I've been having similar problems in writing groups you mention! Throw in people's opinion on romantasy (of which they've never read anything in the genre and just repeat what the naysayers on the internet say) and it's hard to be taken seriously and to discuss actually writing. I'm yet to join a writing Discord server where people do talk about writing or books; they end up being general chat rooms. Which is a nice addition, but not what I'd specifically joined for.
For me personally I think Discord servers are the best option because of the organisation of channels, though I'd never pay to join any.
I'm sorry that's been your experience. Its sooooo frustrating to show up to a writing group hoping to become a better writer, and the space is just social hour with a side of romance bashing (aka misogyny). It's good to know I do have writers here in the space, so I'll make sure my next post has some writing tips.
Everything you said resonated with me. I am definitely interested in a romantic writing group where a certain level of knowledge about story and craft is necessary to join. I have tried other writers groups where people are just at the beginning of studying story structure, and the craft of writing and I need to be in a more challenging group. I am personally revising my debut novel, the first in a trilogy, so I’m in it for the long haul. I would vastly prefer Substack in Zoom, I just don’t have the bandwidth to be checking more platforms. Excited to support Romantasy Realms moving from dream to reality!
Love this!!! I am still in the brain storming phase of this project, but I do hope that we can collaborate in the future. Best of luck with your revision and the creation of books two and three. I did not originally set out to write a trilogy, but my characters were pretty insistent they had lots more to do. In the long run I'm so happy about that. I am not ready to leave their world, and hope you are feeling that same passion for your cast.
Thanks for updating us on what your plans are, Ivy! I'm in that Pathfinders Writing Collective Discord, which has online trackers and leaderboards for some fun and accountability. The people are friendly and open-minded, and progressive in their politics, so that's been very nice! I haven't participated as much because I'm so absorbed in my Tokyo Debunker fandom servers, lol. But it's a great writing group! I've had some nice experiences with Facebook writing groups. There are always bad apples, unfortunately (including two transphobic admins...), but I learned to tune them out and focus on the good and supportive people, haha.
Also I'm in the same boat coaching wise. My therapy business is consuming my attention, haha. I agree with my business coach that it's too much for my ADHD to manage two businesses at once. So I've put book coaching to the side, at least at the moment. Besides, I admit I'm much more passionate about being a therapist than being a book coach right now. Sure I feel bad since I spent thousands of dollars on Author Accelerator, but oh well. (The money I spent on my master's degree was even more than for Author Accelerator, to be fair, lol. Not that it's really about the financial investment I put it, but you know.)
I'll miss having you as a coach for Anastasia! But yeah we can't force it if we don't have the capacity anymore, haha. Also I have to admit that I'm more enthusiastic about my fanfiction than about my original fiction at the moment. 😅 Having excited friends and fans in the Tokyo Debunker fandom helps, too. Have to be honest and say that it's so much easier to find an audience for fanfic than for original fic, at least for me! (I won't give up on my original fic, but fanfic is where my interest lies right now.)
I'm glad you've found good groups, as that hasn't been my experience. I really like the idea of using some game-like incentives like the leaderboard--I'm a sucker for that stuff. At my library we give out little button pins all the time for certain goals (like read 1000 minutes), and those little rewards have kept me well read over the years.
I wish we weren't in the same spot as far as coaching goes. It was a big investment, but also, I think even if we aren't coaching, a lot of what we learned about giving feedback and analyzing other people's writing has made us stronger authors.
I'll miss having you as a client too! But my life is a lot right now. You know a lot about me personally, and there's so much going on with my kiddo up in Minneapolis and with my other kiddo switching up her meds. It's a lot and there are times I just feel fried. But its also made me reassess my priorities and plans for my life once I'm no longer a librarian.
Finally--follow your heart! If you are finding both joy and an audience with your fan fic, give that your attention. Who knows? You might very well end up with some readers that jump into your original fic and characters. Ana and friends will be waiting for you when the time is right to jump back into that project. That is how I'm feeling about Rowena 2. The story is jumping at me, begging to get out of my head and onto the page. I wrote a pretty awful for Rowena 5 page scene yesterday, and I can't wait to add more to the chapter this Thursday.
There is something deeply admirable about choosing the door that feels true rather than the one that simply pays well. Focusing on Romantasy Realms instead of chasing a booming coaching market sounds less like retreat and more like refinement.
That said, building a niche press in the most commercially saturated corner of fantasy is a bold move. Romantasy does not lack for ambition. What it often lacks is rigor. If you truly intend to create a space that prioritizes structural integrity, developmental depth, and editorial honesty, that alone would distinguish you from many of the “quick to print” operations currently riding the wave.
The idea of a fellowship is compelling. Romantasy thrives on community, and writers who share a vocabulary of tropes, stakes, and reader expectation could sharpen each other in ways broader writing groups cannot. The risk, of course, is becoming an echo chamber of trends. The opportunity is becoming a crucible for better craft.
If you can hold both community and critique, passion and professionalism then Romantasy Realms could become more than a brand. It could become a standard.
