Man, Oh Man! Writing Quality M/M Fiction

by Josh Lanyon

So, why this book?

Why not one of the other "How to Write..." titles? Because everything in Man, Oh Man is geared to the M/M market and the M/M writer, to you and the genre that you love, whether you're an aspiring writer or you're already published.

Lambda Award finalist Josh Lanyon takes you step-by-step through the writing process in this, his first non-fiction book: from how to find fresh ideas and strong hooks, to how to submit your carefully edited manuscript. With help from the genre's top publishers, editors, reviewers, and writers -- experts in the field of M/M and gay romantic fiction -- Josh offers insight and experience in everything from creating believable masculine characters to writing erotic and emotionally gratifying M/M sex scenes.

Indulge yourself and your dreams...

It's within your grasp to be a published author in a growing market. Let Josh show you exactly how to do it.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, M M Romance, Erotica, Reference, LGBT, Research

373 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2008

About the author

Author of 100+ titles of Gay Mystery and M/M Romance, Josh Lanyon has built her literary legacy on twisty mystery, kickass adventure, and unapologetic man-on-man romance.

Her work has been translated into twelve languages. The FBI thriller Fair Game was the first Male/Male title to be published by Italy’s Harlequin Mondadori and Stranger on the Shore (Harper Collins Italia) was the first M/M title to be published in print. In 2016 Fatal Shadows placed #5 in Japan’s annual Boy Love novel list (the first and only title by a foreign author to place on the list). The Adrien English series was awarded the All-Time Favorite Couple by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. In 2019, Fatal Shadows became the first LGBTQ mobile game created by Moments: Choose Your Story.

She’s an EPIC Award winner, a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist (twice for Gay Mystery), an Edgar nominee, and the first ever recipient of the Goodreads All Time Favorite M/M Author award.

Josh is married and lives in Southern California with her irascible husband, two adorable dogs, a small garden, and an ever-expanding library of vintage mystery destined to eventually crush them all beneath its weight.


Find other Josh Lanyon titles at www.joshlanyon.com
Follow Josh on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Reviews

[Aleksandr Voinov]

For anybody writing in the genre, or thinking about jumping into the little pond, this should absolutely be required reading. I would hope that this book helps prevent some of the train wrecks I’ve seen in the genre. Get it today.

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is clearly intended for writers, but I think it is interesting to read for readers too, for whom it represents a sort of insider's guide to m/m fiction. The book was written in 2008, more than three years ago. It may sound a bit outdated in maybe a couple of chapters, since e-publishing wasn't so big back then, but it also holds warnings about the evolution of the genre that have come to be. It was very interesting for me because it made me more aware of what works and doesn't work for me in a book, realizing that dissatisfaction comes sometimes from the technical aspects of writing. It also made me appreciate even more the beautifully crafted works of art among my favorite books.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's rather good, and rather useful, but some details just grate on me. Such as, is he really telling female writers to assume male pen-names? REALLY? Call me an idealistic dolt who knows nothing of business, but I liked all the progress we made since the centuries where female writers couldn't publish under their own identity, and I think that progress should be reinforced. If everyone kept going "well, that's the market, what can you do" about things, where would we be now?

[Elfscribe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has good advice on writing in general as well as specifically on the m/m genre, and is written in an entertaining, conversational style. It recognizes that much m/m romance is written by women for women and includes a chapter called, "Cheat Sheets for Chicks," which emphasizes making male characters males, not girls with penises. He talks about the difference between porn and erotica and how to write good sex scenes. But what I especially like is his assertion that a good story is a good story no matter what the genre, and depends first and foremost on the basics of all good writing: good plot, setting, and characterization, and surprise - or maybe not - but that's what makes for a good sex scene also. Lots of good quotes also from publishers re: what they want to see.

Here's Lanyon on euphemisms for certain organs: "I'm not a big fan of euphemisms. "Twin orbs" and "velvet rods" sound like something an interior decorator should be concerned with. . . Playful is good but "dueling purple-helmed love gods" . . . not so much."

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite improved in my opinion from the first edition, and if you read that, you should definitely read this.

Like I said on my first review, a book like this for a reader is an interesting glimpse of the behind the scene process of writing, but it doesn't detract from the awe I feel when I read a good book. It's a way to understand WHY I like certain books more than others, why some books linger, why I keep going back to the same authors.

[Danny Tyran · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, the author says: “And dialogue is one of the key ways to keep sex scenes distinct and significant.”

He also says: “Each scene must move your story forward.” And “Dialogue is useful for propelling the plot forward and for making quick, seamless transitions.” Apparently, speaking during sex is a good way to do it.

