You stare at the blank screen searching for a combination of words to propel your work into the upper levels of the publishing world. That book, that novel, a writing endeavor culminating with your name on a published work and prominently displayed in the local bookstore.
It is a dream of every writer old or new. It takes time, patience and focus, as only a select few get to see their published work hit the market.
Given the time it takes to get a book published, putting out one book a year is an impressive watermark achieved by a few writers. But, there is a talented, focused and prolific
writer living in a small city west of Edmonton.
Spruce Grove is home to one of the best-kept secrets in the world of romance literature. Living within city limits is a talented writer with 34 published books over the last six years.
Patricia Johns is that writer, and, for the most part, the bulk of her romance novels are published through Harlequin. Patty Johns latest romance offering “The Deputy’s Unexpected Family” is in the bookstores now.
Harlequin is a publishing house with whose name is synonymous with the fantasy world of romance fiction.
Founded 69 years ago and headquartered in Toronto, Harlequin Enterprises is a major player in the romance novel genre that in 2012 generated 1.5 billion dollars. At last count, Harlequin’s revenues totaled 585 million in USD
So, how did she get into writing romance for Harlequin? First, Ms. Johns graduated with honors from the University of Toronto with a degree in English. But, that was a culmination of her love for the written word.
An honors graduate
From the time she was a girl, she has written in one form or another since and upon graduating from the University of Toronto her entry into the publishing world of romance writing began. Like most young struggling writers, she had a day job to pay the bills while she scratched her writing itch at night.
“After university, I was doing a job that I hated. I really wanted to focus on what I like to so. So, I went down to part-time. I had managed a store and wrote the rest of the time. I lived super cheap in the starving artist days of being broke and writing.”
Her writing skills did get her some work. “I was doing articles, writing for some small presses and it didn’t really become financially viable until I got in with Harlequin.”
That was about six years ago, with the confidence of a natural-born leader, Patricia approached Harlequin and presented them with her first serious foray into romance writing. Her first attempt at reaching for that brass ring. That pursuit to set her literary skills into orbit.
“The first book they said ‘hey this is wonderful’ and sent it off to marketing.”
That was the good news from the Harlequin editors. But, like the proverbial other shoe waiting to drop, word came back that it was not the novel the marketing department wanted to push towards publishing. The hero was a lawyer and they felt that did not have enough appeal.
Like any gifted scribe with a way with words and undaunted she recomposed, made a second effort and tried again.
“Then I wrote another one that they took, and then it was free sailing after that.”
The key, Patty easily understood, was to give them what they wanted. By following and understanding their guidelines she tapped the key for success by learning from her experience.
“It’s supposed to be a fun, fantasy read. You don’t want to get into any uncomfortable stuff. It’s understandable, I hadn’t thought of it. I just used as a why would this great-grandmother have not gotten together with this guy she loved. What would be the pressures that held them apart? And I am a white woman with a black husband and ding ding, but not a ding, ding for marketing and with Harlequin. I think that is probably what nixed it.
“I wrote a completely new book…what I did (for the original manuscript presented to Harlequin) is I got that published with an electronic press. They loved it and were like ‘wow, this is the cleanest manuscript…it was Harlequin edited, but…” she laughs.
“I wrote a few electronic romances, sort of honing my skills in romance. It was another year, or so before I got another one accepted through Harlequin. Once I got accepted through Harlequin I just dedicated to Harlequin completely and went from there.”
Right now, I have a lot more in the pipes to come out. I have written about five or six a year. So there’s a lot more lined up that are written that are coming.
She knows what works
Ms. Johns has the process for writing down to an art, by taking what she knows and applying it to what works.
“Basically, I build a story, because there are certain requirements. With Harlequin there are certain requirements, they loathe to use the word formula. But there are certain hooks that readers really like. So, a certain type of heroine, a certain type of hero. Certain things to come between them. Certain things that they don’t want to come between a heroine and a hero. They don’t like a love triangle. If there’s another extra person in the picture, they don’t want that. There are certain stories that just don’t sell very well.”
Harlequin has honed a process for what stories sell well. Ms. Johns takes what they are looking for an example like an amnesia story to see how well it works within their framework. Then she sees how it goes from there.
“It’s a lot less romantic of a process as people might think. I have to build it, create it within their framework. That will be a fun read, a tension-filled romance.”
One might think they would lay down a set of rules to follow.
“Oh no. They do not set out the rules. You find out through trial and error. They have a few things they outline with their writer’s guideline. The sorts of things they are looking for – mainly they say read lots of (their published books) to figure out what they publish.
“Which is fair enough. I figured a lot of this out through trial and error. So, it’s been like years of trying to figure out what exactly they are looking for.
“And now that I have figured it out it’s like ‘yes, now it’s easy. It’s still a lot of work to write the books, but it’s easier because now I know what they are looking for.
For space and time, she points to a computer sitting on a desk in her living room. “That’s my set space and I typically write when my son is in school. So, during his school hours, I am writing like crazy and ignoring those who know and love me. Office hours and it’s about five days a week unless I’ve got a pressing deadline. I’ll do evenings and weekends. But I try to keep it within those boundaries so I have some balance between work and home. It’s easy to have your professional life take over your personal life.
Especially if you like your professional life.
For Patricia Johns for all her success, for all she has accomplished at a relatively young age, she still reached for the sky and has a target set firmly in sites.
“I would like to write a best seller.”
Given her discipline, talent and focus, she will carry out her goal sooner than later.
By Verhomme