What does it take to become a romance writer?

Salary? Perhaps a little education would be appropriate here. Some jobs pay you by the hour. Some jobs pay you by the month (flat rate, no overtime).

Some jobs pay you by the piece. (I'll give you $2.00 for every gaget you make for me provided that it passes QA inspection) Some jobs don't follow ANY of the above guidelines. A realtor is paid a percentage of the sale price of every house that sells. (generally 1.5% to the listing realtor, 1.5% to the listing broker, 1.5% to the selling realtor, 1.5% to the selling broker. But that's just a general rule; everything is negotiable) Other types of salesmen/women are also paid a percentage of their gross sales. Entertainers are paid a percentage of sales as well, but it's often a sliding scale... that's why they need an agent. The agent negotiates how much the entertainer is paid. Singers, actors, boxers, golfers, and yes... even romance writers, are paid whatever they can negotiate. It's usually some kind of percentage of the sales or a flat rate per book with special consideration if the book is turned into a movie. There is a special phrase for that kind of work, "You don't get what you're worth, you get what you can negotiate."