Welcome to the wonderful world of romance!

Romance novels--contemporary and historical--are the best-selling segment of the paperback book market in North America. According to the Book Industry Study Group, almost 49 per cent of mass market paperbacks sold in the United States each year are romances. It's a market that totals well over half a billion dollars each year in North America. One publisher, Harlequin Books, publishes in 25 languages, and their product is available in 120 countries from Abu Dhabi to Zimbabwe. In its history, Harlequin has shipped more than three billion books, and the company sells about six books a second, around the clock.

(No, you don't have to be able to rattle off those statistics. The important point is that romance sells—in big numbers.)

Why are romances so popular? Of course there are as many answers as there are readers, but a main one seems to be that romance provides hope, strength, and the assurance that happy endings are possible. One of my fans wrote to me that when she comes home from long days as a hospice nurse she wants something upbeat and positive to read. Some of my teenage fans write that reading the books has helped them to believe that there are special men in the world and they don't have to settle for the first one who comes along.

According to Harlequin Books--which controls three-quarters of the U.S. market in series romance--the average reader of romance novels is a 39-year-old woman, employed outside her home, with a college education and a household income that is well above average. Many romance readers read a book a day. And according to a PSYCHOLOGY TODAY study, romance readers make love with their partners 74 percent more often than non-romance-readers do. (That's a statistic I love to use when I talk to businessmen's organizations. I always follow it up by giving them directions to the nearest bookstore!)

A good many men read romances, too, but few of them talk about it. (Some even subscribe to by-mail book clubs in their wives' names, to keep their secret from the mailman.) The youngest reader I've heard from is ten and the oldest is 95.

Romance is an enormous market, one of the few in which writers can make a nice living—if they enjoy and understand romance and can tell a good story.

What Makes Romance Different From Other Books?

When I first started teaching romance writing, I was startled to discover that many of my students didn't realize that the romance novel is a very specific form. Not every book which includes a love story is a romance novel. The difference lies in where the main emphasis of the story is placed.

A romance novel is a love story which includes other action surrounding the romantic elements. If you remove the romantic development from a romance novel, you'll no longer have a story at all. But if you can take the romantic elements out and still have a story (though it may be a much weaker story), then it's not really a romance novel.

Let's say you're writing about a heroine who's being chased by foreign agents and falls in love with the cop who's helping her elude the bad guys. Is it a romance novel? It depends. If the main thrust of the story is the details of the chase-- why she's being pursued and how she escapes—then you're writing a novel that includes a love story. If the most important part of the story is the love which develops between heroine and cop while they're being chased (and the details of the chase are kept more in the background), then it's a romance novel. Romantic suspense, actually—one of the sub-genres of romance.

So Is There Really A Formula?

I'm often asked about the “formula” for the romance. Many people—usually ones who have never read romance—are convinced that writing a romance novel is like carefully following a recipe. Put in a cup of this and a tablespoon of that (always the same ingredients, in the same proportion and the same order) and voila—you have a book!

One of these people asked if I used a computer, and when I said I did, she said, “Oh, that must make it easier, because I suppose once you choose the names and the eye color, it does the rest.” (Must be a very special computer. Anybody know where I can buy one?)

Some of the marketing methods used in selling romance novels make that stereotypical reaction even more widespread. Series romances, such as Harlequin Presents or Silhouette Desire, have similar-looking covers, and all the books in the series have exactly the same number of pages. So how, the critic asks, can the stories possibly be different?

In fact, covers are similar for the same reason that Del Monte vegetable cans are all green—to catch the consumer's eye and assure her that she's getting Del Monte quality whether she's buying peas or kidney beans. Books in a particular series will all have the same number of pages because that allows for economy in printing, packing and shipping—the publisher doesn't have to readjust the press for each new title, or buy different-sized boxes to ship different titles. But those restrictions don't mean that the stories have the same number of words. Margins, type size, and line spacing are frequently changed to accommodate a longer or shorter story.

It is true that all romance novels have certain elements in common. As a group, however, they're no more alike than are all mystery novels. (Think about it—every mystery has a crime, a villain, and an investigator who looks into, solves, and explains the crime. But does that basic structure make them all alike?)

The Definition Of The Romance Novel

(Listen up, now, because this is important.) A romance novel is the story of a man and a woman who, while solving a problem, discover that the love they feel for each other is the sort that comes along only once in a lifetime--leading to a permanent commitment and a happy ending.

