Last night on Twitter, I bemoaned the state of single title contemporary romances. What’s the problem, you ask? I’m trying to understand why are there so few of them coming out from the big New York publishers every month?
This isn’t something I just noticed. I noticed this several years back and at every writer’s conference, an editor in almost every house announces they are ‘actively looking’ for ‘big’ single title contemporaries. Unfortunately, when I go to the book stores, I don’t see anything new. I see books from new historical and paranormal romance authors, but no new contemporary romances. Why is that? Seriously, do readers not want to read single title contemporaries anymore?
Are the publishers telling us that historical and paranormal romances sell more than contemporary romances? Does that mean we have to wait for some ‘new, hot contemporary author’ to burst onto the scene and make a huge splash before we see more books on the shelves. But I wonder how that happens because I don’t see anyone taking a chance on an unknown ST contemporary author. Seems like a vicious circle.
I can seriously count on my hands the number of single title contemporary titles I have to choose from each month. Not many. Maybe 2 or 3 if I’m lucky. On a good month, I may see 4. In comparison, there are like a gazillion historical and paranormal romances coming out every month. On a side note, when I say contemporary, I talking strictly romance. I’m not talking romantic suspense or time-travel (don’t see many of those either) or anything that even borders on women’s fiction. I’m talking a story that is essentially about one couple’s relationship pure and simple.
I absolutely love the genre and am so saddened that I don’t have more books to choose from. Many of the popular authors of this genre put out only one book a year. That wouldn’t be so bad if there were like 40 or more of them but with their numbers so low, one book a year just won’t do. I need more. I want more. I read category–Harlequin, of course (only game in town) but when I yearn for a longer more involved book with juicy subplots, I’m really stumped unless one of my contemporary authors happens to have a book out that month–which is very rare. That’s actually the reason I started reading historicals after reading categories for years and years. I was looking for that longer read. Each fills a need and right now only one is being met.
Last night, Christina Dodd did mention she has a contemporary series coming out in 2011, which is good news but I’m still looking for more. The really great news to me is if I heard that there were 10 new ST contemporary authors debuting this year. Man, that would be music to my ears.
So am I the only one out there that feels that way? Does anyone else want to see those New York publishers putting out more single title contemporary romances? I truly believe that if they did, readers would flock to them in droves.
I would love to see more as well. I write them and I love to read them but you are correct, NY doesn’t seem to want to take a chance on them. It’s sad. I’m not a big category reader as I like longer books so I’m left with not much choice in what I like to read. Jillian
I’m with you and Jillian, Bev. I love them and gulp them down in one sitting, if work permits. Then I have to wait and wait and wait. I write multiple genres, but since my “most” complete ms is a Single Title, I’d love to see more people willing to take a chance on them. I started with category and still read them from time to time, but I DEVOUR single title! 🙂
I love single title contemporaries! There are some good ones out there but, I agree, there could, and should, be many more. I cheer whenever I see a new title from Toni Blake, Christie Ridgway, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Julie James, Kristan Higgins, Susan Andersen, Jane Graves, Carly Phillips, Victoria Dahl, Susan Mallery, Louisa Edwards, Erin McCarthy or Jill Shalvis (and others that I know I’m forgetting at the moment). Susan Sey is a terrific new talent in contemporary single-title romance. Her next book, MONEY SHOT, will be out in June.
I think chick-lit hurt straight contemporary romances. So many publishers were chasing the next “Bridget Jones Diary,” that they ignored contemporary romances. I never got into the whole chick-lit phase. Angsty heroines can be a bit of a whiner. This past year I’ve enjoyed contemporaries by Julie James, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Lisa Kleypas, Nora Roberts and Susan Sey.
Can I blab a bit? I have a new single title release coming out with Harlequin’s Digital division Carina Press.It’s a super-length novel of the redeeming power of love. Titled Sweet as Sin and I’d love if you’d check it out.
SWEET AS SIN
I remember when it was historicals that were on the out and I’m glad to say that’s not the case any more. I do think it all runs in cycles. Not so much the reader but the publishing houses try to decide what is in or not.
I’m not a fan of contemporaries so I never even noticed the lack of new ones.
So many contemporaries fall under other genres, such as romantic suspense. Finding ones who aren’t filled with murder trails or police actions can be frustrating. The outside-the-romance-story part is harder to maintain without some other factor coming into play.
