Romance Your Brand: Building a Marketable Genre Fiction Series

by Zoe York

“Genre fiction series are the bread and butter of mid-list writers. For many, they make the difference between a writing dream and a writing career.” Zoe York/Ainsley Booth, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author

For the first time ever in print, Zoe York breaks down how she plans a series—something she has done ten times over.
Romance Your Brand is an adaptation of an intensive four-week course, now available to authors everywhere.

This book covers:

• high-concept pitches

• world-building

• taglines and blurbs

• building a cast of characters

• writing the first book in a series

• finding comparable series

• covers

• how to write towards future marketing

• and why ALL OF THE ABOVE should be considered before you write a single word


Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Romance, Crafts, Business, Audiobook, Canada

119 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 24, 2019

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Zoe York is a busy working mom of two young boys, wife to a very understanding soldier, and creator of modern, sexy, small town contemporary romances.

She lives in London, Ontario and is currently chugging Americanos, wiping sticky fingers, and dreaming of heroes in and out of uniform.

Reviews

[Sebastien Castell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about this book on the Writing Excuses podcast and picked it up on Audible (where it was less than $5 which isn't bad, though it's a 2 hour audiobook). I think there's an exceptionally useful book on designing a series in here, but none of it is fleshed out – it's like getting a really excellent table of contents and introduction to each chapter without diving into the mechanics of how to do what those chapters are suggesting. There's a lot of good insight, but the challenge is in making those insights actionable rather than just food for thought. Hopefully the author will expand those sections in future editions of the book, at which point I think it could be a terrific guide to series design.

[LynneV · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I first saw this book, I had high hopes for it and pre-ordered it immediately. There's a vast array of writing craft books (and I am a bit addicted to them, lol) but there haven't been a lot of books that focused on developing a romance series. Considering Zoe York's vast experience in the field--she has multiple romance series out there and she's a best-selling author--I had high hopes for this.

What a disappointment it turned out to be. Truth, there are some nuggets of wisdom in this (more or less all of them in chapter 19) but it's barely enough to fit onto a Post-it and it definitely isn't enough to warrant the 5 dollar price tag. Price matters in this case--had it been 2 or 3 dollars, I probably would've bumped the rating up to 2 stars, but here I don't think I hardly got any value for money.

As mentioned previously, the author has quite a few series under her belt, so I would've expected more examples of how she built those series herself. There is hardly anything on that. Building hooks into your next book? She mentions it, but no examples of how she did it with her own work or how other authors do that. You need a great blurb to sell your books? Yup, she mentions it. In fact, she wrote a great blurb for this book, so much so that it convince me to pre-order. But again, no examples. Cast of characters? Yep, you need one of those as well and there needs to be some conflict. And world building? It's useful to draw a map. Oh, and that series sell well in romance, so you're better off writing in a series than just stand-alones. That's about the genesis of this book, fitted into one paragraph.

Going into this book, I wasn't expecting an in-depth how-to on world building, story structure and character development, but I did however expect the author to share how to build a romance series and to SHOW the reader how she goes about it herself by using examples. She hardly ever does that, and because of that, this book never reaches beyond generic platitudes on writing. And it's a shame, because the author could've made a wave into a sea of writing-craft books, because there isn't much on this specific subject, but she failed to do that from start to finish.

Your mileage may vary, but I hardly got anything out of this book, other than chapter 19. Really disappointed.

[Maria Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're an aspiring author or want to get your next series noticed, this book from successful author Zoe York has some great practical advice and information! For a non-author like myself it's interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes to bring those books to a reader's attention. Very enjoyable!

Note: a copy of this book was provided by the author for review.

[Bárbara Morais]

Livro bem interessante com as experiências da autora como autora de romance comercial indie, voltada para quem quer se sustentar com a publicação de livros. Ela bate muito na tecla da organização, do planejamento, de saber exatamente o que está fazendo e que imagem está construindo e acho que é um ponto essencial para novos autores e quem tem interesse de começar uma carreira independente e tem como objetivo se sustentar com a venda de seus livros. Muitas das coisas eu já havia observado ao longo do tempo e fazia instintivamente (embora a parte de se sustentar apenas com a venda dos meus livros não seja meu objetivo), então é muito bom ver tudo sistematizado. Recomendo demais para quem tá começando ou para quem acha que tá "tudo errado", mas com a observação que a autora faz repetidamente: cada autor é um autor, cada coisa funciona diferente, cada um tem um objetivo, cada um tem um público. Mas é interessante para pensar e ela dá uns modelinhos e umas dicas muito boas para planejamento de calendário de publicação indie.

[Si Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read or write romance. It's just not my thing. If it's yours, that's cool … it's just not mine.