All Kinds Of Love Stories

The modern romance genre originated in England in the early 20th century with books which today would be called Sweet Traditional romances. Mills & Boon, a general-interest publisher which published Jack London and Agatha Christie, noticed that the romantic novels they published were selling in higher numbers every year. Eventually, M&B specialized in romance, publishing hardcover books largely for sale to libraries. In the 1950's the Canadian publisher Harlequin noticed the success of Mills & Boon books and began publishing them in paperback in North America. In the 1960's M&B began publishing romances in paperback as well as hardcover. In 1972 the two firms merged.

Other firms were noticing the success of the paperback romance novel, and they too began to publish romance. Simon & Schuster started Silhouette, which was eventually purchased by Harlequin and since 1986 has run as a separate division under the same corporate umbrella. In the following years publishers and lines came and went, experimenting with variations on the standard, until now it's nearly impossible to keep an up-to-date list of who's publishing what.

In the meantime, other lines and types of books have branched off until now we have everything from inspirational (sometimes wrongly called Christian) romances to paranormal romances to romantic intrigue and even a brand-new line that's been dubbed “city girl” books, aimed at readers in their twenties, featuring younger heroines and a less-traditional lifestyle.

A word of warning: Romance is not a monolith, and there are exceptions to all rules. Each line is a little different in what it's seeking and what kinds of stories and characters it can encompass. That's why there are so many different lines—and that's why reading a lot of romances is so important to the new author.

Here's a list of the main types of romances and some of the terms generally used in talking about romance.

Bodice-Ripper – Inspired by early historical romances which featured rape or rape fantasies, this derogatory term is still often applied to romance in general—usually by reporters or other people who don't read the books.

Category – Books which are published under a name brand, packaged with similar covers, and marketed as a group--which usually changes each month--rather than standing alone on the shelf. Books in each category will have certain things in common (for instance, they are all highly sensual or they all involve romantic intrigue). The books in each category will fall within fairly narrow limits on word count, though word counts vary widely between lines.

City Girl – Aimed at the reader in her twenties, this brand-new sub-genre has been inspired by the popularity of books like Bridget Jones' Diary and television shows such as Sex in the City. The heroine is younger and often less well established than more traditional romance heroines, and her conduct can be considerably less restrained. This is the exception to the requirement for a permanent commitment, because City Girl books may end with the heroine finding “Mr. Right For Now” rather than “Mr. Right For All Time.”

Contemporary – Occurring in the present day and dealing with realistic modern issues and problems, but generally avoiding mention of specific real people or current events which would tend to make the story seem outdated in a few years.

Ethnic – Involving heroes and heroines of color (African-American or Hispanic are most common).

Futuristic – An offshoot of paranormal involving romances taking place partially or entirely in the future. May involve time travel.

H/H – Shorthand for “hero and heroine.” (for example, “I need my h/h to talk to each other but they won't cooperate.”) Especially handy for things like chat rooms and web classes.

Historical – Taking place in a past time. Most publishers of historicals prefer books set in Europe or North America and between 1066 (when William the Conquerer invaded England) and 1900. Longer than most romances, these stories can include some history and even social commentary, so long as it serves as background to the love story rather than sounding like a textbook. Though historical accuracy is important, heroines of historical romances tend to be modern—even feminist—in their attitudes. (Queen Elizabeth I went months at a time without brushing her teeth or taking a bath. The heroine of your historical probably shouldn't follow her example.)

Hook – This is the story's gimmick. Usually stated on the back cover, this is the idea which grabs the reader's attention and makes her buy the book. (My favorite example of a good hook is the one-line pitch I used to sell my 50th book. I told my editor, “Their perfect divorce is falling apart.” She said, “I'm dying to read this story,” and later used that tag line on the back cover of THE PERFECT DIVORCE.)

Inspirational – A romance in which the characters' religious faith, or their journey to develop faith in God, is a central part of the story. Though the religious background is usually non-denominational, most inspirationals are Christian and Protestant in orientation.

Line – See Series.

Long Contemporary – Longer books (over 70,000 words), allowing for more development of subplots and secondary characters, and frequently featuring sensuality as a strong element. These often include more latitude in types of characters (for instance, a hero with a mental illness) than the shorter books do, because there is more room to create reader empathy for the character.

Mainstream – A single-title novel in which a romantic element may be present but is usually not paramount. This is primarily the story of a heroine, and if the romance were to be removed, there would still be a story.

Paranormal – Including elements of science fiction or the supernatural, such as time travel, futuristic settings, witches, angels, vampires, genies, etc. Usually the setting and one (sometimes both) of the major characters are outside the normal limits of reality.

Regency – A branch of historical romance, set in Regency period England and involving the upper classes, often focusing on the main characters' efforts to make or escape the “right” marriage. Technically the Regency period ran from 1811 to 1820, but for literary purposes it is often stretched from the battle of Trafalgar in 1805 to the Reform Laws in 1834. Usually short (50,000 words) and sweet rather than sensual; the seamier side of life is seldom a large element. (A story in this time frame which involves darker elements is usually longer and is considered an historical set in the Regency period.)

