Age range of Female MC?

Synonym · May 16, 2009

No offense to the younger women, but I am tired of the twenty and at most early thirties of most of the characters in the books I've read lately.

Is there a market or interest for older women finding romance again in their forties or fifties? The history and baggage that they have to work with might make for a more intricate story.

I'm not sure of the demographics for romance buyers, but I thought it might be skewing older. But then, I'm skewing older myself!

sunandshadow · May 16, 2009

Well, some percentage of readers see a romance as incomplete, or occurring tragically too late, if the woman is too old to have children. Might not be an issue if they both had kids from previous partners, or if they adopted, or if from the beginning it was established that the woman really couldn't stand children and didn't want any.

Deb Kinnard · May 16, 2009

Lady, you hit with this question at a right time. I recently was invited to submit a proposal to Guideposts Publishing for a series of linked books. Trouble is, I write romance, and my characters' ages tend to cluster in the late 20s, early 30s. I didn't discover 'til I'd put my proposal out there that Guideposts' readership's average age is 65! And they don't want romances!

I pulled my proposal, and felt rather stupid.

If you write G-rated fic, get thee to Guideposts' web site and see what it is they're after. Could be your older main characters are right up their alley.

Good luck!

para · May 17, 2009

Female MC are usually in their twenties or early thirties. I'm a firm believer that if you write a good enough story to catch an editor's attention, they aren't going to care how old the female MC is. I've seen a couple of category romances where the heroines were in their forties.

shameless · May 17, 2009

Turning Thirty-Twelve

Lainey Bancroft · May 17, 2009

The Wild Rose Press has a Last Rose of Summer imprint that ONLY wants characters over forty.

The shorts I wrote for that imprint sold better than my straight contemporary romance at Wild Rose and got quite a few nice reader comments.

Harlequin had a Harlequin NEXT category line and I enjoyed the few books I read from it, but I guess it didn't sell through the way they'd expected. The line folded. :Shrug:

AuburnAssassin · May 28, 2009

I hope there is a market for older women heroines because I'm 48 and the heroine in my WIP is a widowed 39 yr old soon to turn 40. The no more kids part gnawed at me too though because I have my MC declaring to her 33 yr old never married love interest that she'd already "checked out of the breeding motel" and I wondered if it might have damaged the credibility of the romance. I hope not but...

Synonym · May 28, 2009

I wouldn't dare submit what I've written to Guideposts, they'd have a heart attack. I'm convinced there is a market and I just have to find it. (After I get the story polished up.)

My character is in her fifties and two years past having children. I think there will be some angst about the lost chance and then they will move on.

shameless · May 29, 2009

AuburnAssassin said:
I hope there is a market for older women heroines because I'm 48 and the heroine in my WIP is a widowed 39 yr old soon to turn 40. The no more kids part gnawed at me too though because I have my MC declaring to her 33 yr old never married love interest that she'd already "checked out of the breeding motel" and I wondered if it might have damaged the credibility of the romance. I hope not but...

There's definitely a market! Of all my books, Turning Thirty-Twelve is still the best selling.

ccarver30 · May 29, 2009

AuburnAssassin said:
I hope there is a market for older women heroines because I'm 48 and the heroine in my WIP is a widowed 39 yr old soon to turn 40. The no more kids part gnawed at me too though because I have my MC declaring to her 33 yr old never married love interest that she'd already "checked out of the breeding motel" and I wondered if it might have damaged the credibility of the romance. I hope not but...

I love that!

AuburnAssassin · May 30, 2009

ccarver30 said:
I love that!

Thank you! :Hug2:

Dee Carney · May 30, 2009

Siren-Bookstrand also has an "older hero/heroines" theme section, if you're interested in ebooks.

Synonym · Jun 1, 2009

I hadn't even considered ebooks, I guess I'm old-fashioned about some things. Maybe I need to get up to speed!

C.bronco · Jun 1, 2009

I will share this: None of it was intentional, however, in my YA novel, the coolest and most powerful women were over 50.

One is an over 50 fencing coach, ex-olympian, and one is an over 80 politician. They both kicked butt.

