Gleanings from the New Jersey Romance Writers Conference #NJRW2014

My program from the conference. You can see from the smileys I added how much I enjoyed it!

Happy Friday everyone! I attended the Put Your Heart in a Book New Jersey Romance Writers Conference last weekend and had a wonderful time. I attended with four other writer friends, three of whom pitched with great success. Me, I took the no stress route and went just to hear the speakers and attend the presentations.

Susan Mallery was the Keynote Speaker Saturday morning. What an inspiring speech that was. She spoke about her somewhat circuitous route to mega-success and the importance of having a plan for one’s writing career. Susan is amazing--she wrote one hundred books before she broke through to the New York Times Bestseller List! Later on, I attended her Screw the Muse, I’m on Deadline presentation, where she discussed time management, feeling that the “well is dry” and that deadliest of all threats, negative self-talk (aka “my book sucks”). When she’s on a roll, Susan writes seventy-five pages a week!

Our lunchtime speaker was Jennifer Probst, who stepped in on short notice. She really hit it out of the part. Her speech was very moving, and really stressed the importance of perseverance. She overcame a lot of career disappointment before The Marriage Bargain came out and hit the charts. What I learned from her: never give up.

I got a lot out of author Nancy Herkness’ presentation Sell Your Book, Not Your Soul: How to Write a Commercial Book From Your Heart. She stressed the importance of hooks in a story. It’s important to study the market and learn what’s popular so your story will have broad appeal while still containing elements you care about, thus making it your own. This is the formula she used to create her successful Whisper Horse Series.

During her Keynote Speech, Susan Mallery mentioned Joan Johnston’s books. This reminded me that Susan Meier also mentioned the author during a presentation for the Central New York Romance Writers.  So now I’m reading Joan Johnston’s The Texan. Of course, I’m hooked. Now I understand why her name is on so many authors’ tongues.

This is only a smidge of what I experienced and learned over the weekend. I’ve returned a bit overwhelmed, but definitely inspired. Only ninety three more books to write, and maybe I can be the next Susan Mallery!

Reflections from The New Jersey Romance Writers Conference

The conference in New Jersey was exceptional. It usually takes me a while to absorb and process new information, and the past few days have given me a chance to understand what I've learned. The authors and presenters were so generous with their knowledge and experience. I was truly impressed and moved by some of the obstacles they had overcome.

    

Sabrina Jeffries was the keynote speaker at breakfast Saturday morning. She shared how she had to reinvent herself as an author at the same time she was facing many personal challenges.  Though she'd published a number of historical romances as Deborah Martin, her career had come to a standstill. She basically had to start over, building her career as a romance author from the ground up. As Sabrina Jeffries she took chances, listened to the advice of others, tried things she'd been reluctant to do before. Gradually, with drive and persistence, she met with success. Success? Hey, she's a bestselling author whose readers clamor for her next book! But it wasn’t quick and it wasn't easy.

     

 I also sat in on a Q & A session with bestselling author Susan Wiggs. Things didn't come quickly for her, either. She worked for years as a teacher, so writing had to be done in the evenings, on weekends, or during school holidays. She had to sacrifice some "fun times" in order to write—but as she put it, "If something's important enough to you, you'll find the time to do it." And it was fascinating to learn that though she was very successful writing historical romances, she wrote her first contemporary romance on spec. She had established such a niche in historicals, she wasn't sure how publishers and readers would react if she moved to contemporaries. How lucky for those of us who love her stories she took the chance!

That's the thing about these successful authors. They take chances, they make changes, they do what they need to do in order to connect with readers. I really came away feeling humbled by everything I'd learned from them.

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A bit of news! My upcoming ffm ménage romance has undergone a title change. It is now called His and Hers and Hers.  It's coming this Fall, so keep your eyes peeled for more information! When I find out, you'll find out.

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

Nona Raines
Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.com

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Friday Fragments: Hello from Beautiful New Jersey

Hi everyone, Nona here. This is  going to be a brief post, because I'm at the New Jersey Romance Writer's Conference, having the time of my life. The Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel is beautiful, the workshops have been terrific, and everyone I've met has been welcoming and friendly.

This morning I was at a fascinating pre-conference workshop by multi-published, best-selling author Susan Wiggs. This afternoon I attended  a two part presentation by Angela James, Senior Editor at Carina Press, on "Building Your Brand" and "Using Your Website to Support Your Brand." She had so many great pointers, and you better believe I took plenty of notes. In the evening authors were honored during the Put Your Heart in a Book and the Golden Leaf Awards ceremony.

Tomorrow there will more fabulous authors to meet, more presentations to attend, and so much more to learn. I can't wait!

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Don't forget to scroll down, because the Hot In Handcuffs blog hop giveaway is still going on! I'm giving away a $15 gift certificate -- just check Wednesday's post for all the details. And don't forget to visit the other great blogs on the hop!

Have a wonderful weekend, all! 

Nona Raines
Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.com

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