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Why does it feel like everything self published is romance?
I think it's just like this in traditional publishing, too. Just like all those YA novels that always have to come with romance.
Romance has been the best selling genre for at least the last few years. It could be popular in self publishing because that's just what many writers like to read themselves. Though there "Romance novels – what we once called “bodice rippers” – are a $1.4 billion market. That’s twice the size of “inspirational”. A billion more than “literary” fiction."
See: http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/02/12/ro...
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I believe it's a combination of what has an awaiting audiences and what the authors themselves prefer to read/write.
@Courtney, as a romance fan myself it does seem like the majority of the new releases are PNR and UF, with "New Adult" creeping up in popularity.I don't believe historicals (what I think of as "bodice rippers") are anywhere near as popular as they once were. Say, back when good ole Fabio was gracing the covers. ☺
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That's a whole different thread though and I won't derail this one.
It is curious that PNR is so prominent, which does somewhat bleed into UF. Maybe people just like love stories?
Even your kick butt heroines of UF often have romantic interests. Love is a part of life and sometimes people just want an HEA. Can't always have it IRL--perhaps that's part of the popularity of the genre.Then again my favorite genres are horror, and romance. Go figure.
Rachel ~ SnapDragoness wrote: "Even your kick butt heroines of UF often have romantic interests. Love is a part of life and sometimes people just want an HEA. Can't always have it IRL--perhaps that's part of the popularity of th..."Ok, I give up. What does HEA and IRL stand for?
Sorry about that!HEA = Happily ever after (HFN = Happy for now)
IRL = In real life
There's a ton of fantasy and science fiction. I've also noticed a lot of mystery/crime thrillers. Maybe not as much of those as romance, but a lot.
Really? I've actually been seeing more of horror, young adult and dystopian than romance.
Believe it or not, some self published authors write in many genres and publish a variety of works. I for example write horror, sci fi, suspense, romance and paranormal.
Romance has always been big business. Romance readers are voracious and churn through books at a rate of knots. Popular romance writers will be the first to admit romance books are somewhat throw away because of this.
My beef with them is that a lot of the SPRom authors write just a romance. There's no plot going on in the background. Good romance always has a great underlying story to counterpoint the characters interaction.
These days, TP seems to be trying to squeeze romance into everything. I assume this is them trying to broaden the audience base so they don't go out of business.
PNR seems to be over now. Dystopian may well be a flash in the pan. It always impossible to tell what the next big thing will be, and the damage it will do. :-)
Over at Smashwords it's an endless sea of erotica new releases (35%!). How do you compete against that?
My beef with them is that a lot of the SPRom authors write just a romance. There's no plot going on in the background. Good romance always has a great underlying story to counterpoint the characters interaction.
These days, TP seems to be trying to squeeze romance into everything. I assume this is them trying to broaden the audience base so they don't go out of business.
PNR seems to be over now. Dystopian may well be a flash in the pan. It always impossible to tell what the next big thing will be, and the damage it will do. :-)
Over at Smashwords it's an endless sea of erotica new releases (35%!). How do you compete against that?
Mark wrote: "These days, TP seems to be trying to squeeze romance into everything. I assume this is them trying to broaden the audience base so they don't go out of business..."Does "TP" stand for "the publisher"?
Economy and politics play a big part of what is popular for genres. Look back over what genres are popular and compare it to the economy and you'll find that when the economy is poor books that have guaranteed happy endings are more popular. Horror and "scary" books are more popular when the economy is good. I think that's why we are seeing the shift from one to the other. The economy was poor so readers choose books that made them feel more hopeful and happy. Now that the economy is improving (at least for some of the country) sales of non happy ever after books are coming up. It's not a perfect science since a good book still is a good book but there have been a number of studies that have demonstrated there is truth in this.
