Category romances tend to be shorter novels, usually between 50,000 -75,000 words, whose focus is the central love affair.  One of the leading publishers in the industry is Harlequin Mills and Boon.  While it is by no means an easy option, there are distinct advantages to writing this kind of fiction.

Every year HMB sell over seven million romance novels in the UK.  Someone buys one of their novels every three seconds.  That’s a big market.  Moreover, with 50 new novels published each month over 12 different series, there is a real demand for writers and HMB actively seeks them.  Unlike many publishing houses, they don’t have to be approached through an agent.  Although they receive at least 1200 submissions every year, it is their policy to read them all.  That’s why it can take three or four months to hear from them.  So, while the unread or barely-glanced-at slush pile is the dismal fate of many a novel in other areas of publishing, it certainly isn’t there.  

The media – especially the weekend papers – frequently produces items about books and writing.  An oft-repeated theme is that publishers are always looking out for The Next Big Thing but, when questioned more closely, don’t seem too sure what that is.  By way of a contrast, HMB know exactly what they want.  Better still, they’re prepared to share that knowledge.  They issue clear guidelines to would-be authors and, because they produce so many books across different genres, it’s much easier to study and analyse what they sell.  When they see new potential they nurture it, working with the writer to hone the skills for what is essentially a niche market.  Finding that kind of support and encouragement is exceedingly rare.

Most novels weigh in at around 80,000 -100,000 words.  Category fiction is shorter.  In the case of HMB Historical Fiction the writer has 75,000 words to play with.  This allows space not only for the love story to develop but also to create the necessary period feel.  The advantage is that you write less than for other types of fiction.  However, you still need to do the research and you have to be able to tell a convincing and gripping tale.

Like any other kind of writing, category fiction is a craft.  Research also has to be thorough.  In that sense it is hard work, but it is also enormous fun.  I think it was Terry Pratchett who once said that writing is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.  I’m in complete agreement.  

My apprenticeship with HMB lasted 18 months, during which time I rewrote my debut novel four times.  However, it was worth the effort because the final version was much tighter and the story really flowed.  It was also a terrific buzz when my editor phoned to say that they wanted to buy my book.  The high lasted at least a week.  As you learn the craft and become more proficient, it takes less time to complete each story.  However, it’s still a huge buzz when you sell another novel.

Selling a novel is one thing; getting it into the shops is quite another. In some areas of the industry it might take 18 months or longer from acceptance to publication. Category fiction has a faster turnover so the book reaches the shops more quickly, in approximately a year. You also start to build up a following. It’s wonderful when a reader not only enjoys your book but takes the trouble to get in touch and say so.

Writing this kind of fiction won’t make you rich quickly. The advances are small and it takes time to build up the readership that will help to bring in royalty cheques.  However, there is the potential for a book to be translated into other languages and when that happens it can make a big difference.

Many authors of category romance also write other kinds of fiction.  Being able to say that you already have several published novels to your credit might just make a difference when approaching an agent in future.  So, if you enjoy writing romance and are seeking a way to get your work published, category fiction might be something to consider.  

Joanna Fulford
July 2010.