It’s almost 10:30. Nick’s gone to have drinks with his friends. Jack’s been sleeping since seven. And I’ve just finished a chapter of my current WIP. (Um, let me clarify–I didn’t just write a whole chapter–I finished the one I started yesterday.) It’s quiet, except for the faint murmur of the baby monitor and the soft rumbling of some show that’s on the TV (I actually just realized the thing was still on). And for the last hour, I’ve had the perfect time to write.

Normally, I’m not much for night writing. I write at night when I absolutely have to do so–when I just can’t find any other time. For the last couple of months, I’ve been experimenting with finding my perfect writing time. I’ve discovered that I write best (and fastest) during the middle of the day. My mind’s awake (not too tired as happens in the morning and the night for me), everything’s bright, and my focus is much stronger.

Any one else have a favorite time to write? And are you actually able to sit down and write at that time, or are you like me, and you write whenever you get a quiet moment?

I’ve just learned that The Wizard’s Spell may be available this July or August. Wow. One of the very good things about working with ImaJinn–since they are a small press, there is generally a fast turnaround time on publication.

So, in light of my upcoming release, I’ll try to finish up one of my trailers and post it very, very soon. Hmmm…maybe I’ll even aim for next week.

I think most writers agree that in order to sell your work, you’ve got to have talent. But, in addition to having the talent, I think timing plays a HUGE role.

There are thousands of writers out there, all fighting to break into the publishing world. And many, many of those writers are talented. So, I think the “break” comes with perfect timing.

Think about it: If a new line is opening somewhere (say, Harelquin and their Nocturne line or Avon Red), then those lines need writers…and it’s the perfect time to submit.

Or, if a line expands, say a category line goes from producing 4 books a month to 6….it’s definitely the perfect time to submit.

Yes, I think talent will push a writer’s work out of the slush pile, and timing, the perfect timing, will push you to a sale.

But if you submit at the wrong time…say you send in a western just as a publishing house has decided to end their western line, talent won’t be enough to save that story. Or, if you have a fresh, brilliant idea that you submit–and then you find out that the publishing house of your dreams just bought a nearly identical fresh, brilliant concept…the timing will just work against you.

So, the issue becomes when do you know the time is right?! Ah…that’s the trick. I read industry blogs, industry mags (Romantic Times), and I try to eagerly grab every bit of gossip that I can in order to seek out my perfect time. And here’s a bit of news that I’ve picked up recently:

Harlequin American is looking for new writers (per the July issue of the Romantic Times).
And, a few weeks ago, Anna Genoese of Tor posted on her blog that she was looking for paranormal romance novels and romantic suspense tales.

Yep, it’s about talent…and timing.

According to a Business Week report, a romance novel is purchased every five seconds. Wow. That’s pretty incredible. And great news for romance writers!

There are certain extremely popular themes that you’ll see over and over in romance–in category romances (Silhouettes/Harlequins), popular themes are: secret babies, amnesia victims, and cowboys.

Some other themes that you may see (not limited to category releases) are: bad boys (this theme is so popular, that Kensington Brava has released a whole series of “Bad Boys” books), marriages of convenience (of course, this generally is more believable in historicals), beauty and the beast relationships, and, the timeless classic–presumed dead heroes/heroines.

I found an interesting listing of popular romance themes on the Romantic Times website. It seems they polled about 200 readers and came up with the fav themes. My favorite: the dangerous hero.

What’s your favorite?