In case you hadn’t heard, this month, I’m focusing on MARRIED LOVE.
So. Let’s talk about ROMANCE NOVELS. Not so much the bodice-rippers – at least you can judge a book by its cover with those. No, I’m talking about Christian Romance novels. Inspirational Romance novels.
In his recent ACFW conference workshop Fiction By The Numbers, Mark W. Kuyper, President and CEO or ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) paints this picture about Christian Fiction readers (NOT just romance – all Christian fiction genres):
The Average Christian Fiction Buyer:
- Gender: Female=81 percent; Male=19 percent
- Age: Over 50=50 percent; Gen X=20 percent; Gen Y=20 percent
- Annual income: $75,000 or less=70 percent; $25,000 or less=18 percent
- Geography: South=40 percent; Midwest=25 percent; Northeast=15 percent
- Children: Adults 18+=33 percent have children at home; 67 percent do not
- Type of living environment: Rural=41 percent; Suburban=38 percent; Urban=21 percent
- Social media usage: Facebook=78 percent; Twitter=13 percent; LinkedIn=11 percent; No social media=19 percent
Compare this, in a round-about way to the statistics posted on RWA (Romance Writers of America), primarily the first four categories.
The Average Romance Fiction Buyer:
(This is ALL romantic fiction, including Christian Romance)
- Gender: Women make up 91 percent of romance book buyers, and men make up 9 percent.
- Age: The U.S. romance book buyer is most likely to be aged between 30 and 54 years.
- Annual income: The greatest percentage of romance book buyers (39 percent) have an income between $50,000 and $99,900.
- Geography: Romance book buyers are highly represented in the South.
- Relationships: According to RWA’s 2011 Romance Book Consumer survey, slightly more than half of survey respondents live with a spouse or significant other.
- Readership: Forty-four percent of romance book buyers consider themselves “frequent readers” (read quite a few romances); 31 percent are “avid readers” (almost always reading a romance novel); and 25 percent are “occasional readers” (on and off, like when on vacation).
- Genre loyalty: Readers have been reading romance for a long time: 41 percent of romance book buyers have been reading romance for 20 years or more.
When I read statistics like this, I can’t help but analyze. Seriously. I can’t help it. I know it’s not an exact level-playing-field comparison, but the similarities are remarkable.
- Across the board, women make up the majority of fiction readers, both in Christian Fiction, AND in Romantic Fiction.
- The largest age group of readers in both categories is between 35 and 65 years old.
- And average incomes are fairly consistent, too, ranging between $50,000 – $70,000 annually for both sets of readers.
- Interesting tidbit – geographically speaking, more folks in the south read both Christian Fiction AND Romantic Fiction.
The other statistics are interesting, too, but the one that stood out to me the most was RWA’s statistic that more than half of Romantic Fiction readers are in a relationship with a spouse or a significant other (Click to tweet!). From numerous sources, including RWA, I’m inclined to believe that this statistic is consistent in Christian Romantic Fiction, too. (No, I can’t give you any cold, hard, evidence or links to back me up, so please understand that this is my OPINION based on my research.)
If the above is accurate, then middle-aged, financially stable, married women are the targeted audience for romance novels, whether secular OR Christian. Why?
Why are so many middle-aged, financially stable, MARRIED women reading about “new” romance? About heroes and heroines falling in love for the first, or final time?
Here are a few of my thoughts on this – and next week, I’ll expound on a more direct answer to the above question.
Fiction, in general, is like food to my soul. I LOVE to read, and I’m a multi-genre girl. I read everything from my Bible to the backs of cereal boxes. If there are words in front of me, I read them. Just like I love to eat – if there’s food in front of me, I’ll eat it. Ha! But the Lord designed our bodies to REQUIRE a balanced diet, right? Sure, our bodies will adapt and learn how to survive if we’re without certain elements, but over the long haul, never eating a fresh salad can mess you up. The Lord also designed our hearts and souls to have a balanced ingestion, too. There’s nothing wrong with a delicious romance novel (think “delicious chocolate”), but when it becomes the staple of our literary diets, it’s like making chocolate the only food we eat.
Now, some would say that’s not such a bad thing….
But seriously, consider what we’re filling our minds with. Is the fiction (and this applies to ALL genres, NOT just romance, but I’m primarily focusing on romance novels here) we read strengthening our relations? Or is it providing us with a means of escape from the reality of mundane? Is it feeding a longing for something we don’t have, relieving us of the responsibility to invest in what we DO have? What about for those who are NOT in relationships? Are romance novels setting us up with unrealistic expectations for our future relationships? (Click to Tweet! I know they did for me, and my husband is one of the most romantic men I know.