Romantic Intrigue – Including mystery, suspense, or threatening situations in which the heroine and/or hero are involved. Unlike a mystery or suspense novel which includes a love story, in a romantic intrigue, the romance is still the primary focus, though it often comes about because of the threat to the characters.

Saga – A long novel which follows a female protagonist from early life to old age, usually including two generations of her descendants, though she remains the dominant character. Romance may be present but is not vital. Sagas are mainstream and single-title. They start out in an historical period but often end with the third generation in a contemporary time frame.

Series – (or Line) The divisions within category romance. Each series or line will have elements in common and the books will be packaged with similar covers. (For example, Harlequin Romance is a sweet traditional story featuring emotional tension but little overt sexuality, and is about 50,000 words currently packaged in a cream-colored cover with a deep green stripe. Harlequin Temptation is a sensual story, usually with explicit sexuality, and is about 60,000 words, currently packaged in a dark red cover.) Each line has its own style and look in order to attract the reader's attention at the bookstore.

Short Contemporary – Generally considered the most sensual of the romance lines. Though these books usually include consummated sexual relationships between hero and heroine, their emphasis is still on love rather than sex. Usually 55,000 to 60,000 words.

Single Title – Books which are free-standing, published and promoted without being part of a line or group of books. Single titles generally remain on the market and in print longer than category books. Single title books may be romance or mainstream.

Sweet Traditional – The original romance novel; a short (50,000-55,000 words) book which is highly emotional and maintains sexual tension without including explicit love scenes. Some lines prefer that the hero and heroine not actually make love unless they're married (to each other, naturally) while others allow premarital sex. In either case, the emphasis of sensual description is on the feelings, not the act itself.

Woman In Jeopardy – The old-style Gothic romance is an example, but the rules have broadened considerably since Victoria Holt's day. The threat faced by the heroine in a woman-in-jeopardy book is bigger, fiercer, closer, and more frightening than in most romances (for instance, she might suspect her husband of trying to kill her). At present, this isn't as much a line or sub-genre in itself as it is a type of story which can be appropriate for several of the longer romance lines.

Women's Fiction – Encompasses single title and mainstream books. Written almost exclusively by women and predominantly for women, with a strong female protagonist but not necessarily a love story. Often involves a group of women who may be sisters, friends, or enemies.

Young Adult (YA) – Aimed at the teenage and even pre-teen reader, these books generally focus on the development of an innocent first love and include no sensual or sexual elements. A second YA line focuses on older teens and may involve realistic situations and decisions about drinking, drugs, premarital sex, etc. Though these books can carry a message, the successful ones don't preach or lecture.

Still with me here? There's something for everyone—reader and writer—in the romance field. Today's romance novel allows wider latitude for the author than ever before. Still, just as a reader of horror expects when she picks up a new novel that she will not be getting an Agatha Christie drawing-room mystery, the romance reader has certain expectations, and the author who doesn't meet those expectations isn't likely to make it into the bookstore.

So let's start with a good look at the romance novel itself. What does the reader expect when she picks up a book? What are the “rules” (varying by line, of course) that she expects the author to follow?

Your mission as you read and write romance is to outwit the authors of romance novels and deduce the secret list of rules for writing these books. (Yes, I know I said there isn't a formula-- and there isn't. But there are certain things most romances have in common.)

Example: In many romances, the heroine has a “best friend” who serves as a confidante.

Example: While a heroine or hero can be divorced, characters don't enter into a serious new relationship before the previous one is entirely over and the person has had time to heal.

Example: In inspirational romances, faith is more important than doctrine, so specific religions and denominations are seldom mentioned.

Some of these rules are very obvious, others are more subtle. But all of them are based on good reasons. A good way to spot the rules is to flip through romances you've recently read and ask yourself some questions about each book.

How are all the heroines alike? How are they different? What can't a heroine be? How are all the heroes alike? How are they different? What can't a hero be?

How long are the books? How are the chapters or sections divided? What point of view is used? Whose thoughts can we eavesdrop on? Are there similarities in the development of the plots--in the number and placement of complications, tension, love scenes, etc.?

How does the author get the reader involved in the beginning of the story? How is each character first presented to the reader? When in the story does the heroine first appear? When does the hero first appear?

How many characters are there? Are there patterns in supporting characters from book to book? How does the author make you care about the characters?

That's a lot of questions—but the more you know about the different types of romance novels, the easier it will be to figure out where your book fits. As you learn to read critically, these questions will start to come naturally, almost automatically.