I’m sometimes asked how I broke into the highly competitive world of romance publishing. My answer is: Hell if I know.

No really – that is my answer. But I will elaborate, because this is my web page and it’s thrilling to have complete and utter control over one tiny piece of the universe. (Say! It just occurred to me that I could trick you into reading some of my poetry right now, just slip it in and before you noticed what hit you – bam! – you’re reading Haiku about what lurks in my refrigerator crisper tray. How power corrupts!)

Anyway, the truth is there is no magic formula that got me published. At one of the first writer’s conferences I attended, an editor told the enthusiastic little group at her table that the odds were that none of us would ever make it. I remember thinking, "Well, thanks for the encouragement, you evil heifer!" Much of what I later read and heard echoed that editor’s opinion, though others were nicer about it. Some even said perky things like "never give up!"

The truth is, getting a book contract is a wickedly hard thing to do these days. There are many talented writers with wonderful manuscripts they can’t sell. I know a bunch of them. You may be one.

So why me? A girl can drive herself crazy pondering that question – as it relates to both life’s great blessings and its great losses. I’m still in shock over my good fortune, and everyday, I half expect St. Martin’s to call and tell me they just realized they’ve made a horrible error – they meant to offer a contract to someone named Suki Donotovansky, not Susan Donovan!

The following is the only advice I have for aspiring writers and it is by no means original. (For better and more practical advice, please go to the websites of better and more practical writers or read from the list of suggested books at the end of this section.)

Susan’s Rules O’ Writin’ ‘N Publishin’

1. Be Yourself. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, this simple act takes great courage and has been the subject of endless discussion. In my opinion, (and do remember this is the woman who writes Haiku about kitchen appliances) it comes to a simple choice: you can either put all your energy into worrying about whether your story is "trendy" and fits a formula, or you can take a deep breath and be yourself and *#@!‘em if they can’t take a joke!

2. Read consciously and often. Read lots of books in a variety of genres and find a few that you absolutely love. Then ask yourself why you love them – the answer may lead you to the kind of writing you’d enjoy yourself.

3. Write every day. Even if it’s only for a few minutes, writing every day keeps the gates of the imagination open, keeps your story alive, and gives you every right to tell people, "I’m a writer" without guffawing so hard that beer shoots out of your nose.

4. Move along. Don’t just keep writing the same chapter or book over and over. When you’re done with one book and are sending it out to agents and editors, start another. I know from personal experience that writing gets easier – and maybe better – with each book. (KNOCK ME OFF MY FEET was my third book, but the first to be purchased.)

5. Know your job. Your job is to write the story. Unfortunately, writers don’t have control over much of anything else. We can’t make an editor buy our manuscript or an agent represent us. We can’t coerce distributors to pick up our book or make reviewers like it. The only thing we control is THE WRITING so that’s where our focus should be.

6. Don’t obsess. Have a life outside your book. Remember to go outside and soak up the sun. Play with your kids. Take your husband on a date. Some of us writer types forget to do these things, especially on deadline. Then we wake up one morning and there’s nothing inside us that needs to be written. This is burn out. Head it off at the pass if you can.

7. Have fun with your writing. If it’s not fun, try some other creative pursuit for awhile until you’re absolutely itching to get at the keyboard again.

8. Join A Writers Group. Check out your local Romance Writers of America chapter and be willing to learn something new.
That’s it. Hope it helps. Sorry if it didn’t.

Want Me To Read Your Manuscript? I’m sorry, but I can’t read your proposal or your manuscript. I just don’t have time. I’ve learned that children and animals get cranky if they don’t eat regularly. I’ve learned that I can’t function on less than six hours of sleep a night. I’ve learned that my marriage is more fulfilling if my husband and I talk each and every day whether we want to or not. All these things require time. I wish I had time to read your work, but I don’t. Critique groups can be a great help, though!
Here are a few books I recommend for aspiring writers:

McKee, Robert. Story
Bickam, Jack M. 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Maass, Donald. Writing the Breakout Novel
Goldberg, Natalie. Writing Down the Bones
Cameron, Julia. (Three books) The Right to Write; The Artist’s Way; The Vein of Gold
Browne, Renni. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
Keyes, Ralph. The Courage To Write