Greetings!
Romance is... a feeling
associated with love, an ideal, a notion with
deeper meaning...and really tough to
define!
The romance genre is branching out into many
shapes and sizes, many subgenres, many
audiences. In fact, it's the most flexible
genre out there.
Before I started working on this issue, I
thought that I'd never write a "romance" or
read one. And I quickly found out I was
wrong. Romance has evolved. So many subgenres
fall under the "romance novel"
category--everything from historical to chick
lit!
I've learned that paranormal and science
fiction romance novels are hot markets, and
erotic fiction is not what it used to be.
There was always this big taboo toward erotic
romance...but it's not like that anymore.
Now, those novels are all about empowering
the heroine. Go figure!
So, in appreciation of February, the month
for lovers, WOW! celebrates the
incredibly flexible romance writer. We define
what romance writing is, and relish in one of
the fastest growing markets out there, as
well as the women who are behind the keyboard.
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Desperately Seeking Romance
Writers...
Boy, romance writers have it tough! It seems
that aside from pumping out books, there
aren't many other high-paying markets to
which you can submit your work. And we all
know that crafting a novel takes a huge block
of time, so I tried to find some markets that
you could submit to in the interim. We all
need some recognition to keep our dreams
alive and fan our novel-writing flame.
The
Editor's Desk brings you some short story
markets and e-publishers that are seeking
your romantic stories!
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A big, warm, thank you goes out to our
freelancers:
To Allie Boniface for her in-depth article,
Todays
Romance Novel: It's Not your Mother's Bodice
Ripper Anymore. This is the flagship
article of the issue. Allie reveals the
latest trends and market changes in the
romance genre, by using publishers' and
experts' quotes, and recapping how the genre
has grown throughout the past decades to
those that may have been out of the loop
(ahem, I clear my throat). Super job, Allie!
Please excuse the goofy header. It was my
attempt at being comical. LOL.
To Katherine Turcotte, a first-time
freelancer for WOW! Welcome! We adore
your interview
with Gena Showalter. This was a super fun
and lively read--one not to miss! After
learning about Gena and visiting her blog, I
absolutely adore her spirit, and know that
she's ultra-WOW!-ish, and rocks!
Another HUGE thank you goes out to our intern
and contributing writer, Margo Dill, for her
20
Questions Interview with Bobbi Smith.
Bobbi is the queen of the western romance,
and you'll see why. Just viewing her page
makes you want to read more! (The header
graphic is from one of her
books...yummy!)
C. Hope Clark goes all out with Romancing
the Contest. Not only with her fun-loving
pics that we adore (the header is my fave),
but with a ton of info about the romance
market, the genre, and the thing that you're
looking for the most--romance writing
contests!
To our long-time favorite erotic romance
novelist, Kathryn Jordan, for her fun article
How
2 Break All the Rules & Still Have a Hot
Novel. Kathryn writes directly to you,
the reader, and shares her personal
experiences, as well as some romance-writing
tips that are not to miss. Welcome back
Kathryn!
Another long-time contributor and WOW!
Alumni member, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, interviews
Dallas Woodburn for our Inspiration
Column. This is a delight because Carolyn
is Dallas' mentor! Get some insight into
their relationship, and learn how Dallas is
changing the world for young writers by
giving them hope.
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Announcement:
You may have noticed a couple of changes in
this issue: the absence of two
columns--Freelancer's Corner, and Review.
These columns are temporarily on hold.
We apologize for all those that have queried
specifically to these columns. In our yearly
review, we've noticed that these are the
least trafficked columns. Currently, we are
reviewing which columns are receiving the
most traffic.
So, in order to help keep our freelance
marketplace alive and thriving, we're urging
that you visit the columns and features that
you enjoy the most. By doing this, you're
securing the position of more freelance
opportunities and jobs for women, now, and in
the future. In a nutshell, that's how it
works. Your traffic enables us to support you.
----------
Last Month to Enter the Flash Fiction
Contest!
