Re: Re: Romances

>
>
>
> It seems to me that if there was less eye rolling that would just be
> nice and a sign of respect--separating issues of 'taste' from those of
> quality. Romance and erotica is part of the industry, in fact a very
> large, vigorous, innovative and profitable part. About 20% of
> publishng overall and at least 50% of epublishing by my own estimate.
>



Last numbers I've seen? More than 26.4% of all market categories sold today
(print numbers only). That from PW, just this week. Also from them, the two
hottest subgenres selling are inspirational and erotic romance, paranormal a
high contender. I also saw a number a few months back that claimed romance
of all types combined was more than 50% of the sales in the mass market
fiction market. Take that how you will.

The term "romance" has changed remarkably over the years. Many of the
"romances" from the era Noel choose to pull from are not romances by the
industry standard today. The industry definition has changed. Romantic
tellings are not industry romance now. Classic love stories/tragic love
stories are not industry romance. Not these days.

In fact, there's a shake-up in the industry (indie mainly, though some NY
folks have heard the grumblings, and with the rise of dark in NY, they may
choose to listen closer). Writers who favor the style of what is now termed
"classic love stories" or "tragic love stories" or "dark stories" need to
separate their works from "romance genre." If something doesn't have a HEA
(happily ever after) or strong HFN (happily for now), it's not genre
romance. There are several earmarks of what makes an "acceptable genre
romance" book. If you're not coloring in the lines, where do you fit? Back
in the 60s or 70s...have to check with Nancy again for the
particulars..."dark romance genre" was coined to describe books that didn't
fit the "romance genre" lines and presented to librarians as a new genre.
Hero-villains, gritty subject matter (the ones romance genre doesn't
particularly embrace), lack of HEA... So, they/we are trying to bring that
into use again. Why not? It fits what you have to offer. Since I write books
on both sides of the line, I'm all for this distinction.

I'm with you. If people stopped sneering at what they didn't appreciate
personally, this industry would be better off. This pecking order of
literary looking down on genre and one genre looking down on another is
ridiculous. No genre is "easier" to write than another. It might be easier
for a certain author to write, because the author is drawn to it, but not
easier in general.

No genre is so mired in rules as to stifle creativity and originality. The
hacks who say romance is formula haven't written it...or wrote it for a line
(and they do exist out there, sadly) that try to micromanage what will go on
the page. There is no "formula," especially when you delve into dark romance
and throw out even the boundaries that you usually write within. Even when
you choose to follow those boundaries, it's more like having a football
field to wander around in, without going out of bounds, than it is to have
to get that bowling ball down the narrow corridor to the strike.

Brenna
-- 
http://www.brennalyons.com http://www.myspace.com/brennalyons
All dreams have a meaning, even those that cannot possibly be true. Mollie
hopes so, anyway.  Is she losing her mind or learning her destiny? FAIRY
DREAMS -Mundania Press, LLC.


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