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Romancing The Muse

Diana Rowe Martinez

Romance Lingo:
Terminology of the Romance Writing Industry

I'm a romance writer and reader. I've tried to get over this addiction, truly I have. I even occasionally read other genres, (oh yeah, I am a rebel!) but I always return to romance.

As part of my multi-step counseling program, I dug deep to figure out why romance novels attract me, and I finally have an answer.

I love a happy ending! I look forward to opening to that first page and being introduced to the spunky, sassy heroine and the sexy hero's first meeting. I turn the pages so that I can get to know the characters, why they can't get together (external and internal motivation), but mostly I enjoy knowing that no matter what obstacles are put in their way this couple will get together. The hero and heroine may even solve a mystery along the way, or put the bad guy away, or resolve their own personal "issues." Those are the potential bonuses with writing and reading romances. That's what I like.

I admit when I first entered the business of writing romances I was a bit overwhelmed. Okay, I was way over my head. Strange words swirled about like the Colorado wind, words such as contemporary, suspense, mystery and category romances and even mainstream. I admit to being quite out of my league at first. I had a simple goal: what I wanted to do was write the great American romance novel. So why did I have to know all this terminology?

Well, anytime you enter a new profession, it is imperative to learn the lingo. Whether you're an engineer, accountant or a romance writer, knowledge of the business world you are entering helps you do your job better.

So to help those writers new to the world of romance, or perhaps to refresh those that have been in the biz for a while, I thought I'd do a quick run down of the "Romance World" by defining their terms.

Let's start off with the basic types of romance novels.

In a Contemporary romance, the story occurs in the present day and deals with realistic problems. Contemporary novels avoid mention of current events or real people so they don't become quickly outdated. (As you'll soon discover, it may take eighteen months for two years for the book you've already sold to even hit the shelves!) This genre is subdivided into: Short contemporary romance generally 50,000-65,000 words long and Long contemporary romances, generally 70,000-85,000 words long. The Long contemporary romances usually have more secondary characters than the short contemporary romances.

Traditional romances are short, contemporary romances without a man and woman making love.

Inspirational Romances are novels, either contemporary or historical, with a religious element, usually Christian. The length varies.

Historical Romances are novels of 85,000-100,000 and located in Europe or North America between 1066 and 1900 (although this may be changing since we've arrived in the twenty-first century and the 1900's may now be considered historical). Your chances of selling a first novel are better if you stay within these guidelines.

A perennial favorite of romance writers is the Regency Romance set in the period 1811-1820. They are normally about 50,000 words long, involve the upper class and have no love scenes. Instead they rely on being sweet.

Paranormal Romances are those that don't fit anywhere else in the general genre of romance. The elements include fantasy, science fiction (steadily increasing in popularity), time travel, witches, vampires and other unearthly aspects. You may find futuristic romances here. The length varies.

Mainstream Romances are those in which the romance is not of the utmost importance. If the romance were removed, there would still be a story.

Ethnic Romances are those novels that involve heroes and heroines of color. At the current time, they are mostly contemporary, but there are some historicals published.

Young Adult Romances involve the development of innocent first love and contain no sexual scenes. They are intended primarily for pre-teens and teens. Another young adult line now carries realistic situations which may focus on premarital sex.

You might also hear the term Sweet Traditional Romance. This alludes to the original romance of about 50,000 words. It has no explicit sexuality.

Okay, now you know the basics, and you're feeling pretty comfortable with the terminology now, right? Let me toss one more wrench into the machinery.

Category versus Single-Title Romance

Category Romance will be "categorized" by a specific brand name, such as Harlequin Presents, Harlequin Superromance, Blaze, Temptation, Silhouette Desire or Silhouette Intimate Moments. Their covers look similar and they are sold together in a packaged line. Each line has certain common elements, such as the level of sensuality or the level of mystery. Word count is generally about the same but can differ greatly from line to line. As always, a happy ending is mandatory.

A Single Title Romance is one that stands alone on the shelf without being part of particular line. This type of romance may stay on the shelf and in print much longer than a category. Avon and St. Martin's are good examples of publishing houses with single title romances.

Promotion between a category and a single title romance varies. Since the category novels are marketed in a group, each might sell better than if they stood alone. Considering Harlequin Presents sells six novels a month in a packaged line, your chances of gaining recognition as a new author are much better if you are published in a line.

So there you have it, romance lingo of the 21st century. Do you know where you fit? Knowing your market and the terminology is one of the many steps to publishing your romance novel. The first step, of course, is to WRITE it!

A full-time Denver based freelance writer, Diana Rowe Martinez writes mainstream romantic suspense and romantic comedy. Although she has won or placed in several contests, her romances are looking for a publishing home. Her first release is a nonfiction compilation of inspiration for writers; Crumbs In Your Keyboard: Women Juggling Life and Writing is an Avid Press Spring 2002. All royalties from this project will be donated to a women's shelter. To find out more about Diana, check out her web site.