Synonym · Jun 1, 2009

Something about that "crusty" part...sorry, just thinking about Sean Connery. You're right, I think he's still got it going on. Some men just get better with age.

This made a lot more sense before the previous post was deleted. Ha! Use your imagination.

Big Boomer · Jun 1, 2009

My computer is doing major overload here and triple posted. But I can add that I recommend e-pub as the best way to test the waters for the over 40 romances .. make sure you give it a fresh, novel twist and odds are you will get a publisher interested : usually have secondary characters in a romantic tangle over the 45 mark! Gimmee Sean Connery even at his crusty advanced years!!

Hildegarde · Jun 2, 2009

My RWA chapter-mate Evelyn Palfrey describes her writing as "romantic suspense for the marvelously mature"

http://www.evelynpalfrey.com/

Her writing is wonderful and her work was recently featured in an anthology called Cougar Tales

I loved Everything In It's Place, and the heroine is a grandmother (and yeah, there are some love scenes)!

If you are targetting a specific line, check their guidelines (some specify young protags). Otherwise, write you heart.

Writer2011 · Jun 2, 2009

I personally don't see anything wrong with a MC over thirty-five...You can be forty something or fifty something and have your world turned upside down---and finding love all over again

Synonym · Jun 2, 2009

I'm beginning to think I need a critique match-maker magic wand.

Do you write like you think? Is that why we have different favorite authors? I believe that may have a lot to do with personal preference in writing styles.

I want to help people and get a little boot in the behind myself, so I'm throwing the question out. Not that it will make any difference, I'm just curious if you have the same thoughts.

jodiodi · Jun 2, 2009

My FMCs are usually in their early to mid-thirties. Some may be older. As I age, I can relate to the ages better. My ideal age is in the mid-twenties, but I can't relate to those characters in today's world.

Nightmelody · Jun 6, 2009

Red Rose Publishing has an Autumn Rose line for older heroines. I have a short vampire romance coming out in that line, and I enjoyed working with an over forty heroine so much I'm writing another Autumn Rose to make it a small series.

Synonym · Jun 9, 2009

Thank you, I'm always looking for a place to send my queries.

Frodo · Jun 10, 2009

What about "The Bridges of Madison County"? Isn't the MC older, a mom of teenage children, maybe 40+ in the beginning of the story? I love the movie!

Samantha's_Song · Jun 10, 2009

I have nine novels, all in various stages of editing, and each one of them deals with women in their 40's, mostly their mid to late 40's at that.

Hildegarde · Jun 11, 2009

Synonym said:
After having a couple of things critiqued, I made sure to check the "critters" offerings. Wildly different styles, writing I wouldn't find personally interesting. Did they feel the same way? Probably. Outside of structural, spelling and punctuation errors were their opinions shaded by the style conflict?

Little "off topic" but. . .

I find it more useful to look at critters comments on other offerings than at their own work. If I see Mary had critiqued Bob and Joe, and I agree with lots of stuff Mary had to say, then I will take her comments on my work more seriously. If I find myself in frequent disagreement (gosh, Mary obviously doesn't get where Bob was going with that), I assume that we have different tastes and she might not be the best person to read my work.

I've known several people whose writing I didn't find particularly compelling, but they offered valuable advice to me, so I try not to use that as a my criteria.

Age range of Female MC?

Synonym

sunandshadow

Impractical Fantasy Animal

Deb Kinnard

para

shameless

Superlative Type A

Lainey Bancroft

Cover Me!

AuburnAssassin

Darkly Romantic Curmudgeon

Synonym

shameless

Superlative Type A

ccarver30

Nicole Castro

AuburnAssassin

Darkly Romantic Curmudgeon

Dee Carney

Bringing sexy back

Synonym

C.bronco

I have plans...

Synonym

Big Boomer

Hildegarde

A newb in the fog

Writer2011

Synonym

jodiodi

Reflections of Reality

Nightmelody

Synonym

Frodo

Samantha's_Song

At least I don't need backing-up

Hildegarde

A newb in the fog