Why Romance IS NOT Going To Disappear

When I opened Greyhaus Literary Agency in 2003, I focused entirely on romance and women's fiction. People thought I was crazy. Why wasn't I going to represent all of these other genres. The answer was simple. I believe in these, and more specifically, I believe in the romance genre. 

Now I get it, this is not the highest paying of all those genres out there, but it is consistent and it has a huge following. Honestly, if you look around you in large gatherings where people can be on their phones or reading books, look at the book readers. Most are reading some sort of romance or women's fiction novel. Consider the fact that in 2023 there was close to 40 million printed copies of romance novels sold. That is well over the 18 million sold in 2020. This genre alone generated over $1.44 billion in revenue.

Not bad for what people who once called these "bodice rippers."

But these are far from that stereotype. The thing that made the romance novel successful in the past, successful now, and certainly successful in the future is the fact it is about people. It is about bringing people together. It is about the human condition.

For so many, the world today is not a pretty place. People struggle paying bills, issues at work, crisis in the world, politics, religion... OK, simply turning on the television. According to one Gallup News Poll in 2023, at least 29% of Americans report having been diagnosed with depression. Note that this number is only those who have reported and those who have been "diagnosed." 

And it is romance that helps so many simply get through the day. Knowing that HEA (Happily Ever After) is going to be there keeps our hopes alive.

What is more exciting are the number of younger readers now diving into the romance genre. In 2023, 44% of the reading population was below the age of 40. This younger group, thanks to the Romantasy genre, had a huge impact. According to Circan, a market researcher, sales increased by 42% with authors like Sarah J. Maas selling over 40 million copies worldwide.

But for me, it is a lot more than just the numbers. If you attend writing conferences, you will see the enthusiasm. I go to general writing conference with people in everything including poetry, non-fiction, memoirs, "literary fiction" (they love throwing that one around), and some romance, the tone is always very serious. They talk about "the craft of writing" and "strategies for sales." It is all about the numbers.

BUT... when you attend a conference with romance writers, the tone is over-the-top positive. They talk about their characters as real people. They talk about how much they loved that scene when the couple kissed in the rain. They talk about the future of their characters even after the HEA and they close the book. These readers are passionate. 

And these authors are women.

In February of 2023, 83% of romance novels were written by women. 

And this is what I love about this genre. Women, who for so long in history have been "dismissed" in society for various social and political reasons are the ones who truly get it. They are the one who see what is keeping humanity together. The romance genre is about the future!

For me, this is a future I am sticking with as well!

Decide On A Publisher BEFORE You Write

Every publisher has a unique voice. Oh sure, many publish similar genres and certainly similar tropes, but when it comes down to it, each book sounds completely different. A lot of readers often believe it is the author's voice that is different, and that, to some extent is true. However, the publisher does play a very unique role in establishing that voice.

When I first started talking about voice and publishers, I loved to use the analogy of vampires hanging out at parties hosted by the publishers. All publishers served the same O-Neg blood, but if you were to walk into each room you would find completely different groups. Those who would go to a Harper Collins/Avon party would never be caught dead at a St. Martins party, and those authors would not be seen at a Source Books party.

If you aren't into vampires, consider fraternities and sororities. They are all essentially the same, but the personalities are completely different. 

With this in mind, I always recommend that authors take the time, before they start writing, to consider the publishers they feel they would to have publish their books. Take the time to read and really study those voices. You might be surprised, but often, if you go to your bookshelves, you will find that you already have a pretty clear vision of your favorites. The odds are, you are buying books just from those publishers. 

Once you have determined that, work to imitate the voice. No, I did not say to imitate the storylines and the characters, work on the voice. It is all about the sound. This can be controlled by focusing in on use of dialogue, use of narration, placement of those longer paragraphs, and yes, even down to the grammar. 

The outcome will be fantastic! When you submit that story to an editor, they will already read it feeling like it is "part of the family." The sound of your story will be very familiar and they will connect with it. One of my authors did just that. She knew which editor and which line she wanted to work for. She studied it like crazy. Sure enough, we were able to place her with that editor. As a side note, what was funny is that after signing the contract, she still had some of her stories out in contests to be read by her "editor of choice." When I reached out tot he editor and we talked about it, she had said she really felt like she "knew this author" and loved the "voice." 

We all laughed when she found out it was the author she had just signed.

