It would appear that there’s nothing quite as seductive as a love story – both for the reader and the writer.
Romantic novelists have always been big earners – Danielle Steel, for example, has been one of the world’s top selling writers for nearly 40 years while EL James has topped the list of literary earners by bringing in £65m in the 12 months up to June with her ‘Fifty Shades’ trilogy. And 25% of all books bought and loaned from libraries belong to the romantic genre.
So perhaps it’s no wonder that many would-be writers aim to break into this market. But gone are the days of struggling to find a publisher – today’s novelists are harnessing the powers of the ebook revolution and digital media.
Take Almondbury teacher Julie Houston, for example. Now in her 50s and with a long career in primary education behind her in Lepton, Wooldale, Rastrick and Wakefield, she has finally realised a lifelong ambition to pen a novel.
She said: “It’s not quite Fifty Shades of Grey although there are some spicy bits.”
But she does admit to being inspired by the success of the book’s author who began as an amateur online writer of erotica.
Julie, who has created a website and Facebook page to promote her ebook, has also been encouraged by the success of writer Rachel Abbott, who she got to know through a mutual friend.
“She is a self-publishing phenomenon with her book, Only the Innocent,” said Julie. “It has sold 100,000-plus copies. She has read my book and has been tweeting about it.”
Julie says she’s “very determined” to become a mainstream author. So while her first novel, Goodness, Grace and Me, is a paid-for ebook, she has found herself an agent and is still looking for a conventional publishing deal.
Like many hopeful authors before her Julie has taken classes in creative writing at night school. She is also about to start an MA in creative writing at Sheffield University and is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association.
“Being a writer is something I have always wanted to do,” she explained. “I have always kept a diary since I was 14 and in them I was totally, cringe-worthy, honest.
“When I read Louise Rennison’s ‘Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging’ (the diary of a teenage girl) I thought ‘I could have written that’.”
Four years ago, with her family in their own early teens – daughter Georgia is now 16 and son Ben 19 – she began her first novel.
“I call it ‘mum-lit’,” said Julie. “It’s a ‘rom-com’ about three women who meet at grammar school in Huddersfield in the Eighties who meet up again 25 years later.
“I’ve taken a fairly taboo subject in that one of the women falls in love with a much younger man.”
The book is partly based on her own experiences at Huddersfield High School and characters she met there. Her middle-class lifestyle has been thoroughly mined for anecdotes and background.
Julie admits that she’s been an avid reader of romantic fiction most of her life.
“I was brought up on Jilly Cooper,” she says. But she’s not a particular fan of ‘chick lit’.
“I’m not into that ‘girl has PA job and goes shopping all the time’,” she explained. “I think a lot of people are getting fed up with that. What you want is a damn good story.
“The best romantic novel I have ever read is Ferney by James Long, which is about a couple who keep coming together throughout many periods of history. It’s a time-travelling story and when I finished it I read it again from the beginning.”
Joining the Romantic Novelists’ Association has been a good move for Julie, who attends conferences to network with other writers. “Everybody is really helpful and friendly,” she said. “They have a new writers’ scheme and you can send your manuscript to them and they will pass it on to a published writer for their opinion.
“If they like it then its sent to another writer and can end up with an agent.”
The association, which is chaired by Katie Fforde, has six members in the Huddersfield area and represents 700 writers, agents and literary professionals.
Julie, who says she would like to set up a local branch of the RNA, found her own agent by sending her manuscript to a handful that she found through the Writers’ Handbook. She has since funded the professional editing and uploading of her book onto Amazon.
“I’ve sold a few hundred books and up to now I’m probably in negative equity,” she said. “But I’d strongly advise anyone to have their book professionally edited. A lot of stuff you read hasn’t been proof-read.”
Although Julie is married to the owner of a promotions company she has masterminded her own PR and says ebook authors need to take charge of publicity.
She advised: “I’d recommend setting up a Facebook page or website to promote your book. I’m also blogging and trying to tweet, although I’m finding it very difficult. But this is the way to get your name known.”
Former management consultant Andrew Shephard from Birkby is a member of a rare literary breed.zz210813andrew.jpg zz210813fan.jpg
At the annual conference of the Romantic Novelists’ Association this summer he was one of only three men among more than 300 women.
Andrew’s first novel, an ebook entitled Shameless Ambition, was published earlier this year and he’s now a full-time writer of a genre that’s written and read, almost exclusively, by women.
The 60-year-old, who writes under the pen name Robert Fanshaw, says the world of e-publishing has created previously unheard-of opportunities for writers.
“The big publishers are very selective and unless you have already got a name or are a celebrity it’s difficult to get them interested,” he explained.
“But the new e-publishers are aiming for different niches. Since ‘Fifty Shades’ there has been a gold rush of e-publishers trying to find the next pot of gold.”
Andrew describes his work as “mystery, humour, suspense, with big characters and racy bits.”
His advice for would-be writers is to hone their skills with a good creative writing course – he attended one at Kirklees College – and either find an e-publisher or agent who will organise professional editing.
“Self -publishing is an option but unless you are an editor or have experience publishing then you should buy in some help,” he added.
Getting an unbiased third-party to read manuscripts is also important. Andrew doesn’t ask his wife Mandy for her input.
He explains: “You shouldn’t ask family or close friends for their opinion because they won’t be able to give you an honest appraisal.”
As well as joining the RNA he subscribes to a writers’ magazine – through which he found an Australian e-publisher.
“Writing is such a solitary activity that it’s good to feel part of a community of writers,” he said.
Andrew’s publisher, SteameReads, has also helped him to set up a blog, Twitter account and Facebook fan page to promote his work.
“I don’t know yet how many books I’ve sold but with e-publishing it’s important to build up your reputation and keep writing,” he added.
The Romantic Novelists’ Association was founded in 1960 to promote good writing.
Reading is the number one favoured pastime for adult women.
The top earning writers’ list is dominated by the crime, romance and fantasy genres. Up to 20% of published books are crime-related, while 22% fall into the romance category.
Ebooks now account for around 14% of all sales in the UK, a statistic partly driven by demand for ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ and the fact that ebooks are cheaper than hard copies.
Publishers and authors fear that selling books too cheaply does not reflect the time and effort that goes into producing them but accept that it does stimulate demand.
Perhaps the best-known publisher of romantic fiction is Mills & Boon, a company founded in 1908 by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon. In the 1930s it began publishing escapist fiction aimed at women.
Today it publishes 100 new ebook titles every month which has doubled its output.
More people now buy Mills & Boon novels in ebook format.
Jane Austen , perhaps one of the most famous romantic novelists of all time, wrote Pride and Prejudice, published in 1813. It is estimated that the book has since sold 20m copies and remains a favourite classic. Austen sold the copyright for just £110. The story has been made into many films and television adaptations with the part of Elizabeth Bennett played by everyone from Greer Garson to Keira Knightley,
According to the Romantic Novelists’ Association 93% of romantic novels bought are destined for women readers. The association was founded by such notables as Dame Barbara Cartland and Catherine Cookson who wanted respect for their genre, citing the fact that romance was the most popular type of fiction loaned out by libraries.
