this way. Then top that off with an $11,000 royalty payout. According to the RWA, that's the typical payout for a first-time romance author.

With a little more experience, those figures climb to $15,000 up front with $20,000 to $40,000 in royalties. Of course, in the upper echelon, it goes from six figures all the way to the millions.

And here's something you probably haven't considered. Many publishers offer multiple-book contracts. In my eight years of being published, I have been fortunate enough to have nine of these.

The business side of writing romance is one place where knowing insider secrets really comes in handy. By signing up for the program, you'll not only learn all of the variables that can affect what you earn, you'll also learn how to work those variables to your advantage. FROM DAY ONE, you'll know how to position yourself to get the higher royalty rates and the bigger advances. You'll even know what you can do to make sure that more of your books fly off the shelves.

Start doing "work" that you love

We want to make this special opportunity accessible and affordable to anyone who is interested in it. So, for just $249, you can enter the exciting world of romance writing and get all the tools you need for real success.

This program will walk you through writing, revising, and refining your manuscript … until it looks like the books that are lining the shelves right now. It will also show you what it takes to sell your manuscript for top dollar.

If you're still wondering if you really have what it takes to be a successful writer, you'll be interested in our special no-risk guarantee …

Our 100% no-risk money-back guarantee

If you have any desire at all to write a romance novel, please don't give up until you've at least tried your hand at it. Just follow the program and you'll complete your own market-ready novel in an amazingly short amount of time. And you'll know how to get it sold for $14,000 to $40,000, or more.

But if you're not convinced that Writing for Love and Money has given you absolutely everything you need to get your new romance writer's career up and running, you can cancel anytime within 30 days for a full refund.

So call Barb, Debbie, or Jacqueline at 866-879-2924 today to sign-up. Or simply click here. You won't find another program that guarantees you'll have your own saleable romance novel written and ready for submission to an editor or agent in a matter of months. And my colleagues and I are proof that you don't need any formal writing education or experience to succeed.

We’re going to give you a risk-free 30-day trial period to see for yourself that this program is everything you need to get your new career off the ground. I have absolutely no doubt … and you won’t either as soon as you review it. Take 30 days to look it over, and if you decide that it’s not for you, we’ll give you a complete refund of your purchase price.

We look forward to hearing from you … and helping you make your dream of writing a book come true. I promise you, it will be one of the most fulfilling things you'll ever do.

Enthusiastically yours,

Marcia King-Gamble
AWAI Romance Writing Program
Board of Advisors

Order Today!

P.S. I’m often asked if, had I known then what I know now, would I have done anything differently in my writing career. My answer is (and most of my colleagues agree) that I would have learned about the business side of writing sooner. One of the best things about Writing for Love and Money is that it gives you the insider secrets of how to get published, where to send your work, and how to get noticed fast! No second-guessing, no confusion, no first-timer blunders. It delivers the industry secrets that really count and tells you in clear detail what editors really want, what they don’t want, and what they’ll pay top dollar for. You simply can’t find this kind of information anywhere else. So call Barb, Debbie, or Jacqueline at 866-879-2924 to sign-up today.

P.P.S. We’re very excited about this program. And, because there’s so much valuable information to share, you’ll also receive these bonus reports:

BONUS No. 1: The Hottest Romance Markets & How to Break In. With more than 2,000 romance novels published each year, it is easier to get published today than ever before. This exclusive report gives you the scoop on which romance genres are the hottest in the industry right now! Use this gift to find the publishers that are most likely to accept first-time novelists, as well as those who specialize in "genre" writing, like sci-fi romance or historical romance. You can also use this resource to zero in on the genre that’s best for you.

BONUS No. 2: 365 Writing Exercises for Romance Writers. This report gets your writing juices flowing and helps you hone your skills for developing characters and plots and setting the scenes for your novel. It’s filled with 365 daily writing exercises, each one no more than 30 minutes long, designed to keep you focused on the keys to dramatic, vivid, compelling writing. You’ll love this guide – and you’ll be amazed at how quickly it helps you transform your writing.

BONUS No. 3: Directory of Publishers’ Guidelines. Each publishing house has its own style and its own distinct guidelines for submission. You MUST know these guidelines in order to get their attention and clear the way for your success. This free report lays it all out for you, publisher by publisher – from Harlequin to Silhouette to HarperCollins and everyone in between. You could spend weeks surfing the web and sifting through reference books to get these very important guidelines. But this report puts it all right at your fingertips. It’s comprehensive, easy-to-use and an AWAI exclusive.

BONUS No. 4: Internal Conflict – The Key to Writing a Compelling Story. Compelling internal conflict is a must for an emotional and fast-paced plot. In this report, you’ll discover the difference between internal and external conflict, how to craft an intricate and detailed web of conflict, how to develop a complex backstory, and much more.

Order Today!