I guess I haven’t really noticed since by reading the above names I don’t generally read them. Since I’ve only been reading romance for a few years there may not have been enough presence for me to really notice.
I love contemporaries, and I have noticed a lack of them.
I’ve noticed a lack of single-title contemporaries. For instance the contemporary section of RT Book Reviews was really sparse in the Feb. issue compared to other subgenres.
Inez, I’ll be checking out your book. I hope to have a review for it (from one of my reviewers) toute de suite!
I think it is just the cycle right now. For a while it was historicals and now contemporaries are in short supply! Hopefully they will come back soon. We do need some new authors with a fresh voice to hook NY!! Happy New Year everyone!
Personally, I don’t read contemporary romance. I stick pretty much to historical & would prob read a paranomal before a contemporary particularly a strictly romance one. I read to “escape’ and can’t really do that if the books reality is so simular to, well, reality. I know a lot of people feel the opposite and for them I certainly hope things pick up — just as long as it doesn’t mean I have trouble finding something to read every week. Of course, in the short term, that would make it easier to get some backlist books read of the new-to-me authors and keep the tbr pile managable. 😉
Here’s wishing everyone a great new year filled with good times and great books to enjoy! 😀
I find it strange that there are so little Contempory romances out there too. That’s why I buy so many Harlequin books.
I just think lately there seems to be a paranormal craze so less people may be reading contemporary romances?
I do hope in the future more Contemporary romances are released.
I agree with you about single title contemporary romances. I sometime like to read an non-series book.
I never noticed the lack of contemporaries because I prefer historical fiction and romances. The only contemporary novels I read are from paranormal authors, like Marjorie M. Liu and Lara Adrian.
I read them occasionally, but my preference still is historical romance and suspense. They are nice for a change and I may read on every 4 to 6 weeks along with the other books I am working on.
I hadn’t thought about it much but I suppose you’re right since when I think of recent contemporaries read they were all romantic suspense. There are definitely more straight romances in historicals, one of which I’m reading now, Wicked Surrender.
I really would love to see more as well, Bev.
ST contemporaries are my first love (which is probably why I write them) and they seem to come in cycles. I read some fantastic ones last year, and I hope to find more new-to-me authors this year (and, if I’m honest, I hope to be one of those break-through ST contemporary writers someday soon).
Inez has a book coming out with Carina – perhaps the growth of e-books will open the door wider for ST contemporary writers. Sucks for me, though, because I don’t have an ereader.
Personally, I love contemporaries. I wasn’t reading any romance at all for the longest time so now I’m catching up on backlists and I’ve got plenty to read so I have to admit that I hadn’t really noticed a lack. I do think that chick lit kind of hijacked the whole genre for awhile. I read a few of those, but was quickly turned off by those whiny, high-maintenance, TSTL heroines that seemed to be featured in every one of those books. I loved Bridget Jones, but I don’t want to reread her over and over again. I will definitely check out Inez Kelly’s new book. I read one by her – Jinxed – and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think Carina Press is doing a fantastic job of bringing out great books in all of the romance sub-genres, including contemporary.
I haven’t seen very many of them either. I sure do love them. Wish there were more.
I also haven’t thought about contemporaries that much. I used to read Harlequin but I’ve concentrated more on the Historical genre. I admit that I have read only a few in the past few years. And to be honest, I haven’t even picked up Lisa Kleypas’ contemporaries and she’s one of my favorite authors. It may be due to lack of interest in the part of the readers? Because honestly, I haven’t had the interest to pick up a contemporary romance as of the moment.
Historical and Paranormal romance are my first love so I don’t notice the lack of ST Contemporaries because I have so many of the others to read. But I do enjoy reading Contemporary as well. I think the last one I read was Tina Donahue’s Close To Perfect. Good book by the way.
Carol L
Lucky4750@aol.com
YES…I too have noticed the lack of new contemporaries, and more specifically new contemporary AUTHORS!!!
I have definitely noticed this lack. The few contemporaries out there are generally part of a series – and I tend to shy away from long series. The “contemporary” books now have all gravitated towards the romantic suspense route, and don’t get me wrong, I love romantic suspense (and historical romance, of course!), but sometimes you just want a plain old contemporary romance!