Comments on: Saturday Chit-Chat

By: Tina Martinesi

Tina Martinesi — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 02:48:38 +0000

Wow I’ve been gone all day and just popped in now to get my weekly writing tips and was surprised to see all this activity for a Saturday!!

Jodie, Hearts, Hugs, & Prayers!! I agree with Janelle, while taking care of hubby don’t forget to take care of you too!!

By: Patti

Patti — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 01:35:21 +0000

My goal is to sell to Blaze but I need to make my heroines more sassy.
I truly think you have to read the category line you’re targeting in order to know what they are wanting, but that isn’t a hard and fast rule. I’ve read category books for years and ::sob:: I still miss Temptation.

Jodie, hang in there….the romance community is here for you!

By: Liza

Liza — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 23:36:52 +0000

Jodie I will continue to keep you and your husband in my prayers. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday. Thanks for all the information on writing. It’s so awesome how helpful all of y’alls tips are for the prospective writers.

By: Jodie

Jodie — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 23:34:57 +0000

Hi everyone - y’all are so sweet and it’s amazing to think people from all over the country are sending good thoughts and prayers our way.

Leslie - I just sent up a blessing that my MIL/FIL had arrived. I did bring Charles “home”, be it a hotel room, from the hospital and…remember when you had your first baby and it was the longest night of your life? I don’t think that’s going to be anything compared to tonight!!

He developed a really bad headache around 1:00 and none of the medicines are helping. I’m figuring it was a tension headache caused by the fact he was leaving the safety of the hospital/nurses and being left in my care!

Patricia - Nurses are angels in my book!

Thanks for all the great insight into this topic today!!

By: Patricia

Patricia — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 22:59:48 +0000

Jodie, I missed your post about what happened to your hubby, but, my son, at 16, had a concussion, two fractures in his skull & a broken collarbone from getting hit on the back of a motorcycle by a drunk driver. He had head injury, with some of the scariest behavior I’ve ever seen, but, two weeks later, he was back at school. He had to read a map to find how to get there, but, from that period to now, other than not remembering the circumstances of the accident, he’s been fine. I’ll keep good thoughts & prayers for your husband, & you.

Leslie, Hurray to being freed from the MIL! I’m certain things will be happier with the family at the new house.

Regarding Category, I still love it. I’m in my 60s, love the Blazes, some authors who now write for Special Edition (after the change was made in the Intimate Moments line) & certain authors who write for SuperRomance, the latter which I find are longer & have more issue-oriented stories than the other lines (or this may just be my perception). For the most part I still buy by author, unless recommended by a friend. I still find a great deal of arrogance against Category which annoys me to no end. I think many of the detractors haven’t even read any. I wish they’d read Korbel’s A ROSE FOR MAGGIE or many of Ruth Wind’s lyrical stories of Native American heroes (as well as too many others to mention) before they pass judgment. There’s lots of junk in STs, too.

Good question & discussion.

Patricia A.

By: Paula R.

Paula R. — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 22:16:38 +0000

Julie thanx for the detailed explanation…it makes more sense to me now…

On another note, I love visiting this site because it makes me laugh, think and just get a chance to talk to people who love to write and read like I do…it really helps me to detoxify from a hard day of work….thanx for being there…

By: Julie Leto

Julie Leto — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 18:42:55 +0000

Ditto, Carly. I just love our Plotmonkey community.

By: Julie Leto

Julie Leto — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 18:42:04 +0000

No, I’m sure the demographic stuff isn’t available. Not that it’s a big secret, but it’s just a marketing tool and not something I think authors need to concern themselves with overall. If you read the line, I really think you’d be able to guess the demographic. I can’t say over and over that the most important thing you can do to understand category is to read, read, read.

By: Carly

Carly — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 18:01:33 +0000

I think the easiest way to define “category” versus single title is that single titles are shelved by author in the romance section; while category is usually in a special section, it is a monthly book with a one month shelf life in stores; when that month is over, books are pulled and stripped and returned (see me wailing ?:cry: In addition, Julie really went over other differences that are more specific.

Can I say, I love you all? I came on to see what was up; people are wishing me a Happy Saturday, you’re here, you’re interested, I’m grateful!

By: Becca

Becca — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:56:00 +0000

First, Jodie, ((((hugs))))! Hope he recovers quickly. Prayers coming your way!

As for category vs single title, I write both. Whichever gets published first is fine by me. I enjoy both, and the ideas I get dictate the type and size of book. I think the category editors seem (personal opinion here) more available and accessable to unpublished writers. Even HQN won’t read anything but a query from unagented writers, whereas category still takes ‘em all. That alone makes it *seem* easier to get in the door. The writing still has to speak for itself, of course. My theory is to write from my heart, and one day someone will want it! I hope….

Thanks for addressing this. I know it differs from person to person, but it’s always nice to get published perspectives.