Thank you for writing this. I don't know many romance writers. I'm the only one in my writer group. I have had versions of most of these comments. The fluffy comments hurt the worse. We put a lot of love into our books. Maybe the world would be a better place if we all read romance and loved each other more?
Also Burlesque is awesome. I haven't read any ratings but maybe it has to do with it being a story about women and love?
Agree on all counts! Too many people think love and sex are "unnecessary" in media, but the world needs more depictions of healthy romantic relationships, not less.
I usually just laugh when I get these comments. Their loss. They are missing out on a genre that empowers women and minorities and deals with every important social issue long before literary or other genres will touch it. My take is as long as “they” don’t get it, romance remains a secret safe place to explore social and relationship issues. Yay. We are under the radar. Bonus- it sells the best. So, don’t let the comments upset you, let them remind you that you’re in on an empowering secret.
When they say I don’t read porn, I laugh and say yeah, obviously, you don’t read romance either. If you did you’d know the difference.
Thank you for this! I've gotten some version of most of these comments, but I think I'll take your lead and be sure to introduce myself as a romance author, not just an author, when it comes up!!
Oh my gosh… the way I feel this! I was recently at a multi-genre author signing event and guess what… my table always had a line. The two cishet white male authors on either side of me complained afterwards about their lack of sales. I tried to explain marketing to them and they brushed off my advice and said people just want to read porn. I reiterated that my books are love stories, not porn. They were both so arrogant and dismissive it infuriated me.
I screamed aloud at some of these statements!!! Feel all too familiar. My favorite is how snooty IRL friends (yes you, my long time buds) can get about my romance novels. I get it, we were all serious litfic readers and writers in college. But maybe I just wanted to write something fun! And sometimes, that joyful book can also be meaningful! Can't tell you the number of messages I've received telling me how Sorry, Bro has impacted a reader's life, and not just from Armenians. I'm proud of what I've written! Some of the best novels I've read in the past five years, hands down, have been romance.
🩷Andor🩷
And the more romance I read, the more I love it.
Now if only Andor could have more romance lol
Hahaha honestly 🫣
Cheers to the crusty old man who just won himself a heinous award!
It's the only award he'll ever win lmao
I feel this article in my soul 😭
I'm so glad! But also so sorry lol
Thank you for writing this. I don't know many romance writers. I'm the only one in my writer group. I have had versions of most of these comments. The fluffy comments hurt the worse. We put a lot of love into our books. Maybe the world would be a better place if we all read romance and loved each other more?
Also Burlesque is awesome. I haven't read any ratings but maybe it has to do with it being a story about women and love?
Agree on all counts! Too many people think love and sex are "unnecessary" in media, but the world needs more depictions of healthy romantic relationships, not less.
I'm glad you enjoyed the article! :)
omg all of these are too real 😭
Wayyyyyy too real!
I usually just laugh when I get these comments. Their loss. They are missing out on a genre that empowers women and minorities and deals with every important social issue long before literary or other genres will touch it. My take is as long as “they” don’t get it, romance remains a secret safe place to explore social and relationship issues. Yay. We are under the radar. Bonus- it sells the best. So, don’t let the comments upset you, let them remind you that you’re in on an empowering secret.
When they say I don’t read porn, I laugh and say yeah, obviously, you don’t read romance either. If you did you’d know the difference.
Their loss, indeed! I agree that we don't need people to "get" romance, because that just means there's more of it for us. Thanks for commenting! :)
Thank you for this! I've gotten some version of most of these comments, but I think I'll take your lead and be sure to introduce myself as a romance author, not just an author, when it comes up!!
It definitely gets people to show their true colors!
Oh my gosh… the way I feel this! I was recently at a multi-genre author signing event and guess what… my table always had a line. The two cishet white male authors on either side of me complained afterwards about their lack of sales. I tried to explain marketing to them and they brushed off my advice and said people just want to read porn. I reiterated that my books are love stories, not porn. They were both so arrogant and dismissive it infuriated me.
Ooooo I would have had fighting words! They can go cry a river that nobody wants to read their (probably shitty) books. Die mad!
I have heard so many of these and it's the worst. When I hear them it really just sounds like nails on a chalkboard.
That's exactly what it sounds like! Ughhh
OMG the nonsense romance authors put up with!! Thanks for posting all of these and for bravely saying, "I write romance!"
It is wild when you list all of these in one place! Sighhh...we appreciate the support!
I screamed aloud at some of these statements!!! Feel all too familiar. My favorite is how snooty IRL friends (yes you, my long time buds) can get about my romance novels. I get it, we were all serious litfic readers and writers in college. But maybe I just wanted to write something fun! And sometimes, that joyful book can also be meaningful! Can't tell you the number of messages I've received telling me how Sorry, Bro has impacted a reader's life, and not just from Armenians. I'm proud of what I've written! Some of the best novels I've read in the past five years, hands down, have been romance.
Exactly! Let people enjoy things!!
I LOVE Burlesque!!!
It is truly in a league of its own :)