THE BUSINESS OF
Romance Novels IN THE U.S. AND THE WORLD
Rachel Dalke Background
Mass market literary genre Romantic Subgenres Focuses on relationships and romantic love Suspense
Outperforms other genres of Contemporary literature 7% 7% 22% Historical Has become more popular with 8% more access to technology Erotica 11% Smartphones, Ereaders, 17% Tablets, and anonymity New Adult 14% Social media, self publishing, 14% Paranormal fanfiction Young Adult
Christian Stats in America: the Romance Reader
2014 Nielson Romance Buyer Survey 70% of readers discover the genre between the ages of 11 and 18 Main readers are 30-54 years old, female The Reader 45% having a college degree More than half of the audience worked 18% outside the home Most highly represented in the south Readers were more likely to be married or 82% living with a partner Male Has had a stigma attached to it, which has faded over time Female “Overweight women eating bonbons in bed, reading alone” → stereotype
Money in the Book Business
Romantic and erotic fiction remains the top-selling sector of the book market
“Last year, the genre brought in a whopping $1.5 billion in the U.S. alone” (International Business Times)
2005 study showed Romance fiction comprises a 26.4% share of the consumer market revenue
One out of every two mass-market fiction paperbacks sold in the United States this year will be a romance title
More than half of the mass market paperbacks sold in the U.S. are romance
Book Sales by Genre 1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
Sales (millions of $) of (millions Sales 400
200
0
Genre Romance Novels in America
Emotional audience
Enjoys exploring male on male, paranormal, and shifter stories
Enjoys British literature
“Everyone agrees that British fiction is different from American fiction, but no one can really pinpoint why,” (USA Today Life)
Harlequin – was a British publishing company based in Toronto
Now under the name HarperCollins, based in NYC Majority of its customers are Americans In 1991, over half of Harlequin's customers purchased 30 novels per month 64% read romance novels more than once a month
Romance Novels in Europe
Contemporary stories, chick-lit, BDSM titles
Harlequin Publishing
UK has different tastes and lower sales numbers than the U.S.
Many Americans like the appeal of a European novel
“British culture is different form “British authors create more American or Australian culture, clever, quick-witted and despite the language we (sort of) interesting dialogue between have in common. The humor is characters. There is often a different, the social rules are directness and irreverence different, and since romance fiction that seems more contemporary often involves both humor and social and realistic.” (USA Today Life) rules, the experience of a British romance is unique.” (USA Today Life)
Fifty Shades of Grey
Sold over 125 million copies worldwide by June 2015
Has been translated into 52 languages
Rights to the book have been sold in 37 countries (NY Daily News)
Seemed to “epitomise escapism” – why it became so popular (“Which 5 Books”)
Romance Novels in China
All literature is subject to review by the government
Literature can be banned for numerous reasons
Banning the books doesn’t stop them from being read (Shanghai Baby)
Cultural Revolution and Literary Reformation (Maoist Era and Post-Mao)
Today writers have a little more freedom What is usually banned: politics, government, works that spark social tension, “obesities”
Conclusion: Romance as a Literary Genre
It’s popular because love is an emotion everyone can relate to
How do you define it? “protagonists who meet, fall in love, and struggle to overcome the barriers between them are always rewarded with true love in the end” (Americana) Women write and read romance Societal importance: heroes to examine, subvert, Relationships and reflection discuss, revel in, and reject Definition of love patriarchal constructions of masculinity,” Self expression ―Sarah Frantz Lyons Acceptance of others Why do we read them? Inspiration, escape, to live vicariously, entertainment
Romance novels will continue to be a large cutural influence on society
Works Cited
1. "2005 ROMStat Report." Romance Industry Statistics. Romance Writers of America, 2005. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. 2. Costanza, Justine A. "Why Do Modern Women Love Romance Novels? Call It The 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Syndrome." International Business Times. International Business Times, 30 June 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. 3. Lamb, Joyce. "Why Do Americans Like to Read British Romance Fiction?" Happy Ever After. USA Today Life, 05 Mar. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. 4. Nazaryan, Alexander. ""Fifty Shades of Grey" Tops Ten Million Sales: Reading Public Craves Know About Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele – and Nothing Else." NY Daily News. 22 May 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2016. 5. Penn, Joanna. "How to Find the Right International Markets for Your Book." The Creative Penn. 23 Jan. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. 6. Rodale, Maya. "Who Is the Romance Novel Reader?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 7 May 2015. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. 7. "Romance Novel." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Feb. 2016. Web. 22 Mar. 2016. 8. "Romance Writers of America's 2005 Market Research Study on Romance Readers." Romance Fiction - The Industry. Romance Writers of America, 2005. Web. 22 Mar. 2016. 9. "Romance Reader Statistics." MyRWA: The Romance Genre. Romance Writers of America, Apr.-May 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. 10. Siemaszkiewicz, Claire. "Yes, Yes, Yesssss...! Erotic Romance Sales Still Sizzle." Publishing Perspectives. 07 Jan. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.
11. Stewart, Thomas. "Which 5 Book Genres Make The Most Money?" The Richest. 31 Jan. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. 12. Wertime, David. "This Chart Explains Everything You Need to Know About Chinese Internet Censorship." Foreign Policy This Chart Explains Everything You Need to Know About Chinese Internet Censorship Comments. Foreign Policy Magazine, 20 Apr. 2015. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.