Deadline: February 28th, Midnight
(Pacific Time)
Word Count: 250 - 500 words
OPEN PROMPT!
That's right, this is your chance to shine,
and get creative. You can write about
anything, as long as it's within the word
count and fiction. So, dig out those stories
you started way back when and tailor them to
the word count.
We're open to any style and genre. From
horror to romance! So, get creative, and most
of all, have fun.
Your fabulous guest judge for this season is
Literary Agent Kristen Nelson. Get your
work reviewed by a top literary agent!
Don't Wait Until the Last Minute... ENTER
TODAY
Sponsored by indie publisher, W.W. Norton &
Co.
Stop
by their site and subscribe to their
newsletter.
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Other Goodies:
We have a few special things in store, just
for WOW! subscribers. Scroll down for
a special f*r*e*e* contest with the Spirited
Woman -- don't delay, it ends this month! We
also have a blog event for the launch of
Senior Editor, Annette Fix's book The
Break-Up Diet. Don't miss the Valentine's
Day promo. Scroll down to see who's
participating.
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Now, onto the issue... enjoy!
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Whitney Lyles
Interview by Angela Mackintosh
First comes love...then comes Whitney Lyles!
She's the proud author of a novella and five
novels--everything from Chick Lit to Mommy
Lit, and now Young Adult. Interviewing
Whitney was a blast; she's just like the
characters in her novels: fun, warm, and very
real.
Ever wonder what it would be like to
write a novel while pregnant? Need some tips
on crafting characters from a pro? How much
say does an author have on her book title and
book cover? Want to know how she landed her
agent at the age of twenty-six? Whitney
answers these questions and more in this fun
and inspiring interview! You're going to fall
in love with her...
MORE>>
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Give Yourself the Ultimate Gift that Gives Back
ALL YEAR ROUND!
Are you tired of markets newsletters
that simply
"list" a bunch of markets without any personal
guidance?
Get the Guide that Helps you Grow your
Freelance Writing Career!
PREMIUM GREEN MARKETS
The Ultimate Guide for Freelance Women Writers
Will Show You the GREEN!
Premium-Green isn't just market listings,
it's a guide with community benefits. For
only $2 a month, you get a 100+ Page Ebook
delivered to your inbox every month, and
you'll have access to a private community of
women writers just like you!
We know that becoming a freelance writer
takes more than just market listings. You'll
need the opportunity to network with your
peers and have a support system to help you reach
your goals. And that's exactly what your
Premium-Green Markets Subscription will do.
Here's what you get when you subscribe to
PREMIUM GREEN:
- Monthly 100+ page ebook in friendly
PDF format: Easy to print, easy to save.
No need for storing emails to find links and
articles you missed!
- Articles to grow your Freelance
Career: These are articles not found
anywhere else: More than Your Magic 8-Ball,
I.T.T. In the Trenches, Tips & Tricks, Meet
Your Mentor, Get Writing Mamas!, Project
Workbook, and more...
- Access to the PG Subscribers
Group: Network with your peers, post
discussions, ask questions, and receive
insider tips.
- Documents for PG Subscribers:
Upload, download, and share content with
the group. We put up f*r*e*e* articles,
contracts, and ebooks for the group each
month, so take advantage!
- First Calls from WOW!: We
give you
immediate calls for what we need on the spot
(or when we're in a crunch) to fill each
issue. Get on the ground level and write for
us!
- Pink & Green: Find women's markets
only, and get insight from the editors and
what their needs are right now.
- Markets, markets, and more
markets. We provide markets for all
aspects of freelancing. One example is,
"Niche Quiche," which includes greeting card
markets, slogans, and anything you can write
a few words for and get paid! Check
out our markets
page for more details.
Spend less in an entire year than you would
for a few
cups of coffee, and get a real support team
who will help you grow your freelance career.
This subscription price will last for a
lifetime if you sign up now. It's only $24 a
year at this introductory offer. The
price will go up. Putting
out over a hundred pages a month is quite
time-consuming and expensive! But, as
dedicated subscribers, you will always be in
on the ground level. We want to support
you!
