Comments on: Wanted: Romance Writer. V-jay-jay Optional. http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/05/31/wanted-romance-writer-v-jay-jay-optional/ What's hip, what's now, what's tomorrow in the romance genre world. Sat, 09 Jan 2010 20:26:04 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Wendy Coakley-Thompson http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/05/31/wanted-romance-writer-v-jay-jay-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-31955 Wendy Coakley-Thompson Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:02:43 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=2365#comment-31955 Thanks for the very high praise! :cool: Thanks for the very high praise! :cool:

]]> By: charles http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/05/31/wanted-romance-writer-v-jay-jay-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-31953 charles Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:45:44 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=2365#comment-31953 :lol: this was the best blog article i've read in weeks! wonderfully put, and couldn't agree more! :lol: this was the best blog article i’ve read in weeks! wonderfully put, and couldn’t agree more!

]]> By: Wendy Coakley-Thompson http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/05/31/wanted-romance-writer-v-jay-jay-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-31780 Wendy Coakley-Thompson Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:35:17 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=2365#comment-31780 I can't wait to see what those differences are. I can’t wait to see what those differences are.

]]> By: Jessica Scott http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/05/31/wanted-romance-writer-v-jay-jay-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-31769 Jessica Scott Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:24:04 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=2365#comment-31769 I don’t think that having men writing in the romance genre is validating, however, I can definitely see where that might be the perception. I have a good friend who’s trying to sell a military suspense and one of the comments from an editor was: where’s the romance. Just b/c she’s a female author. It’s disappointing to be pigeon holed, however, it’s possible to break out. Romance is a solid, well performing genre and it’s no wonder. There is something here for everyone. I also don’t think that men writing in the traditionally female genre is going to change it much. Romance is successful because it gives the readers what they want. A happily ever after and a good story. Ultimately, romance is about relationships and like Smartbitches says: there are some really great novels and some craptastic. Men writing romance does not mean they will be better than women’s. It just means theirs will be noticed a little more as the exception than the rule. It will be interesting to see what the differences will be between the two. I don’t think that having men writing in the romance genre is validating, however, I can definitely see where that might be the perception. I have a good friend who’s trying to sell a military suspense and one of the comments from an editor was: where’s the romance. Just b/c she’s a female author. It’s disappointing to be pigeon holed, however, it’s possible to break out. Romance is a solid, well performing genre and it’s no wonder. There is something here for everyone.
I also don’t think that men writing in the traditionally female genre is going to change it much. Romance is successful because it gives the readers what they want. A happily ever after and a good story. Ultimately, romance is about relationships and like Smartbitches says: there are some really great novels and some craptastic. Men writing romance does not mean they will be better than women’s. It just means theirs will be noticed a little more as the exception than the rule. It will be interesting to see what the differences will be between the two.

]]> By: Jessica Scott http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/05/31/wanted-romance-writer-v-jay-jay-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-31767 Jessica Scott Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:26:38 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=2365#comment-31767 I don't think having men join the genre means we're 'validated', though I can see where you're coming from on that. Our sales numbers says we're valid enough and with Romance being one of the biggest genres, if not the biggest, I'd say that speaks to validation as well. However, men coming into the genre does change the dynamic of our books, somewhat. That being said, it's terribly hard for a woman to get published with something that is not romance or 'chick lit'. I have a friend who's shopping a fantastic suspense and she's had to turn into a man :???: to do it. So we do tend to be pidgeon holed by what we are thought to write. The gender wars continue, as to most of the other culture wars. All we can do is continue to write books that are true to ourselves and our readers and not worry about what the snots out there say. Because at the end of the day, romance novels are about relationships and every book has relationships between the pages. Jess Scott www.jessicascott.net I don’t think having men join the genre means we’re ‘validated’, though I can see where you’re coming from on that. Our sales numbers says we’re valid enough and with Romance being one of the biggest genres, if not the biggest, I’d say that speaks to validation as well.
However, men coming into the genre does change the dynamic of our books, somewhat.
That being said, it’s terribly hard for a woman to get published with something that is not romance or ‘chick lit’. I have a friend who’s shopping a fantastic suspense and she’s had to turn into a man :???: to do it. So we do tend to be pidgeon holed by what we are thought to write.
The gender wars continue, as to most of the other culture wars. All we can do is continue to write books that are true to ourselves and our readers and not worry about what the snots out there say.
Because at the end of the day, romance novels are about relationships and every book has relationships between the pages.
Jess Scott
http://www.jessicascott.net

]]> By: Wendy Coakley-Thompson http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/05/31/wanted-romance-writer-v-jay-jay-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-31764 Wendy Coakley-Thompson Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:17:07 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=2365#comment-31764 No argument here. As cooler people than I am would probably say, "Don't hate the player; hate the game." No argument here. As cooler people than I am would probably say, “Don’t hate the player; hate the game.”

