Special Guest Saturday: Myra Johnson

Writing short, writing long: series romance vs. trade fiction

by Myra Johnson

When I first started writing romance and women’s fiction, my dream was (and still is) to write “bigger” books—novels with a large cast of characters and deeper, more involved storylines and subplots. However, especially for the newbie hoping for that first publishing break, I soon learned that shorter series fiction offers many more opportunities.

In the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association), the two main series publishers are Steeple Hill and Heartsong Presents. Here’s a quick breakdown:



• Steeple Hill Love Inspired (55,000–60,000 words), 6 books per month (guidelines at http://www.eharlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=559&chapter=0  )

• Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense (55,000–60,000 words), 4 books per month (guidelines at http://www.eharlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=919&chapter=0  )

• Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical (70,000–75,000 words), 2 books per month, expanding to 4 in January 2011 (guidelines at http://www.eharlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=1186&chapter=0  )

• Heartsong Presents (45,000-50,000 words), 2 contemporary and 2 historical per month (guidelines at http://www.barbourbooks.com/pages/writersguide.aspx  )

So let’s do the math. That’s 16 series romances per month (18 beginning next January) in the CBA alone, which right now comes to 192 books a year! If the average writer can produce two series books a year, that means the publishers would need 96 authors to fill all these slots. You might as well be one of them!

Is series romance writing right for you? Let’s consider some of the pros and cons.



Pros:

• Can be a quicker route to publication

• Shorter books take less time to write

• Series romance “formula” helps simplify plotting

• Excellent training ground for learning the ins and outs of working with an editor

• Built-in readership through subscriptions

• Publishing credits add up faster

• Fans aren’t kept waiting too long to read your next book



Cons:

• Pressure to write faster while keeping the writing fresh

• Quick turnaround can make it harder to juggle multiple deadlines (completed manuscript, edits, art fact sheets, galley proofs, etc.)

• Series romance “formula” can feel stifling

• Series books go out of print sooner

• Series books are not always carried in bookstores so nonsubscribers may have a harder time finding your book



If you’re a verbose writer by nature, you may be frustrated by the shorter word count, but it can be an enlightening editing exercise to pare your 90,000-word story down to 60-70,000 words. You quickly discover what is extraneous in dialogue, in description, and in overall plotting, and the end result may turn out to be an even stronger, more riveting, faster-paced story.

On the other hand, if your heart is set on writing a “bigger” book, there are plenty of reasons to go for it:

• Expanded character development

• Opportunities for multiple viewpoints

• Room for more subplots to help reflect the overall theme

• More flexibility with style, tone, and plot development

• Higher advances (usually)

• Much longer shelf life in bookstores

• More likely to be stocked by libraries

• Wider availability

• Wider range of publishing house possibilities depending on genre



On the flip side:



• Fewer slots open for longer books

• Longer books take longer to write

• Longer books take longer to work through editorial revisions

• Keeping track of multiple plot threads and character details requires strong organizational skills

• No built-in readership as with series book clubs

• Can be harder to earn out your advance

• In-house publicists usually focus on the big names, so much of the PR effort will fall on your shoulders



Only you can be the best judge of whether you’re cut out for series romance, or if you have what it takes to write longer books. And choosing one route doesn’t preclude trying your hand in the other if or when you feel the time is right. Some authors successfully write in both areas, increasing their readership even more.

Study writers guidelines and read several recent releases from each publisher you’re considering (series, trade, or both). Certain books will resonate with you more than others. Certain storytelling styles will seem more appropriate for the idea you’re working on. Let your instincts guide you and then give it your best!

Bio: Myra Johnson writes what she likes to call “romantic women’s fiction”—emotionally gripping stories about love, life, and faith. Her Heartsong Presents romance Autumn Rains (November 2009) won RWA’s 2005 Golden Heart for Best Inspirational Romance Manuscript. Married since 1972, Myra and her husband are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters who, along with their godly husbands, have huge hearts for ministry. Four rambunctious grandsons and one precious granddaughter take up another big chunk of Myra’s heart. She and her husband now share their home with two lovable dogs and a snobby parakeet. Myra writes full-time and is active in her church as well as local and national writers groups.

Myra’s next book, Where the Dogwood Blooms, is due out in July from Heartsong Presents. The heroine, Jilly Gardner, left Blossom Hills ten years ago with a broken heart, determined never to return. But the ache in her heart has never healed, and when Cam Lane calls to ask for her help, she finds she can’t say no. Cameron doesn’t know what came between Jilly and her foster family, but whatever did, he feels it’s high time she set things straight. Her foster parents never recovered from her abrupt and permanent departure, and now—when her presence might encourage an ill woman’s return to health—she refuses to even see them? But how can Cam address the unforgiveness in his friends’ lives when his own is paralyzed with self-inflicted guilt and shame? With all their striving focused on themselves and the events of their past, will Cam and Jilly ever realize that unconditional, forgiving, forever love comes only from God the Father, whose mercies are new each morning?

For more about Myra and her writing, visit http://www.myrajohnson.com/  or her blog, http://www.myra.typepad.com/.  She can also be found in Seekerville, http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/ , on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/myralangleyjohnson,  and on Twitter, http://twitter.com/MyraJohnson .