Not quite clear enough? Romance books have the largest share of the market, or 13.2% in 2009. That’s enough to beat mystery, science fiction/fantasy and religious/inspirational categories. That’s what they call marketability.

Kate Walker offers a 12-point guide for romance writing in an effort to help you budding romance authors out there get your novels discovered. Publishers are often overwhelmed with submissions and it helps a great deal to cut through the muck and start with a draft that is as close to what they’re looking for as possible.

For those of you who think that romance fiction is nothing but bargain-basement quality smut, consider that the business is not only well enough established that the Romance Writers of America is 10,000 members strong, but also that they admit some significant subgenre differences. “Romance novels may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time, and have varying levels of sensuality—ranging from sweet to extremely hot (www.rwa.org).” So no, you don’t have to write porn to tell that sweet love story. Lovers of romance will read it all.

So this Valentine’s Day, spend some time with the one you love – you know, your keyboard. Finish up that novel. Share those warm fuzzies with the world.