]]> By: Bernadette Gardner http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/05/31/wanted-romance-writer-v-jay-jay-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-31759 Bernadette Gardner Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:58:45 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=2365#comment-31759 <i>My argument against him is that if he was a woman who’d written those self-same stories, they wouldn’t have received the attention they did and they most certainly wouldn’t be shelved in general fiction. They’d be just another romance novel, that is, presuming they would even have been published at all.</i> I'm glad you said this. I totally agree. While I have no problem with men writing romance, I do think NY publishing sees a book written by a man differently than a book written by a woman. My argument against him is that if he was a woman who’d written those self-same stories, they wouldn’t have received the attention they did and they most certainly wouldn’t be shelved in general fiction. They’d be just another romance novel, that is, presuming they would even have been published at all.

I’m glad you said this. I totally agree. While I have no problem with men writing romance, I do think NY publishing sees a book written by a man differently than a book written by a woman.

]]> By: Wendy Coakley-Thompson http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/05/31/wanted-romance-writer-v-jay-jay-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-31755 Wendy Coakley-Thompson Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:58:27 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=2365#comment-31755 Romancing THE Blog :eek: Romancing THE Blog :eek:

]]> By: Wendy Coakley-Thompson http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/05/31/wanted-romance-writer-v-jay-jay-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-31754 Wendy Coakley-Thompson Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:57:21 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=2365#comment-31754 First of all, ladies (and any guys on the QT), thanks so much for the warm reception to my guest post on Romancing thr Blog. I've been reading what you all have said about the industry for quite some time now and figured I'd finally contribute instead of being a tourist. That said, I'm also glad to see that guys are coming out and admitting that they write romance novels. The more, the merrier. I guess I just wonder if this is just another fad and, once the bloom's off the rose, it's back to "girly pseudonyms" or romance-writing men as, yet again, the novelty act on fiction shelves and bestseller lists. My ha'penny... :smile: First of all, ladies (and any guys on the QT), thanks so much for the warm reception to my guest post on Romancing thr Blog. I’ve been reading what you all have said about the industry for quite some time now and figured I’d finally contribute instead of being a tourist.

That said, I’m also glad to see that guys are coming out and admitting that they write romance novels. The more, the merrier. I guess I just wonder if this is just another fad and, once the bloom’s off the rose, it’s back to “girly pseudonyms” or romance-writing men as, yet again, the novelty act on fiction shelves and bestseller lists. My ha’penny… :smile:

]]> By: Jessica Scott http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/05/31/wanted-romance-writer-v-jay-jay-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-31753 Jessica Scott Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:11:45 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=2365#comment-31753 I think part of the reason we as romance writers have trouble with the respect issue is because we've been denigrated for so long. I just started Smart Bitches Beyond Heaving Bosoms and they are dead on with their discussion of stereotypes, both of the genre and the 'typical reader'. I'm guilty of it myself. I was telling a friend about my books and he asked what I wrote. I said military romance. He asked why would I want to write a romance and I said because every story, at the end of the day, is a romance because romance is about relationships. I write about military heroes because it's easier for me to get inside a soldier's head than not but ultimately, I want my fictional guys to have a happy ending. How is that bad? Why is it looked down upon? I'm a woman and I write romance and I'm proud of that fact. The fact that men are slipping into "our" genre simply means that we collectively are breaking out of the stereotypes. Oh, and we're still selling in a crappy economy, too. Jess Scott www.jessicascott.net I think part of the reason we as romance writers have trouble with the respect issue is because we’ve been denigrated for so long. I just started Smart Bitches Beyond Heaving Bosoms and they are dead on with their discussion of stereotypes, both of the genre and the ‘typical reader’.
I’m guilty of it myself. I was telling a friend about my books and he asked what I wrote. I said military romance. He asked why would I want to write a romance and I said because every story, at the end of the day, is a romance because romance is about relationships. I write about military heroes because it’s easier for me to get inside a soldier’s head than not but ultimately, I want my fictional guys to have a happy ending.
How is that bad? Why is it looked down upon? I’m a woman and I write romance and I’m proud of that fact. The fact that men are slipping into “our” genre simply means that we collectively are breaking out of the stereotypes.
Oh, and we’re still selling in a crappy economy, too.
Jess Scott
http://www.jessicascott.net

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