In 2012, the romance genre took the largest share of the consumer book market worldwide,12.9% ($1.358 billion), beating out religion/inspirational ($759 million), mystery ($682 million), science fiction/fantasy ($559 million) and classic literary fiction ($445 million). According to the popular genre magazine RT Book Reviews (formerly known as Romantic Times), the average romance reader today spends about $100 monthly reading anywhere from 10 to 40 books a month.
Readers, critics and academics argue over the roots of the romance genre, though many credit Jane Austen as the genre's originator. Others trace the modern romance genre back to Middle English romances of the mid-14th century or the stories of King Arthur, of Charlemagne and Roland or of Alexander the Great. The romance industry as it exists today began in England, but communities of romance readers and writers exist all over the world, from Bangladesh to South Africa to Mexico.
In A Natural History of the Romance Novel, Pamela Regis outlines the eight narrative conventions that make a romance a romance: society defined, the meeting, the barrier, the attraction, the declaration, the point of ritual death, the recognition and the betrothal. According to the Romance Writers of America, two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
A 2011 romance book consumer survey revealed that 91 percent of romance book buyers are women, majority fall into the 30 to 54 age group, and over half of consumers hail from the South or Midwest.
A 2011 romance book consumer survey sponsored by the Romance Writers of America showed the following:
Romance book buyers divide largely along gender lines: 91% of romance book buyers are women, and only 9% are men.
The majority of U.S. romance book buyers fall into the 30 to 54 age group.
The weighted mean annual income of a romance book buyer who buys only print books is $58,000, but romance e-book buyers have a mean annual income of $70,000.
More than half of the respondents reported living with a spouse or significant other.
The top factor when deciding to buy a romance is the story (46%); next is the author (23%).
Half of the romance book buyers surveyed reported purchasing at least one new romance per month. The remainder purchased one every two to three months (22%) or less frequently.
Geographic distribution of romance readers in the United States can be broken down as follows:
Northeast: 17%
Midwest: 26%
South: 38%
West: 19%
Photo caption: Shumita at the beauty salon
Credit: Julie Moggan
While all romances have central love stories and emotionally satisfying endings, they may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time and have varying levels of sensuality.
According to the Romance Writers of America, there are two formats for romance fiction:
Series or category romances: books issued under a common imprint/series name that are numbered sequentially and released at regular intervals, usually monthly, with the same number of releases each time. These books are most commonly published by Harlequin's Silhouette imprint.
Single-title romances: longer romances released individually and not as part of a numbered series. Single-title romances may be released in hardcover, trade paperback or mass-market paperback formats.
While all romances have central love stories and emotionally satisfying endings, they may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time and have varying levels of sensuality.
Romance fiction can be broken down further into various subgenres, based on setting and plot elements. These subgenres include:
Contemporary: Romance novels that focus primarily on romantic relationships and typically set after 1945.
Historical: Romance novels set in any time period prior to 1945 and taking place in any location.
Inspirational: Romance novels in which religious or spiritual beliefs (in the context of any religion or spiritual belief system) are a major part of the romantic relationship.
Novels with Strong Romantic Elements: A work of fiction in which a romance plays a significant part in the story, but other themes or elements take the plot beyond the traditional romance boundaries.
Paranormal: Romance novels in which the future, a fantasy world or paranormal happenings are an integral part of the plot.
Regency: Romance novels in which the majority of the story is set in the Regency period of the British Empire.
Romantic Suspense: Romance novels in which suspense, mystery or thriller elements constitute an integral part of the plot.
Young Adult Romance: Novels with a strong romantic theme geared toward young adult readers.
Photo caption: Hiroko & Seiich at the Ballroom Dance Championship
Credit: Julie Moggan
Every four seconds a Harlequin or Mills & Boon romance novel is sold somwhere within the 109 countries where the books are sold, and in one of the 26 different languages in which they are published.
In 2012, the romance genre took the largest share of the consumer book market worldwide,12.9% ($1.358 billion), beating out religion/inspirational ($759 million), mystery ($682 million), science fiction/fantasy ($559 million) and classic literary fiction ($445 million). According to the popular genre magazine RT Book Reviews (formerly known as Romantic Times), the average romance reader today spends about $100 monthly reading anywhere from 10 to 40 books a month.
Readers, critics and academics argue over the roots of the romance genre, though many credit Jane Austen as the genre's originator. Others trace the modern romance genre back to Middle English romances of the mid-14th century or the stories of King Arthur, of Charlemagne and Roland or of Alexander the Great. The romance industry as it exists today began in England, but communities of romance readers and writers exist all over the world, from Bangladesh to South Africa to Mexico.
In A Natural History of the Romance Novel, Pamela Regis outlines the eight narrative conventions that make a romance a romance: society defined, the meeting, the barrier, the attraction, the declaration, the point of ritual death, the recognition and the betrothal. According to the Romance Writers of America, two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
A 2011 romance book consumer survey revealed that 91 percent of romance book buyers are women, majority fall into the 30 to 54 age group, and over half of consumers hail from the South or Midwest.