Sara wrote: "Economy and politics play a big part of what is popular for genres. Look back over what genres are popular and compare it to the economy and you'll find that when the economy is poor books that ha..."Interesting. :-)
Mod
Sex sells, and with the rise of ereaders, people who in the past would have been embarrassed to be seen reading a book with some half naked guy on the cover can now read whatever they want without anyone staring at them. Also, if you publish indie, you have less people telling you what you can say or what you can write about. So for instance, there was no way that a traditional publisher was going to pick up a book about Dino-sex, but that's just what I saw floating around facebook the other day, a book called Taken by the T-Rex. I mean, really? But hey, people who want to read about fictional dinosaurs making out with people can now do so without anyone knowing that's what they are reading. If you want to read erotica all you have to do is click a button on your computer and the book appears at your convenience. No embarrassing trip to the store for you.And though there are plenty of excellent indie romance writers, I'm sure there are also plenty of authors trying to make some cash just by throwing some story points and a lot of sex in, no English degree required.
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Wren that's funny. I picked up an e-book from B&N called The Princess and the Penis. I had no idea what I was getting into but the title alone had me. It was actually a very funny story that wasn't as sexual as the title made it sound.
Rachel ~ SnapDragoness wrote: "Mark wrote: "These days, TP seems to be trying to squeeze romance into everything. I assume this is them trying to broaden the audience base so they don't go out of business..."
Does "TP" stand fo..."
TP=Traditional Publishing
SP=Self Published
Does "TP" stand fo..."
TP=Traditional Publishing
SP=Self Published
Wren wrote: "Sex sells, and with the rise of ereaders, people who in the past would have been embarrassed to be seen reading a book with some half naked guy on the cover can now read whatever they want without ..."I agree with the embarrassment thing. It's like internet porn. No more trips to the porn store and getting dirty looks from the girl behind the counter, or whatever. I imagine (perhaps wrongly) that porn is mostly consumed by men, erotica by women, because of the way our brains are wired. So it's pretty much internet porn for the ladies, lol...
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Justin wrote: "Probably because every person reads romance books and each reader after the next think, I can write one better than this or ooh I can write one like this too."But who wants to write a book just like one that's already out there?
I think lots of people do, actually, whether or not they realize it :)
I would like to write a book AS GOOD AS some out there, but not just like them. But then, I don't follow the trends too well, either.
I think it may be that maybe they think they can do better, or that there's is more unique than the others or something. kind of like those blinders some author's have as to their work, where it's been done before but they think they're doing it differently or at the very least better. or I could be talking out my ass one never knows
Lena wrote: "I imagine (perhaps wrongly) that porn is mostly consumed by men, erotica by women, because of the way our brains are wired. So it's pretty much internet porn for the ladies, lol... "Actually, porn consumption among women has skyrocketed since internet porn came along, and a lot of erotica is read and written by men. Erotica was traditionally the purview of women because it was seen as more sedate and chaist. Maybe not in those words, though.
But who wants to write a book just like one that's already out there?
Game theory has made some videos about how gamers don't want innovation. You might find them interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxhs-...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyXcr...
I've read a book and thought I could write a better version. I actually outlined a different version of the story. I thought the story had merit but it had so many weird things.But if you think about it - how many versions of classical stories are out there? Alice in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet, A Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life.
That's getting into the question of whether there really is only a finite number of plots to choose from, though I cannot remember the number. 16 maybe? Someone remind me.
Lena wrote: "That's getting into the question of whether there really is only a finite number of plots to choose from, though I cannot remember the number. 16 maybe? Someone remind me."I think what you're saying speaks to the universal-ness (did I just make up a non-word??) of the human experience. There are only so many key archetypes or plot lines that all life experiences will ultimately relate to. The key is to personalize them and make them unique and therefore, new.
As to the original romance question, at least for the NA genre it's pretty much all you see. It's fast becoming the cornerstone of the NA genre; Romance for the younger set.
