Does anyone know if there are any statistics that show what the most popular fiction genres are? I think romance is at the top, but I'm not sure.
Most Popular Fiction Genres
- Thread starter Weird Albert
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I believe crime and romance are the two top genres. They tend to swing between which is top.
I wonder why you ask? Don't try and write a certain genre because of popularity. It won't work. Write what you love and it will sell.
I wonder why you ask? Don't try and write a certain genre because of popularity. It won't work. Write what you love and it will sell.
Not me, but what's "popular" mean?
- Most different titles published?
- Most different titles selling above some bar?
- Most books sold at all, even if they're all copies of the same book?
- Most authors working in the genre?
- Most name-recognition?
ETA: The reason I'm asking is that I don't think it's possible to provide numbers without a clearer definition of what the numbers are for.
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How do you define popularity?
Every option I suggested is a possibibility. The OP wanted numbers. You have to specify which numbers you want before they mean anything.
Look, X people buy up Y books by Z authors every N months for any given genre. Which of these numbers defines popularity?
If everyone on the planet buys Harry Potter books, does that make the YA fantasy genre the most popular? Or only the HP books themselves?
If one insane billionaire buys up every possible detective book there is for their every possible detective book library, does that make the genre popular?
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By the number of fans, in this case readers (or purchases).
Like in high school. The most popular girl had more people who liked her than who liked then next most popular.
Like in high school. The most popular girl had more people who liked her than who liked then next most popular.
So if there are 1000 fantasy fans and they all buy 10 books a year.
That's a less popular genre than, say, mystery if 5000 mystery fans each buy 1 book a year?
You're saying unique buyers (regular buyers? Once in a lifetime buyers? Buyers who never actually read the book but want to have it because the movie is supposed to be good?) define popularity, and nothing else does?
How about if one girl at high school had 40 kids who liked her pretty well, and another had 30 kids who liked her a lot?
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I think most unique titles would be romance. I am not sure how that is affected by the individual sales of people like King or Rowling..
ETA: Listen to Uncle Jim, he knows way better than me
It looks like a lot of the Romance growth is in ebooks.
Another complication -- aren't most Romance novels are shorter than novels in other genres? Interesting article here; suggests that it's expected for Romance readers go through 5 or so books a week. I don't think that's actually true of any other adult-genre, and a lot of kids pick up books from the school library rather than buying them, so again, is there any sort of equivalence here that lets us say what's most popular.
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Quick aside: I'm coming out in support and appreciation of Shweta's desire to be more exacting.
There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics.
You can say anything you want and the numbers will back you up, if you never scrutinize the numbers.
There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics.
You can say anything you want and the numbers will back you up, if you never scrutinize the numbers.
Romance. Quite frankly, Romance as a genre makes it possible for a given publisher to publish more books in other genres.
There are more romance books bought, and more published, than any other single genre.
Romance readers on average buy more books in a month by a factor of 2 or 3--there's a great page of stats on RWAs site, but I'm getting no luck finding it.
There are more romance books bought, and more published, than any other single genre.
Romance readers on average buy more books in a month by a factor of 2 or 3--there's a great page of stats on RWAs site, but I'm getting no luck finding it.
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Well, we need the OP to come back and clarify, but to me it seems RJK asked the right question. Which genre sells the most books.
Or which genre makes the most money, including novels, short stories and et cetera.
Or which genre makes the most money, including novels, short stories and et cetera.
Yeah, me being pedantic again, sure, but... who makes the most money, the publishing houses or the authors? The answer (as with distinct authors or just copies of any book) is likely to be the same (Romance!) - but not necessarily, and if we don't know what we're looking for it's easy to be misled.
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Thanks for making me look up "pedantic."
The most money in the industry. I dont' care who makes the money. WHich genre has the most money filtering into it.
The most money in the industry. I dont' care who makes the money. WHich genre has the most money filtering into it.
Hey just think, next time you can call me that, and I won't have toThanks for making me look up "pedantic."
I'd assume romance has the most money filtering into it, but do romance writers get paid accordingly?
I guess I'll have to change my shoggoth book into a shoggoth romance book.
Since shoggoths are so good at sucking heads off, I imagine they're naturals for "hot" romance. Ooh, I'm blushing already.
Since shoggoths are so good at sucking heads off, I imagine they're naturals for "hot" romance. Ooh, I'm blushing already.
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Why does that matter, Shweta? The question was most popular genre, not the genre that treats its writers the best.
I wonder how much money comic books bring in? Is that a genre? Comic book writing?
What about script writing? Considering how many TV shows and movies there are.
Or do they break those down to genre also? Romanc comic book. Romance script.
Just thinking outloud.
I wonder which of the 14 categories (if that's the right division designation) of Romance does the best.
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