Dialogue? In bed while having sex? O.K. Maybe it’s fine for you but for me... If you want me to never be aroused, just speak during sex.

Below is a piece of advice given by a publisher:
“An ideal submission for anything would be a well written/edited story, characters the reader can identify with, a story that keeps the reader glued to the pages, and an author willing to participate with us as a publisher.”

Except for the last part, anybody knows that’s what publishers want. No need to read this book to learn it, isn’t it?

About trends:
“Once customers grow tired of a trend, they will certainly look for something else, but unfortunately, no one possesses a crystal ball to predict what it will be.”

After telling us in hundreds pages what are the trends (publishers’ very enlightening opinion like the one above) and what the market dictates, we are told:

“Write the story that you want to write—not what the market dictates. With so many choices, it's true that readers tend to look for something new but trends, much like bell-bottoms and mullets, will pass so be true to yourself and your characters.”

Some publishers say that the writer must be ready to advertise their books, others say:

“Writers should write—marketers should market.”

“But no amount of promotion or marketing can make a poor book into a best-seller.”

After being told that a writer’s time is precious, that he/she must use it to write, we are said that we should have a blog and visit it regularly and we also should:

“[...] take active part in a number of online communities and discussion groups.”
“In addition to a website you need a mailing list [...].”
“Join groups that you really want to take part in—and take part.”
“[...] communicate with other writers. Spend time with writers. Take a class. Join a local or provincial or national writers group. Meet people who see the world the way you do (or maybe not), who can dispense personal "how to" advice.”
“Stay involved and stay engaged in the world around you.”
And...
“—Hold contests, scavenger hunts and website giveaways (including everything from free books to gift baskets, candles, etc.).
—Purchase professionally made bookmarks to hand out at signings, mail to bookstores, give out at conferences.
—Post excerpts from new releases on mailing and discussion lists.
—Buy Google adwords.
—Exchange banners and links with other authors; set up or take part up author webrings.
—Buy banners and online ads at review and other GLBT sites.
—Buy print ads in GLBT or genre-specific venues.
—Maintain a MySpace presence.
—Do podcasts.
—Join an advertising co-op with other authors.
—Enter your work for awards like the Eppies or the Lambda Literary Awards.
—Buy or make video trailers on websites and YouTube.
—Network on sites like GoodReads, FaceBook, etc.
—Get your stories accepted by the larger and more prestigious e-publishers.
—Attend conferences and workshops—taking part in panels.
—Conduct online writing workshops and seminars.
—Do booksignings and live appearances.
—Hire a publicist or promotional company.
—Write reviews or nonfiction articles in your area of expertise or on the writing life.
—Take part in online chats.
—And—in my opinion the single most important thing you can do—brand yourself through your writing.”

Okay, but if we do it all, when do we find time to write? I thought that a writer’s job was writing.

“You can lose entire days to loops and chats and blogging and interviews and before you know it, you've got a deadline crashing down on you.”

“By the way, I'm sure you've noticed that the opinions of reviewers and editors and publishers often contradict each other—not to mention me.”

Yes, sure I noticed.

This is not a bad book if you’re more looking for authors’, publishers’, editors' and marketers’ feelings about the book market than for true information on writing M/M novels. Not that there isn’t any, but I can estimate that 10% of the book truly concerns the writing process itself.

Maybe, it’d be a great book to read for a beginning writer. You know, the youth who thinks that’s a great idea to write a M/M version of Fifty Shades of Grey or of Millennium, and who gets easily offended if a publisher tells him/her to go make her/his homework before sending another novel. But I didn’t find much to help me to improve my writing. Maybe this is partly because I don’t like romances. The best piece of advice for me in this book is: “Write the story that you want to write”. Even if the title says: “Writing M/M Fiction”, this is more about romance. And trying to write romance stories when you usually find them boring is not a great idea. Not that all my characters don't love each other by the way, but I can't consider a lot of my books to be romances.

So I give this book three stars.

See my other reviews here: http://heartsonfirereviews.com/tag/da...

[Adara · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[S.J.D. Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those of you who write in the M/M genre this should be your bible. Read it, learn from it, and write with the knowledge in this book, always at the back of your mind.

[Susinok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good manual on writing M/M Fiction which also gives a picture of the market as it is today. My favorite parts are the comments from authors and publishers and editors.

