One thing about romance novels is that they're going to hit every time! Well, at least they used to. The swoon-worthy confessions, the character edits on TikTok, the yearning, and cute scenes that made us all feel lonely.
From fake dating to the same three tropes on rotations, romance novels have become predictable. However, authors are relying on this predictability because it sells. It causes authors to play it safe and adds no depth to the genre.
The Publishing Industry
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It is no secret that the same copy-and-paste format has a little or a lot to do with the business behind the publishing industry. Literary agents are always looking for the next big thing, the story that will make them revenue and not just dust up on library shelves.
It’s why one of the key things that agents look for in an author is numbers, such as how many followers they have or their network. This is a major factor in the stories and authors that get published, which then leads to literary agents now picking the same type of storylines and similar authors to the point the whole market is overusing the same ideas.
BookTok
There's no way of looking at the publishing industry without stealing a glance at BookTok. It’s no surprise the influence BookTok has had on the whole publishing industry in general. It has people going to every single Barnes & Nobles and has more people reading.
But with such great influences comes conformity. BookTok controls what readers think they want to read. We see it in the same cartoon covers that every romance story has, we see it in the pitches and hooks, the aesthetics, and the overall algorithm. When Booktok notices something that sticks, it runs dry because the views are up, the likes increase, and there are new followers. In addition to that, many Booktokers are the ones getting these book deals which means quantity of quality. Hence, the copy and pasting.
The Issue
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The real issue is the plot. Yes, there’s still an elephant in the room––the usage of the same tropes––but the same events that occur in these books don’t do the tropes justice. You can do 101 things with tropes if the plot allows it.
How many books have you read with the characters hating or arguing with each other at the beginning, some event has them in each others face 24/7 all of a sudden, the sparks ignite, then the conflicts arise, a love confession, maybe some jealousy and separation, then in the end it works out like a true love story. Oh, and let's not forget the fluff in between where the two main characters are just so cute together. It’s the same formula over and over, and it works until you want something more. The idea of books is that they're supposed to bring something new to the table, writing books isn't supposed to follow a set formula because they know readers will eat it up because what's the point of writing if there’s no experimentation?
No Depth
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Why do you read? Well, I read because I enjoy the movie that plays in my head as I read each sentence and the way the author can transport me into whatever story they are trying to convey––to see, feel, and understand their characters. I admit I like stories that are lighthearted too, but each big thing on BookTok and the shelves seems to be all lighthearted.
There’s no depth in the writing. Although it can be subjective and mean different things to all of us, when we think of the classic romance books like “The Notebook” by Nicholas Sparks or “Pride & Prejudice” by Jane Austen, are those a little too classic? Well, there's also, “The Faults in Our Stars” by John Green or “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky. You know the young adults books that had romance but also spoke to the teenage experience––a realistic type of love story. It had twists and turns and a plot that didn’t strictly follow a plot diagram. Not to mention, these new stories replaced character development for this thing called groveling, and we all liked it until that's all these characters had to offer. I suppose that's modern romance for you.
Conclusion
There's no experiment or new spark keeping readers engaged. It’s important to think outside of the box. To not only focus on the business aspect of numbers.
Quality matters, and I don’t read books because the authors have hundreds of thousands of followers or because a post went viral. It’s one thing to use the same enemies to lovers but another to use the plot diagram that makes it like every other enemies-to-lovers. There's no distinction between all these bestsellers. It’s time to stop being fixated on the algorithm.