Let's make this a
banner year for all women writers. We can
only do it by helping each other and creating
a strong network and community for ourselves.
Together, we can do it!
VISIT OUR MARKETS PAGE >>
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On Love and Writing
Must Haves: By Susan Eberling
For Valentine's Day put away your writing to
snuggle up to your honey, but don't put away
your creativity. Susan Eberling finds some
fabulous products that will spice up your
romantic holiday and shares a couple of books
that will give your romantic writing a boost!
Want to write about your
Must-Haves? We're
collecting them all for compilation! Write
about yours by emailing us
at: musthaves@wow-womenonwriting.com
and tell us about your favorite product,
website, gadget, retreat, or relaxation
tool--anything that's helped your writing
experience. We're
open to suggestions!
Want to submit your product for review?
Email susan@wow-womenonwriting.com
and ask for details on how to snail-mail your
product for consideration in a f*r*e*e*
advertorial. Please note: we will only review
products that we like. If we don't like it,
well, we won't say a thing. Take advantage of
this great opportunity and email Susan for
details.
MORE>>
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WOW! BLOG: THE MUFFIN
Find out the latest from the Bakers of WOW!
Have you checked out what we've been baking
for you on the daily Muffin? We've stirred
together some traditional ingredients with
new ones to deliver more interviews,
enlightenment, thought-provoking ideas, and
inspirational messages to help you through
those gray writing days.
----------
Pump Up the Book Promotion!
Schedule a Blog
Tour with
WOW! Women On
Writing, and our Sister Blogs:
We love to promote women authors! If you're
interested in finding out more details,
please email us with "Blog Tours" in your
subject line.
Send your request to:
WOW!'s Blog Mistress, Marcia Peterson:
marcia@wow-womenonwriting.com
or to the Editors:
editors@wow-womenonwriting.com
Please include:
- Book Title
- Publication/Launch Date
- Author Bio and Links
- Tour Dates: First Choice
- Any Additional Info--to help us help
you!
We love working one-on-one with authors to
create the best possible campaign and
exposure. Promotion is our expertise! We
receive
over a million hits per month, 700,000
unique--and that's not to mention, our sister
sites. So,
pump up your book promotion by
contacting us. We're here to help, and our
prices are very reasonable. Our goal is to
promote, and support, you as an author.
----------
Never Stale! Here's the Latest:
Tuesday Contest Winner Interviews:
If you're interested in our writing contests,
find out the scoop from previous winners!
First
Place Winner: Nancy Wick
Third
Place Winner: Dianne Greco
Second
Place Winner: Pam Hawley
Runner
Up: Marketa Oliver
Runner
Up: Sheryl Winters
Remember: Tuesdays are Contest
Winner Interviews, so check back and learn
from the writers that won our guest judge's
hearts and captured the prize!
Blog Posts of Interest:
It's
a Sticky Situation
By LuAnn Womach
Do you have an obsession with Post-its? Then
this post is for you. Share the madness!
Freelance
Writer's Contract
By Marcia Peterson
Want to know about a dream contract? Then try
this ASJA sample contract on for size! See
what you're missing, and what you should hope
to achieve in a perfect world!
15
Minutes
By Susan Eberling
Taking the advice of Barbara
DeMarco Barrett (a previous WOW!
interviewee), Susan crunches the numbers and
"creates time" for writers. We can all use
this sound advice!
Don't
Cheat the Reader
By Del Sandeen
Del provides excellent examples that fiction
writers need to remember. As a writer, you
need to remember that the reader is your
biggest judge! Creating believable characters
will help you create a believable story. If
you're working on a novel right now, this is
excellent advice to sink your teeth into.
SEO
SUNDAYS: Work It! With Viral Marketing
By Angela Mackintosh
You don't have to spend a lot of money
advertising with Google or Yahoo to bring
visitors to your site. Step outside of the
box and into the trenches with these tips on
making your website viral!
Look
Left, Look Right
By Cher'ley Grogg
Learn how to body language can be useful when
creating believable characters! Cher'ley
provides us with some great resources to do
just that.
