I recently participated in a podcast where I was asked a number of questions by an indie romance author. The discussions in her podcasts are guided by questions she has about the industry, and which she hopes will resonate with other writers just starting out. She’s preparing a few podcasts before she goes live, but she was particularly interested when I mentioned associations.
That got me thinking. I joined Romance Writers of Australia (RWAus) very early in my writing career. A family member spotted an ad for a conference and suggested I attend. I felt very alone in the crowd, but I signed on as a member. I eventually did some time on the executive as the editor of the monthly newsletter. In those early days, it was a print and post to members newsletter which is very different from today’s attractive web-based version.
Reflecting on my past experiences, and where I am now, and what I know now, joining RWAus was an accidental, but brilliant, first step to becoming a published author. It opened up opportunities in a collaborative, supportive environment to enter writing contests, to attend conferences, to pitch to international editors and publishers, and to network with other beginning writers and published authors who have offered varying levels of support from being cheerleaders to mentors to early readers of my various masterpieces!
Along with the networking, membership of an association ran in parallel with the development of my craft. I expanded my membership of organisations to include Romance Writers of New Zealand (RWNZ), Romance Writers of America(RWA.org) and the Australian Romance Readers Association (ARRA).
The writers’ organisations all offered craft workshops either as part of a conference, online or via the monthly newsletters. Advice was provided by multi-talented teachers and authors. Initially, most organisations and chapters offered competitions with editors and publishers as final judges. Winning a contest can be a great way to find a home for your manuscript. RWAus and RWNZ still offer competitions for both published and unpublished authors, but changes around 2020 in RWAmerica mean that fewer competitions are available to US chapter members.
I stopped writing for a while—life getting in the way—and when I started again, I reactivated my memberships. I was a bit of a silent member, sitting at the back of conferences, feeling uncomfortable about butting in on existing groups of friends or colleagues, but hey—get over it! Whether you are published by a large publisher, or a small one, or take the indie road, you are expected to sell yourself through social media and public appearances.
I found the perfect re-entry point through the Sydney based RWAus members. They have a monthly catchup and share writing progress, industry gossip, trends, and achievements or failures. Other members have answers to questions I’ve mulled over in private for some time. I go home invigorated and inspired after a meeting.
In fact, it’s as a result of this group that I attempted my first short story in 2025, and while I usually write third person POV, I experimented with first person POV, so I was thrilled to final in the RWNZ Story in a Chapter competition and to place third.
Writing is a solitary endeavour, and I take quite a long time to get to know my characters, so I can do justice to their story. Having encouragement from a wide romance writing community makes all the difference.
My latest release is An Accidental Flatmate—Choosing Family Book 5, although all my books can be read as standalones. The elevator pitch:
🔺Casildo and Beatriz, chance flatmates, friends to lovers, family expectations, and promises we come to regret …🔻
You can find me and my books here: website FaceBook Instagram
Find me on
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/romanceauthorjen/
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jenniferrainesauthor
- Goodreads—https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22577889.Jennifer_Raines
- Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-raines
- Diana Kathryn Penn’s Indie Reads Aloud podcast has recordings of me reading the opening 20 mins of my books:
- Betrayal—Choosing Family Book 3 (episode 212)
- Quinn, by design—Choosing Family Book 2 (episode 208)
- Masquerade—Choosing Family Book 1 (episode 188)
- Lela’s Choice (episode 143)
- Planting Hope (episode 101)
- The Anderson Sisters (episode 54 Taylor’s Law and 80 Grace Under Fire) http://www.dkpwriter.com/indie-reads-aloud-podcast.html
You can also contact me directly via the contact page on my website if you have any other questions.
Jennifer Raines 