Or is it not really about any of the above at all?
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
And on that note…. I have something exciting to share with you! I can’t divulge TOO much information yet, because it’s still in construction, but some of my author friends and I are joining forces to launch a new website:
Married…With Fiction, launching April 1st, 2013! (Click to Tweet!)
This was the scripture I read this morning: Ephesians 4:1-3 “Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
This is the goal of Married…With Fiction – we want to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit. This is a site where we will support the personal aspect of writers’ and readers’ lives, with an emphasis on growing and nurturing marriages, AS WELL AS the professional aspect, by mentoring, connecting, and sharing experiences with one another.
Stay tuned for more – unique giveaways, contests, critiques, and more!
AND come back to visit this Friday! I’ll be announcing the winner of one of Joanne Bischof’s Cadence of Grace books (Click to Tweet about this giveaway!) and we’ll be chatting with the author, herself!
Yes, excellent post that mirrors thoughts I’ve had many times. WHY does it seem married relations go practically unnoticed (AFTER the Happily Ever Afters) in Christian fiction? After all, that’s where most of us are in life. I don’t want to re-live my dating years. I want to know how to make the most of my married years. Here’s looking at romantic MARRIED fiction in the CBA!
And the new blog sounds enchanting…
Thanks Heather – i know there are a lot of people (women, especially) who are finding that the pickings are slim if they’re not reading CBA romance. Again, I LOVE me some chocolate, but I can’t survive on chocolate alone. Some of my favorite authors are romance writers, but I bet if you ask them, their shelves are filled with far more than just their own books.
And yes, I’m excited about Married…With Fiction, too.
Excellent post, Becky. Thank you for the stats and your thoughts. And congratulations on the launch of your new website!
Tamara – I was just telling Heather above that I bet most romance writers have more than romance novels on their own reading shelves. I write mostly contemporary fiction, but I READ stuff from across the board. Sure, what I write is currently my favorite genre, but I have favorite authors in several different genres. Maybe I’m not normal, though…
I should ask you – what do you like to read? I know you like cookbooks….
And yes, we’re chomping at the bit to get Married…With Fiction up and running! Thank you!
Naturally, my favorite read is a romance, but I’m all over the place: cookbooks, classics, murder mystery (particularly Ariana Franklin’s medieval mysteries), historical non-fiction (I do need to research those medievals of mine), Christian non-fiction, and on and on
Ariana Franklin – I haven’t read her! Now I must investigate. I’ve always had a tender spot for medieval history – it used to be the ONLY thing I read – which is where I first read your work, long, long ago, and was why I was so excited to see you writing medieval fiction again!!!!
But I really believe our bookshelves (if we’re readers – and I have friends who don’t read at all!) are good indicators of how healthy our reading diet is. Thanks for sharing, Tamara! I need to just interview you for real. We’ll set it up.
Sounds good, Becky. And do look up Ariana Franklin. I’ve read her books and listened to them in audiobook format. Both fabulous! Unfortunately, she recently passed away, so no more books in the series
I looked her up – I actually HAVE The Serpent’s Tale but haven’t read it yet because I wanted to read the book(s) that came before it! I must have picked it up somewhere on sale, then stashed it on my To-Read shelf for when I found the other books…I do that way too often. Anyway, I just didn’t connect the name. But now, I’m motivated to start the series again.
I’ll contact you regarding an interview – excellent!
I loved your use of statistics, I am a stat lover. Frankly, the statistics weren’t surprising regarding the readers of romance novels.
Do I read romance novels? Occasionally, although I used to read them constantly. I stopped reading them so much because I found they were too predictable. People meet, overcome an obstacle or two and live happily ever after. This is nothing like real life.
While i don’t think there’s anything wrong with reading romance, it shouldn’t be the majority of anyone’s reading diet. It reminds me of the main character in Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” who urges a friend to add some prose to his reading diet rather than only poetry. Variety and balance is good for all of us.
Elizabeth – Yes, the formulaic stuff is hard to read over and over again. I think that’s why I’m encouraged by the changes in the publishing industry. I’m seeing more and more authors stepping outside the restrictive formulas and writing about more realistic stuff. Your example of Jane’s Persuasion is totally apropos – we do need to pursue balance.
