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Sub-genres. They're the foundation of romance novels, as important as the central romance plot and the happily ever after.
But what are they? And why are they so important for you, as an author, to understand?
As always, let's start with a definition, because I aspire to be a walking, talking romance jargon dictionary.
What is a romance sub-genre?
A romance sub-genre is a type of romance novel defined by a trope, theme, setting, or type of character. And there are a lot of them, with more appearing every year.
Sub-genres are the product of two things: author interest and reader demand.
An author writes a story they love, and that story resonates with readers so much that they crave more of that particular type of story. More authors notice this demand and begin writing those stories, too, until eventually, there are enough of them that they become their own sub-genre. The sub-genre itself is usually a phrase that describes the central element of the romance that differentiates it from other stories in the broader category.
And by broader category, I mean contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, inspirational romance, romantic comedy, sci-fi romance, and fantasy romance, to name a few.
An example of a recent sub-genre is monster romance, which most romance professionals agree really burst onto the scene with Morning Glory Milking Farm, a paranormal romance that inspired thousands of delicious orc, gargoyle, and pick-your-preferred-monster romances. The journey of what would be considered monstrous characters falling and fighting for their human or monstrous love interests resonated with readers, and the demand grew until readers needed an easier way of finding this sub-set of paranormal romances, and thus, a sub-genre, defined by the "monstrous" element, was born.
Other examples include regency romance, a sub-genre within historical romance that everyone on the planet now knows about thanks to the delightful Bridgerton series, and hockey romance, a sub-genre within contemporary sports romance that has exploded due in part to BookTok.
Now that we understand what a sub-genre is, let's talk about why they're so important.
Why do romance sub-genres matter?
Romance sub-genres matter because they help readers find books that they'll love. Each sub-genre has its own cover, title, blurb, and trope trends, all of which make it easier for readers to spot the books they want.
Sub-genres also make it easier for authors like you to market your book, because if you know what readers are looking for, you can make sure your book reflects their expectations.
They also help you do the very important work of writing your book, because they narrow the possibilities of settings, tropes, and themes and, in some cases, even dictate your story structure. Think of the sub-genre like one of those rubrics you got for essays in high school (if you went to American high school; if you went to a UK high/secondary school, you may have no idea what I'm talking about). You get a list of things you have to include, which solves the "what" to write so you can focus on "how" to write it using your unique style and voice.
Now, you might be saying, "Okay, so I know what they are and why they matter, but how do I learn about different sub-genres? Is there somewhere I can go to see the cover, title, blurb, and trope trends for each one?"
And I really wish I could say "Yes, there is! Here's a link to it!" But alas, that's not true. To understand your specific sub-genre, you have to do 3 things:
-Read extensively within that sub-genre. And not just the bestsellers; look at the backlist too, i.e., the foundational stories from which the sub-genre was created. Keep an eye out for particular beats as you do; though all romances follow the same form, every sub-genre interprets that form differently and has its own unique way of using tropes to affect the essential scenes, or beats, in the romance plot. And if your chosen sub-genre is what's known as a "crossover," i.e., combines two separate genres, like Romantic Suspense or Romantic Cozy Mystery, make sure you study the balance of romance vs. suspense/thriller in the books so you know how much of each to incorporate into your plots.
-Do market research. Kindletrends makes it easy to look at cover trends in specific Amazon categories, as well as the blurbs of the bestselling books in a given category. Look for patterns in both, and aim to make your covers and blurbs match those patterns. Publisher Rocket is a great way of looking at titles and keywords in a given sub-genre. Both tools aggregate keyword data from Amazon searches, and many of those keywords are tropes that reflect what's popular with readers in that sub-genre right now.
-Find your readers. Read through sub-genre-specific posts on Reddit romance reader forums, search hashtags related to your sub-genre on Instagram, find TikToks talking about new releases in your sub-genre, and listen to reader-led podcasts about books within your sub-genre.
Do all of these things, and you'll know your sub-genre, what its readers want, and how to write a story that gives them exactly that.
I hope this post has demystified romance sub-genres for you; in the coming months, I'll be doing some deep dives into specific sub-genres, with the goal of eventually being that one-stop shop where you can find all the info you need on a particular sub-genre rather than traipsing around the wide web looking for answers. If there are specific sub-genres you'd like to see me cover, just drop me a note in the comments.
Until next time, happy reading and writing!