Breathe In. Breathe Out.

This week was a great week for breathing in and breathing out.

On Thursday, my good friend Kristen Painter and I jumped in the car and took a little ride across the state for the Novelists, Inc. (or NINC) conference in St. Petersburg. There, the focus was on breathing in—or taking in—information about the explosive growth in electronic publishing and what that means to the average writer. From every side we heard that change is coming and traditional print publishers are struggling to adapt to a digital marketplace. Industry professionals listed areas where publishers needed to make changes: Make books available in both print and e-formats; release back lists in e-formats; train authors to use social media tools, like Facebook and Twitter. I have to admit, as a Harlequin author I felt some warm fuzzies when Donna Hayes, CEO of Harlequin Enterprises, repeatedly said, “We already do that.” Check, check and double-check.

On Saturday, it was time to breathe out—this time sharing the story of my road to publication at the monthly meeting of First Coast Romance Writers in Jacksonville, FL. Let’s face it, selling a manuscript to a major publisher can be a daunting task. According to the statistics, less than one in a thousand writers makes the leap from “aspiring” to “published” author. We all get discouraged along the way, but why can’t you be the one who makes it? I did, and if my story inspires just one promising author to stick with it, then a three-hundred mile car trip is worth the effort. From what I heard and saw at FCRW this weekend, quite a few of their members are ready to make that leap.

By the way, FCRW’s annual contest, Beacon, is short on entries and has extended its deadline until Friday, October 15th. For more information on this all-electronic contest, go to: http://www.firstcoastromancewriters.com/contest_un.htm.
Contests are a great place to test your work, and finaling in one is a short-cut to getting your work before an acquiring editor or agent. Or in the Beacon’s case, both.

If You Thing POV is an Economy Car...

So, I was talking with a couple of my writing pals about the mistakes we made as beginning writers, and I came up with this list of things every romance writer needs to know. Take a moment. Enjoy a laugh.

- If someone says “head hopping” and you think “rabbits,” you’re not ready to publish.

- If you think POV is a new kind of economy car, you’re not ready to publish.

- If your manuscript includes the phrases “swashbuckling hero” or “ripped bodice,” you’re out of touch with today's market.

- If you think goal and motivation are the same thing, you could use a workshop or two. By the same token, if you’ve never heard of Deb Dixon, you’re not ready to publish.

- If someone says your story needs GMC and you go looking for car dealerships, you’re not ready to publish.

- If you think a black moment has something to do with the stock exchange, you’re not ready to publish.

- If you think conflict is an argument, you’re not ready to publish.

- If you’re writing romantic suspense and don’t have a villian, you’re not ready to publish.

- If the hero of your series contemporary doesn’t appear before the third chapter, you’re not ready to publish.

- If you think HEA is a sexually transmitted disease, you’re not ready to publish.

- If your hero and heroine fall in love at first glance and lovingly hold hands right through their happily-ever-after moment, you need to join RWA and educate yourself on romance in today’s marketplace.

- If you chose to write romance because you thought it was easy, you’re not ready to publish.

Leigh's Best Moments of the 2010 RWA Conference

That's fellow Harlequin American author Laura Bradford and Yours Truly on the big screen at the amazing Harlequin party Friday evening. And below are some of my fav moments from the 2010 RWA Conference.

Biggest thrill - Debbie Macomber stopped in hall to speak with me… And she knew my name!

Best news - My editor, Laura Barth, wants to see more of my new proposal and thinks the story is on the right track. Yay!

Best Business News - Sales of romance books are up 7% and publishers are buying! E-books are bringing romance to wider markets.

Best Moment – As the RITA finalists were announced, I turned just in time to see Barbara O’Neal grab Christopher Robin’s hand. So touchingly sweet. Such a well-deserved win!

Best Banquet – The first, of course. Lunch-time Thursday, the meal included herb-crusted chicken with baby patty pan squash. (The same chicken with a different sauce was slightly less wonderful on Friday, and definitely not so wonderful on Saturday night. LOL)

Best coffee - The first cup I poured myself on Monday morning...at home.

Best new friends - Met with several Harlequin American Romance authors who, like me, have just a couple of books under their belts. C.C. Coburn, Megan Long, Laura Bradford, Dominique Burton and Barbara. I am so proud to be among this group of fabulous writers.

Best and Most Nerve-wracking Moment - Meeting my editor, Laura Barth, in person for the first time. I shouldn't have worried. She's even more encouraging and receptive in person than she is on the phone and in her emails.

Best Vicarious Moments - Hearing all about the VIP treatment the Dolphin GM lavished on good friends Roxanne St. Claire, Kristen Painter, Lara Santiago, Kresley Cole and Louisa Edwards. Oh, to be a few years younger and blonde! There’s not much I can do about the years, but there’s a bottle of Clairol Golden Ash in my future. See you in New York, girls!

The Cody's: First Family of Rodeo

Mosey on over to the Harlequin Authors blog and check out the great new mini-series, The Cody's: First Family of Rodeo. For all ya'll cowboy fans, this month's release is Dexter: Honorable Cowboy

Go to: www.harauthors.blogspot.com

Harlequin Authors' Blog

I'm talking about Florida's theme park attractions on the Harlequin Authors' blog. Stop by at: http://harauthors.blogspot.com/

Happy Memorial Day! My thanks go out to all who have given so much to keep our country safe. My prayers, for all who do the same today.

If you have a free moment today, stop by the Harlequin American Romance blog and read my post about the end of a (television) series at: http://harauthors.blogspot.com/

Recipe for a First Sale

Today, I'm sharing my sure-fire recipe for publication at the Women's Fiction chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Drop by their blog at http://www.rwa-wf.com/2010/05/10/recipe-for-a-first-sale As always, I'd love to hear what you think about my recipe and how it compares to your own.