The Story Sorcery™ Society
Welcoming new members in October 2025
Rise above creative overwhelm, writing burnout, and publishing anxiety in the Story Sorcery™ Society, a small private community of professional romance authors dedicated to supporting one another toward consistent craft mastery and strategic business decisions.
What it is
The Story Sorcery™ Society is a monthly group membership program ideal for warm, kind, open-minded published romance authors who consider yourself a “high learner” (or a life-long student) and who thrive on being part of a tight-knit community to continue improving your skills and sharing your knowledge with others.
This membership program is what you've been looking for...
The SSS pilot program has been a heart-warming success and something the Founding Members and I have come to cherish. Now that we've worked out all the little getting-started pain points, we're ready to welcome new members. And we want you to join us in this close-knit group of experienced romance writers.
When it will happen
Beginning on October 1, 2025
Membership is purchased in quarterly (or annual) increments.
When you first join, you can try out the program with 3 monthly payments or 1 quarterly payment before you go all in with the annual subscription option (and earn a special bonus).
We officially meet twice a month for our group hot seat/brainstorming calls and "homework" reviews of the monthly mini-training. We also have accountability/working sprints in the off-weeks. There is no pressure to attend all meetings or do the "homework". You get out of this program what you put into it.
Much of our work together will happen asynchronously, and most of the group calls (except working sprints or accountability sessions) will be recorded and available for replay. You are also welcome to submit questions in advance that I will answer on the recorded call.
(Scroll down to see the current schedule.)
What to expect
Bite-sized continuing education & professional support (me!) + peer feedback & networking (you!)
Ask questions, get answers, lean into the experience and strengths of your peers.
Our continuing education sessions will cover intermediate and advanced craft techniques, industry updates, and business tips... and whatever else our Society members decide is necessary and beneficial for a group of working published romance writers.
Here's a quick peek at some of the topics and themes we lean into.
Craft Development
(Real time) Rotating 15-minute hot seat critiques/consults
(Real time) Group story problem-solving or brainstorming sessions
(Real time + Async) Q&A for the monthly “mini-mission” or bite-sized lesson
(Async + Real time) Scene/character/blurb critiques (shared in the discussion forum in advance, spotlighted on a group call)
(Real time or Async) Craft workshops and deep-dive sessions on romance-specific nuances
(Async) Mini-missions & bite-sized lessons to sharpen your writing and revision skills
Community & Mindset
(Real time) Writing sprints or productivity sessions
(Async) Goal-setting and accountability/progress check-ins
(Async) Wins recognition and celebration
(Freeform) Member-created critique groups and beta reading trades
Business development
(Async) Industry news and trends updates
(Async) Publishing path discussions
(Real time) Query or blurb workshops
(Real time or Async) Shared business knowledge and tips (some from guest speaker industry experts)
Guest expert speakers (AMAs)
We also welcome an experienced, notable professional from the romance book publishing industry once a quarter (authors, editors, agents, etc!) to share their best craft techniques and business insights, all based in their actual experiences. These special Ask Me Anything sessions are recorded live with our members—show up and ask your questions!—and are available for replay anytime inside the program.
“Async” means this activity is done asynchronously in a threaded discussion in our private forum on Heartbeat. “Real time” means this is a live call or activity that takes place during a specific time slot (some of these are recorded for replay).
The Schedule (an example)
I know managing your time and mental resources is an important puzzle piece in your job as a published, working romance writer. So I've shared an example schedule below to illustrate what you can expect the calendar commitments to look like. (This is based on our real activities during the pilot program period.)
Keep in mind that any specific days or times mentioned below are simply for example and might change, depending on the needs of the Story Sorcery™ Society members. My goal is to hold meetings at times that will allow writers in multiple time zones to participate comfortably, but I cannot guarantee any particular dates or times.
