It's difficult to avoid the dreary state of the economy. Everywhere we look, another company is going bankrupt or falling into the red. There is one notable exception, however. Harlequin, the romance novel company, is posting a fourth-quarter sales increase of 32% over their sales a year ago, according to ABC News.
Romance Book Sales on the Increase
Book sales in general have been slowing down in direct proportion to people's more restrained spending habits of late. According to Barnes & Noble's chief financial officer, Joe Lombardi, "book sales are expected to fall between 4 and 6 percent" overall for the year 2009. However, booksellers have noticed one bright spot in their revenue: the sales of romance novels have been on a general upward trend.
In recent data released by Nielsen Bookscan, retail book sales in the romance fiction genre have increased 7 percent in the last year. The study also shows that in only the first quarter of 2009, sales of romance fiction have increased 2.4 percent over books in the general fiction genre.
Why are Romance Novels so Popular?
The popularity of romance novels can easily be attributed to the doom and gloom of the economy. When reality is challenging, people look to find entertaining ways to escape. However, there are several other reasons for the rising popularity of the genre. Here's some of them:
- Reader loyalty. It's no surprise that there are many romance series' available to readers. Between popular romance series and favorite authors, readers have a tendency to stick to what they like.
- Affordability. In keeping with the recession theme, readers are more likely to purchase books with a smaller price tag. Thus, a majority of romance novels are published in mass market paperback and cost under $8. This is considerably cheaper than other books, especially new releases, in other fiction categories. Also, romance fiction has a strong fan base in the digital downloads department as well. For under $5 readers can download a book from erotic fiction publisher Ravenous Romance.
Romance Not the Only Genre to Cash in During Poor Economy
While romance novel sales are on the rise, science fiction and fantasy novels are also seeing a boost in revenue. Thanks in part to the continuing popularity of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, young adult science fiction and fantasy are a booming literary genre.
Whatever the reason, readers are finding escape through books, which is never a bad thing. Add to that most romance novels have a happy ending, and it's not difficult to see why this genre would spark such popularity for a financially downtrodden society.
Lisa Rufle - If I had to describe myself in one word, it would easily be: curious. So as a natural extension of my curiosity, reading is my life's ...
