weird little things about being a romance writer

Things no one tells you when you set out to write for a living in romance.

Not all publishers and editors are for every writer. You think a publisher does romance, so do you. Hoocha hoocha hoocha, boom. Not so. And different editors within that publisher have different loves. Fight to find the best fit for you.

Romance is an underappreciated genre. Not by readers, thank God for them, but by the literary machine and by many writers themselves. Don't be ashamed. Be proud of our genre and sing its praises as what it is. Romance is the only female dominated genre in the world. Celebrate that!

Everyone will tell you about the book they want to write/want you to write. This can be annoying if you let it, but I prefer to let it make me proud. This means I am making a living at the very thing hundreds of folks wish they could do and admire.

Your family will come to RT and goggle and say, "This is what you do?" Well, one week a year. Maybe a few more if you do some of the other cons. Frankly, the rest of the time I sit in my PJs with my bassets and type...

There will be haters. Anytime you do a job where the general public is involved in deciding your fate, there will be people who threaten to burn your books. (I heard an author say this about a publisher's books at AAA and was amazed that someone who had no beef with them that I knew of could be so nasty for no reason). I say don't let this get to you. Say hooray for the haters, because that means you're big enough for someone to notice and be jealous/angry/freaked out about you.

It's all about the readers. Every time someone tells me," I loved book X," or, "You made me cry" I have this warm glow all over. Write romance for the love, for the happy ending, and for the reader. Do that, and it will all be okay.

XXOO

Jullia

Austin Author Affair 2015 wrap up and a note on events big and small

We got back Monday Sunday, but Monday I really got back into the swing of life and was able to work.

After RT, we turned right around and did the Austin Author Affair in poor, flood-ridden Austin. Thankfully, we got to show Andrew Grey Austin before the flood, and we got out in the nick of time. All good thoughts and prayers to everyone suffering from the rain in Texas and elsewhere.

AAA2015 was a small event, a mixer Friday night, a signing Saturday from 12-5 and a karaoke party hosted by Torquere Press on Saturday night.

While the event was small in size, it really packed a punch. The mixer was a bit of a miss for me and BA as we were so pooped, and we snuck out after hugging on all of the fans who wanted to see us and all of our author and reader friends.

The signing rocked, though. What we lacked in huge crowds we made up in readers who wanted books. I met a lot of amazing folks, and got tons of hugs and sold all but two of my books.

The highlight of the karaoke party was signing backup for Bronwyn Green on Rumor Has It with Paige Prince and Jess Jarman. We had a blast!

We skipped out of Austin in between storms and got delayed in Denver due to a late plane from Ohio of all things. We're home now, though, and happy to be back to work.

Now, I have something to say about the recent nastiness between a certain big event and some smaller ones. I won't name names because I take everything with a grain of salt, and since I can see no way in which a feud benefits anyone, I won't give any of them free advertising.

What I do want to do is ask everyone a question. Why would anyone fight about this issue? A big event with tons of parties and panels is great for me as a writer because I get to meet lots and lots of people and talk about my books. The booksignings at those events, though, are marginal for me. Readers are so laden with free books and swag that paying a formal bookseller full price for a book by an author they might not know seems silly.

At a small event, where there are no panels and only a few parties, the booksigning is all about the books. The readers there want to buy books, want to get signed copies from their favorite authors, and want to meet new authors and try out things they've never heard of. I always sell well at these kinds of events, and I'm tickled anytime I'm invited. I also love start up events, because who knows who you might connect with there, rather than seeing the same people at every event.

Basically, each kind of event is valid, everyone has room to grow, and everyone needs to just (In the words of Liz from Shaun of the Dead) calm the fuck down. If everyone minded their own business instead of someone else's, we could all read and write and not deal with so much drama.

Hugs to everyone who made our two weeks in Texas amazing.

XXOO

Julia

RT 2015

Took me awhile to process RT in Dallas. So much happened that was good, and I had to live with it a bit.

We arrived late on Wednesday night, so we missed the party that evening. All we managed to do was have room service and collapse.

Thursday we were up bright and early to have brekkie, beating the crowd so I could then go be at the Samhain No Wating Dating, an author speed dating event. The fans were so cool! Most of them had never heard of me, though a few came to see just me, but everyone was super positive about my upcoming book, Book of Love.

BA's daddy came in for supper Thursday night, and had a ball watching all the corseted ladies go back and forth to the Steampunk party. He's recovered so much better than the doctors expected, y'all. We also hit the All Romance Ebooks cocktail party, which was a blast.

Friday we ended up booked solid, with club RT in the morning, then the Dreamspinner LGBTQ Apples to Apples game. OMG y'all, that was a hoot, and DSP has the most amazing authors and readers and staff. < BA's mom came in on Friday, and we got to spend time with her and go to some big old parties. We hung out with Andrew Grey and Amy Lane and Laura Harner and so many other amazing peeps.

Saturday we set up for the book signing, and that was crazy! Busy as anything. I loved every moment.

Finally, we worked the Fantastic Day party hosted by Dreamspinner. Gave away tons of books and swag and just worked the room like pros. Boom. Damon Suede MCd, and that made me laugh like a loon.

Once the weekend was over, we spent the next week with Daddy BA and Andrew Grey before AAA in Austin, which is a whole new post. So much fun, y'all! As soon as I get pics downloaded, I'll post!

Hugs

Not my RT recap

I have many feels, lots of squeals and some pics of RT2015. I'll post a recap after I've had a few days to recover! MIss everyone already. So many amazing hugs.

XXOO

Julia

Writers are all potential readers, don't forget

I recently saw an example, on a closed author loop, of an Author Behaving Badly/ I usually take rants with a grain of salt. We all need a safe place to vent. However, this author went far beyond that, and thus assured that the first time I ever heard of them will be the last time I want to. That's okay, this author says I'm not their market. I'm another author.

*crickets chirping*

Okay, here's where I get real and expose my fierce reader side. I buy upward of 15 books a week. Some on Bookbub, sure, but I also go through the ARE newsletter, the new products on my fav publishers, and Twitter and Facebooks. Some 75% of what I buy is romance, and half of that or more is GLBTQ of some sort.

This person had just assured that I will never buy one of their books, nor will I rec them, which I am wont to do with my fellow GLBTQ authors even if their stuff isn't my cup of tea. That's a lot of potential sales to lose because you can't behave on an author loop...

Writers are some of the most prolific readers I know. Don't tell me we're not important in the marketing process, and you'd absolutely better not tell me I am less of a human being because I don't have a certain appendage...

XXOO

Julia

what happened to the week?

whoosh. Hump day. Gone. what the heck?

XXOO

Julia

Six Random Facts Sunday

idea stolen from Sean Michael via BA Tortuga.

1. My favorite movie is the Mummy, but I think the best movie I've ever seen is Gladiator. It's clever, beautiful, and mostly well-acted. 2. I was a clown for a while back in my early twenties. I'm sorry.

3. I always wanted to have a name that lent itself to a nickname. My real name? It doesn't. But I did have a nickname my mom used. It's a cartoon character from the 70s.

4. I love western art. I went to the Cowboy Hall of Fame in OKla City when I was 7, and fell in love with Remington. I collect Jack Wells, who began the PRCA Art Association.

5. I love country music, but I also adore 90s alternative. Eve 6, Matchbox 20, Green Day,

My favorite food is spaghetti and meat sauce a la my mom with salad and garlic toast.

XXOO

Julia