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HISTORICAL ROMANCE IS DEAD! 


There has been some discussion on various social media sites about "Historical Romance is Dead." Can it be true? I am afraid it is in its death throws, at least with traditional publishing. Major publishers have cut way back on HR releases and there are longer wait times between books. Avon Books has all but abandoned its HR Facebook group, has done little to no promotion on recent HR releases, and to look at their HR authors, Sarah Maclean announces on her site of a contemporary series coming with Ballantine books. Tessa Dare's fourth book in her series is coming soon but is delayed due to illness. Carole Linden has nothing soon except an indie anthology with other HR authors. Sophie Jordan is writing in different genres. Lisa Kleypas hasn't been on social media since Feb 2023, and no information about upcoming books at her site. Lorraine Heath has two books coming soon, but it is not a new series but a continuation of an older series, The Gentlemen of St. James. (Which I am happy about)

I got this information from a quick search, looking up traditional historical authors with whom I am familiar. Many have turned to contemporary, historical fiction or mystery, self-publishing, or disappeared from the internet and/or social media. A few have passed away. 

Historical romance is transitioning, but it is not dead. Not yet. The average age of a romance reader is 42 years old, so you can bet historical romance is much older than that. I haven't seen any statistics that claim younger romance readers are interested in HR, which is a disturbing prospect for the future. Julia Quinn (author of the Bridgerton series) has seen her sales growth drop by 38% in 2023. Link HERE for the stats I am quoting) When it was first announced Netflix bought the rights to The Bridgerton series, historical romance authors and readers were giddy with the possibilities! Maybe some will buy the rights to a Kleypas series or Elizabeth Hoyt!* None of it came to pass. Also, the theory that the rising water will float all boats didn't come to pass either. I don't think many authors benefitted from trickle-down sales on their HR books.

Excluding the mass-produced, ghostwritten HR books dominating Amazon's Kindle bestseller lists, plenty of authors are writing in the genre and doing well. Many are self-publishing because traditional publishing (and agents) is closing the door on most historical romances. There are also a few independent publishers, like Dragonblade Publishing. Dragonblade deals specifically with historical romance and recently signed up several new authors (myself included). So, if you are hungry for historical romance, ebooks are the way to go for now. Go forth and read! Hopefully, historical romance will catch the attention of readers and publishing houses again.


*Avon bestselling author Beverly Jenkins had her western historical romance series with Avon optioned to Sony Television in 2020, but I cannot find any recent updates. It's worth noting that not everything optioned for TV or movies gets made.


Post written September 14, 2024














LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT? WHY NOT?




I have to chuckle when I hear: "This isn't realistic. No one falls in love in one night/first sight." Actually, yes, some people do. In actual real life. It is rare, but it happens.

So why not in a romance story? Why can't the characters fall in love during a short period—one night, one week, one month?

As a romance reader, I suspend belief when I read, for I believe a lot of romance is steeped in fantasy. The white knight riding up to rescue the damsel in distress. It is not based on any reality, as real life is far more messy and complicated. I read romance to escape, immerse myself in another world, and get that satisfying happily ever after.

It doesn't matter if it's a short story, a novella, or a full-length novel; I'm there for the journey. I want to be entertained, moved, and rooting for the characters to overcome obstacles to reach that HEA(happily ever after). I would never complain about the length of a story. In fact, a short story is a perfect length for that "insta-love" so many roll their eyes at.

I've seen complaints about sex before falling in love. Well, that happens in real life, too. Insta-lust can become more profound, so why not unfold it in a romance novel?

As far as historical romance? The old "A duke would never marry a commoner. This is not realistic" argument also fits here. Again, this is fiction. Fantasy. I can suspend belief, and dukes have married commoners through the ages.

Because all these things factor into my reading experience, they have manifested themselves in my romance writing. I have written more than one story where the couple immediately falls in love, especially in my shorter works. I now write longer pieces with more complicated plots, but I still enjoy creating that journey to the HEA, whether it takes a night, a month, or a year.

Falling in love in one night? Why not?

Go for it. :) And give short stories/novellas a try!


Post written April 4, 2019




 
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