Here’s a guest post by romance author Susan Mallery
Love it or hate it, romance continues to be the biggest selling genre in the book world. Gross sales equal the amount of ticket sales generated by major league baseball! Who would have thought there were that many people interested in a happily-ever-after kind of book?
In today’s changing market, publishers and booksellers are looking for a sure thing. Numbers are down across the board. Readers are thinking twice before picking up any kind of book, but in romance, the boy still gets the girl and books are still selling.
Romance has changed over the years. If you haven’t read one in ten years … or even five, you’re in for a shock. The women in these books are smart, determined, successful and not looking for love. They don’t need a man—but when they find a good one, they pay attention. The subgenres are expanding, as is the readership.
Contemporary romances and historical romances are making a comeback. Contemporary romances often create a sense of community within a family or a town. People are looking for connection and these books offer that. Historicals were proclaimed dead multiple times over the past six or seven years, but they were instead quietly getting better. Now they’re growing in numbers. When economic times get hard, people like to escape and both these types of romances offer a wonderful place to go.
Paranormal romance continues to be incredibly popular. While traditional romance readers seem ready to move into other subgenres, the vampire-werewolf—shape shifter fantasy is finding a new audience with non-romance readers. They’re intrigued by the mix of danger, immortality and sex. A potent combination. Every year “experts” claim paranormal popularity has peaked and every year more and more books sell. Urban fantasy is the new hot element in paranormal.
Sexy is in. Sexier books have always been popular and they’re even more so now. Target is no longer looking for elegant and sophisticated covers—they want something sexy. Booksellers ask for a couple in a clinch because readers see that clinch and know what they’re getting. Romance is all about generating emotion and desire is one of the most powerful.
Romantic suspense is a mixed bag. Readers seem to be less interested in books about terrorists and women in jeopardy books—possibly because it’s too close to real life. With the economy acting strangely and terrorist attacks occurring around the world, some romantic suspense reads more like the news than an escape.
But there are still books that sell—those that lean more toward thrillers and those that are so terrifying that they make you scream out loud.
Romance keeps changing. Ten years ago great dialogue and a charming premise might have been enough to get a book contract. Today both readers and publishers are expecting more. Stories are rich and complex, with characters who readers can relate to. The genre’s ability to adapt, to fulfill readers’ fantasies and even anticipate them, keeps the romance market vibrant and growing.
Susan Mallery is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 romances. She has written series romances, as well as single titles, historicals, contemporaries and even a lone time travel.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, Susan. Great article! And I think you’re absolutely right about people wanting happy endings — especially in the bad times…..
Great blog post. I’m firmly in love with romances, and not just because I write them. I like the life affirming, happy endings. And if the book moves me, or makes me laugh while I’m at it, then so much the better.
Susan, thanks for this update on romance! I’m so glad contemporary romance is making a comeback. The best ones make me laugh and cry and the characters stay in my head a long time. In these economic times, I’d call that a real entertainment bargain. :-)
Excellent breakdown of what’s working now. It is funny about paranormal, that the appetite for great paranormal stories keeps growing and predictions of its demise somehow never come true. And as Kate said, romance in tough economic times is the biggest bargain around.
I agree with all of the above, great blog post and I love happy endings as well. I just received in the mail my Harlequin quarterly newsletter and it looks like for their 60 year Diamond Anniversary there’s going to be an incredible line-up and of course by some of you! Can’t wait!
I don’t read or write a lot of romance…okay “any” would be a more appropriate quantifier…however kudos to Maria who keeps snagging insightful and interesting people to do guest appearances on her blog. You are the Martin Short of the literary world.
About a year ago I bought a romance novel at my local grocery store. It knocked my old-lady-cotton-socks off. I plan on being a hopeless romantic, well, forever.
Susan, loved the post! I’m a huge romantic at heart. I think we all need the happy endings – it makes the harsh realities of life that much more bearable.
Thank you so much for this insightful information. I have always loved romances and especially romantic suspense. My dream is to write a romantic suspense novel. I am glad that people are still reading romances, growing up reading fairy tales, and many Harlequin romances, I am a hopeless romantic and love happy endings!