The genre does not need more speed. It needs discernment. If that is what you are building, then this next chapter makes sense.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comments. I really do believe in the power of stories and community, and I'm always going to prioritize helping people over big profits (this is why I'm a librarian and a former teacher).
I'm not a fan of quick to print, "let us format your story into a book" vanity presses. I've gotten manuscripts from a few such entities to review that made me angry. Writers paid good money to put out projects that clearly needed developmental edits. This is such a detriment to the entire indie community, because there is still a stigma around being self-published.
I also appreciate pointing out that there is a risk of this endeavor becoming an echo chamber. I did not consider that possibility! I'd want to avoid that outcome at all costs, however, as that is the opposite of what I hope to achieve.
This entire post made me exhale. I just landed on Substack literally yesterday and finding you already feels like confirmation I’m in the right place.
The part about not being able to share an unpublished manuscript with someone who wasn’t 100% invested in your vision … I felt that in my bones. I’m deep in a mythic fantasy romance trilogy right now and the idea of handing it to a generic press that handles everything from epic fantasy to exercise guides makes my skin crawl.
This work is too personal for that.
And a romantasy writing fellowship? I would be very interested in that. I’ve been building my world largely in isolation and the thought of being in a room with other writers who care about this genre as deeply as you clearly do sounds like exactly what I didn’t know I needed. The weekly check-in model especially — accountability without pressure.
If you ever need a guinea pig for the course or the community, I’m raising my hand from the back of the room. And I will absolutely be following along as you build this out.
Welcome to Substack!!! I really love it here. It is the only social media platform I am aware of with a real focus on long form writing and sharing from the heart instead of for clicks. Since I've published this post, I've gotten some input from folks that have advocated for Discord as a place to meet and write, so I am looking into that. And I see your hand from the back of the room and am welcoming you to come up to the front--this is a shared space. Thanks for the comment, and keep up the good work! I like dragons and fae, but I love romantasy written from the heart the most.
I’m in! Send me your discord when it’s up and running. If you love romantasy written from the heart then you will love The Warden series! Glad we got connected here…
It's a great idea to focus on Romantasy, not something broader. I feel the genre is so underrated (I'm excited to go and read your post about "act of resistance" after this! I suspect it's talking about something like that) despite its popularity. This is why I agree it's super important to motivate/support authors to write strong and meaningful stories with a message (and with smut, sure, gimme all the smut too). My own author brand (travelling professor-author in The Carriage) is built around combining curiosity and learning with adventures and yearning (wow, that rhymes😅) I'd be happy to join your community, in whichever way you decide to build it 😃❤️ Keep us posted!
I've been having similar problems in writing groups you mention! Throw in people's opinion on romantasy (of which they've never read anything in the genre and just repeat what the naysayers on the internet say) and it's hard to be taken seriously and to discuss actually writing. I'm yet to join a writing Discord server where people do talk about writing or books; they end up being general chat rooms. Which is a nice addition, but not what I'd specifically joined for.
For me personally I think Discord servers are the best option because of the organisation of channels, though I'd never pay to join any.
I'm sorry that's been your experience. Its sooooo frustrating to show up to a writing group hoping to become a better writer, and the space is just social hour with a side of romance bashing (aka misogyny). It's good to know I do have writers here in the space, so I'll make sure my next post has some writing tips.
Everything you said resonated with me. I am definitely interested in a romantic writing group where a certain level of knowledge about story and craft is necessary to join. I have tried other writers groups where people are just at the beginning of studying story structure, and the craft of writing and I need to be in a more challenging group. I am personally revising my debut novel, the first in a trilogy, so I’m in it for the long haul. I would vastly prefer Substack in Zoom, I just don’t have the bandwidth to be checking more platforms. Excited to support Romantasy Realms moving from dream to reality!
Love this!!! I am still in the brain storming phase of this project, but I do hope that we can collaborate in the future. Best of luck with your revision and the creation of books two and three. I did not originally set out to write a trilogy, but my characters were pretty insistent they had lots more to do. In the long run I'm so happy about that. I am not ready to leave their world, and hope you are feeling that same passion for your cast.
Thanks for updating us on what your plans are, Ivy! I'm in that Pathfinders Writing Collective Discord, which has online trackers and leaderboards for some fun and accountability. The people are friendly and open-minded, and progressive in their politics, so that's been very nice! I haven't participated as much because I'm so absorbed in my Tokyo Debunker fandom servers, lol. But it's a great writing group! I've had some nice experiences with Facebook writing groups. There are always bad apples, unfortunately (including two transphobic admins...), but I learned to tune them out and focus on the good and supportive people, haha.
Also I'm in the same boat coaching wise. My therapy business is consuming my attention, haha. I agree with my business coach that it's too much for my ADHD to manage two businesses at once. So I've put book coaching to the side, at least at the moment. Besides, I admit I'm much more passionate about being a therapist than being a book coach right now. Sure I feel bad since I spent thousands of dollars on Author Accelerator, but oh well. (The money I spent on my master's degree was even more than for Author Accelerator, to be fair, lol. Not that it's really about the financial investment I put it, but you know.)
