Learn from other romance writers. Study the works of Catherine Coulter, Judith Kranz and Nora Roberts. These authors make their living writing romance and intrigue, involving their characters in romantic trysts and danger to keep you on the edge your seat. A good story is not only about the main characters but keeps the readers interest to the very last page.
Decide on a category for romance writing. Historical romance stories are set in periods such as the Civil War, the Old West and Victorian times. Modern romance stories are set in today's urban areas and inspirational romance novels inspire romance in everyday people. Other categories include science fiction romance, erotic romance and multicultural romance.
Set regular work hours. Make a schedule and stick to it. Romance writers have deadlines just like any other type of writer or journalist. You must discipline yourself to write when you need to so you won't fall behind. Most productive writers can turn out three to four books a year.
Contact a publisher. Visit the website of a publisher you are interested in and check out the writing guidelines. Most publishers do not accept unsolicited manuscripts so the appropriate method is to send a query, either in an e-mail or by regular mail. Describe your story idea, the plot and characters and include some information about yourself and why you would like to write for them. You should expect to receive an answer within six to eight weeks. The eHarlequin and Passionate Pen sites list publishers and links to their submission pages.
Write short stories for submission to magazines and freelance writing websites. This is an easy way to make a little extra money writing. Woman's World, Woman's Weekly and The Wild Rose Press publish romance and fiction stories.
Freelance for extra income between novels. To keep the money coming in between novels consider doing other types of writing to supplement your income. Article writing, short stories and ghostwriting assignments from freelance writing sites like oDesk, eLance and Guru can help you keep a steady income. Making a living as a writer of any type means dedicating yourself to the work and finding sources of available assignments.