#VaLoveFest 2016 at the Virginia Festival of the Book

Two weeks ago, I was privileged to attend the #VaLoveFest panels at the Virginia Festival of the Book, but couldn’t post until now because of an editing deadline. #AuthorProblems.

If you’ve never been to #VaLoveFest, mark your calendars for the next one (March 2017), because WOW do you ever get to see big names (Eloisa James and Maya Rodale, anyone?) and hear amazing insights into all aspects of romance.

Here are a few pictures and quick summaries from each session, for those not able to attend.

Panel 1: Series Writing: For Women, by Women, with Betsy Ashton, Ellen Butler, Avery Flynn, and Tracey Livesay

Tracey Livesay on how she plans out a series (or doesn’t):

"I just need to populate my world with enough hot people" – How @tlivesay gets a romance series going. #VaLoveFest

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 19, 2016

Betsy Ashton takes a highly organized approach:

Series Writing: @betsyashton made a PowerPoint and wall chart mapping out her series before she even started! #VaBook2016

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 19, 2016

Avery Flynn affirmed:

It's different planning series in the romance world vs the non-romance world. – @AveryFlynn #VaLoveFest

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 19, 2016

Ellen Butler sometimes writes more in a series because:

Have you fallen in love w/a character & it surprised you? @EButlerBooks wrote more books b/c she liked certain characters too much 2 let go.

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 19, 2016

These women shared great insights about the joys and trials of series writing. And Avery Flynn summed up how many a writer feels upon completing a book with this gem:

"They're all crap. Share The Shame." – @AveryFlynn on how authors view their own books. #VaLoveFest #VABook2016

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 19, 2016

Panel 2: It’s Raining Men, with Grace Burrowes, Cristin Harber, and Marliss Melton

Grace Burrowes nailed the description of a romance novel hero:

What is a hero? The hero is 1/2 the wound, conflict, healing, & love in story. – @GraceBurrowes #VaLoveFest #VABook2016

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 19, 2016

And how does a romance author craft the perfect hero? Marliss Melton had this great tip:

.@MarlissMelton uses Meyers Briggs to help craft heroes. #VaLoveFest

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 19, 2016

Though we were talking men, it’s true every hero needs a heroine. So how does an author choose? Here’s what Cristin Harber had to say:

How do you pick the hero's heroine? Opposite attract? Like brings like? @cristinharber says both work – hero reacts differently to each.

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 19, 2016

At the end of the panel, I think authors and audience agreed with Grace Burrowes‘ statement:

Readers want hero to fall in love with and heroine to identify with. @graceburrowes

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 19, 2016

Panel 3: Screening of Romance Industry Documentary Love Between the Covers, followed by a talk with Eloisa James and Maya Rodale

If you haven’t yet seen Love Between the Covers, I highly recommend you seek out a screening. It’s a fabulous inside look at the romance industry; a celebration of a genre written largely for women, about women, and by women (though with male readership at 16% and rising, and an increase in gay romance, we’re not without our male counterparts!).

Both Eloisa and Maya agreed:

Romance is breaking into academia and into the general public more than it ever has. @EloisaJames @mayarodale

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 19, 2016

and that:

Many romance authors start as readers; they want to write the books they want to read. #VABook2016

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 19, 2016

After the documentary, Eloisa and Maya graciously signed books, and I snapped a picture of Regency Royalty:

Panel 4: Getting Published With Women’s Fiction & Romance, with Jenny Gardiner, Tracee Garner, and Linda Grimes

Sunday, we turned our focus even more to the business side of books, discussing paths to publication in women’s fiction and romance.

Indie, traditional, hybrid publishing: we're discussing it all. #VaLoveFest

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 20, 2016

Tracee Garner encouraged us:

You need to chart your own course in choosing which publishing path you pursue – @teegarner #VABook2016 #VaLoveFest

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 20, 2016

Indie author Jenny Gardiner shared lots of great insight, including:

As an indie, you control how and whether you earn money by the choices you make. @jennygardiner #VaLoveFest

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 20, 2016

Traditionally-published author Linda Grimes acknowledged:

Once you get an agent, you have an advocate. But a bad agent can be worse than no agent at all. @linda_grimes #VaBook2016 #VaLoveFest

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 20, 2016

Regardless of which path one chooses, all three authors agreed:

Not matter indie or traditional, you need to know the business. #VaLoveFest #VABook2016

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 20, 2016

and

Seek out professional organizations such as @romancewriters; networking is invaluable. @linda_grimes @jennygardiner @teegarner #VaBook2016

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 20, 2016

and

"The next book should come first; marketing second." – @linda_grimes #VABook2016 #VaLoveFest

— Margaret Locke (@Margaret_Locke) March 20, 2016

We capped off the day with a Crime Wave and Romance Group Book Signing at Barnes & Noble. It was a marvelous weekend!

Thank you so much to all of the authors and panel moderators who gave so generously of their time, energy, and knowledge.

Thank you to #VaLoveFest organizer Sue London, for making it all happen.

And thank you to the Virginia Festival of the Book, for including us in the celebration of authors, readers, craft, and basically all things book!