Romance novels are one of the most interesting and captivating genres for readers around the world.
Their elements like intrigue, drama, intimacy and much more make every reading worth your time.
This is a genre that was once considered vulgar but now captures the hearts of millions.
Today, romance is one of the best-selling genres, making it a lucrative opportunity for all writers. However, the competition to write an eye-catching romance novel has been going on for decades. In such circumstances, it can be difficult to stand out.
If you’ve never written and self-published a romance novel before, you might be worried about where exactly to start. There are so many unique factors that make a love story worth your reader’s time. After all, you can see love everywhere but the truth is that it can be hard to explain.
Before you get even more overwhelmed, here are some essential tips that can help you.
1. Create strong characters
Before you start looking for a trusted source Self-publishing a romance novel, it is important to understand what contributes to making your story interesting for readers. The first thing that might come to your mind is the characters.
The characters, especially in a romance novel, are the key to the reader’s heart. If they don’t care about the character, they won’t care about your book. Readers must feel for them to give them their time and attention.
Before you tell readers about the characters, you need to get to know them in depth. Determine what makes the character feel happy or sad and define their driving force. Write down every big and small detail until you feel that they are a complete person that you know closely.
If you can feel your character to the point where you understand how they will react to a certain situation, you have successfully created a strong character. When you can feel all their emotions, your readers can too. After all, you create a person from scratch, and plan to give him universal emotions.
2. Create an outline
Yes, you are the creator of the character in your fictional world and no one can dispute the deep understanding of the character that you have. But that doesn’t mean you leave everything in the stream. You need to create a detailed outline before you start typing a love story, even if spontaneously.
An outline can help you create the basic story you want to share with the world. This makes sure your story remains what you intended it to be all the way through. Without an outline, your story may take a different direction than you may have intended.
But remember, an outline doesn’t mean you don’t have room for flexibility. If you find the opportunity to add interesting twists and turns, you can add them to the story. Maybe, things will turn out better for your characters than you initially expected.
Some writers also choose to give their readers a sneak peek of their outline to get them excited about what’s to come. If you plan to do the same, make sure you just share a vague version of your outline. If it’s too detailed, you might give more than intended.
3. Craft descriptions of intimacy
No romance novel is complete without some intimacy or sexual tension. It should be understood that intimacy is not always supposed to take the characters to bed or even close. It’s all about describing the spark to your readers.
No matter how explicit the intimate scenes in your book. Your readers will indulge in your book and since they can’t see or feel like in a movie, you are the one who will undertake to describe. You must make your readers anticipate every encounter of your main characters.
Don’t hold back on writing detailed descriptions of the physical intimacy between your characters. Make them feel like they’re in the same room as your characters watching the building tension firsthand.
It’s always a good idea to read the works of respected artists in your chosen genre. After all, the more you read, the better you can write. With time and the work you read, the intimate scenes between your characters will only improve over time.
4. Pay attention to the cover design
When someone walks into a bookstore, the first thing they see is the covers of thousands of books in front of them. Naturally, they’ll gravitate towards the book with the cover closest to describing the genre they’re looking for.
Therefore, you need to work on your book cover to attract the attention of the right readers. If you have no experience in cover design or graphic design, it is best to hire a professional cover designer to get the job done.
Make sure you redraft the cover until you think your story will be conveyed through your cover. Otherwise, your book might get lost in the sea of so many other romance novels. After all, it is one of the most well-written genres of fiction.
5. Start a mailing list
Before you start panicking and worrying yourself about self-publishing, it’s best to think of smart ways to prepare the right readers for what’s coming. A few decades ago, you could consider putting up a poster, but now, the best way is to do so Create a mailing list.
To get a helpful mailing list, make sure you have a signup form on your author’s website. A signup form can help you connect with people who care about barbershops in your niche and genre.
Make sure you frequently share updates about your upcoming book with your subscribers to keep them excited about what’s coming. You can also link your social media activities to your author website so your readers know what you’re up to.
After all, keeping in touch with your readers is one of the best ways to market your work and make them feel special.
