Defining The Romance Genre

Now that we are getting ready to move into 2020, I think it is time to really start defining some terminology and genres. I seem to go through numerous weeks where authors really have no sense of what they are writing. I do believe a lot of this has to do with the lack of education of new authors and the continual push of "just publish whatever you have on your own and call it what you want."

I also want to do this because, as I said in my last post, this is the year I really want to invest in education for the writers.

So, with that said, let's start with the romance genre.

First of all, let me just say, romance is not about stories with sex. These are also not stories just about romantic settings or people in love. There are, primarily two major components to the genre: the relationship and the happily ever after (HEA).

Romance genres are about watching a romance build from nothing to that HEA. We watch the initial awkward moments, the eventual seeing commonality in each other, the falling in love, the questioning if this is right, and the eventual overcoming of that conflict to land in the HEA. THIS IS THE CENTRAL STORYLINE.

Now, we can have subgenres of this, such as historical, contemporary, inspirational, romantic suspense and so forth, BUT, the central focus of the story line is about the building of the relationship.

The second element is the Happily Ever After. This occurs in that novel. Some author are trying to have this happen over a series of novels, and while those might be romantic, it would move that author outside of the romance genre. The HEA is simply a knowing that this couple has made it and will continue on together. It does not have to end in a marriage, but there is likely a hint of that marriage. We just know, things have worked out well for these two.

No, let's talk about the couples. The romance genre has, for the longest time, essentially been the hero and heroine combination. The market is shifting and opening up to other relationship combinations, but please understand, not all publishers cover all of those relationships. Take the time as an author to do your research. This is a VERY open market, but do that research first.

NOTE: This is not an issue of discrimination or exclusion, but simply an issue of the publisher (and yes even the agent) knowing who their market is and what sells best for them. 

So, as you look at your story, if you are not falling into this category, keep researching. You may be in another genre.