Writing
through Changes
By Debbie Delgado
When there's a monumental change in your
life, it's not easy to stay on track. But, by
regaining perspective, you can take back your
life, and your writing.
Interviewing
Your Characters
By AnnMarie Kolakowski
This is a great exercise in order to fully
research our characters and learn more about
them. If you're gender hopping or age
hopping, this is a good suggestion to get to
know your character better!
Boom...Crash...Bang...Screech...Life!
By Valerie Fentress
We've heard of writer's block, and often
debate whether it really exists, but what
about life block? Valerie gives us the
motivational boost we need to tackle these
problems, before we tackle our WIPs.
Creative
Cross Training
By Janet Paszkowski
I love this concept and the way it was
presented! Want to diversify and fuel your
creative fire? Read Janet's post ~ it's
excellent.
Finding
Inspiration in Familiar Tales
By Kesha Grant
I'm a big fan of fairytales -- the only
problem I have is that there's not enough of
them anymore. But, it doesn't have to be that
way. Consider Kesha's exercise of
re-imagining/re-writing old tales and create
your own spin. How do you think WICKED got so
popular? You can do this too!
A
Vanishing Act
By LuAnn Womach
LuAnn stumbles across some wonderful
treasures while going through her
grandmother's secretary. Beautiful
hand-written letters, old Smith-Corona typed
words ~ relics of another time, and a dying
art. This is a beautifully written post about
handwriting and penmanship as a glimpse of
the writer's personality.
All
Words are Not Created Equal
By Sharon Mortz
Vocabulary check!! This is a fun post full of
factoids... for instance, did you know
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends
with the letters "mt"?
Internships:
Not Just For College Anymore
By Jill Earl
Jill presents an excellent case: by interning
with a reputable publication, you build your
writer's clips, add experience, and get the
ins on opportunities!
The
Health and Well-being of a Writer
By Carrie Hulce
Do you spend all day hunched over a computer?
I know I do! Well, Carrie gives us some great
exercises writers can use to stay limber,
toned, and healthy. It won't take up too much
time in your day, and you'll be glad you did!
A
Great Writing Resource from a King
By Margo Dill
Stephen King's "On Writing" sparks Margo's
muse! If you haven't read the book, or if you
have, find out the most motivating parts of
the book and how Margo has applied it to her
writing toolbox.
~~~~~~~
Guest Posts and Events:
The
Liar's Diary Blog Day
By Angela Mackintosh
This turned out to be a monumental blog event
in support of Patry Francis' book, The
Liar's Diary. The call was simple: write
a blog about Patry's book, or the Liar's Blog
Day Promo, and conquer the world! Well, it
did. In the end, nearly 400 bloggers helped
move Patry's novel from a ranking of 55,000
on amazon at the start of the day, to #1 in
Mystery, 375 overall by evening. Now that's
the power of bloggers! Of course,
WOW! had to
get creative and do something different than
copy-paste. I wrote a post about how all
fiction writers are "liars" as the first part
of the post, and the second half was all
about Patry and her book. Please check it
out. It was great to be a part of something
so big and inspiring.
Mississippi
Writers Guild: An Inspiring Story
By Angela Mackintosh
Interview with MWG Founder, Richelle
Putnam by Anne McKee
This interview captures the wonderful spirit
of the Mississippi Writers Guild and the
founder, Richelle. The energy from these
ladies is contagious! You're going to want to
find out how to become involved in their
nonprofit organization, and what they're
doing to help revitalize their community.
Book
Review: True Deception by Patricia
Waddell
By Tricia Ares
Tricia takes advantage of our offer of paid
book reviews to contest winners. If you've
ever won one of our contests and received a
slip of paper that says, "Review this book
for WOW! and get paid!" then you know
we mean business. Or, at least, some of you
do! Tricia read
True
Deception and posted a thoughtful review.
If you are interested in participating in
this program, please email the editors for
details. Great job, Tricia!
~~~~~~~
Want to participate on The Muffin?
