Fiction - and especially romance fiction - has a complex set of rules and terminology all its own.The first few weeks (or months, or years) of trying to learn the acronyms and master the vocabulary can be confusing, frustrating, and mind-numbing. And just when you think you've heard it all, something else whams you out of left field. Plus, not everyone is comfortable butting in on conversations between perfect strangers to ask what the heck they just said. Yet knowing how to talk about your craft, your industry, and your genre is truly important. It allows you to communicate with your peers, helps you figure out the fun stuff, and gives you credibility with agents and editors. And that's why I wrote this book. You need to learn the language, but it can be more manageable for you than it was for me. You can learn from my mental pain and suffering and from the confusion and anguish of those who taught me. How lucky are you? Writing & Publishing Terminology for Romance Writers is a special version of Writing & Publishing Terminology. It includes all 550+ terms in the original version, some with additional notes helpful to writers of romance fiction, and also adds more than 60 new, romance-specific terms. Like the original, this version is listed alphabetically and includes cross-references to common abbreviations, acronyms, and interchangeable terms. It also contains examples whenever practical and "see also" references to confusing and similar terms. Writer's Bites is a series of short, topic-focused books designed to help writers attack and master one facet of the writing craft or publishing industry at a time. Each book breaks the focus subject into approachable, digestible parts and includes examples, tips, advice, and suggestions for real-life use and practice. The series kicks off with terminology, because there's no point trying to master a concept if you don't know the language. Welcome to writing