Week 1 of (the first) month
- Monday (time TBA): Welcome Session for new members [Live video, 60 minutes, recorded]
- Monday: Optional accountability / goal setting activity [Discussion threads, self-paced]
- Tuesday: “What we want to learn and talk about” [Discussion threads, ongoing, no hard timeline]
- Thursday (11am MT): Writing Sprint [Live video, 60-90 minutes, unstructured—a place to show up and get things done]
Week 2 of the month
- Monday: Optional accountability / goal check-ins [Discussion threads, self-paced]
- Tuesday: Mini-training for the month is posted (for review in Week 4 group call)
- Thursday (11am MT): Hot Seats + group brainstorming [Live video, 60 minutes, recorded]
Week 3 of the month
- Monday: Optional accountability / goal check-ins [Discussion threads, self-paced]
- Tuesday: Share a short scene/blurb/etc. for feedback [Discussion threads, self-paced, to be used in Week 4 Live Critique]
- Thursday (11am MT): Writing Sprint [Live video, 60-90 minutes, unstructured—a place to show up and get things done]
Week 4 of the month
- Monday: Optional goals & wins peer recognition/celebration [Discussion threads, self-paced]
- Thursday (11am MT): Q&A for the monthly mini-training + Group-participation Scene/Blurb/etc. Critique [Live video, 60 minutes, scene/blurb/etc. pulled from shared "assignments" in discussion threads, recorded]
All meetings will be held on my video conferencing platform (Google Meet or GoBrunch) and all discussions will take place in my private Heartbeat community (similar to Circle). We do not use Facebook for any program activities.
This setup is flexible!
If we find that our live call schedule no longer works for the majority of the group, we can adjust it. We can also add additional discussion topics or scale back any activity that feels too heavy. This membership is meant to serve you and meet your needs, where you are in your business right now.
Who it's for
If ALL of the statements below describe what you are looking for and can contribute to a group program, I invite you to apply to be a Founding Member!
✔️ You deeply understand how to write within the romantic fiction genre
✔️ You are a reader fan of the romantic fiction genre
✔️ You have published at least one romance book (trad or indie, either is fine)
✔️ At least one of your published works is in BOOK format of at least 50k words and primarily contains your personal Intellectual Property (i.e. not FanFic or ghost writing)
✔️ You are actively working on a romance manuscript for publication
✔️ You have a professional mindset about the writing and publishing process
✔️ You are willing and excited about supporting other working romance writers as we all pursue success together (even if “success” looks different for every member)
✔️ You are willing to participate actively and publicly in discussing your work within the private group and regularly contribute to discussions about other members’ work (we're looking for doers, not lurkers)
✔️ You are able to strike a balance of giving and receiving support within the group
✔️ You are excited to support other group members in an open-minded, professional, uplifting way
✔️ You respect ALL publishing paths, regardless of which one(s) you have personally taken (trad vs indie vs hybrid and all the routes to get there)
✔️ You respect ALL romance genres, themes, tropes, and niches as valid, regardless of personal opinions about any specific one
✔️ You are an open-minded individual who respects that—while we all might have different backgrounds and opinions—discrimination, toxicity, and bullying are never acceptable behaviors in any form
✔️ You can and will commit to at least a 3-month membership tenure (to create lasting bonds within the quarterly program cohort)
✔️ You are hungry to improve your own writing craft because you know that learning never stops
✔️ You are generally* available during the three months of your first cohort for group discussions and individual thoughtwork.
* It's totally fine if you have scheduled vacation or travel time during your membership. You don't need to be at every meeting. I just want to be sure you're committed to participating and available for the majority of the program elements. You will have access to a Resource Library of recordings and lessons so you can catch up.
A partial list of romance subgenres we welcome
You might be wondering, “Does my romance subgenre qualify?”
My simple test is:
👍 Are you publishing romance books that appeal to avid ROMANCE readers?
👍 Are those stories written in long-form BOOK format (typically 50k-120+ words)?
👍 Do they contain ADULT tropes and themes common in the romance book market at large?
There are too many romance subgenres and mashup genres for me to create a definitive list. You know your writing best.
And if you can say with certainty that your work passes the three simple tests above, then whatever subgenre you write in is likely a good fit for the Story Sorcery™ Society.