Romance has carried approx 50% of the market share (TP) for a very long time. Harlequin (and its many subsidiaries/foreign imprints) has been the most successful publisher for at least a decade (probably longer). Indie authors are riding that success by imitating the TP business model: release fast (no pun intended) and network heavily. (Romance authors are some of the most effective networkers/promoters I've ever seen. They support each other fanatically, as do their fans.) Interestingly, Harlequin (who is notoriously cheap when it comes to paying authors) has seen a down trend in its sales, and I think that can be attributed to the indie movement. Romance authors have realized that they can succeed without Big Brother taking a huge chunk of their profits.
Monica wrote: "release fast (no pun intended) ..."Lol!
The huge commercial success of romances that had started out as fan fiction such as Beautiful Bastard and of course Fifty Shades of Grey probably doesn't hurt either. Perhaps some indie authors who had previously kept their work to themselves saw the popularity of works from these unknowns and decided to give it a shot, too.
Sara wrote: "But if you think about it - how many versions of classical stories are out there? Alice in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet, A Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life. "Funnily, Romeo and Juliet is a retelling of the story of Abelard and Heloise. :-)
I feel this way about erotica. It's everywhere. I get annoyed with it, really. It's the cheesy, trashy covers that I can't stand. I don't care that it's out there, but can't it have a little class?
Back when ebooks first started, Harlequin Romance was the first major publisher to cash in on the sucess of ebooks. So when random people searched online for what's selling as number one, Harlequin showed up first. They set the bar. Good for them. Kinda sucks for the rest of us.Even traditional publishers are having trouble selling ebook versions because of competition with Harlequin. For the time being, the internet book market hasn't been determined. It's like a free island no one really owns. So many are scrambling to keep up with whatever sells the most and the fastest. Sex sells, what can I say?
I perceive this will change over eventually.
Yes, Richard, the topic is ongoing and feel free to stay on topic or start a new thread. :)
M.D. wrote: "Rachel ~ SnapDragoness wrote: "Even your kick butt heroines of UF often have romantic interests. Love is a part of life and sometimes people just want an HEA. Can't always have it IRL--perhaps that..."Hit it dead on, I think. PNR, to me, is escapist in 2 ways...a fictional world where the supernatural runs rampant and the possibility of HEA is totally real. Whats not to love?
Personally tho, I agree with Bradley~~
Bradley said:
Believe it or not, some self published authors write in many genres and publish a variety of works. I for example write horror, sci fi, suspense, romance and paranormal.
I write a lot of PNR, true. But I write a lot of straight-up horror, erotic and off the wall stuff, too. I HATE GENRE pigeon-holing and hate that the idea you have to be this ONE type of writer. Bull-o-ney!
Also, what is wrong with romance? Most everything has some sort of 'love' story in it. I think here again, it is over-generalization. Not all romance is Danielle Steel. Which probably is also not fair to Danielle Steele, but seriously I have read Harlequin books I loved, even though generally a lot of them are terrible. Just depends on the writer, not the genre or publisher.
I'm not a fan of genre pigeonholing but it feels like everyones got this attitude of 'stick a romance subplot in it'. I get that a lot of people love romance and it has some great writers but it's not what appeals to me. Love holds no great interest and as soon as love is introduced as a plot I feel like I know where the story's going because people have come to expect a happily ever after. I think a lot of authors use it as an easy way to get a good enough conclusion. Great writers are great writers but okay writers use it as a shortcut.
I guess that is what sells the most. I have had my manuscript rejected by two publishers because there is no love triangle/romance/yadda yadda..
I get what you are saying, Virginia, but take for instance, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. There is 'some' romance to that story, but it certainly did head the traditional route and it far from detracted from the story. Of course, it would never in a million years be considered a 'romance', but the element is there. In any case, I agree diversity is a good thing, and honestly, I think with all the romance out there in self publishing, a writer who goes against that probably has a better chance of being heard through all the white noise.
