Includes index.

Foolish Assumptions -- Welcome to the World of Romance Writing -- Romance Writing at a Glance -- Tuning in to the Market -- Practicing Your Craft -- Submitting Your Manuscript -- Romancing the Marketplace: Identifying Your Options -- Knowing Your Reader -- Starting from Square One: Reading -- Getting to Know Your Genre -- Choosing Your Path -- Setting Up for Stardom -- Finding the Perfect Place and Time to Write -- Building a Writer's Tool Kit -- Accessing Resources for the Would-Be Writer -- Laying the Foundation: The Building Blocks of a Great Romance -- Creating Compelling Main Characters: Alpha Males and Fiery Females -- Depending on Your Characters -- The Key to Every Romance Is the Heroine -- Creating Your Hero -- Keepin' It Real: Secondary Characters -- Laying Concrete Strategies for Creating Characters -- Crucial Ingredients for Every Plot: Conflict, Climax, and Resolution -- You Can't Have a Novel without a Plot -- Suspense: Every Story Has It -- Making Sense Matters -- Emotional Conflict and Tension: The Only Reason to Turn the Page -- Handling Conflict Effectively -- And They Lived Happily Ever After -- Setting the Scene -- Deciding Where Your Story Takes Place -- Telling Time -- Using Your Setting to the Fullest -- Outlining Your Romance -- Mapping Your Way to "The End" -- Using Your Outline Effectively: Write, Write, and Then Rewrite (Maybe) -- Putting Pen to Paper -- Finding Your Own Voice -- Speaking Up for Yourself -- Putting the Show in Show and Tell -- Telling It Like It Is -- Hearing Voices: Letting Your Characters Speak -- Giving Your Characters Voices -- Writing Great Dialogue -- Point of View: How to Choose and How to Use -- Pacing: The Secrets of Writing a Page-Turning Romance -- Pacing Doesn't Mean Racing -- Pacing and Plotting: Two Halves of a Whole -- Avoiding the Dreaded Sagging Middle -- Show It, Don't (Always) Tell It -- Prose That Goes and Prose That Slows -- Taking It All Off: Writing Love Scenes -- Comparing Sex and Romance -- Knowing Where and When -- Writing the Scene -- Putting It All Together: Mechanics Count, Too -- Starting and Stopping -- Starting with a Bang: Mastering the Winning Beginning -- Putting Theory into Practice -- Constructing Can't-Miss Chapters -- Moving from Scene to Scene -- Getting Your Story Straight: Doing Research Right -- Getting It Right: Priority Number One -- Making Research Work for You -- Getting Down to Business -- Finding the Facts -- Getting Permissions -- Neatness Counts--and So Does Grammar -- Minding Your P's and Q's -- Formatting for Success -- Reviewing the Manuscript Preparation Checklist -- Submitting Your Manuscript--and Making the Sale! -- Targeting the Right Publisher (and Editor) -- Researching the Market -- Submitting Made Simple -- Deciding Whether You Need an Agent -- Rejection and Revision: Don't Let Them Get You Down -- What Are They Really Saying? -- They Like It, But -- One Editor's Insight into Common Editorial Comments -- Does No Always Mean No? -- Closing the Deal -- Getting "The Call" -- Coming Up with Questions -- Sizing Up the Contract -- Strategies for a Win-Win Negotiation -- Tracing the Steps from Page to Press--and Beyond -- Working with Your Editor -- From Manuscript to Bound Book -- Living in a Post-publication World -- The Part of Tens -- Ten Plots Every Editor Knows--and Why They Still Work -- Marriage of Convenience -- Stranded with a Stranger -- Runaway Bride -- Secret Baby -- Reunion Romance -- Back from the Dead -- Mistaken Identity -- Woman in Jeopardy -- The Dad Next Door -- Even Sketchier Setups -- Ten Tips for Coming Up with a Successful Title -- Speaking the Reader's Language -- The Long and the Short of It -- A Few Words about Single-Word Titles -- Matching Title and Tone Perfectly -- Hooking Up -- All about Alliteration -- Coining a Cliche -- Naming Names -- Making Connections -- Following in Others' Footsteps -- Ten Common Writing Mistakes Beginners Make -- Remember the Reader's Expectations -- Don't Overwrite -- Ya Gotta Love It -- Characters Are Key -- Effective Conflict Comes from Within -- Make Sure You Have Enough Plot -- Keep Your Story on Track -- The Name of the Game Is Entertainment -- Don't Forget the Details -- Keep It Moving -- Ten Reasons Why a Manuscript Gets Rejected -- Bad Writing -- Arrogant Heroes and Unlovable Heroines: Unsympathetic Characters -- Cardboard Cutouts: Unrealistic Characters -- B-o-r-i-n-g Spells Boring -- A Tsunami in the Alps and Other Lapses in Logic -- Outdated Story Line and Characters -- Inaccurate (Or No) Research -- When Your Romance Isn't Really a Romance -- Wrong Editor/Publishing House -- Incorrect Formatting -- Ten Ways to Beat Writer's Block -- Working Your Way Through It -- Selecting a Different Scene -- Looking at the Last Scene You Wrote -- Writing a Scene That You Won't Use -- Viewing the Scene from a Different Angle -- Forgetting about Perfection -- Looking Forward--Not Back -- Analyzing Your Outline -- Re-energizing Your Creative Instincts -- Starting Another Project--If All Else Fails -- Ten Questions Every Romance Writer Needs to Ask Herself -- Should I Write Romance Novels? -- Why Can't I Get Started? -- What Can I Do When the Ideas Don't Come? -- How Can I Focus and Stay Positive When Things Go Wrong? -- When Is It Research and When Is It a Waste of Time? -- When Should I Send My Manuscript into the Big, Scary World? -- Do I Need an Agent? -- How Do I Handle a Friend's Manuscript Selling First? -- When and How Do I Follow Up on My Book's Status? -- When Do I Let Go of a Book?.

Demystifies subgenres, from historical to paranormal

Get the inside track on creating and marketing your romance novel

In love with romance? This easy, step-by-step guide gives you the leading edge on writing your novel and getting published. From plotting and pacing to creating the perfect heroes and heroines, you’ ll discover how to hook your reader, write with passion, and shape a proposal that will wow agents and editors.

The Dummies Way Explanations in plain English " Get in, get out" information Icons and other navigational aids Tear-out cheat sheet Top ten lists A dash of humor and fun

Discover how to: Map a compelling plot Develop your own voice Fine-tune your pacing Write love scenes Find the right agent Put together a winning submission Select a pseudonym