Romantic Fiction Alive and Well

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

If you’re in RWA you probably already saw this, but it’s good news so it’s worth repeating…

Romance Sells Well in Tough Economy
According to various news outlets, romance fiction is selling well despite the economic downturn. Harlequin Enterprises reports revenue rose 2.2 percent in 2008 to $379 million U.S., with sales up in both the North American retail and overseas segments. (Publishers Weekly, 26 Feb. 2009) And, the Chicago Sun-Times says sales have increased at Borders for American history, “romance novels and science fiction and fantasy books.” (Chicago Sun-Times, 28 Feb. 2009) The USA Today best-seller list reflects the success of romance fiction. For the week of March 4, “one-quarter of the list’s top 50 books are romance novels, and 20 percent of the books new to the list are in that category.” (USA Today, 4 Mar. 2009)

(Taken from 3/16/09 RWAeNnotes)