1. That we rally around each other when the going gets tough—from fundraisers for those who need them to love and respect for authors, bloggers, or readers who have had a setback or even tragedy in their lives. Even with the drama that sometimes creeps into the mix, we are all of us, compassionate and supportive people.
2. Authors who take up the call to help out another author with a cover reveal or blog tour. We are all in this together and, as my wise friend Damon Suede is fond of saying, a rising tide raises all boats. Helping each other helps us all.
3. Readers who shout to the heavens about the books they love. They have such passion for characters, stories, and romance. All of the paid advertising in the world cannot compare to the word-of-mouth love that comes from someone who is kind of obsessed with your book. I’m obsessed with more than a few myself.
4. The acceptance for each letter in the LGBT+ acronym. The first line of defense for those of us who live on the front lines of the fight for equality are our family and our allies. When I look at my Facebook timeline with posts about issues such as transgender rights or bisexual visibility, I see support and encouragement. In a world of hate, it’s a heartening sight.
5. Bloggers who stand up for our genre against outside media outlets. In the recent hullabaloo over the plagiarism, we started to get some pretty bad press by association. Our bloggers stood right up with readers and authors to defend not only our gay romance subgenre, but the romance genre in general. It was a sight to behold.
6. The understanding, support, and empathy we have for each other when it comes to things like social anxiety, depression, and other areas of difficulty that each of us may face, especially when trying to attend huge conferences. We draw people out of the corners with affection and compassion, asking them to come and join the party.
7. The support authors and readers have for authors who are struggling with their writing. Readers provide love and encouragement. While authors also encourage, they additionally offer advice from someone who has been there.
8. Authors who share their secrets with other authors—secrets like great writing books, structuring advice, tips on setting, and the nuts and bolts of characterization. They also blog about marketing, social media, and other must-haves for promotion.
9. Writing circles, critique groups, beta partners, and all of the other ways that authors help each other get their books out the door. It takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a team to publish a novel.
10. And finally, on a personal note, I love the way that the gay romance genre has accepted and embraced me, my characters, and my stories all these years. For seven years, I’ve written and published in this genre. I’ve sold tens of thousands of books, but the most amazing parts of it all have been the friends I’ve made and the ways these stories have touched people.

So, when you think about our genre, just remember one fundamental truth—a line from The Crow that I’ve always taken to heart:

It can’t rain all the time.

XOXOXO,

JP Barnaby