Romance: The recession-proof genre

May 9, 3:34 PMDC Publishing Industry ExaminerWendy Coakley-Thompson

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Logo of Harlequin Books, the most dominant player in
the romance genre

This week, Torstar Corporation reported that one of its subsidiaries, Harlequin Books, continues to perform extraordinarily well. Harlequin’s stellar first quarter showing offsets the grim news of Torstar’s overall net loss of $21.4 million for the same quarter. According to Robert Pritchard, Torstar’s President and CEO, "Harlequin has made a strong start and is on course for another solid year. Despite the global recession, Harlequin's overall performance remains strong with digital revenue growth offsetting some print declines in Japan and the U.K.”

This latest development merely affirms that, while sales of books in other genres have either remained flat or declined, romance is booming. Established romance writers like Nora Roberts, Fern Michaels, and Debbie Macomber, represent heavily on this week’s USA Today’s top 150 bestsellers and The New York Times bestseller lists. USA News & World Report made romances – aka “bodice rippers”  –  #3 on its list of Ten Winners in the Recession. The negative buzz surrounding this summer’s Book Expo America (BEA) in New York City is that exhibitors are staying away in droves, prompting some to ask the question “Are Trade Book Fairs Dead?” None of that same negativity, though, is killing the buzz here about this year’s Romance Writers of America’s (RWA) 29th Annual Conference, scheduled for July 15-18 at DC’s Marriott Wardman Park hotel.

Everyone is asking why romance is thriving in this era of declining sales and decreased bookstore revenues (see Are bookstores dead?). Motoko Rich of The New York Times discusses practical reasons for this phenomenon, like romance novel publishers having a larger share of the digital publishing market. However, the reason that resonates most loudly is at the heart of Rich’s article – the need to escape in gloomy times. Hollywood box office receipts are off the charts – Hollywood is #2 on US News & World Report’s list of Ten Winners in the Recession – for exactly the same reason. Like those who frequented the Nickelodeons of the depressed early part of the 20th century, recession-weary 21st century Americans are in search of relatively cheap entertainment. Readers can purchase romance mass-market paperbacks for less than ten dollars and tend to buy five or more of them at a time. Harlequin romances list for $5.50; they are 20% cheaper if purchased online. One can download a Harlequin e-book as either an Adobe pdf e-book, a Microsoft e-book, or a Mobipocket e-book for less than four dollars, often ahead of the publication date of the same title as a mass-market paperback.

Plot-wise, romances are generally a sure thing. Just about all of Harlequin’s writing guidelines for aspiring novelists require that the guy get the girl in the end. In a world where one cannot watch a block of primetime television without the inevitable assault of Match.com, eHarmony, and Chemistry.com commercials, everyone seems to be looking for love in these difficult times. Who wouldn’t want to escape into a world where complicated couples, with warts and all, live happily ever after?

The genre also has its finger on the pulse of America’s changing demographics. Romance offerings cater to an increasingly diverse population. In addition to its usual fare, for example, Harlequin produces its Deseo, Bianca, Jazmin, and Julia imprints for the growing Latino reading population, as well as the Kimani imprint for African-American readers. Quite a shift from twenty years ago, when the most dominant romance writer of color was Sandra Kitt.

For all of these reasons, it seems inevitable that, for now, romance continues to be the tide that lifts all boats in an industry trying to redefine itself.

The President of Washington Romance Writers (WIW) comments on the state of the genre in the second part of this article.

For more info: Click here for more information on Harlequin Books, to purchase books, or to download writing guidelines.