Novel Rocket

Here's a sample of what you're missing if you're not subscribed to Novel Journey Monthly (from our October 2007 interview with Bethany House editor Charlene Patterson):

Do you think a new author should start by writing the easier to place books, (like sweet romances, etc.) even if it's their heart's desire to write an epic historical?

I guess you have to consider your ultimate goal. If it is writing the novel of your heart, then do it despite what anyone says! If your ultimate goal is publication, then you should focus on something that publishers are accepting. Keep in mind that publishing is a business, and we aren't going to give you any money unless we think we can sell several thousand copies of your book. However, if you are not passionate about the novel you're working on, it's going to come through in the writing, so writing an easier-to-place book you don't care about probably isn't a good idea. Do you want your name on the cover of something that isn't your best work? If sweet romances intrigue you, then, sure, give one a try because that is indeed a genre in which it is easier to find a publisher. If not, then find another genre that does intrigue you. Challenge yourself to write within that genre.