Is PNR dead?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Jules Court

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 19, 2014
Messages
54
Reaction score
7
Location
USA
Website
www.julescourt.com
Right now I'm focusing on polishing my historical romance, but I've got a first draft of a PNR featuring witches with series potential on the back burner. However, I'm getting the distinct impression that the demand for PNR has fizzled. It doesn't seem as though many agents are interested in it at all at the moment.

It looks like ePublishers are still taking shifters and maybe vampires, but I'm not so sure about witches. Also, the heat level isn't very high- 1 open door sex scene that isn't too explicit and some messing around. It seems like higher heat does better with ePubs.

Anyway, wondering whether its worth spending time working on a PNR if the market is dead. Especially since I've envisioned it as a series.
 

Ann_Mayburn

Smutty McTitters
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 24, 2010
Messages
992
Reaction score
161
Location
Mountains of WV
Website
www.annmayburn.com
Everything is constantly shifting and changing, so what may be 'dead' right now could be booming by the time you finish your book. The only thing that I can say for sure is if you write a killer book, and spend the time marketing it, you'll do well no matter what the genre is. That said, KU(Kindle Unlimited) has hurt everyone's sales across the board, but there will always be an audience for PNR.
 

Hildegarde

A newb in the fog
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
329
Reaction score
39
Location
Earth, mostly
Website
www.nightmarefactory.com
I've been hearing this same question asked for...ever.

And yet it keeps selling.

I suggest not writing to trends. By the time you get the thing written, they will have changed.
 

Jules Court

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 19, 2014
Messages
54
Reaction score
7
Location
USA
Website
www.julescourt.com
Thanks for the replies everyone! I think I'm just a bit nervous about 1) spending time on something hopeless when I could be working on something else and 2) subbing where there's no demand and potentially throwing away a series.

I probably just need to finish my historical and then worry about the paranormal romance. I can't write to trends (no matter how hard I try all my heroes wind up betas), but I do have potential projects in a few different sub-genres.
 

Beachgirl

Not easily managed
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 5, 2012
Messages
3,848
Reaction score
232
Location
On a beach, of course.
I've seen no indication that PNR is dead, but lower heat levels can definitely be an issue with some of the ePubs.
 

Jules Court

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 19, 2014
Messages
54
Reaction score
7
Location
USA
Website
www.julescourt.com
I've seen no indication that PNR is dead, but lower heat levels can definitely be an issue with some of the ePubs.

I've already run into that. :) I have two contemporary MF books with the publisher you're with that are pretty much dead in the water.
 

Beachgirl

Not easily managed
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 5, 2012
Messages
3,848
Reaction score
232
Location
On a beach, of course.
I've already run into that. :) I have two contemporary MF books with the publisher you're with that are pretty much dead in the water.

Yep, been there, done that with MF. I learned fairly quick that ménage is a whole different ballgame when it comes to sales.
 

Evangeline

Twirling in a glass of champagne
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Messages
369
Reaction score
39
Location
California
Website
www.edwardianpromenade.com
It's not dead, but its growth has slowed--you'll need a killer concept and killer writing to break into traditional publishing...and even then, you might get a digital-first contract because of the tight market and how romance sales now tend to perform more strongly in the ebook market than in print.

What about positioning your books a little more mainstream? Keep the romance, but change the shape of the narrative and character arcs to something bigger than reaching the HEA--Big Book with genre appeal (think Deborah Harkness). The low sexual content is going to trip you up in romance--especially in paranormal, where readers like the heat turned up high.
 

Becky Black

Writing my way off the B Ark
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
2,163
Reaction score
176
Location
UK
Website
beckyblack.wordpress.com
Even if it is, well after all, it's paranormal romance. Dead is a temporary state of affairs.

It'll be back.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.