But, just to quell any worries, here’s a quickie list (not comprehensive!) of some romance subgenres that are a good fit for this program:
❤️Contemporary romance (including RomCom, Mafia, Small Town, Billionaire, Military, Cowboy, etc)
❤️ Historical romance (including Regency, Highland, Western, Gilded Age, etc)
❤️ Science Fiction Romance and Paranormal Romance (including Aliens, Vampires, Shifters, Angels, Witches, and any other speculative themes/elements where the romance plays a central and essential role in the heroes’ growth arcs)
❤️Romantic Suspense, Romantic Urban Fantasy, and Romantasy (and other mashup genres where the romance plays a central and essential role in the heroes’ growth arcs)
❤️ Erotic, Moderately Spiced, and Sweet Romance (and all heat levels in between, as long as you are openminded about the writing and thematic choices of your fellow Society members, even if those choices differ from yours)
How much it costs
Membership is a minimum quarterly (3-month) commitment of $97 USD per month, paid either all at once or in monthly installments. At the end of your first cohort with us, you'll unlock the option to purchase an annual membership (and earn access to a special bonus).
When you join the Story Sorcery™ Society, your membership rate is locked in forever at $97/mo as long as you consistently remain a member in good standing.
The rate of this program is likely to increase over time, so being a member of this unique, supportive program will never cost less than the rate you lock in during your very first cohort with us.
The small-group advantage
The Story Sorcery™ Society is currently capped at 15 active members. One of our members' favorite aspects of being in the Story Sorcery™ Society is the personal attention—to get my real help on your actual WIP stories—and close bonds we form with one another because of our small group size.
And I am intentionally selective about who I invite to become a member. I'm looking for a range of personalities and publishing experience that will bring warmth, energy, and enrichment to the membership experience for all of us. That's why there's an application process. We want you to feel certain that we'll be as great a fit for your needs as you are for our group vibe.
Got more questions?
Join the waitlist (below) and, as soon as the application form is ready, I'll send you all the information you need to decide if the Story Sorcery™ Society is right for you, including a full list of FAQs and program details to help you weigh your options.
Be sure to check your email for my confirmation and move that email into your primary inbox so you don't miss out on the important program dates.
Once the enrollment window opens, don't delay in submitting your application. Because once enrollment closes—or we reach our cap of 15 program members—your opportunity to join the next cohort (at the current pricing) will be gone.
About Sue
If you're not sure who I am or what I do, get to know me better on my website. The TL;DR version is that I am a former acquiring editor (for a small trad romance press) and freelance developmental editor (for indie and trad romance authors). My specialty is helping writers dig deep into the character growth arc and squeeze the most possible emotion out of your romance beats and line-level prose.
I have been affectionately called "a tough editor with a soft touch" and am known for my ability to zero in on plot problems simply by asking a few strategic questions. I only do high-touch work with experienced romance writers, and for at least the last year, I have not offered any individual or group services.
So if you have been looking for ongoing support for your romance writing projects and you crave connecting with other like-minded, similarly experienced romance author peers, this program may be exactly what you've been looking for!
How to Join
I will personally review all applications for the program and hand-select every new member of our upcoming cohort. I know that might sound scary and like you're being judged. I promise, it's not like that.
My goal, and the purpose of the application process, is to build a cohesive group of romance writers who all understand what it's like to publish in the romance book industry, are committed to success as individual published authors, and share the same code of values and ethics.
Sharing those three elements is essential for us to bond as a group and work together as seamlessly as possible as we improve ourselves and lift one another up during these crucial first three trial months of the program.
The application and enrollment period for the official launch of the Story Sorcery™ Society will open SOON (late September 2025), and I will contact the people on the waitlist first.
So share your name and best professional email address below to join the waitlist and be one of the first to know when you can apply for your spot.
(In the meantime, 💌 check your email for some sneak peeks inside the program and some bonus mini-trainings to 🤩 tide you over until you can join us.)