I’m a little late coming in to this post, but I have read with interest all the comments and responses. The encouragement to write the story which you hold in your heart is especially heartening. I am more inclined toward historical romance, but one thing I thought all you “contemporaries” out there might find interesting–Jane Austen was writing contemporary romance, and look where she is today (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies notwithstanding)!

Write on!

Diane

As for dumbing down – no I don’t think so. I think that if a story is too plot heavy the editors are looking at book length – and thinking you don’t need that much external plot when you have a short space to tell a ROMANCE. Smaller plot that helps move the story along works better.

No bones about it – writing as a career takes a certain amount of stamina and willingness to shoulder burdens. Only you can know what’s right for you but I wish you the best of luck in making your decision!

Re one question I haven’t seen asked re contemporary/category: explanation follows. Some time ago a fellow writer remarked she’d followed the guidelines for Harlequin Mills & Boon when she submitted her ms. They asked for “a strong story line”, yet they rejected her work on the grounds it was “too plot oriented.” My own book was similarly rejected. (Since taken up by e-publisher).Story line too strong? Do HM&B really require the contents of their list to be dumbed down to the lowest common denominator?

I add hastily I’ve read plenty of HM&Bs with strong storylines, or at least with strong characters working through strong relationships. I realise the great majority of publishers these days are simply cogs in big conglomerates, yet do all of them have as their absolute criteria for acceptance “Will it sell 50,000 copies?” Smaller houses once took chances on unknowns if their work was of good quality. Now authors are required to shoulder the huge burden of marketing and promotion which publishers once considered their share of the business. While authors market and promote we are NOT writing. This is even truer of the e-publishers than the print publishers. (My last contemporary was rejected on slim grounds; I assume it was because the first had not sold a sufficient number of copies.) And as an older person I find the burden too much, and am on the edge of opting out and writing for my personal pleasure only.

After that gripe-whine, I will happily add that I found your discussion honest, lively and informative!

Monya