How to Publish a Paranormal Romance Novel
Paranormal romance is a subgenre of romance that combines the pursuit of love with elements of the occult and paranormal, along with a few pages of hot sex scenes for a satisfying adventure. If you have ever wanted to write and publish a romance novel, and you have a flair for paranormal stories, becoming a paranormal romance writer is the perfect niche. The readership of paranormal romance novels is out-pacing the supply of paperback writers, so now is a great time to get started in this genre.
The first step to getting your romance novel published is to learn about different publishers' writing guidelines. These guidelines are available on the websites of major romance publishers. There are minimum and maximum word counts, plot requirements, and several style recommendations. Putting your romance novel in the proper format will help you get published with a specific house.
The next step is to create a basic story outline and character sketch for your paranormal romance. As a paperback writer, you'll have to get used to a more formulaic approach to writing romance novels, since the publishing house likes to maintain a certain level of consistency. For many romance writers, planning and outlining helps them stay within the publisher's guidelines.
One thing to keep in mind is that paranormal romance novels need to have a strong central female character and a strong male love interest. The protagonists don't have to end up together (unless the publisher says so), but the novel should be about their struggle to be together in spite of certain paranormal obstacles.
Include enough obstacles and competition in your novel. Whether you are writing paranormal romance or any other subgenre, there must be a central conflict that keeps the characters apart, or at odds until the climax. What keeps readers turning the pages is the hope of resolving the conflict.
Thoroughly research the paranormal aspects of your novel, and weave them into the story organically. Whether your romance novel involves time-travel, witch craft, ESP and clairvoyance, or ghosts, this aspect must be a recurrent theme, and it must be crucial to the storyline. It must also be well-detailed. Ask yourself if the story would make sense without the paranormal element. If not, then you need to rework the novel.
Keep in mind that a publishing house may have several imprints or series, each with varying styles. One thing that varies from series to series is the amount of detail allowed in sex scenes. Erotic novels are all about the gratuitous sex, while typical romance novels are rated R at most. Decide if you want to write paranormal romance, or paranormal erotica, and send your manuscript to the appropriate publisher. This will save you the time of doing extensive rewrites.
You'll get a better feel for romance writing by reading more of the genre. Being a good reader is essential to being a good writer. Most people think romantic paperbacks are filled with nothing but heaving bosoms, flexing quadriceps, and wet sheets. Yet the heroes and heroines of popular romances are complex characters driven by matters of the mind and heart. Reading more intelligent romance novels will help you write one.
When you have the final draft of the novel, the next step is to send it to editors and publishers. If you want to work anonymously by writing under an imprint's brand name, you can often submit directly to the publisher or imprint. If you want to be an independent paranormal romance writer, submit your manuscript or query letter to agents.
© Had2Know 2010