I'll miss having you as a coach for Anastasia! But yeah we can't force it if we don't have the capacity anymore, haha. Also I have to admit that I'm more enthusiastic about my fanfiction than about my original fiction at the moment. 😅 Having excited friends and fans in the Tokyo Debunker fandom helps, too. Have to be honest and say that it's so much easier to find an audience for fanfic than for original fic, at least for me! (I won't give up on my original fic, but fanfic is where my interest lies right now.)
I'm glad you've found good groups, as that hasn't been my experience. I really like the idea of using some game-like incentives like the leaderboard--I'm a sucker for that stuff. At my library we give out little button pins all the time for certain goals (like read 1000 minutes), and those little rewards have kept me well read over the years.
I wish we weren't in the same spot as far as coaching goes. It was a big investment, but also, I think even if we aren't coaching, a lot of what we learned about giving feedback and analyzing other people's writing has made us stronger authors.
I'll miss having you as a client too! But my life is a lot right now. You know a lot about me personally, and there's so much going on with my kiddo up in Minneapolis and with my other kiddo switching up her meds. It's a lot and there are times I just feel fried. But its also made me reassess my priorities and plans for my life once I'm no longer a librarian.
Finally--follow your heart! If you are finding both joy and an audience with your fan fic, give that your attention. Who knows? You might very well end up with some readers that jump into your original fic and characters. Ana and friends will be waiting for you when the time is right to jump back into that project. That is how I'm feeling about Rowena 2. The story is jumping at me, begging to get out of my head and onto the page. I wrote a pretty awful for Rowena 5 page scene yesterday, and I can't wait to add more to the chapter this Thursday.
Keep in touch, friend!
There is something deeply admirable about choosing the door that feels true rather than the one that simply pays well. Focusing on Romantasy Realms instead of chasing a booming coaching market sounds less like retreat and more like refinement.
That said, building a niche press in the most commercially saturated corner of fantasy is a bold move. Romantasy does not lack for ambition. What it often lacks is rigor. If you truly intend to create a space that prioritizes structural integrity, developmental depth, and editorial honesty, that alone would distinguish you from many of the “quick to print” operations currently riding the wave.
The idea of a fellowship is compelling. Romantasy thrives on community, and writers who share a vocabulary of tropes, stakes, and reader expectation could sharpen each other in ways broader writing groups cannot. The risk, of course, is becoming an echo chamber of trends. The opportunity is becoming a crucible for better craft.
If you can hold both community and critique, passion and professionalism then Romantasy Realms could become more than a brand. It could become a standard.
The genre does not need more speed. It needs discernment. If that is what you are building, then this next chapter makes sense.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comments. I really do believe in the power of stories and community, and I'm always going to prioritize helping people over big profits (this is why I'm a librarian and a former teacher).
I'm not a fan of quick to print, "let us format your story into a book" vanity presses. I've gotten manuscripts from a few such entities to review that made me angry. Writers paid good money to put out projects that clearly needed developmental edits. This is such a detriment to the entire indie community, because there is still a stigma around being self-published.
I also appreciate pointing out that there is a risk of this endeavor becoming an echo chamber. I did not consider that possibility! I'd want to avoid that outcome at all costs, however, as that is the opposite of what I hope to achieve.
This entire post made me exhale. I just landed on Substack literally yesterday and finding you already feels like confirmation I’m in the right place.
The part about not being able to share an unpublished manuscript with someone who wasn’t 100% invested in your vision … I felt that in my bones. I’m deep in a mythic fantasy romance trilogy right now and the idea of handing it to a generic press that handles everything from epic fantasy to exercise guides makes my skin crawl.
This work is too personal for that.
And a romantasy writing fellowship? I would be very interested in that. I’ve been building my world largely in isolation and the thought of being in a room with other writers who care about this genre as deeply as you clearly do sounds like exactly what I didn’t know I needed. The weekly check-in model especially — accountability without pressure.
If you ever need a guinea pig for the course or the community, I’m raising my hand from the back of the room. And I will absolutely be following along as you build this out.
Welcome to Substack!!! I really love it here. It is the only social media platform I am aware of with a real focus on long form writing and sharing from the heart instead of for clicks. Since I've published this post, I've gotten some input from folks that have advocated for Discord as a place to meet and write, so I am looking into that. And I see your hand from the back of the room and am welcoming you to come up to the front--this is a shared space. Thanks for the comment, and keep up the good work! I like dragons and fae, but I love romantasy written from the heart the most.
I’m in! Send me your discord when it’s up and running. If you love romantasy written from the heart then you will love The Warden series! Glad we got connected here…
It's a great idea to focus on Romantasy, not something broader. I feel the genre is so underrated (I'm excited to go and read your post about "act of resistance" after this! I suspect it's talking about something like that) despite its popularity. This is why I agree it's super important to motivate/support authors to write strong and meaningful stories with a message (and with smut, sure, gimme all the smut too). My own author brand (travelling professor-author in The Carriage) is built around combining curiosity and learning with adventures and yearning (wow, that rhymes😅) I'd be happy to join your community, in whichever way you decide to build it 😃❤️ Keep us posted!