A 2011 romance book consumer survey sponsored by the Romance Writers of America showed the following:
Romance book buyers divide largely along gender lines: 91% of romance book buyers are women, and only 9% are men.
The majority of U.S. romance book buyers fall into the 30 to 54 age group.
The weighted mean annual income of a romance book buyer who buys only print books is $58,000, but romance e-book buyers have a mean annual income of $70,000.
More than half of the respondents reported living with a spouse or significant other.
The top factor when deciding to buy a romance is the story (46%); next is the author (23%).
Half of the romance book buyers surveyed reported purchasing at least one new romance per month. The remainder purchased one every two to three months (22%) or less frequently.
Geographic distribution of romance readers in the United States can be broken down as follows:
Northeast: 17%
Midwest: 26%
South: 38%
West: 19%
Photo caption: Shumita at the beauty salon
Credit: Julie Moggan
While all romances have central love stories and emotionally satisfying endings, they may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time and have varying levels of sensuality.
According to the Romance Writers of America, there are two formats for romance fiction:
Series or category romances: books issued under a common imprint/series name that are numbered sequentially and released at regular intervals, usually monthly, with the same number of releases each time. These books are most commonly published by Harlequin's Silhouette imprint.
Single-title romances: longer romances released individually and not as part of a numbered series. Single-title romances may be released in hardcover, trade paperback or mass-market paperback formats.
While all romances have central love stories and emotionally satisfying endings, they may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time and have varying levels of sensuality.
Romance fiction can be broken down further into various subgenres, based on setting and plot elements. These subgenres include:
Contemporary: Romance novels that focus primarily on romantic relationships and typically set after 1945.
Historical: Romance novels set in any time period prior to 1945 and taking place in any location.
Inspirational: Romance novels in which religious or spiritual beliefs (in the context of any religion or spiritual belief system) are a major part of the romantic relationship.
Novels with Strong Romantic Elements: A work of fiction in which a romance plays a significant part in the story, but other themes or elements take the plot beyond the traditional romance boundaries.
Paranormal: Romance novels in which the future, a fantasy world or paranormal happenings are an integral part of the plot.
Regency: Romance novels in which the majority of the story is set in the Regency period of the British Empire.
Romantic Suspense: Romance novels in which suspense, mystery or thriller elements constitute an integral part of the plot.
Young Adult Romance: Novels with a strong romantic theme geared toward young adult readers.
Photo caption: Hiroko & Seiich at the Ballroom Dance Championship
Credit: Julie Moggan
Every four seconds a Harlequin or Mills & Boon romance novel is sold somwhere within the 109 countries where the books are sold, and in one of the 26 different languages in which they are published.
In 2012, the romance genre took the largest share of the consumer book market worldwide,12.9% ($1.358 billion), beating out religion/inspirational ($759 million), mystery ($682 million), science fiction/fantasy ($559 million) and classic literary fiction ($445 million). According to the popular genre magazine RT Book Reviews (formerly known as Romantic Times), the average romance reader today spends about $100 monthly reading anywhere from 10 to 40 books a month.
Readers, critics and academics argue over the roots of the romance genre, though many credit Jane Austen as the genre's originator. Others trace the modern romance genre back to Middle English romances of the mid-14th century or the stories of King Arthur, of Charlemagne and Roland or of Alexander the Great. The romance industry as it exists today began in England, but communities of romance readers and writers exist all over the world, from Bangladesh to South Africa to Mexico.
In A Natural History of the Romance Novel, Pamela Regis outlines the eight narrative conventions that make a romance a romance: society defined, the meeting, the barrier, the attraction, the declaration, the point of ritual death, the recognition and the betrothal. According to the Romance Writers of America, two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
A 2011 romance book consumer survey revealed that 91 percent of romance book buyers are women, majority fall into the 30 to 54 age group, and over half of consumers hail from the South or Midwest.
A 2011 romance book consumer survey sponsored by the Romance Writers of America showed the following:
Romance book buyers divide largely along gender lines: 91% of romance book buyers are women, and only 9% are men.
The majority of U.S. romance book buyers fall into the 30 to 54 age group.
The weighted mean annual income of a romance book buyer who buys only print books is $58,000, but romance e-book buyers have a mean annual income of $70,000.
More than half of the respondents reported living with a spouse or significant other.
The top factor when deciding to buy a romance is the story (46%); next is the author (23%).
Half of the romance book buyers surveyed reported purchasing at least one new romance per month. The remainder purchased one every two to three months (22%) or less frequently.
Geographic distribution of romance readers in the United States can be broken down as follows:
Northeast: 17%
Midwest: 26%
South: 38%
West: 19%
Photo caption: Shumita at the beauty salon
Credit: Julie Moggan
While all romances have central love stories and emotionally satisfying endings, they may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time and have varying levels of sensuality.
According to the Romance Writers of America, there are two formats for romance fiction:
Series or category romances: books issued under a common imprint/series name that are numbered sequentially and released at regular intervals, usually monthly, with the same number of releases each time. These books are most commonly published by Harlequin's Silhouette imprint.
Single-title romances: longer romances released individually and not as part of a numbered series. Single-title romances may be released in hardcover, trade paperback or mass-market paperback formats.