[Lyss Em · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up Man, Oh Man because I saw someone mention it in a Facebook group for writers of GLBTQ fiction. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the fiction craft book section of the library, and to this day, I take great pleasure in consuming craft books. Some of them have changed the way I think about my entire process and career. To learn of one written especially for writers of M/M filled me with excitement. Knowing it was by Josh Lanyon--an author I've never read but who seems to be well-regarded in the genre--I was ready to absorb as much knowledge as I could.

Boy, did this book subvert my expectations in the WORST way.

Now, I have only been reading M/M romance since 2015, and I've only been publishing seriously in the genre since the beginning of 2016. This book was apparently written in 2013, and this is the second edition (I'm not sure when the first edition was published). I will say also that going into this, I was already aware that Josh Lanyon is a straight cisgendered woman. I have no issue with non-queer woman writing M/M. It's a complex issue that I have a lot of opinions on, but I don't write off books immediately due to the identities of their authors.

Now that that's out of the way...

This book is a cissexist mess. I should have known something was off from the intro, which was not the typical, "This is what I'm going to teach you, this is how I started my career, yada yada." I mean, there was a little of that. But a lot of it was Lanyon saying how this book wasn't going to be about straight women writing M/M and then talking--for pages and pages--about how straight women should be allowed to write M/M without judgment. Cool. I was looking for a lesson on craft, but okay.

Still, after getting through the intro, I was ready to learn. Story conception is something I'm pretty interested in, so I was eager to read about Lanyon's process for this in the first chapter "You Got a Better Idea? Coming Up with a Story Concept." That's...not what I got. Instead, Lanyon goes on about the different types of plots (man vs. man, man vs. self, etc.) which are extremely basic and not really all that useful in romance writing, in my personal opinion. She sort of mentions the components for a tagline and talks about how she likes to lift ideas from the current publishing landscape, but doesn't really explain how to write a premise. She gives an example, but it didn't really translate for me as something actionable. Then she inserts a bunch of quotes from publishers about what they are tired of seeing in M/M submissions (and after all that negativity, what they'd like to see more of, which honestly, was still pretty negative).

This chapter is indicative of the rest of the book: vague explanations coupled with an overabundance of outside subjective opinions that quickly become outdated, especially since a lot of the quotes are about hot trends of years ago and from people who were working at now defunct presses. Not to mention, many of these quotes had my jaw dropping--and not in a good way. An example:

In response to the question, "What Are You Tired Of Seeing In Submissions For M/M Or Gay Fiction?", Sasha Knight of Samhain Publishing responds:

"I’d love to never see a submission again where one of the men in the relationship might as well be a woman with a penis. Men are different from women. I don’t want to read a book marked as M/M when it seems like the author just took a het romance and changed one of the names and the subsequent body parts."

Lanyon, Josh. Man, Oh Man: Writing Quality M/M Fiction (p. 15). JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

I'm sorry to break it to you, Ms. Knight, but M/M is in the exact same genre as M/F: romance.

This is only one of many quotes relying on the gender binary and how men are supposed to act a certain way in order to be "real" men. Lanyon herself seems to be convinced that every single man is absolutely obsessed with sex, which, as an acespec person, had me feeling very uncomfortable. It was exhausting. I could hardly go a few pages in this book without being disgusted.

Still, I persisted, because honestly, I'd had this book on my Kindle too long to return it, and I wanted to see if I could learn SOMETHING besides how sick some parts of our genre are.

I will say, there were two sections I did find helpful, but they weren't written by Josh Lanyon. In the chapter on writing sex scenes, K.A. Mitchell shared a couple of useful tips. Kari Gregg wrote the entirety of a section on BDSM which rang true (I say that as someone who has experience in the BDSM scene and who has experienced subspace, which Gregg describes). There were a couple of other non-offensive sections, such as JCP's on self-publishing, but I didn't find them particularly useful.

Everything else? Do yourself a favor, and give it a pass. I'd go so far as to say that Lanyon should take this book off the market immediately. If anything, it only serves to scare new authors into not publishing based on the sheer amount of negative opinions Lanyon shares from fellow authors and publishing folks. If I'd read this when I was first getting into the genre, it's likely I wouldn't have published a word. Maybe Lanyon is attempting to eliminate the competition? Because it sure doesn't seem like she's trying to encourage anyone, or even teach them about "writing quality M/M fiction" as the title states. Plus, it's wildly outdated and will only continue to become moreso as the genre evolves.

[Mara Ismine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book packed full of useful tips. It is written in an amusing style and has plenty of 'interview' style quotes from publishers, authors, readers and reviewers. Well worth reading for any writer, not just the target audience of straight women writing m/m romance.

