A Dash of Words with Loleta Abi Romance Author

The Writer’s Wheel…6/4/19: Romance and the Reader

Loleta Abi

Are romances still the most popular genre selling today?

Statistica reported romance as the second most popular selling genre, behind mystery/crime/thriller. Romance is a billion-dollar industry with 1.08 according to Bookstat and 1.44 billion including self-published titles. Over fifty million romances were sold in 2017, raking in 162 million.

Wow, that sounds pretty good to me, lol!

What are the best sub-genres?

Contemporary; historical; romantic suspense; erotica; religious/spiritual romance; paranormal, sf, or fantasy romance; and YA romance. In 2015, the top-selling title was Fifty Shades of Gray which sold 1.1 million copies.

I’ve read where a lot of new authors want to write in the romantic suspense field as per the money. I would think, they’d go more for the Fifty Shades of Gray if that were the case. I write historical, and paranormal, sf, or fantasy romance. There may even be some contemporaries in there for good measure. I don’t think you should write for just the money. I think it should come from the heart and be stories you’re inspired by. Characters that make you want to take the journey with them.

Traditional versus self-publishing:

According to The Passive Guy, a lot of romance writers are being asked to write women’s fiction or romantic suspense as Indie sales are skyrocketing. I heard a few years back that most of the traditional publishers were cutting their romance writers off. The majority sought another avenue, and they found it bigtime in Indie. I think you shouldn’t be forced to write something you’ve no interest in. The odds are, I will go Indie when the time comes. Then again, there’s still the middle press.

Which genre do you prefer? Which sub-genre appeals to you? Do you write or read romance?

Have a great week, take care, and God bless!