Email our Blog Mistress, Marcia Peterson, with
your request: marcia@wow-womenonwriting.com
Visit The Muffin >>
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Happy Valentines Day! Blog Event
Annette Fix's BIG LAUNCH!
(Photo: Annette at B&N with The Break-Up Diet)
The Break-Up Diet Blog Day!
We know that we contacted all you bloggers
only a day or so ago, so we really appreciate
all of you who stepped up to the plate and
jumped at the chance to make this happen.
This is a fun and exciting event, and we're
thrilled you're participating!
Our guidelines stated:
We're excited to announce the launch of
Senior Editor, Annette Fix's memoir, The
Break-Up Diet, on Valentine's Day,
February 14th.
If you have a blog and would like to
participate in this event, then get your
dancing shoes on and grab a box of chocolates
and we'll promote you!
All you have to do is write a blog post
about:
- Happily-Ever-After
- Finding Prince Charming
- Kissing Toads
- Break-Up Stories
- Diving into the Dating Pool
- For the Love of Chocolate
Or, if you just want content to post so you
can enjoy your romantic celebration, then you
can pick up one of Annette's two blog posts,
specially created for this promotion.
One focuses on being single on a "couples"
holiday, the other, highlights being in a
relationship on Valentine's Day.
Please let us know if you would like to
participate, so we can send you the image,
book info, and blog post of your choice.
If you'd like more information, visit the
book website:
http://www.thebreak-updiet.com
All bloggers in the promotion will have their
blog listed and linked in the WOW!
blog post on Feb. 14th as participating
supporters to receive some WOW!
Women On Writing traffic-link-love! If
you have any blogger friends who may be
interested in participating, please feel free
to forward this post to them.
Confirm your request by sending it to: editors@wow-womenonwriting.com
Much love, and happy blogging!
Angela & Annette
Editors of WOW!
Participating Bloggers!
Sue Donckels: http://inkbridge.blogspot.com/
Debbie Ridpath Ohi: http://www.inkygirl.com
Allie Boniface: http://allieboniface.blogspot.com/
Chynna Laird: http://www.lilywolfwords.ca/
Lea Schizas: http://branchesoflife.blogspot.com/
Tammie McElligott: http://tammiemcelligott.blogspot.com/
Cherie Redinoz: http://www.over-it.blogspot.com/
Angelique H. Caffrey:
http://recessforwriters.blogspot.com
Heather Cassell:
http://heathercassell.blogspot.com
Jennifer Flatten:
http://jelf-writes.com
Sarabeth Gordon:
http://nothpnowmommy.blogspot.com
Cher'ley Grogg:
http://www.freewebs.com/cherley/index.htm
Cathy Hall:
http://www.cathychall.blogspot.com
Irvina Kanarek:
http://honestchitchat.wordpress.com/
Anna-Marie Nichols:
http://www.thismamacooks.com/2008/02/just-in-time-fo.html
Luann Womach:
http://foodhistories.blogger.com
Nancy Sharpe:
http://nancysharpe.blogspot.com/
Sandra Vilar: (To be announced)
And More! Visit The Muffin today and find out
the scoop ~ Happy reading and happy blogging!
Thank you ladies for your support!
Find Out MORE about the Promo on The Muffin >>
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Spirited Woman Circle Contest
Special Offer for WOW! Subscribers!
Spirited Woman is an ever-growing community
that is a place for women to connect their
passion to the rest of the world. It's all
about creative fun for inspired women.
In the
spirit of that connecting, founder Nancy
Mills launched the Spirited Woman Circle, a
lively, inspiring series of 1-hour phone
"telechats" with famous women authors & media
personalities. Nancy's got a knack for
drawing in bestselling authors to her series
(she's a writer herself and many of the
authors are her friends). In the past such
phenomenal talents as Fannie Flagg and
Janet
Fitch have participated, plus dozens
more. The chats are a great opportunity to
participate in up close and personal
conversations with authors you'd probably
never get a chance to talk to. This year's
line-up is fantastic. To learn more about the
2008 series visit: http://www.thespiritedwoman.com/
FOR 3 LUCKY WOW READERS: Nancy is
offering F*R*E*E* REGISTRATION (a $99
value) to the entire 8-part series
starting March 4th. For a chance to become
one of the three lucky winners, enter the
contest and tell Nancy why you are the most
"spirited woman" writer in the entire
country. For instance, do you write
from a tent? Are you unbelievably
passionate about your craft? Do you perform
your words?
