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In my last few posts, I have started the conversation about the Romance genre by discussing who the genre is for as well as who writes in the genre. This week, I’m going to start digging into the writing of Romance by posing the question: What do readers expect from a book in the genre?

Maybe now is a good moment to pause and think about what you remember most about the Romance books you’ve read. What elements do they share? Which of those elements do they maybe sacrifice in order to stand out from the crowd without sacrificing the genre label totally?

One thing to consider, of course, is the scope of the project you’re undertaking. As this infographic from Literative, a digital collective of fiction writers, demonstrates, Romance is one of the more flexible genres when it comes to length (they drew upon a number of resources to make this infographic, so definitely check their website out for more on that).

As you can see, Literative’s infographic would seem to indicate that the successful Romance novel can flirt with a length from anywhere from forty thousand to one hundred thousand words in length. That’s a much more forgiving range than a Western novel or a Memoir, just to point to two other examples.

And yes, of course rules are made to be broken, especially in self-publishing, where gatekeeping doesn’t serve as an editorial force the way it does in traditional publishing, where recommendations are less optional than they are in our corner of the bookish world.

If even traditional publishing can recognize that Romance is a forgiving genre when it comes to length expectations, that’s really good news for you! Whatever the scope of your next Romance novel may be, there’s room for it in the hearts and minds of dedicated readers. But what do those same readers expect when it comes to content? Here’s where we return to the Romance Writers of America, as we have done previously. (They’re a great resource! And you don’t have to be traditionally published to be a member, apparently.) On the RWA website, the association notes that their definition of the genre is one where “Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. […] Romance novels may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time, and have varying levels of sensuality—ranging from sweet to extremely hot. These settings and distinctions of plot create specific subgenres within romance fiction.” They then go on to note that there are slightly more specific expectations for content within each subgenre, but never so long or complicated that you can’t grasp the basics in a sentence or two. The subgenres they acknowledge include contemporary, erotic, historical, paranormal, suspense, spiritual, and young adult. Their two “tentpole” characteristics for defining Romance apply to all of them–it’s just that they may be framed a bit differently from each other depending on audience.

So if the Romance genre is so forgiving in respect to content as well as scope, isn’t that essentially permission to write pretty much anything, so long as it features … well … a romance? Absolutely! The difficulties involved in writing a Romance have less to do with what is expected of you and a lot more to do with winnowing down all of the possible things you can do to an achievable list of what you want to do with each specific book.

In my next post, I’m going to take on the challenge of selecting one’s direction: How can a writer ever narrow the options down to pick just the ones they want to focus on right now? We’ll find out together.

You are not alone. ♣︎

Do you have ideas to share? Please don’t hesitate to drop us a line in the comments section, below.

ABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Outskirts Press. The Sales and Marketing departments are composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, customer service reps and book marketing specialists; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Elizabeth Javor can put you on the right path.

And now for the news.

Highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing:

• Publishing my father’s novel was my alternative to Kaddish

Sometimes, a book is more than a book. Sometimes, a book is a way of connecting with tradition and the faith of one’s family. In the case of Brian Blum, self-publishing his father’s letters was a way to practice Kaddish, the Jewish prayer that both celebrates life and marks one’s passing. In an article published to The Jerusalem Post, Blum describes his father Walter Blum, a 35-year veteran of the San Francisco Chronicle, as a man who had dreamed of being a published author. “Every night after dinner, he would retire to his home office where he would diligently type away on his IBM Selectric, crafting his fiction until it was time for the evening TV sitcoms,” writes the younger Blum. Walter had left a nearly completed draft of his latest work-in-progress on his computer, which Blum’s brother emailed to him after he died age age 81. “What if I were to edit my father’s last book and publish it for him, posthumously?” Brian asked himself, a question which kicked off a nine-month editorial spree with many challenge along the way, and then a ten-year period where Blum let the novel be. Finally, after a conversation with Israeli poet Michal Govrin, Blum took the leap and self-published his father’s semi-autobiographical book. The moving conclusion to his article demonstrates what the freedom to write and the freedom to publish can truly offer at its best: a deeply personal connection to the work at hand. Writes Blum,

Dwelling in the imaginative world my father fashioned gave me new insights into his feelings on religion, his own parents, and following one’s passions. The fact that, like my father, I had originally hoped to launch a career in radio before turning to writing, only made the narrative of The Bell Tower more resonant.

I stopped saying the traditional kaddish before the first year was over. But in many ways, I’ve never stopped saying it. It’s just taken me 10 years and 103,000 words to convey it properly.

You’re going to have to give us a moment; there are tissues around here somewhere and we need them right now.

• Meaningful to Say

Not everything we express will be lasting or meaningful. Yet, when you choose to express something meaningful, be as authentic as you can be. That’s the only way you can profoundly make a difference for others. In the bigger picture, meaningful expression matters. Just saying.

Thus concludes Jon Ochiai’s recent article for the Good Men Project, a reflection on his decision to write and self-publish a book after his therapist suggested a rather different writing activity (some language included, fyi). Ochiai looked to  his childhood, his Aikido training under Mizukami Sensei, and the film narratives that he loved to help shape his desire to write, and to write meaningfully. Ochiai’s article is a thoughtful, unexpected encouragement to those who know they have a story worth telling but aren’t quite sure that they should tell it. He writes honestly,

My book was not the fairy-tale bestseller. So far, I’ve sold a few dozen copies. Three of them I bought for Mom, Sensei’s wife, Alyce, and one for myself. Really, I shared my trials and tribulations for someone who could have been me. Someone who had experienced his or her life turbulence. I wanted that person to know that he or she is greater than they know themselves to be, to grind it out, to make it work. That was meaningful enough for me to say.

We are so inspired by Ochiai’s decision to self-publish! And we wish him and his new book the best as he continues to inspire others out there in the world.

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog each month to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.