I know it has been a while since I have been on, but things have really been quiet lately. Obviously we had the holiday season with Thanksgiving and then Christmas right after. My family had the chance to get a well needed break and cruise so I had the opportunity to have the house to myself with just the dogs and a chance to get caught up on some small projects I had been trying to get to.
This is also a time when most editors are doing all they can to also get out of the office and have some family time of their own so not a whole lot to report on the submission front.
This did give me a chance to think about what I see might be happening in the new year. I do think a lot of those "hot genres" will be out pretty quick come the new year.
ROMANTASY - With the exception of the big guns, I do think this genre has run its course. It seems that many authors who really thought they would ride the big wave did nothing more than just make carbon copies of the early authors. Publishers filled their shelves and I seriously doubt they will try to add to their collection. In other words, if you are getting ready to pitch that story, I don't think it is going to be getting you very far.
HOCKEY and SPORTS ROMANCES - Like the Romantasy genre, most authors really didn't bring much new to the table. In fact, just this last week, I heard back from an editor (who had been swamped prior to the Thanksgiving season) got back to me with a submission. Loved the project but the marketing team simply did not see the numbers in this genre. So....
Let's try generic ROMCON... Unless someone comes up with something new and unique, just throwing characters into funny predicaments is probably not going to get you very far. I am not saying these are going away, but it is going to require something new. Now, when I say something new, putting it into a new setting is not going to cut it. We are talking about a new plot twist.
DARK ROMANCE - According to my daughter, these are big now, but I do think these are going to see a sharp decline unless someone comes up with a new twist to the stories. Just throwing together people in toxic but hot romances is not going to cut it. What I have been seeing lately are authors just trying to resurrect their older erotic projects, taming them down a bit more and trying to build a story around the sex scenes.
CONTEMPORARY - As always, these tend to be a good go to, BUT with that said, I do think editors are looking for something with a bit more to it. I do think we will see a bit more that lean in the direction of women's fiction, with a good strong theme and message behind the romance. Sure, there may be tropes thrown in, but these will not be what drives the story.
HISTORICAL - Regency is slow with the exception of your established authors. I still see historicals branching more into the WWI and WWII time periods. I see projects with really strong women and less of the damsel in distress story.
INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE and WOMEN'S FICTION - I have a gut feeling on this one, but I do think this is going to make a big push. Much like the contemporary genre, I think people are going to be looking for things they can really talk about. These are going to be big with book clubs. Stories here will be more of conversation starters to let people talk about their own lives. NO, these are not going to be heavy on the baggage and drama, but more of stories that real people can connect to.
Of course, as always, these are just gut feelings. I will still say, if you are seeing things out there right now on the bookshelves, remember that these have been in production for a while. If you are just getting ready to submit, you may already be behind the curve.
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