While all romances have central love stories and emotionally satisfying endings, they may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time and have varying levels of sensuality.
Romance fiction can be broken down further into various subgenres, based on setting and plot elements. These subgenres include:
Contemporary: Romance novels that focus primarily on romantic relationships and typically set after 1945.
Historical: Romance novels set in any time period prior to 1945 and taking place in any location.
Inspirational: Romance novels in which religious or spiritual beliefs (in the context of any religion or spiritual belief system) are a major part of the romantic relationship.
Novels with Strong Romantic Elements: A work of fiction in which a romance plays a significant part in the story, but other themes or elements take the plot beyond the traditional romance boundaries.
Paranormal: Romance novels in which the future, a fantasy world or paranormal happenings are an integral part of the plot.
Regency: Romance novels in which the majority of the story is set in the Regency period of the British Empire.
Romantic Suspense: Romance novels in which suspense, mystery or thriller elements constitute an integral part of the plot.
Young Adult Romance: Novels with a strong romantic theme geared toward young adult readers.
Photo caption: Hiroko & Seiich at the Ballroom Dance Championship
Credit: Julie Moggan
Every four seconds a Harlequin or Mills & Boon romance novel is sold somwhere within the 109 countries where the books are sold, and in one of the 26 different languages in which they are published.
In 2012, the romance genre took the largest share of the consumer book market worldwide,12.9% ($1.358 billion), beating out religion/inspirational ($759 million), mystery ($682 million), science fiction/fantasy ($559 million) and classic literary fiction ($445 million). According to the popular genre magazine RT Book Reviews (formerly known as Romantic Times), the average romance reader today spends about $100 monthly reading anywhere from 10 to 40 books a month.
Readers, critics and academics argue over the roots of the romance genre, though many credit Jane Austen as the genre's originator. Others trace the modern romance genre back to Middle English romances of the mid-14th century or the stories of King Arthur, of Charlemagne and Roland or of Alexander the Great. The romance industry as it exists today began in England, but communities of romance readers and writers exist all over the world, from Bangladesh to South Africa to Mexico.
In A Natural History of the Romance Novel, Pamela Regis outlines the eight narrative conventions that make a romance a romance: society defined, the meeting, the barrier, the attraction, the declaration, the point of ritual death, the recognition and the betrothal. According to the Romance Writers of America, two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
A 2011 romance book consumer survey revealed that 91 percent of romance book buyers are women, majority fall into the 30 to 54 age group, and over half of consumers hail from the South or Midwest.
A 2011 romance book consumer survey sponsored by the Romance Writers of America showed the following:
Romance book buyers divide largely along gender lines: 91% of romance book buyers are women, and only 9% are men.
The majority of U.S. romance book buyers fall into the 30 to 54 age group.
The weighted mean annual income of a romance book buyer who buys only print books is $58,000, but romance e-book buyers have a mean annual income of $70,000.
More than half of the respondents reported living with a spouse or significant other.
The top factor when deciding to buy a romance is the story (46%); next is the author (23%).
Half of the romance book buyers surveyed reported purchasing at least one new romance per month. The remainder purchased one every two to three months (22%) or less frequently.
Geographic distribution of romance readers in the United States can be broken down as follows:
Northeast: 17%
Midwest: 26%
South: 38%
West: 19%
Photo caption: Shumita at the beauty salon Credit: Julie Moggan
While all romances have central love stories and emotionally satisfying endings, they may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time and have varying levels of sensuality.
According to the Romance Writers of America, there are two formats for romance fiction:
Series or category romances: books issued under a common imprint/series name that are numbered sequentially and released at regular intervals, usually monthly, with the same number of releases each time. These books are most commonly published by Harlequin's Silhouette imprint.
Single-title romances: longer romances released individually and not as part of a numbered series. Single-title romances may be released in hardcover, trade paperback or mass-market paperback formats.
While all romances have central love stories and emotionally satisfying endings, they may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time and have varying levels of sensuality.
Romance fiction can be broken down further into various subgenres, based on setting and plot elements. These subgenres include:
Contemporary: Romance novels that focus primarily on romantic relationships and typically set after 1945.
Historical: Romance novels set in any time period prior to 1945 and taking place in any location.
Inspirational: Romance novels in which religious or spiritual beliefs (in the context of any religion or spiritual belief system) are a major part of the romantic relationship.
Novels with Strong Romantic Elements: A work of fiction in which a romance plays a significant part in the story, but other themes or elements take the plot beyond the traditional romance boundaries.
Paranormal: Romance novels in which the future, a fantasy world or paranormal happenings are an integral part of the plot.
Regency: Romance novels in which the majority of the story is set in the Regency period of the British Empire.
Romantic Suspense: Romance novels in which suspense, mystery or thriller elements constitute an integral part of the plot.
Young Adult Romance: Novels with a strong romantic theme geared toward young adult readers.
Photo caption: Hiroko & Seiich at the Ballroom Dance Championship Credit: Julie Moggan
Every four seconds a Harlequin or Mills & Boon romance novel is sold somwhere within the 109 countries where the books are sold, and in one of the 26 different languages in which they are published.