Reading about writing always makes me feel that I really should be writing instead of just reading about it. I started reading it last year (mid-2009) and then put it aside while I thought about the ideas in the first few chapters. The premise is that most m/m romance is written by women for women and with a little thought and a few changes it could appeal to a wider audience including gay men. I needed to think about that one a lot.

Men do write m/m. Men read m/m. But men mostly read stories written by men and women read stories written by women, very few authors can cross the divide. Josh Lanyon is one of those few, but I think that is more for the excellent murder mystery plots than the romance plots. I find that m/m written by men tends to be starker and focuses on different aspects of the relationship - which is only natural, men and women tend to look at things from different perspectives; there are gender differences in other areas than just the plumbing!

Given that the majority of m/m romance readers are women my question was (and still is) is it worth shifting my writing to try and appeal to more men at the expense of alienating a lot of women? This book said yes it was worth it, but I am still not convinced.

But if this book helps just one woman stop writing about girls-with-penises that has to be a good thing!

I will be going back and re-reading the advice from time to time. I don't know if I will ever be able to answer my question though.

[Tessa Barding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a professional author. I write fanfiction - yeah, so go ahead an roll your eyes - and I needed some insight regarding m/m relationships. There are lots of good books on how to write romances but writing m/m romance is different because, well, the dynamics between a m/m couple will naturally be different from those of a m/f couple. I'm OK with writing male protagonists but obviously, being a straight woman, I have no idea about male relationship dynamics.
Along comes Mr Lanyon with another great book. His regular novels are a great help already but with this one, he hands you the golden key. It's exceedingly well written - what else to expect - but it's also fun to read and not at all condescending. He's well aware that a lot of m/m authors are in fact women and he addresses this - us - with a smile and a twinkle, invites us in to take a look around, takes us on a tour around the male mind ("did I mention sex?"), and it's a delight to read. It's like sitting down for a chat with an old friend.

There's interviews with other authors of the genre and he even makes those fun to read. I usually dread expert opinion sections but he picked authors whose books I've read (well, some of them) and liked, and I found myself scribbling into the margins.

So, if you like m/m romance, be it as a reader or as an aspiring author, this book is a must-have. It's fun to read and it will help you along the way.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there’s a lot of info in the book that I’ve bookmarked, Lanyon’s dismissive and mildly rude attitude toward female authors was insulting and bizzare considering her own gender identity (I realize that the book blurb given by Goodreads is really careful to avoid using pronouns but Josh’s personal website uses female pronouns and her About Me picture is of a woman so I'll be following that lead and referring to her as she/her for this review). And yet she can be downright degrading in the book, making a point to aim criticisms at ‘women authors’ instead of ‘authors’. I had to stop reading; it was making me miserable.

On a pettier note she kept using the acronym GLBT. You can’t just rearrange the acronym, it implys importance of one group over the others. It took me a couple of times seeing it before it clicked that it wasn’t an acronym for something I’d missed, like how a happy ending is HEA (happily ever after). I might be a little bitter about the 'A' being dropped or handwaved as being for ‘allies’ and not ‘asexual/agender’, but you don’t see me calling it ALGBT. That would be obnoxious. And it invites bi and trans erasure if you start normalizing that kind of bulls***.

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reader who is interested in the processes involved in writing, editing, and publishing, I found this book compelling and fun. I particularly enjoyed the roundtable discussions - the mystery and speculative fiction ones being of special interest to me, and the writing exercise for "action scenes" was a lot of fun. I also enjoyed reading what some of my favorite m/m writers have to say, as well as other readers. It seems to me that this book has something for everyone. The chapters that deal with writing are inspiring - they inspired me to sit down and write a very short story, and i almost never do that. I'm glad i read this book, i learned a lot from it.

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good craft guide. Since I am working on my 1st M/M romance, I was on the hunt for a craft guide that spoke to the genre and came across this one my famed MM author, Josh Lanyon. What I like most about it is that there are specific sections you can go to to get what you need. The snippets of author interviews are handy because he advice varies, providing you with flexibility. I didn’t ‘finish’ because many of the chapters spoke the basic writer subject matter (i.e. characterization, plot, POV, etc). Since I have nine books under my belt, I skipped those chaps and headed for the specific knowledge I needed.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent "how to" writing guide for writers of any genre, not just M/M erotic romance. However, for authors working in this particular sub-genre, this book is a must read. Lanyon takes us through the entire writing process, from idea generation all the way through promotional endeavors best suited for authors of M/M fiction. Highly recommended. (A)

[Chris Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good stuff for beginning writers. Lots of interviews from other authors, reviewers, publishers, etc which shows difference of opinions. Also lots of instruction on general writing techniques. There are meatier books out there to learn writing techniques if you're going for generic but this one is slanted for the M/M market which makes it unique.

