So you've written your romance novel, and now it's ready for developmental editing...or at least, you think it is. But how do you know that it's ready? Is there a list of things you have to check off first before you can start reaching out to editors? Sadly, there is no agreed-upon list that every single editor uses, though it would make life easier for all of us. However, there are a few things that most editors will expect you to do prior to getting in touch with them abo

When I describe the key elements of a romance novel, I always break them down into three things: the romance arc, aka the book's love story between the two characters, made up of specific beats (key scenes) that every book in the genre contains the character development arc, aka each main character's journey of development. Usually, this journey involves them working toward a goal and working through emotional wounds the sub-plot, aka the secondary story whose beats intersect