NCP is actively seeking top-notch:
Historical Romance
Contemporary Romance
Romantic Suspense
Fantasy Romance
Paranormal Romance
Futuristic/S.F. Romance
We’re receiving a fair amount of good quality paranormals in old favorites like vampires. This is good, however, there are worlds beyond vampires and werewolves. NY is getting into this market in a serious way. Vampires and werewolves are going to get old fast, so it’s up to us to keep the paranormal market fresh and alive. Ghosts, fairies, psychics, fire starters, superheroes, skin walkers, mystery, unexplained phenomenon (i.e. X Files) etc. The only limit to this genre is your imagination. Believe me, we have readers dying to get their hands on something different from the norm. Draw inspiration from classic TV like Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, X Files. There’s no doubt that this genre is hot right now. You can see it everywhere on TV and in movies. Books should keep up with the times and go beyond.
We still have a need for original contemporary, historical, fantasy, and futuristic, so keep this in mind when you’re brainstorming your next project. We want “big” contemporaries–not necessarily Harlequin type books, but along the lines of Jaycee Clark, Linda Howard, Susanne Brockman, Cherry Adair, etc. Romantic suspense, chick lit, and some romantic comedy would be great! Just remember, if you’ve seen the plot a thousand times by Harlequin, chances are it’s not going to go over well with small press readers. NY publishers dominate this market. It’s going to be extremely tough to build up sales in the small press industry, but it is possible to have good sales with readers-we’ve done it before. Sexy characters and situations are good. What can you do that’s different? Take your story somewhere exotic, introduce elements of the forbidden or taboo in your story like domination/submission, voyeurism, fetishes, or have an adventure like Romancing the Stone or Treasure Hunt.
In the historical market, we want something other than what’s being published in the NY arena. This means no Avon historical type plots that revolve around catching a husband. Unfortunately, this plot has been done to death. I’d love to see darker historical romance with a lot of “meat” to the plot, tormented/flawed characters, emotionally drenched, gothic, or epic adventures of the type that used to be published. Highland warriors, pirates, highwaymen, spies, clan wars, Vikings, Tudor, Celtic, American Indian, revolutionary period–the list goes on and on, and the possibilities are endless. We need fresh sexy plots, time periods, and exciting characters to revitalize this market. I’d hate to see it die off because it’s headed that way right now. I think NY won’t take chances, and it’s up to us to do it. With the right books we can get the readers back to loving the historical romance genre.
Futuristic Romance-the world we live in is changing rapidly. Use it to plot your books. Scientists are discovering new worlds and galaxies right now. The first android has just been introduced in Japan. Nanotechnology is not far from practical use. Read science magazines and visit their websites. There is tons of stuff out there just waiting to be written about.
Fantasy Romance-again, good plots and characters are key to this. Chances are, if a reader likes historicals and paranormals, they’re just steps away from loving this genre too. Dragons, manticore, centaur, unicorns-add interesting creatures and magical abilities to your characters. Take them on an epic adventure, or deal with social issues like racism, overpopulation, etc. We’d love to see more in this genre, and I know we’ve only scratched the surface here.
Also, keep in mind that your audience is mostly women, 25 years old and up. They want the men in these books to be different than what they see every day in their lives: romantic, cultured, strong, capable, take charge, witty. NO nerds or wimps. If they wanted that, there are plenty of NY books to satisfy that need. Heroes shouldn’t demean the heroine or humiliate her and vice versa. Strong heroines are very good. Bitches are not. Learn to recognize the difference between spunky/sassy, and bitchy.
Elements strongly desired in any novel or short story include: edgy, unique plots; strong, believable conflict between the hero and heroine; heavy sexual tension; concise story-telling; combinations of dark, sexy heroes with sassy, humorous heroines, inter-racial, and characters that reflect the spectrum of the world such as East-Indian, Asian, African American, etc. We have readers of all colors and would love to publish romance representative of different cultures and races.
To read more of what NCP is looking for CLICK HERE
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To enter: Comment on the blog in a Marketing with Mandy New Concepts Publishing Spotlight post this week! The more you enter, the more chances you have to win. Winners will be selected on SUNDAY and announced on the blog.
