Why Romance Matters

Reading romance is often categorised under ‘guilty pleasure’, as though it were something shameful. But, the statistics suggest that there are a helluva lot of women indulging in reading romance. According to the RWA, over 80% of all readers of romance are women (you can read their full statistics here). And, that same shameful pleasure accounts for more book sales than ANY OTHER GENRE. What’s shameful about that?

Nothing, that’s what. The romance writing industry generates over a billion dollars per annum and it largely by women for women. Could this be the reason it’s considered shameful? As though something women-centric could not possibly be of any real value? Yet, the figures speak for themselves. Romance readers are voracious and flipping through one of their many authors, it’s easy to see why.

For starters, women are having great conversations, great careers, and great sex between these covers. Romance heroines can have it all.

The characters overcome some serious emotional conflict to reach their happily ever afters. No matter how dire the situation, love will conquer all.  Is there something wrong in investing in hope? I don’t think so. Not in this age where any glance at Twitter or the media shows a world on fire. 

Why not be part of that hope? Why not write something that will uplift your reader? Give them the hope they need? The smile? The cry? Isn’t it connection that we all crave?

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