Review your manuscript to make sure it fits the conventions of the romance genre. Like other genres of writing, there are certain elements readers like to see. In romance, the hero of the story typically achieves his goal, which is the object of his desire. Endings are almost always happy. Beginning romance writers are better off sticking to the conventions until they have established themselves in the genre.
Polish your manuscript. Be sure there are no misspelled words and eliminate poor grammar and sentence structure. Sending any story to a publisher without giving it proper attention in the proofreading department can cause immediate rejection, regardless of how good your story is. Consider having a someone you trust read your story. Someone who hasn't been over the manuscript as many times as you have may offer valuable insight.
Research your markets. Look for a current copy of Writer's Market or sign up for the online version. There are also free market guides online specific to the romance genre. Market guides list many markets that accept romance material and give submission guidelines detailing where to send your romance stories, how to format them for submission and how much you will be paid. The Passionate Pen offers a listing of major publishers currently looking for romance manuscripts. If your romance story leans more toward the erotic romance, the Erotica Readers and Writers Association keeps a constantly updated market guide for short and novel-length erotic romance.
Read the guidelines thoroughly, but pay particular attention to erotic content. Some romance publishers have strict guidelines about sexual content. Traditional romance stories handle erotic scenes tastefully, while other romance publishers allow writers to push the boundaries a bit. Some publishers accept both types of material but publish them in separate venues.
Send your story where it will best fit. Within the romance genre, there are many subgenres that combine romance with other genres. These include historical romance, where stories are set in the past, and paranormal romance, where stories include supernatural elements. The type of romance story you write can dictate your market search. A paranormal romance story may find a home with a publisher who doesn't publish strictly romance, so don't limit yourself to romantic publishers if you have a story that can appeal to another audience.
Submit your story according to individual market submission guidelines. Never assume that one publisher's format will be accepted by another publisher, and check with the publisher's website in case the guidelines have been updated since your market guide was published. Response times vary, but in the romance market, these response times can be significantly longer than in other markets. If the guidelines do not specify a response time, wait at least three months before you follow up with an email or phone query.
Attend romance writing conferences and workshops. These conferences are ideal for meeting with professionals in the romance publishing industry. Many conferences give you the opportunity to pitch your work directly to romance publishers. Conferences are also the perfect chance to network with others in the field. Consider becoming a member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA), whose mission is to advance the careers of romance writers through networking and advocacy. The RWA can help keep you informed about conferences and conventions for romance writers, as well as other opportunities to help your writing career.