I almost scrolled past this book because of the title. But the subtitle grabbed me just as I was about to click to the next option. And I'm so glad I took a chance. While the author is well-known in romance circles (apparently), this books is stuffed with valuable insight for writers of ANY genre fiction. Well worth the read.

[Golden Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so highly recommend any author who wants to write a series (or who needs to be convinced to write a series) to read this book, especially if they're a romance author. I've written multiple series and I learned lessons from each one, but I wasn't always able to coherently detail those lessons - and I definitely wasn't always able to figure out how to avoid making some of the same mistakes. This book not only explained many of the lessons I've learned in a way that made sense to me, but helped me pinpoint where I want to go next and gave me the toolbox to figure out how to get there. I am starting not one, not two, but THREE new series next year and I have been a nervous wreck about all three of them, but after reading this book I feel so much better. I only wish it had been available years ago!

[Jenny Bunting]

This wasn't revolutionary, but a good reminder how important a marketable series is.

[Lucinda Race · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book on a recommendation I saw on line and found many gems to try. I'm plotting my next series using this book- if nothing else my editor will love me a little more for keeping my characters and businesses in town straight. Thank you Zoe York...

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romance Your Brand didn't fully resonate with me for some reason. It had definitely some great pieces of information, but for the most part it just wasn't fully the book for me. I especially liked the bit where the author explained how she thought her lack of sales was due to the Canadian setting while in fact she missed one of the must haves for the genre. One of the last chapters also has a great worksheet/ plan where she explains how she plans out her series, I thought that was quite insightful and there were some great pieces of advice of what to keep in mind when planning a series.

Once I started the book I almost put it right back again as the first chapter was a speech the author gave in the past for a conference and it was just a very jarring start of a non-fiction book for me as I wanted to know what she would say now instead of what she wrote a while ago and it also was written for the conference with some references to it and it was just weird. After that first chapter it got better. The author touches upon some common advice like getting a good blurb or cover, but doesn't really elaborate much on those topics. I felt like there was a lot of text for little good information, especially in the earlier chapters. She says a lot and there definitely is a lot about mistakes she made and what she learned, but not as much actionable advice for other authors.

Having said that there are some great pieces for sure and the more I read the more I could see how she plots her series and why this works for her. And in the later part of the book there were some good nuggets of information that I think could really help authors when planning a series. I think other contemporary romance authors and those who write other romance genres probably get the most out of this book as that is very much where the focus, which makes sense given the title. Although I actually felt it was more about how to plan a series and think of the marketing while planning than your brand.

To summarize: while this book didn't fully work for me there were some nuggets of information I found very insightful. The first chapter was a bit of jarring start for me as it contained a speech written by the author for a conference and I didn't think it was an engaging start to the book. There wasn't as much information at first that I didn't know about and some general advice without concrete steps, but the further I got the better it got and there are some great pieces of information later in the book. I would recommend this to authors who write romance and want some advice on how to plan their series and start thinking about the marketing aspect before or while writing.

[Angela Boord · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dated and written specifically for romance writers working in series where each book can be read as a standalone with different characters. It’s short enough that even I, with my terrible attention span for audio, could listen to it while making dinner and finish it in a week. I have a feeling I would have gotten more out of the book if I had read it in e-book format, but even so, there’s not a lot of specific detail. However, it did send me on a rabbit trail digging up Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ work on the psychology of how fiction works and that is an absolute gold mine.

[Lisa Swinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many books to choose from on this topic. I picked up this one at a discount to try it out.
I was pleased to find there was plenty of good advice and even homework to do. Much of the homework is downloadable at her site.
The idea I liked the most was to take or leave her advice and tactics because writing is not a one-size-fits-all business. I was welcome to take the cafeteria approach.
Well worth the read and I'm already applying tactics for my next series.

[Clarissa Gosling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good points

[Vesna · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stars, and then some. I've been trying to figure out this series writing thing for a while now, and this is the best book on the subject I've read so far. Especially if a connected romance series of standalones is something you're courting.<3

[Victoria Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't think this is just for romance authors! This book was filled with so much valuable information, delivered in a clear format, with plenty of examples and helpful suggestions, including links to worksheets. New or established authors should read this!

[Melanie Ting · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like sitting down for coffee with Zoe York as she walks you through all the steps of creating a successful romance series. How it differs from other craft books is that it’s not about writing a single book, but rather the series as a whole—how to world build, how to structure the first book, how subsequent books differ, and how to organize series information.

I was lucky enough to one of the guinea pigs when Zoe created an online series course in 2016, and that was the only reason that I wrote an actual outline for my Vancouver Vice hockey romance series. As Zoe points out, your books can change and evolve from the outline, but five books in I’m surprised how true I stayed to the original vision. This stuff works!

But Romance Your Brand also has detailed advice I wish I’d known when I wrote book one, which is vital for introducing reader to your series. There are things about book one I regret now, but Zoe also offers advice for fixing existing problems—like revision or marketing.

