Romance Novels and Book Publishing
Romance Fiction Dominates the North American Publishing Industry
Nov 9, 2007
It’s often assumed that American society no longer values books or reading for fun, as so many electronic hobbies are beckoning for our free time. While it might seem like everyone is watching TV or surfing the internet, Americans really are reading books. A full three quarters of all Americans read books regularly. But, most of them aren't reading classics. Overwhelmingly, Americans are reading romance novels.
At least half of all the paperbacks on the American book market are romance novels. And, a recent poll showed than one in five Americans regularly reads romance novels, which far out paces the rate at which they read literary classics. Far fewer classics are printed and far fewer are sold in today’s book market as more and more romance series lines are developed by the major romance publishers.
Category Romances
Gone are the days when romance novels could be called “bodice rippers” and dismissed as being interchangeable. Today’s romance genre encompasses supernatural romance, romantic thrillers, chick lit romance and countless specialty subcategories. One such specialty is the vampire romance, which has been exploding in popularity in recent years. Other readers prefer cowboy romances or historical romances set during the Regency. There are category romance series' for young adult readers, romances that cater to single women, divorced women, mothers and to members of the baby boom generation. There are even Christian romance novels that cater to the religious sensibilities of their readers and have strict rules about what their characters can and can’t do.
The Power of Category Romance Publishers
The major publisher of romance novels is Harlequin, based in Canada. Harlequin is known for its category romances, and is almost a stereotype for books that are considered light reading. But, there’s nothing light about the power that Harlequin has over the North American book market. The publisher puts out about 120 original titles every month, selling over 130 million books a year. And it’s not just romance- from Harlequin’s romance beginnings has come a global empire with imprints for mysteries, fantasy and literary fiction titles. Those imprints are then further blended into hybrid imprints, such as the horror-romance imprint Nocturne and one of the more recent hybrids- Harlequin NASCAR.
While it was once easy to dismiss the romance genre, it is now one of the most powerful forces in the publishing industry. It not only keeps up with what readers are looking for, but influences their reading habits and tastes. It might not be ideal that more people are reading romance than great works classic literature, but the genre is keeping people reading and the book industry alive and thriving.
Related article: The Vampire Romance Novel
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