(by 2 people)
The business and gossip of Romance-land
I'm a romance author. This lens is a collection of sites that I go to regularly to keep updated on what's happening in the romance-land online. As in any other profession, it's good to be aware of what people are saying about what your industry is putting out. This is my attempt to keep track of that while helping out newbies and others thinking about getting involved in romance publishing.
Must Read Romance Links
If you don't have time for much else
These are MUST reads.
- Smart Bitches Trashy Books
- a blog: fangirls who aren't afraid to laugh and snark the genre they love so much. Reviews, humor and commentary; origin of the google-bombing redefinition of the word "napoli"
- Dear Author
- a blog: romance reviews, interviews with romance industry professionals, one of the premier sites for web 2.0 reader/romance author interaction; don't miss the comments
- Romancing the Blog
- a blog: romance readers and authors who blog; features a new columnist every day discussing issues in the romance genre and industry; blogrolls have extensive links to romance authors (both ebook and print) as well as readers who blog; a great snapshot of what people are talking about
- Romance Divas
- website: Writer workshops, as well as articles and resources for the beginning writer; very active reader/author/editor forums
Romance Reader blogs
what readers are saying about the romance books they read
Because without readers, authors, editors, and agents would be nowhere
- Twisted Kingdom
- a group blog of speculative fiction, fantasy and paranormal romance books
- Thrifty Reader / Ames
- reviews from Manitoba, Canada; one woman's search for the balance between the need to read and the need to eat
- Sanctuary's Book Blog
- a group blog of a four typical romance readers
- Super Librarian / Wendy
- Reader reviews and commentary from a librarian
- Red Wyne / Sybil
- Romance reading, ranting, and reviewing
- Book Bitches
- a snarky reader blog run by 2 women
- Damned Scribbling Women
- a reader blog run by 2 women
- Book Minx
- reviews from an English major
- I just finished reading...
- "a place for reader reviews"
- Paperback Reader
- a group blog: "honest unflinching reviews"; reviewers include authors and a bookseller
- Scooper
- short romance reviews; highlights her favorite line in each book
- Milady Insanity / May
- one girl's romance reviews; features author interviews and routinely updates her blog listing various contests in which authors are giving away books
Editor blogs
- Nice Mommy, Evil Editor
- Angie is the Executive Editor over at Samhain Publishing, a premier online publisher currently expanding into print
- Anna Louise
- an editor over at Tor Romance; Tor is one of the industries largest publishers of speculative fiction. Anna also has a site at www.annasredpen.net which has an index of her "Demystifying Publishing" posts from her livejournal
- Isabel Swift
- Vice President of Author & Asset Development over at Harlequin
- Dreams of the Big Red Lion
- the blog of Faith, an editor at the ebook erotic romance publisher Freya's Bower
- Evil Editor
- Evil Editor is an anonymous editor who may not be a romance editor per se, but his sarcastic blog is on queries and cover letters is a must read for anyone seeking to get published
Literary Agent Blogs
Curious about cover and query letters? Stymied by synopses (what is the plural of synopsis anyway)? Check out these agent blogs and learn more about their secret world.
- Miss Snark
- If Literary Agent blogs were animals, Miss Snark's blog would be a blue whale; anyone aspiring to be a published writer should follow this blog (Archives are immensely helpful); potential commenters be warned: Miss Snark is named Miss Snark for a reason; updated daily
- Kristin Nelson
- One of the top literary agents outside of NY; far nicer than Miss Snark, but just as informative; updated daily
- Lit Agent X / Rachel Vater
- An agent at Lowenstein-Yost Associates; former assistant agent with the Donald Maass Literary Agency; updated weekly
- Jennifer Jackson
- An agent at the Donald Mass Literary Agency; updated occasionally
- Deidre Knight
- Official blog of the Knight Agency by author and agent Deidre Knight; updated regularly
- Jenny Rappaport
- A literary agent at the L.Perkins agency; updated regularly
- The Rejecter
- Anonymous assistant to an agent; "I don't hate you. I just hate your query letter."; often amusing, always informative; updated regularly
- Bookends Literary Agency
- The Bookends Literary Agency: "BookEnds, LLC, is an innovative and energetic literary agency. We represent a diversity of authors, from spirituality, self-help and business writers to mystery, romance and literary novelists. BookEnds works with authors and publishers to produce the books we all want to see on our shelves."
Independent Romance Review and Info Sites
These are respected independent sites where you can get information about latest releases, author contests and promotions. Some of them have forums, author interviews, informative articles, etc. Many of these sites also feature book reviews.
- Just Erotic Romance Reviews
- Honest reviews, author interviews and interesting articles via a Yahoogroup newsletter.
- Coffeetime Romance
- Offers Free Reads
- Fallen Angel Reviews
- Book Reviews and more
- Romance Junkies
- Very active Yahoogroups email list, features lots of contests, promotions, as well as reviews.
- Romance Reviews Today
- Romance reviews
- The Romance Studio
- More Romance reviews
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