Thanks for stopping by today – I love statistics, too!
Blessings,
Becky
Women are swooning at the dashing man in riding boots and a white puffy shirt, who brings a solitary rose to the beautiful 20 year old being mistreated by her angry drunken parents and no one understands her!!! He rides his giant white Percheron right under her balcony , she jumps into his arms and they ride off!!
Umm, yeah, JUST like real life.
How about the hard working 50 year old guy who works hard to provide for his family, has gained a few pounds in 20 odd years and never picks up his socks? But he thinks his curvy wife is the best woman on the planet and tells her that every single day? Who snuggles with her at night and tells her one day she’ll be published and he’ll buy the first crate of books and hand them out to everyone he meets. Sometimes he pretends he’s Mr Darcy and that’s why they have 4 kids.
See the difference?
Example #1 is “romance”.
Example #2? That, my friends, is a love story. A real one!
It’s MINE!!
Can’t wait for the blog!!
Jennifer,
Interesting delineation between romance and love stories. I’ve been reviewing Joanne Bischof’s books this week and her books are totally love stories rather than romance, based on that criteria, because her characters are married (some of them to more than one spouse….) – makes sense to me!
Excited about the Married…With Fiction site!!!!!
HI Becky, Interesting statistics….hmmm…Looking forward to your new site. I’m a happily married woman who falls in love with her husband every day.
Holly, I KNOW you do. I love reading about women who are proud of their husbands. I’ve always sensed your deep commitment to him, and to your whole family.
So glad you stopped by today and can’t wait to share the new site with everyone!
Blessings,
Becky
I am thrilled you are addressing the subject of spiritually responisble reading. First time I’ve seen it addressed in this way.
I read like a maniac. Constantly (unless I’m memorizing music). My two best friends in college once stole a book I was reading and hid it from me because I was being so absolutely useless. I was highly amused once I quit shouting at them and found my book on top of the fridge. Heh.
With that: I read just about every genre ( with the exception of romance novels and Christian fiction, interestingly.) I have learned to take what I read seriously…in a casual kind of way. I have noticed how deeply what I’m reading can affect my spirit.
There are two spots in the Bible that I have found myself applying to this subject. One is in the sermon on the mount when Jesus talks about committing adultry being just as valid if it’s in your head, or that hating is murder… And the other is Phillipians 4:8. The “whatever is true/ right/ lovely etc” verse.
I think, and I say this at the risk of sounding really herbal, that humans have an incredible amount of power that is all wrapped up in our heads and our ability to choose. I mean: PRAYER, for pete’s sake. We experience and then store our experiences in our heads ultimately – so literally everything we put in there is moving and affecting the essential us. This doesn’t BEGIN to stop me from reading all sorts of things about all sorts of people, believe me. It’s really been more of a germ of an idea than anything. A sort of awareness. OO! It really started to show up when a person in my husband’s family became an enormous spiritual challenge. I was praying hard and constantly and noted that what I was reading was sort-of affecting my “hook-up”. Anyway, what I’m saying is, I think this subject is important and under-addressed. And I’s so you’re exploring it! Thank you!
Treetop Birdy – love that!
I’m so glad you stopped in and are joining us as we explore this stuff. I REALLY hope you follow me over to Married…With Fiction on April 1st, because we’ll be unwrapping this topic on a much deeper level over there.
At the risk of sounding really herbal – ha! I’m ALWAYS accused of that so I totally relate! Listen, in 2 Timothy 1:7, we’re told, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” At the risk of sounding really herbal, I completely agree with you – we have the spirit of power, the spirit of love, and the spirit of discipline – which is self-control. If He’s given it to us, it must be because we NEED TO USE IT, right? We ARE responsible for what we wrap our heads around – 2 Corinthians 10:5 … taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ!
I’m excited to hear different views about this subject. I think it’s great that we have the intrepid Tamara Leigh – romance author extraordinaire – pitching in, and avid readers of romance, readers of everything BUT romance, and all those in between! I think that this topic is especially important in the CBA – One of the things I’ve struggled with my whole life has been figuring out where those lines should be drawn between enjoying a good book and slipping into fantasy, because like you, I’m an avid reader. If it has words, I read it.
Anyway, welcome, and stick around. I’m glad you’re here.
[...] week, in All We Need is Love – Romance Novels, I shared some interesting statistics about romance novels and inspirational fiction, and the [...]