Romantic Novelists Association - advice please!

UniversalTruth · 2025-08-21T16:49:15+00:00

Hi 👋🏻 I've just finished my first draft of a historical sweet romance with magical realism novel, currently at 60,000 words but aiming for 75,000. It's winging is way to me right now from the printers so I can start a big picture edit (eek!) which I'm guessing might take me about 6 weeks. I need to find some beta readers who will read for free (in exchange for acknowledgements), and I was looking at joining the RNA as an aspiring writer to do this - is this a good idea?

LouisaMayAlcott · 23/08/2025 16:52

I’m a member of the RNA. You may well find some other new writer scheme (ie unpublished) people to beta read. And as a NWS member you get the bonus of a read through and critique by a published author but the deadline for this year is the end of August so you will have missed it. In fact I don’t know if this is still right but it used to be that you could only join on 1st January and it was first come first served for however many spaces they had. That’s how it was for me but I joined a decade ago. And being in the NWS got me an agent and a publishing deal so worth every penny.

Original poster

UniversalTruth · 23/08/2025 21:35

@LouisaMayAlcott thanks for your thoughts. Yes, I think it's closed for the NWS but I was looking at joining as an aspiring writer, then upgrading next year. Maybe I'll hold out for January/Feb. I've just started my second draft and it needs SOOOOOO much work!

OP posts:

MorticiasMemoirs · 16/09/2025 13:07

LouisaMayAlcott · 23/08/2025 16:52

I’m a member of the RNA. You may well find some other new writer scheme (ie unpublished) people to beta read. And as a NWS member you get the bonus of a read through and critique by a published author but the deadline for this year is the end of August so you will have missed it. In fact I don’t know if this is still right but it used to be that you could only join on 1st January and it was first come first served for however many spaces they had. That’s how it was for me but I joined a decade ago. And being in the NWS got me an agent and a publishing deal so worth every penny.

Could you expand on how joining led to an agent/publishing deal please? I'm interested in hearing how that happened if you're okay sharing? I write romance but I've not joined any associations (yet).

LouisaMayAlcott · 16/09/2025 13:46

MorticiasMemoirs · 16/09/2025 13:07

Could you expand on how joining led to an agent/publishing deal please? I'm interested in hearing how that happened if you're okay sharing? I write romance but I've not joined any associations (yet).

Show quote history

Briefly, being a member of the RNA meant I could attend their conference which is held over 3 days. They always have a selection of agents and publishers attending and you can apply for a 1-2-1 with various people. I think it’s changed a bit now, but basically back then you could apply for 3 appointments although you didn’t always get all of them. Anyway, I had a 1-2-1 with an agent who loved my first 3 chapters (which I had already sent her) so she signed me. In the meantime I had sent my manuscript to an open submission at HarperCollins and they offered me a contract so she was able to negotiate that for me.

I should add that I had plenty of rejections before I got to that point and it wasn’t the first book I had written but I would not have been at that point in my career without the opportunities that the RNA have given me.

MorticiasMemoirs · 16/09/2025 13:54

LouisaMayAlcott · 16/09/2025 13:46

Briefly, being a member of the RNA meant I could attend their conference which is held over 3 days. They always have a selection of agents and publishers attending and you can apply for a 1-2-1 with various people. I think it’s changed a bit now, but basically back then you could apply for 3 appointments although you didn’t always get all of them. Anyway, I had a 1-2-1 with an agent who loved my first 3 chapters (which I had already sent her) so she signed me. In the meantime I had sent my manuscript to an open submission at HarperCollins and they offered me a contract so she was able to negotiate that for me.

I should add that I had plenty of rejections before I got to that point and it wasn’t the first book I had written but I would not have been at that point in my career without the opportunities that the RNA have given me.

Show quote history

Wow, a lot of timing worked out there, it seems - as in you had the right novel at the right time. You also "put yourself out there" which is so hard to do IMO. I feel like I'd freeze up if I met an agent out in the wild and had to sell the idea of my novel, although I like that they got to see the chapters beforehand. Sounds like an amazing opportunity and well deserved!