Just your opinion, really.

[DarkDesireX]

I wanted a little reading material just so that I didn't get rusty and I ended up with Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies. I'm fairly surprised at how informative it is, but that's neither here nor there.

My question for you guys is this: According to the book you should pretty much stick to a formula for your romantic heroes: Alpha male but not too overbearing. Do you agree?

You see, I've got one completed manuscrpit and one WIP and they're both centered around kind of...well, wimpy/sappy men. Rather than the woman falling in love first as usual I've got two men who are openly in love way before she's even thinking about it. Not only that but one of my men is actually suicidal and kind of pathetic (he's being haunted by ghosts, though, so we forgive him) and she saves him. Are these stories doomed to fail?

[Del]

I always seem to write from the female perspective. I don't go by the book. I may be mistaken but I would think romance is largely a female market. In that regard you can create a male MC that they long to swoon over or you can create a female MC that they can associate with. I prefer the latter. We can get the good stuff through her eyes.

I'm a fairly sensitive guy and tend to write that way. I don't think I could write an overbearing MC. But what ever gets you the emotion you seek.

But then, my romances are filled with blood and weird stuff. So don't take my word for it. I do believe there are those that can do any of the don'ts. Write what you like to read. Best formula going.

[job]

There's certainly no problem with the male falling for the female first. This is one of the common plots.

Beta heroes -- You might look at Laura Kinsale for troubled, damaged heroes. Many of JA Krentz's men are not typical alphas.

ISTM you can do pretty much anything you like, so long as you make the relationship sexy and cool and your H&H end up together and happy.

[veinglory]

Alpha heroes remain the best bet for making a sale, no doubt about that. Betas in certain areas also do well (wounded hero, nerdhunk etc). Pretty much any kind if hero is out there even in mainstream large press romance--but it pays to be aware that a good 95% of what is out there is alpha.