Submitting a romantic novel?

[bizzylizzy]

I've written a 60,000 word romance. I want to submit the synopsis and first chapter as is usual, but should I go direct to a publisher or send it to an agent. There are many agents in the writers and artists yearbook, can anyone out there recommend a sympathetic agent who specialises in this genre. Thank you. bizzylizzy

[froggequene]

You could try both. I think you need to be quite ruthless about the genre description of your book as well, there are loads of romance novels out there, would you describe your book as Chick Lit, a period romance like Catherine Cookson, a potential Mills & Boons, etc and submit your manuscript accordingly. Once you decide what sub genre it falls into, have a look at who is publishing what. Use your Writers and Artists yearbook, if they are listed, they will also have a list of their requirements, some only require a synopsis, some want a synopsis and a couple of chapters. Again, if you own the book, just read through the listings for the agents and see who represents who and what type of writing they're interested in.