Virginia wrote: "I'm not a fan of genre pigeonholing but it feels like everyones got this attitude of 'stick a romance subplot in it'."I was thinking about that (again) earlier this weekend. I can appreciate good romance, but it also seems too often that more and more authors:
1) Add a romance subplot because they know it'll boost sales (and not because they honestly believe it'll make their characters and story more vivid).
2) Actually sacrifice the logical plot to the romance subplot. Example: all those "post-ap/zombie/survival/dystopian" stories in which characters should focus on surviving first (you can't very well be in love if you've been eaten by a zombie, huh?), yet are so preoccupied with romance that their survival rests more on events being conveniently warped to that end.
N°1 doesn't necessarily go with n°2, fortunately. Still, I find this trend bothering.
I love this thread. So many great points. I agree that e-readers are a big part of the romance/erotica explosion. I love being able to read anything I want while waiting for my kids to finish tae kwon do lessons. I have no qualms about holding a copy of "The Goldfinch" with the cover showing, "50 Shades" not so much.Which I think has led to a current trend in niche romance and erotica. There are so many emerging niche markets within romance, LGBT is one example. Turns out there is a big market for gay romance with both a gay male audience and straight female audience. This is another category the average suburban mom would not want lying around the house, but it's easy to hide on an e-reader.
So... you're basically saying it's digital porn and sex sells?
Heather wrote: "In any case, I agree diversity is a good thing, and honestly, I think with all the romance out there in self publishing, a writer who goes against that probably has a better chance of being heard through all the white noise. ..."I hope you're right, Heather. (For personal reasons, of course!)
But I also agree that having a romantic line in any genre book often enhances the emotional connection between the reader and the characters. And isn't that what we're trying to do as authors? Engage our readers' emotions?
Virginia wrote: "I think a lot of authors use it as an easy way to get a good enough conclusion. Great writers are great writers but okay writers use it as a shortcut."Monica wrote: "But I also agree that having a romantic line in any genre book often enhances the emotional connection between the reader and the characters. And isn't that what we're trying to do as authors? Engage our readers' emotions?"
Perhaps THIS is why romance fails in general as far as I'm concerned? Because it has become a shortcut to elicit emotion, but too many people didn't get the memo about how adding "just" love isn't enough. A romance plot won't do anything if it's simply there, resting on clichés and expected developments done to death. Besides, as authors, we should be able to engage the reader emotionally on a lot more other things than romance. Somehow, it almost feels as if relying on such tropes actually weakens some of us (as writers) when it comes to doing that? :/
I agree that a romantic line can enhance the reader/characters connection—when it's well-done. Unfortunately, it's not so often the case. (And how could it be, when some agents and publishers themselves tell us "add romance because it sells", without a care, it seems, for whether romance has a part to play in our stories? How can I, the author, elicit emotions in my readers by forcing my characters into a plot that I've never believed in for starters? Although I suppose I'd be a great writer if I managed to manipulate myself and my readers to that extent!)
My thriller does have a love subplot, but I don't write romance. The main character is a warm-blooded guy, what can I say?I wonder, in case of self-published books, if perhaps authors are not taking the time to distinguish between romance as a genre and simply romance as an added element. I wouldn't say anything in my thriller is romanctic, so it would be silly to say it has romance. Erotic at times, maybe, but I still wouldn't call it erotica.
Heather wrote: "Also, what is wrong with romance? Most everything has some sort of 'love' story in it. I think here again, it is over-generalization. Not all romance is Danielle Steel. Which probably is also not fair to Danielle Steele, but seriously I have read Harlequin books I loved, even though generally a lot of them are terrible. Just depends on the writer, not the genre or publisher. ..."Well said Heather!
I don't think it's all porn and sex, but I do think that the 50 Shades phenomenon got a lot of women reading who had not picked up a book since they were in school.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Beautiful Bastard (other topics)Fifty Shades of Grey (other topics)
I'm just wondering, why do you think romance, or the urge to write romance, is thriving in this format? Maybe it was always like this in paperback and I never noticed?