Remember, it is about the voice!

My Genre Is Hot Now - Why Doesn't Anyone Want It?

Editors and agents always will tell authors to watch trends and see what is hot right now. We want you to have your book in a market that is hot. Writing a book or pitching a book that is not selling is... well, not going to sell. So, with that in mind, a lot of authors are jumping on the new bandwagons in publishing. My in-box is being flooded with people who write "My book will definitely connect with people who read..."

And yet...

They wonder why I might pass on a project that fits with the current market now, or why an editor would say no even though they see they have a project that theoretically fits with the current market.

This is about two things. One involves what the author has done. The other involves what is happening at the editorial/publish level. 

For the authors, they have simply written carbon copies of what is out there. When we say to write what is hot, it does not mean to do the same thing that is out there. It is important to bring something new to the table, and yet, still tap into the voices that seem to be strong right now. When we say something new, it is not writing something that goes completely the opposite direction. Go the same way, but take a side path. Think of it this way. Rick Steves, travel writer and head of Europe Through The Backdoor, hypes up this concept. If Florence, Italy is hot, go to Sienna. You get a lot of the same things, but find new things and new experiences. If you skip this approach and dive right into Florence during tourist season be prepared to be lost in the crowds and not get the experiences you had planned on getting.

The second level is what happens at the publisher level. When a publisher signs an author, that contract also has dates of when those books will be released. That means, those slots are already full. Since publishers only release so many books a year, the "flight path is already full." Do they have slots for those unique new things they discover? Sure. But they don't have whole line up available. 

Along the same lines, many of those books were already written. Let me give you a couple of examples. I recently sold a multi-book contract for one author. That author already had 2 of the books written and ready to go. Still, those books are going to be easily a year out since it has to go through all of the other steps in the publishing process. A second author I represent just signed a multi-book contract. In her case, she was still a couple of books away from wrapping up her current contract, but the unique part of the new contract is the openness of it. We worked in that, based on trends, she could shift focus for those new books. 

So, why is the book not selling? In most cases, it is simply because the market is full right now. Your writing can be fantastic, but if there is no place for you, there is nothing that can be done.

Now, let me spin this a new way... Some of you are already thinking, well, if the mainstream publishers say there is no place for me, I'll do it myself. Sure, you can do that. Sure, you can get that book out there. But please, just remember my Rick Steves analogy. You will be lost in the crowds. 

Remember What The Romance Genre Truly Is

Lately, I have seen a ton of stories claiming to be romance, but in reality, I would just classify most as just fiction. Is there "romance" in these stories? Sure, I guess... Is there a happily ever after? Sure, I guess... IN reality, these stories are really a series of events that involve romantic elements to an often forced HEA.

Romance, like most genres out there, have parameters. To be a romance, it needs to check off all of these boxes. OK, let me address those of you who are screaming that you don't want to be categorized, or you are a different breed of romance. When I hear this, I always remind people of other things we categorize that you don't seem to have any problem with. Consider Baroque music. It has to meet specific criteria to be called Baroque. Architectural styles? Champagne? I can go on and on. 

And romance is no different.

First of all, this is a building relationship story from nothing to the HEA. The ENTIRE storyline follows the building of the romance. However, a lot of the current plots are nothing more than episodic scenes of argue, tension then make-up sex. The characters are not growing a relationship, but just filling up time and word count until someone says, "let's do something different."

Just because the story is romantic, does not make it a romance. I get a lot of authors (I will say, mostly men) who write stories about a happily married couple and telling their story. Is it romantic? Sure. But this is not a building romance. 

There IS a Happily Ever After. I want you to consider this phrase for a second. This is not a happy moment, but we are talking about the ever after part. We have to know that be confident that the relationship will continue once we close the book. However, if you look at some of the characters in these current stories, they have shifted their mood and life direction non-stop (and yes, even in the backstory). There is never anything in these stories that show that after the author has written THE END, these trends are not going to continue.

Romances may or may not include sexual encounters. A romance can range from very sweet to steamy. Please note that authors cannot just say:

• "There is not sex so therefore this is women's fiction."
• "I have the characters in a lot of sexual encounters so it is a romance."

Now, are there cross over stories? Sure. We have historical romance, romantic suspense, romantic comedies, inspirational romance, romantasy... But if you want to call it a romance, the romance needs to be the central storyline and those other elements are just the backdrop.