Now, here’s a surprise treat … hot on the heels of Liz Fielding, I’m delighted to welcome Kate Walker, who has popped by to talk about the new edition of her 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance.  If you’re interested in writing romance and haven’t yet come across it, I urge you to get yourself a copy.  It’s a wonderfully clear and helpful guide, and whenever anyone writes to me asking for advice on writing, Kate’s book is what I recommend - she says it better than I ever could!   

It sounds as if it’s all happening on Kate’s website this week, unlike here where I will have to have my head down for a while, so if you want some fun, do go along to her party - and if you’re really lucky, Sid will pick out your name to win a copy of the guide for yourself! 

Kate’s going to be back in September, and I’m really looking forward to chatting to her properly then, but in the meantime, let’s help her celebrate the second edition of a really great book … So thank you, Kate, and enjoy those parties!

My  thanks to Jessica for inviting me  to guest on her blog this week at what  is a very special time for me when I'm able to announce that the brand-new, second edition of the 12 Point Guide  to Writing Romance  is being published this week, starting with a launch party  over on my blog, and another at the London Book Fair. I'm really thrilled to be able to say that this second edition is being published and I've been working hard to make it even bigger and better than the first one.

Why did I want to write a second edition?

Well, first there's the obvious reason - the fact that the first edition sold out. That meant that no one can get a copy any more, unless they found one second-hand. Even Amazon doesn't have any used copies available.

Well - they do - if you want
a. A copy sent from Lebanon. I think that's Lebanon NY
b. A used copy for £60-82 - £60-82!!!!
c. A 'like new' copy for £67 - 40

I think not!

And no way am I claiming that my book is worth 6 - nearly 7 times what it originally cost.

Then there was the fact that some of the information in the original edition needed updating - for example, there were the names of some lines - Mills and Boon 'Tender Romance' was back to being just Mills & Boon Romance. And Silhouette Romance had merged with that line to be Harlequin Romance.

Then there was the Modern Extra line which is now selling as Modern Heat.. Nothing stays exactly the same in romance publishing for very long. And that includes the focus of the different lines, there are changes in the guidelines and the things that editors are looking for in submissions.

So obviously it was time to plan a second edition.

But I also decided that if I was going to bring out a second edition, it was going to be an improved and expanded new edition as well as a revised one. I know a lot about writing romance but there are some things that only the authors who write for specific lines really know about.

And so I decided that the best way to make the book even more helpful would be to include advice from the horses' mouths so to speak. Only I didn't call it that - I called this new section From The Authors' Desks. I sent out questionnaires to lots of my wonderful friends who write romance for many different lines - and 21 of them answered. 

SO I'm thrilled to be able to say that the new edition is not only revised and updated, it also has this 40+ pages extra with advice and tips from 21 currently published authors. Authors like Michelle Reid, Anne McAllister, Sandra Marton in Presents, Liz Fielding, Natasha Oakley, in Romance, Trish Wylie and Julie Cohen in Modern Heat (Trish in Romance too!) - and Kate
Hardy in Mod Heat and Medicals - along with Gill Sanderson and Margaret McDonagh. And in Historicals there's Nicola Cornick and Michelle Styles. . .. and that's only as a taster. There's also Holly Jacobs from Harlequin Everlasting - er - Superromance (see there's another of those lines that came and went) and Yvonne Lindsay from Desire. Hopefully, whatever line you're aiming for you'll find something to help you there.

And it won't cost you £ 67-00 - I promise!

No, this new expanded edition will be exactly the same price as the first edition - that's £10.99  in UK money
.
As I said, I will be holding a special launch party on my blog  with many of  the authors who contributed to the From the Authors' Desks section joining me in the celebrations - and many of them are offering prizes too. So don't miss out on that. And I'll be answering  questions in the Writers' Q&A as  well. So I hope I'll see you here.

Oh -and as I've been asked for these details - here's what you need if you want to order the 12 PGTWR 2
The details you'll need are:

12-Point Guide to Writing Romance(Studymates Writers Guides)
By Kate Walker
2nd Rev Ed edition Pub April 8th
RRP: £10.99
Publisher: Studymates Ltd
ISBN: 978-1842851319

In America you should be able to order it from Barnes & Noble, Borders, Chapters/Indigo - just tell them to order it through Transatlantic Publishers.

But if you want a chance to be one of the very first people to own a signed copy of this brand new edition, then I have one that I'm offering as a prize here on this blog.

I don't know if you've ever visited my web site then you'll know that the way I pick the winners for my contests is that I don't pick them - my cat Sid does! I put all the names on pieces of paper with a cat treat on the top of each one, and the first one that Sid picks is the winner. So Sid will be picking a winner for me for this prize - and I'll throw in a signed copy of one of my Presents books and a special Kate Walker book bag as well. All you have to do is to post in the comments section - tell me about your writing, what lines you're aiming for - or why you'd like to win the 12 Point Guide - I'd love to hear from you. And so would Sid - the more answers we get, the more cat treats he has to eat his way through!

And if you get a chance I hope you'll come along to the launch party over on my blog - there will be more prizes to win over there too. Hope to see you there.
 
And thanks again for inviting me Jessica- I'll be back later to help you celebrate your very special 50th book - but in the meantime, very many congratulations on reaching this special 'golden' milestone title! Here's to 50 more.
 
Kate

Thank you, Kate!