How to Market Your Romance Novel Directly to a Publisher

"The romance genre is one of the few left where publishers still accept submissions directly from writers," says Sheri McGregor, author of "Under One Roof." That's the good news. The bad news? "Imagine the stacks of manuscripts romance publishers receive daily. With three- to six-month response times, they must be
inundated."

Things You'll Need

• Manuscript Publishers

Instructions

1. Know your market. Publishers specialize in lines and genres. Don't submit a Western romance to a historical romance house.

2. Network. Join writers' groups, both online and face-to-face.

3. Attend writers' conferences and meet publishers and editors. Sometimes it's who you know rather than what you know.

4. Request publisher's guidelines once you've determined the appropriate house.

5. Follow the guidelines exactly. You cannot expect a publisher to give serious consideration to a novel written in pencil on lined school paper.

6. Call the publisher and ask the name of the editor who reads the genre of novel you'll be submitting. Address your submission to that person.

7. Be patient but persistent. Follow up on a submission politely if you must, but remember that your novel is not the only one under consideration; be prepared for a long wait. Avoid making a pest of yourself by repeatedly and unnecessarily calling the publisher.

Tips & Warnings

• "Make an editor's job simpler by trying to place your particular manuscript with the appropriate person," McGregor says.

• Writers' conferences are valuable. According to McGregor, "By networking at conferences, you can intrigue an editor with your story idea before you send it. If they have agreed to read it after a consultation meeting, you can write 'requested material' on the outside of the envelope, perhaps getting you a quicker read."

• "Get to work on another project right away - it makes the time pass more quickly," McGregor recommends.