Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Who is the Harlequin/Mills & Boon reader?

I read this article, and it had some fun facts about HQ readers:
  • Nearly half of romance readers are college graduates
  • have sex 74 percent more often than their nonromance-reading counterparts

I like those. When I am writing, I often wonder whom I am writing for? Women like me who like to read, but not have to worry about the characters once the book is over? SAHMs? Retirees? Commuters? Men? Who do you think reads category romance?

Personally I write for me (& my writing friends who all seem to be in a similar boat - young kids, funny hubba-bubba). So, I've got the young mother with too much education and not eough money demographic locked up. Who else should I consider while writing? I'm thinking my sisters - young married with dogs and no babies as of yet.

OH! And did I mention, my grandmother read Just One Spark, and had story critiuques! YES SHE DID! Hey, she's read more HQ than most editors there (unless they are 83 and voracious readers too), so I better listen up!

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Mommy Lit - I need to read it. Seriously. Haven't read it to see if my voice could go there. But I have been bantering with a friend about doing a panster Mommy Lit together. Ahem. IF she ever gets me the opening chapter with the sewage.

Shelley Munro said...

Harlequin/Mills & Boon were the first romances I ever read. I devoured them. They were the first publishing house I submitted to, and sadly, my first rejection. I don't read as many as I used to but many of my NZ writer buddies write for Harlequin.

K.A.S. said...

What an article! thanks for the link
What changes did Grandma recommend?

Julie S said...

Having recently completed JOS, I have to say I'm very impressed that your Grandma read it. And critiqued it. Too funny.

I definitely write for me. I guess I'm in the same boat as Amanda - 30-something, married without kids, professional women. Although, I don't know anyone outside of the blog-o-sphere that reads category romance. My friends from work don't, and my old friends from school don't either. And they should. Category romance is good for women like us who have little time and want a quick fun read.

Unknown said...

Julie is brilliant! "Category romance is good for women like us who have little time and want a quick fun read." EXACTLY.

So Grandma...she got me hooked on Blaze, so don't be TOO surprised she read JOS. She didn't like that Hannah hesitated in telling her brother in law she'd been upstairs with Mason, and then was so straightforward about it. To me, the hesitation was real. To have her just barge in would have been off. But, my Grandma is the 'to hell with what people think' type. Hannah is not.

Stephanie said...

Your Grandma is to be applauded. My mom would run a mile if I asked her to read one of my books. She fully supports my writing, but I don't think she could handle reading it!