How do you define 'romance'? 'Happily Ever After'? Do you consider LGBTQ+ romance its own trope or a genre? You shouldn’t. Is it okay to write what you don’t know? Yes, carefully. Everyone deserves a happily ever after, and in LGBTQ+ romance, the opportunities are boundless. Join us as we discuss:
Writing and Editing LGBTQ+ Romance
Broadening your definition of romance and your perception of happily ever after
Opportunities for your characters and for you as a writer
Writing what you do and don’t know, authentically and sensitively
Approach to challenges and pitfalls to avoid (Where’s the lube?!)
Tropes and themes: the good, the bad, and the ugly
Pitching and Publishing LGBTQ+ Romance
Who’s publishing LGBTQ+ Romance and what they’re looking for
How to get your story noticed by a publisher
Romancing your house editor for long-term success
Taking the self-publishing road
Marketing tips and tricks for LGBTQ+ Romance
Layla Reyne Bio:
Author Layla Reyne was raised in North Carolina and now calls San Francisco home. She enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart pounding romance. When she’s not writing stories to excite her readers, she downloads too many books, watches too much television, and cooks too much food with her scientist husband, much to the delight of their smushed-face, leftover-loving dogs. Layla is a member of Romance Writers of America and its Kiss of Death and Rainbow Romance Writers chapters. She is a 2019 RWA® RITA® Finalist in Contemporary Romance (Mid-Length) and 2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense.
You can find Layla at www.laylareyne.com, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest as @laylareyne, and in her reader group on Facebook—Layla’s Lushes (https://www.facebook.com/groups/laylaslushes/).
R.L. Merrill Bio:
Once upon a time... A teacher, tattoo collector, mom, and rock 'n' roll kinda gal opened up a doc and started purging her demons. Several self-published books and a debut from Dreamspinner Press later, with more tucked away in her evil lair, R.L. Merrill is still striving to find that perfect balance between real-life and happily ever after. You can find her lurking on social media where she loves connecting with readers, being a mom-taxi to two brilliant and busy kids, in the tattoo chair trying desperately to get that back piece finished, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more Rock 'n' Romance.
Sue Brown-Moore Bio:
Sue Brown-Moore is a developmental editor who specializes in romance. She is a lifelong romance and sci-fi addict and believes that magical, mushy Happily Ever Afters are just about the best thing ever. Sue is also a veteran romance influencer and the creative voice behind the romance podcast Infatuated.