LOVE STINKS WRITERS OF BODICE-RIPPERS DISCOVER PENNING ROMANCES CATHARTIC, BUT MOST NEVER HIT THE BIG-MONEY JACKPOT.

Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Staff Writer

WASHINGTON - Mollie Mole spends about five hours each work day in her personal fantasyland, spinning out novels whose titles like ``Drifter to Daddy,'' ``Overnight Wife'' and ``Married by Christmas'' encapsulate the whole story. Her endings are always happy. So, too, are her readers.

After six years at the computer, the Northridge resident's resume features 12 published books. And even though she's not a household name, Mole has engendered a fan base big enough to almost guarantee future work from Harlequin Enterprises Ltd., the Ontario, Canada-based conglomerate that is the world's biggest publisher of the romance genre.

Still, her true-life story does not yet have a Jackie Collins-esque ending. ``If I had to live on (the romance novel income), I would starve,'' said Mole, who writes under the pen name Mollie Molay. ``You can't make a living writing romance novels unless you hit it big-time and write hardcover.''

Such is the love story of romance novelists: They love writing stories, but they don't love the pay. And at a time when romance is the most popular form of novel at the nation's bookstores, the finances remain the same: Poor.

Or, as Isabel Swift, Harlequin's vice president of editorial, says, ``The first advice I give is, don't quit your day job.''

Mole worked at Lockheed Aircraft Co. for 34 years and started writing after her husband died.

``I love it, every minute of it,'' said Mole, who came to the nation's capital last week to pitch two proposals to her new editor during the 20th annual conference of the Romance Writers of America. ``Face-to-face is good. It's hard to be objective on the phone. It's easier for me to pitch something in person.''

The pitch is important because each romance Mole and her counterparts crank out becomes a 250-page cog in a nearly $1 billion annual retail business that attracts 41.4 million pairs of eyes.

With this kind of pot at stake, a gathering of romance writers can sometimes resemble a mosh pit of women (and yes, some men) scrambling for an edge, whether it be marketing themselves via the Internet or hooking up with an editor or agent.

And for good reason.

Blockbuster authors like Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum aside, romance fiction accounts for 54.1 percent of all paperback titles sold, according to figures compiled by the Book Industry Study Group and the American Booksellers Association. Including hardcover titles, the figure is 38.4 percent.

By comparison, general fiction titles accounted for 12.3 percent of sales and science fiction-fantasy 7.9 percent. Last year, romance publishers released 2,218 new titles.

Harlequin is the industry giant, turning out on average 70 new books a month. Harlequin currently has 1,300 writers under contract and its reach is global.

``We used to say if you want to write the great Canadian novel, sign with Harlequin. It will go around the world,'' jokes spokeswoman Katherine Orr.

The genre consists of two categories: Single-title romances and series, which are shorter romances released sequentially and monthly. Harlequin publishes series lines, and it represents 59 percent of the romance titles released last year, according to the RWA.

Single-title romances are longer works and released by 10 publishing houses based in New York. Their shelf life is usually a year.

And these books seem to be everywhere America shops: convenience stores, airports, supermarkets, book stores, drug stores, big-box retailers and discount chains like Target and Kmart.

With this much money and a huge fan base, romance writing would seem to be a lucrative profession.

For some, like best-selling author Nora Roberts, who also wrote under the name J.D. Robb, it is. For just about everybody else, it isn't.

Mole, president of the Sherman Oaks-based Los Angeles chapter of romance writers, said writers who snare a contract typically get an advance from the publisher, but it counts against the eventual royalties.

They also pretty much pay their own way when it comes to marketing and promotional materials. Even though Mole has an ongoing relationship with a publisher, she paid her own air fare to attend the conference and shared a hotel room with Patricia Campbell, owner of a Northridge travel agency, All About Travel.

Indianapolis resident Brenda Hiatt, who has written nine romances for HarperCollins, surveyed her colleagues and came up with some surprising statistics. The genre, while popular, is not necessarily an easy way to earn a living.

For example, Avon/Harper Collins typically pays a $6,000 advance to a first-time author, whose effort may net $12,000. The average advance on subsequent books jumps to $17,000 and the total payout to $24,000.

Experienced authors can earn an average of $35,000 for some Harlequin lines, while Orr says that some prolific writers do earn six-figure incomes annually.

Shelf life is one reason why that big payday can be elusive. Titles in the series category, the most popular, typically are on the shelf for one month, the RWA said.

Hiatt says these numbers add up to a stark conclusion.

Romance writers better love what they are doing.

``I like being my own boss, work my own hours and not wear panty hose,'' said Hiatt, who supplements her income by teaching an online writing course. ``And I'd love to be a New York Times best-selling author and have my husband retire on my earnings.''

Sometimes, though, writers are drawn to the genre not by dreams of wealth and fame. They simply want to put one of life's tragedy's behind them.

That's what Campbell is doing. She's writing a romantic comedy about a guardian angel who takes on human form and came to the conference seeking some tips at the variety of workshops.

It's therapy, really. She, too, started writing after her husband died.

In five years, she's written four books and is still looking for that first sale. Typically in this business, the lightning is not quick to strike.

``I was married 40 years, and suddenly I lost that person,'' Campbell said. ``So I sat down at the computer and just started writing. It's very therapeutic, and it's better than paying a doctor.''

ROMANCE AT-A-GLANCE

Romance novels are classified as a love story with an optimistic and emotionally satisfying ending. Here's a reader profile:

--The largest percentage of readers, 36.7 percent, live in the South. The fewest, 17.8 percent, reside in the Northwest.

--57 percent are married, 7 percent divorced and 1 percent separated.

--32 percent are high school graduates and 28 percent college graduates.

--23 percent earn between $50,000 and $75,000 annually.

Source: Romance Writers of America and Daily News Research

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(color) Mollie Mole - alias Molly Molay - has cooked up 12 romance novels in her kitchen but has yet to hit it big.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

Box: ROMANCE AT-A-GLANCE (See text)