Romance Sub-genres: Finding Your Niche
As a romance book editor, it is my job to read and review manuscripts from all different romance genres. I’m here today to tell you about the different types of romance sub-genres so that you can find your niche as an author.
There are many sub-genres under this overarching genre, but we will focus on six of the most popular ones: historical, suspenseful, paranormal/magical, contemporary, chick-lit, and erotica.
Why are there so many sub-genres in romance?
Many different types of readers want to read romance. You can often break these sub-genres down even further into other categories like romantic science fiction or lighthearted historical romance novels that don’t involve suspenseful plots.
Seriously. There are a ton of romance readers out there.
If you’re looking for a way to break up the monotony of reading romance novels that all have the same type of plot, then you should consider looking into these different sub-genres. If none of them appeals to your writing style or book content, I recommend creating a new category for yourself!
What about target audience?
Knowing your target audience is incredibly important when choosing your romance sub-genre. Here’s a really great example.
Say you’re writing a romance novel in the thriller/suspense sub-genre. Middle-aged readers might not be the best target audience for you. You can say the same for erotica—yikes!
An easy, quick way to see what your target audience should be is to do some research on Amazon best-sellers. That way, you can see what age groups certain genres are writing to.
Historical Romance Sub-Genres
Historical romance books are set before the time of cell phones, computers, and cars. There is usually a very strict timeline that sets up how long the book has been since its “present day.”
This sub-genre can include many different types of settings, including medieval times to flappers in 1920s America or even modern romances set in historical-looking buildings or set pieces.
One popular sub-genre is England’s Regency period, which included strict rules about how young ladies dressed before marriage and other social norms for that era. You can find these online listed as “regency romance” novels.
You’ll typically use the third-person omniscient point of view for this genre, which means readers can be brought into different locations at once, or they can read through one character’s thoughts with ease.
These authors can seriously write a historical romance novel:
- Julia Quinn
- Lisa Kleypas
- Tessa Dare
- Julie Garwood
- Courtney Milan
Mystery/Suspense Romance Sub-Genres
Romantic suspense novels are unique because they often include more than one type of genre. The main plot is usually a mystery, but the subplot can be suspenseful or even erotic at times. There will typically be an unresolved issue that comes up during the book, and it won’t come to a close until the end.
Mystery/suspense romance novels are written in the third-person limited point of view, which means that readers can only see and hear from one character at once.
Yeah, you’ll want to check out these authors as well. They can write romantic suspense novels like no other.
- Colleen Hoover
- A.L. Jackson
- Janet Evanovich
- Emily Bleeker
Paranormal/Magical Romance Sub-Genres
The paranormal romance sub-genre includes romance novels that include paranormal creatures. These can be shifters, vampires, ghosts–anything out of the ordinary! This is a popular sub-genre because almost everyone loves to fantasize about these particular mythical creatures living among us or falling in love with us.
Paranormal romance novels are written in the third-person limited point of view, which means that readers can only see and hear from one character at once.
Here are some of the best romance novels in the paranormal sub-genre.
- J.R. Ward
- Kresley Cole
- Nalini Singh
- Larissa Ione
- Ilona Andrews
Contemporary Romance Sub-Genres
The contemporary romance sub-genre typically includes a lot more diversity than some other genres because it’s set within the here and now! There’s a lot of romance novels that are written about people in this generation and their everyday struggles. Some of these plots can include family issues, friendship problems, financial troubles—just anything from the “real world.”
You can spot a contemporary romance based on the setting or time period. A really popular sub-genre of contemporary romance is office romances, where the main characters work together.
For the most part, you’ll find contemporary romance novels written in the third-person limited point of view.
Check out these contemporary romance writers for inspiration!
- Jasmine Guillory
- Debbie Macomber
- Danielle Steele
- Emily Henry
- Nancy Thayer
Chick-Lit Romance Sub-Genres
Chick-lit romances are just that—romance novels about women! These books often follow the lives of twenty-something females trying to find their way in life while juggling romance, work, friendships, and whatever else might come up.
These stories have a lot more dialogue than some other genres because they give readers a glimpse into the main character’s mind. Normally, you’d write a chick-lit in first-person, which means you only hear from one character at once.
One popular sub-genre is beach reads, where characters spend a lot of time at the beach or some other sun-soaked location.
Top-selling romance writers in this arena are
- Melissa Hill
- Marian Keyes
- Sophie Kinsella
- Adele Parks
Erotica Sub-Genres
You can categorize Erotica novels by their sexual content. These books often feature steamy scenes that aren’t necessarily integral to the plot but provide readers with some physical connection between characters.
With these types of romance novels, only one character at a time is speaking or thinking about what’s going.
Check out these best-sellers!
- Ivy Smoak
- Scarlett St. Clair
- Jade West
- Katee Robert
Final Thoughts
As you can see, romance novels come in all different shapes and sizes. There are so many sub-genres to choose from that it’s easy to find something new every time! I hope this blog post helped readers understand the differences between these genres even more than before.
If you’ve written a romance novel and want a professional opinion on whether it’s ready for publishing or not, drop me a note! I’m always happy to take a look at your manuscript and offer constructive, friendly feedback.
Ciao!