About Romance

What is Romance?

Most novels feature some sort of romantic relationship, but romance novels are those that focus on the developing relationship. Aside from that, a definition is difficult, as romances cover such a vast range. Despite the diversity of the genre, there are a few basic elements that are common to all romance novels:

  • The love story is the main focus of the novel
  • A Happy Ever After

What are the sub-genres of Romance?

Based on setting, plot elements, time period and the heat level (varying from sweetly romantic to hot and heavy), romance novels are divided into sub-genres. This list is by no means exhaustive and new lines are often added.

  • Contemporary These are novels set after 1945, and range from Sweet (also known as Tender) to Sexy (containing explicit love scenes). Within this genre, novels cover a diverse range from those centering on home and family to glossy, international settings.
  • Historical Romance novels set before 1945. Examples of settings include ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, American Westerns, and the perenially popular Regency period.
  • Inspirational Novels in which spiritual or religious beliefs are integral to the story. These can be any religion, though predominantly Christian.
  • Erotica Though the central relationship is important, explicit sex scenes are the primary focus.
  • Medical Romance novels set against a hospital backdrop or involving medical practitioners - including alternative therapies. Think Grey's Anatomy.
  • Paranormal Stories involving werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters ... currently the fastest growing market within romantic fiction.
  • Fantasy and Sci-Fi Time travel, futuristic or fantasy novels in which teh romance is central to the story.
  • Romantic Comedy Light-hearted stories with humorous plot lines, but still focussed on a central relationship.
  • Romantic Suspense Novels in which the central relationship is set against a backdrop of danger and intrigue.
  • Young Adult Novels with strong romantic elements aimed at young adult readers. An example is the currently popular Twilight.
  • Chick Lit Not strictly speaking a sub genre of Romance, Chick Lit novels are now a complete genre on their own. These are usually single title novels featuring romantic elements but not exclusive to romance, and aimed mostly at young, single, working women.


Formats for Romance Novels

  • Category Romance Also known as Series Romance. These are usually shorter length novels published as part of a series and fulfilling certain expectations. They are usually numbered or dated and are issued at regular intervals (usually monthly). The most famous publisher of category romance in South Africa is Mills & Boon, a division of Harlequin, the world's largest publishing house.

  • Single Title Also known as mainstream fiction. These are longer romantic novels that are released as individual titles, not as part of a series.


    • Why does Romance have such a bad rap?

    Romance novels account for more sales than any other genre. They cover a vast range of topics, settings and sub-genres, and appeal to widely different audiences. And yet there are a great many misconceptions regarding romance novels and the people who read (and write) them.

    For a great article that debunks some of the myths and urban legends surrounding romance fiction, take a look at http://www.romanceaustralia.com/mythsofromance.html

    The next time you're at a dinner party and someone puts down the romance genre, quote them these facts and figures, courtesy of Romance Writers of America:

  • Romance fiction generated $1,375 billion in sales in 2007 alone.

  • Romance fiction has the highest sales of any fiction genre, beating out Religion/Inspirational at $819 million, Science Fiction & Fantasy at $700 million, Mystery at $650 million, and classic literary fiction (think of all those school and university set works!) at $466 million.

  • One in five novels read in the US is a Romance novel.

  • In North America, romance fiction accounts for 39.3% of all fiction sold. To compare: Mystery, Detective, Crime and Suspense together make up only 29.6% of all sales. Science fiction and Fantasy take only a 6.4% share.

    • For further information on the RomStat Report by Romance Writers of America, go to http://www.rwanational.org/cs/the_romance_genre/romance_literature_statistics.

    Writing Romance in South Africa

    While South Africa has a substantial number of romance writers, the majority are published in Afrikaans and are therefore only sold in South Africa. Over the years there have been a few South Africans who have published romance novels through international publishers (just don't ask us for names and details!) but not yet in sufficient numbers to make an impact on the global market.

    There is certainly no shortage of talent or interest in writing romance, so perhaps what is needed is further development and motivation. We hope that this website will provide a little of that. We want to see South Africans writing romances, submitting them internationally and being published internationally. Once that happens, we will see more novels set in South Africa - and why not, tourists already think we're an exciting destination, so why not readers too?

    Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) was founded in 1991 with only 8 members. Today, a substantial number of Australian writers are making a living writing romance. They are published in 120 countries and in 26 languages. Australian settings are now standard in romance novels, particularly in category romance.

    Harlequin Mills & Boon, the world's largest publisher of romance, has recently shown an interest in expanding into new markets. There has been a great deal of international coverage of their expansion into the Indian market, and here in South Africa they recently ran a short story contest, called Voice of Africa, in conjunction with Essentials magazine. They're interested, so let's make the most of it.
    Let's put South Africa on the map, both as a setting for international romance novels and also as the home territory for a new generation of writers.

    A few interesting links:
    http://www.writing4success.com/romance_writing_rom_fiction_yock.htm
    http://www.ehow.com/about_4616955_romance-novels.html
    http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7329822

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