The book’s tone is very conversational and the advice is pragmatic. This book would be particularly helpful to new romance authors, someone about to start a series, or someone wondering why her series hasn't sold better. Basically, any author is going to find a ton of good advice.

[Sri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread in December 2023, now that I'm planning for HR instead of contemporary, and still a brilliant and jam-packed yet short book, I love that I could revisit in one evening. LOVE.

Excellent practical advice that has helped me see I'm on the right track with plotting out a series and thinking of tropes, excited to keep going with this plan and will read the next two books in the series soon! Glad this was a quick read so I can get back to writing and plotting.

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book mostly for romance writers, but she notes when and how her advice can be adjusted for those not writing in the romance genre. Some great ideas here.

I really liked her version 2.0 series idea. Basically, you have a series that sells well and it hits set genres, small town with military men or whatever. so instead of writing a whole new series, make the next one a different version of the same thing; is it the next town across, the cousins of the first family, the camping cabins in another area, or whatever. Brilliant. And I can see where authors have done exactly that.

And she offers PDFs etc on her website.

4 stars

[Angela's Book Addiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance Your Brand: Building a Marketable Genre Fiction Series by Zoe York is a useful resource for planning a series. Written in an engaging, conversational tone, the author shares the steps she follows when planning to write a series. While many topics are covered in a high-level, big-picture way, there are also several exercises and homework assignments included for putting the information into practice. This resource is entertaining, practical, easy to understand, and I know I’ll return to it as I plan my own series.

[Wendi Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good resource

I have been writing/publishing YA for several years and have been itching to write adult romance. An author friend recommended this book and I'm so glad I picked it up. All of my series have revolved around one couple, so having the process of writing a series of standalones broken down like this is going to be super helpful.
Written in an entertaining, easy to understand way, I can see this as a resource that I'll come back to again and again.

[Emmie Mears · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful read for recalibrating a brain that doesn’t market

Picked this up on a recommendation from a pal just as I’m strategising with a couple new series ideas (just finished writing one, and here I said I would never do that again…) and this book kicked my brain into gear. Marketing and commerciality are far from my strong points, but this book made the latter accessible and actionable. Off to go write books, byeeeee

[Peggy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must have!

If you are a new author you must connect with Zoe York. It was like a really great friend sitting you down and giving you detailed advice and valuable tips on writing and marketing your romance novel. There is so must that it's overwhelming, but Zoe conveys to you in book and on YouTube the information you must have to start your marketing journey in the world of publishing your novels!

[Marlena Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good read! It’s focused on romance writers, but there are some great takeaways for series writers of all fictional genres. It’s definitely one that gave me some great tools that I’ll be taking forward. It’s a lot of useful information in a fairly short book, but it’s great if you take it slow and give yourself time to digest the info. Looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

[Tracy]

I appreciate that this is very clear about who it's for -- self-pub genre fiction authors, particularly romance writers -- and the framing around series-building. This is structured well but I wish it had a little more depth. I would have appreciated more examples or guidance on several of the assignments. I'm not sure how much specific numbers (e.g. length, sales) may have changed since 2019, but even if those have changed, most information should remain relevant.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so I haven’t done my homework or even started writing.... but after this book I have got a much better idea of what I should be doing... and whilst listening to the audio version, my idea, that was just a passing thought which appeared whilst reading Zoe newsletter, made me think, hey perhaps I should give this a go. Thanks Zoe for inspiring and directing!

[Rick Waugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very good, and came at a good time, as I’m planning a new series. This is not a structural craft book; this is how to plan out a series that sells. And no, that doesn’t mean to sell out. It means to take what you were going to write, and make it as marketable as possible. And after publishing a 5 volume series that didn’t sell all that well, these are good thoughts to take in.

[Jean Oram]

A great resource whether you’ve written one or twenty books. There’s something to think about for all romance writers in here. I had an a-ha moment for sure with how I’m approaching my series writing. Thanks, Zoe!

[Abby Knox]

Very useful ideas on how to prepare to write a romance series. Zoe gives homework and worksheets to help you DIY the world you want to write in. Solid strategies, whether you are a planner or a pantser.

[A.R.K. Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I needed

I paused continuing work on my newest book series to make sure I wasn’t going down a futile path. I’m so glad I did. This gave me confidence in what I was doing right. It also gave me ways to do things BETTER.

[Kristina Wilkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much here to consider

This is a fascinating examination of series writing. She has given me so much to think about-I’ll take some time & probably read this again before beginning to draft my next project.

[Duchess_Nimue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little book on writing a romance series. The chapters are bite sized suggestions on how to get into the field and think about writing. More of a tricks and tips type, suited for gaining a general idea of the work. There were definitely information to go back to.