Review: Man, Oh Man! Writing Quality M/M Fiction
(So, I told WordPress to post this in August last year, but for some reason it never did. So, here it is, a year late.)
Man, Oh Man! Writing Quality M/M Fiction by Josh Lanyon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I found this to be an excellent read. As someone who currently writes more for fun than profit, this book gives some great insight into the world of publishing within the M/M genre. While there was a lot of “well, duh” information (or perhaps I’ve just been around the genre long enough to have learned it already, so I consider it “well, duh” where others may not yet), there is still a great deal of advice that ought to be repeated often and taken to heart.
It’s not just Josh’s advice, though there is plenty of that. He has many (many, many) representatives of reader, author, and editor/publishing house perspectives. (I had no idea when I posted on his question in FaceBook that I’d wind up being quoted in this book. Not that I mind, I just had no idea.) And it covers a variety of topics and questions, too numerous to begin to list here. You learn that there is no “one right answer”, but there is a range to fall within which is acceptable.
Even if not every bit of advice is for you–there were things which I knew didn’t particularly apply to me because I know how I operate–you’ll still find something of use in this book, particularly if you haven’t published before; or haven’t taken any writing courses or workshops; or have published, but not much; or don’t feel like you market very well; etc. There is a LOT of ground covered in this work.
I think the greatest thing about it is that I could see where I need to focus, and reading this book made me want to put it aside and think about my story and characters, to write it all down before I forgot it. I do not think I’ve ever highlighted a book so much in my life, even when I was in college. There were so many tidbits I wanted to remember and come back to for later.
That, and the resources. There are many additional resources listed throughout the book (part of where the highlighting came in handy) as well as at the back of the book. I found some of these particularly handy.
So, if you think you want to publish in the M/M romance genre, I recommend giving it a read. It’s lengthy, but worth it.
Adara O'Hare: Geek in writer's clothing 