[Lizabeth Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great writing guide by one of the best m/m writers out there. Although aimed at the fast growing male/male romance market, any and every writer can learn some valuable tips. In fact, you might want to buy a physical copy for all the highlighting, margin notes, and Post-it note bookmarking. 4.5 out of 5.

[Becky Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book, entertaining to read and very useful. I like the range of other contributors too giving their insights, writers, editors, publishers. I'll definitely be checking this out again, it will be in reaching distance on the "writing books" shelf!

[Susinok · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful writing guide for the m/m genre with advice specific to the genre. There is also a lot of very good general writing advice.

I'd love to see an update which gives us a picture of the m/m romance publishing field today. A lot has gone on since this book came out.

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must have for any m/m fiction author!

[J. Rosemary Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid advice from Josh Lanyon, complete with insights from other authors and editors. I'll be reading this one again!

[Susan Laine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A most useful opus. Read this a long time ago but just thought to add it now :) Recommended!

[LKM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not overly convinced. The tips were good, I really liked reading the input of publishers and authors, and yet it all seemed more like it belonged at a blog than on a published book.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the excepts from her own work that the author uses is "[…] and his dick, hard and thick, was giving the high five to my own."

Yeah. I'll pass. I've both read and written better smut than this.

[Traci Douglass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reference/craft book for writing, with particular emphasis on M/M Romance. Lots of practical advice and insights from industry professionals too. Highly recommend!

[♣ Irish Smurfétté ♣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a comprehensive gathering of tips, tricks, straight forward directives and open-minded suggestions. Topics ranged widely from the truly creative end (what we love, of course) all the way through to the not always palatable business end of things. Well, only some aren't so grand but others are, especially in working hard on building good relationships in your writing world.

The chapters and sections within are laid out in an easy to follow structure.

Examples of topics, especially in regards to writing, are used to help clarify and are done well. A lot of it sounds like common sense, and is, but sometimes when you're neck deep in your piles of pieces of story, it's easy to lose focus. A lot of this is helpful in maintaining that focus.

The contributing authors, readers and reviewers all give answers that allow multiple POV's which can help you make your own decisions on the given topics.

Honestly, best of all, is the humor. It feels to me like I'm hearing all of this from someone I know - I speaka zee longuage LOL.
Having read a number of the authors, it was fun and informative to hear what they think.

I would definitely recommend this.

[Pia · Rating 4 out of 5]

* This is a book of lessons/chapters on writing with M/M in mind, complete with examples from Lanyon's own work and others in the field, and feedback from readers, writer, and publishers on a variety of storytelling aspects.

* While I enjoyed the snippets from other people in the field, including readers and reviewers, they didn't translate well on the Kindle. At several points, I wasn't sure I was reading Lanyon's words or another blurb/quote from someone he'd interviewed. They also got repetative after a while, the same people saying the same things in a slightly different manner based on the chapter in which they appeared.

* I have a hard time enjoying any writing manual. So, that being said, it speaks volumes about this one that I finished it. I enjoyed Lanyon's writing style for his lessons, keeping to the point without beating the reader with a two-by-four, but also using humor (and some steamy fiction examples) to keep the lesson from being boring.

* It is highly likely that I'll read this one again.

[Josephine Myles · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last! I've found a writing book that gives specific advice for writing in the m/m genre!

This is packed full of sound writing advice, with plenty of examples from Lanyon's own work (along with a select few others), and fascinating quotes from writers, readers, reviewers and editors. You get a thorough overview of the genre, and there is useful advice about the business of writing and promoting as well as all the technical tips.

Lanyon treats the subject with humour and respect, although I do pity whoever the writer was whose dreadful prose he picks apart in the chapter on action scenes!

I'm definitely keeping this book handy, and will be dipping into it again and again when I feel the need.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've got plenty of places in this book marked so I can go back and re-read if needed. Everything is very helpful for anyone aspiring to write M/M romance and avoid the Chicks with Dicks scenario. I did that in fanfiction, I want to be taken seriously now.

This book was also how I discovered the Adrien English series and The Dark Horse stories, which also makes for great reading disguised as study. I only wish I could be as good a writer as Josh Lanyon. This book helps with that a little.

If anyone buys this book, I recommend getting an actual physical copy instead of an e-book. Makes it easier to just grab it while sitting at your desk and flip to the page you need some advice from instead of opening another document on the computer.