Tales from the Trenches

Querying stats for my current WIP

Mikayla Mallek on Unsplash

The project I am querying is a contemporary romance titled The Now in Forever. It’s single POV. It’s funny but not all the time. It’s a Rom Com, in the vein of Beach Read. Maybe you can help, should I be selling this as Contemporary Romance or Rom Com? Rom Com is a sub genre of contemporary romance so maybe it depends on who I’m submitting to how I sell it.

Here’s my query…

Set along the Oregon Coast, THE NOW IN FOREVER (85,000 words) has a dual timeline similar to Carley Fortune’s Meet Me at the Lake and the Pacific Northwest vibes of Savor It by Tara DeWitt.

Ten years ago, Hattie Stevens spent one unforgettable day with the attractive and slightly chaotic Ed DeArmas. They bonded over their shared love of books and desire to be authors. But when she tried reconnecting with him at his book signing five years later, he didn't recognize her.

Now, on the cusp of turning thirty, she’s about as far from her dream life list as she’s ever been. Divorced, unexpectedly out of a job, still unpublished and doesn’t own the small town bookstore that has been an aspiration since she was a child. Ready for a break from life, she agrees to spend the summer on the Oregon Coast with her two best friends and their partners. She’s stunned to find that one of them has brought a guest—Ed.

At first, Hattie is unsure whether Ed remembers her or their perfect day. Despite this, sparks fly between them and they make a pact to spend the summer helping each other with their novels. Between drafting, they open up to each other. Hattie shares her disappointment in how life is turning out, while Ed (finally) explains what happened at his book signing. When Hattie grows attached to the bookstore in an old Victorian house that’s for sale, Ed makes it clear he would never want to live in a place so small, leaving Hattie to choose between her bookstore dream or risking her heart a third time with Ed.

Then there’s a short bio and an invitation to send more pages.

What do you think? Rom Com or Contemporary Romance?

Anyway on to stats!