JUST SOME SIMPLE CONTEST RULES:
Submit (500 words or less) to: NancyMills@thespiritedwoman.com
by 2/25/08. Please put WOW CONTEST
in subject line. Winners will by
chosen by 2/29/08. In your e-mail
submission BE SURE to include your name &
phone # with area code. One submission
allowed per person. **Permission is
granted to publish the winning answers and to
be put on the Spirited Woman mailing list.
VISIT THE SPIRITED WOMAN WEBSITE>>
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WOW! Chocolate & Pink Tote
Show off your WOW! Women On Writing
Flair with this adorable tote!
We're able to offer this tote to you at close
to wholesale because we bought so many of
them for our flash fiction contest winners.
Lucky you!
This bag is a limited edition from
WOW! and makes the perfect gift for a
writer friend, or as a treat to yourself. Own
a piece of WOW! history with this
yummy chocolate and pink tote.
Size: 10.5" w x 7.75"h x 5" d
Details: Front Pocket, decorative tag,
WOW! Women On Writing logo on the front
pocket.
Color: chocolate & pink
This little bag packs a punch! It can hold
2-3 trade-sized books and has room for other
little things, such as pens, makeup, keys,
cellphone, etc.
Note: As supplies last.
Visit the Boutique >>
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: From WOW! Subscribers and Alumni
You ladies have been busy! So
let's kick off the
congrats:
---------- Erika Geiss:
Launches WAHM Magazine: A New Digital
Resource for Work-at-Home Moms. Geared for
work-at-home parents whether business owners,
telecommuters, freelancers, artists or sales
and marketing professionals, theWAHMmagazine
is an eco-friendly publication about all of
the aspects of life as a work-at-home
parent. Visit www.thewahmmagazine.com.
--------------------
Sandra Beckwith
Free Report Helps Authors Create the Exposure
that Sells Books
Beyond the Press Release: 10 Exciting Book
Buzz Ideas That Will Take You to the Top
offers 10 foolproof - yet practical - ideas
you can use to get publicity for your book.
The ideas can be used for all types of books,
whether they have been available for weeks,
months or even years, to generate free media
exposure.
To get the free special report, go to http://www.buildbookbuzz.com.
----------
Carol Coven Grannick Writes in:
Hi Angela and Annette:
I love my Women on Writing e-zine, and wanted
to let you know about a column I write on
optimism for writers at: www.intelligentlight.com/PrairieWind
(then click on "Revise Yourself")
The link is to the Illinois Society of
Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
jam-packed quarterly Bulletin, with all kinds
of fabulous articles and columns. Multiple
columns are available through archives.
Thanks!
Carol
WOW: Thanks Carol for the resource!
----------
Kathryn Jordan:
THE GLAD GIRL, based on the true love story
of Silent Screen star, Gladys Walton and Al
Capone, will be released soon. Kathryn is
available as a speaker and offers writing
workshops and editing / consulting as a
"Manuscript Mechanic - and Therapist."
Contact: katejor@earthlink.net
or (760) 345-0569 or www.kathrynjordan.com
----------
Are you an WOW! Subscriber who'd like
to be in
our announcements section?
We'd love to hear what you've been up to!
Drop us a note: buzz@wow-womenonwriting.com
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In Closing:
We hope you enjoy the romance issue
as much as we have putting it together. This
month's issue explores the ever-growing genre
of romance writing. We hope it sheds
some light and brings you some inspiration.
Wishing you lots of chocolate kisses and
happy writing on this lovable holiday!
Truly Yours,
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