Vampire romance dead?

French Maiden · Nov 6, 2011

I'm writing a paranormal romance about vampires.
I keep reading about vampires being over rated and over used. That they aren't popular anymore.

I personally love to read about them. I write about them because i'm interested in them. They're an escape from a reality, a way into another world - A world of adventure and excitment.

I think they became popular through Meyer's 'Twilight Saga'. But what of Anne Rice's 'Vampire Chronicles' or Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'? They were done before anyone else was game enough to touch the subject of vampires.

Do you think that Vampire Romance is dying or already dead?

D.M.Drake · Nov 6, 2011

Personally 'Interview with a Vampire' is Anne Rice's best work and by far my favorite Vampire story. Which is saying a lot because I am not really a fan. (of vampires.)

I am much more a comic book geek. I'd take a super power over a blood sucker any day.

Detri Redmond · Nov 6, 2011

As a fan of Anne Rice I would say that Vampire romance isn't dead. Also as a fan of Anne Rice I resent your opinion that Vampire romance became popular because of the Twilight Saga

.

I would say the genre is just watered down with all the too touchy feely Vamps but is still as lively as ever. Some fictional beings are timeless.

French Maiden · Nov 6, 2011

Detri Redmond

I apologise for my assumption

It just seems to me that alot of vampire romances have come out of the woodwork since Meyer's creation.

I feel teh same way, but thats my personal opinion. I feel like im writing a book for a dying audience.

Filigree · Nov 6, 2011

My favorite literary vampire has got to be Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Le Comte de Saint-Germain, because of his slowly-evolving humanity (and the author's amazing historical research.)

The vampire fashion comes and goes, but like its subject, the audience never truly dies. Anne Rice was still famous, but the market was dwindling around a decade ago. I knew of agents and editors who wouldn't bother with vampire and werewolf fiction -- then Charlaine Harris came along. Meyers helped boost the market again, a few years later.

If you really love it, write it, but try shaking it up with some differences to all the copycats. Like them or not, Harris and Meyers wrote what they wanted to, and found ways to connect their stories to readers.

French Maiden · Nov 6, 2011

I do quite like Charliane Harris' work. It's intriguing and very differnt to all the other vampire stuff i've read.

I feel like im taking a whole new twist on the regular vampire story, but im the one writing it and i'm probably bias towards my own work.

Ann_Mayburn · Nov 6, 2011

This may not be the most financially sound advice...but if you love it, write it! Someone, somewhere will love it as well. You can always take a peek at the listings of best sellers on All Romance eBooks, I believe they have a vampire category, and other eBook sites to see what books are selling, what is selling in paranormal romance, and go from there.

Personally, I think a well written book of any genre will get noticed and loved. It may not be by 100,000 people, but you will have your fans.

VoireyLinger · Nov 6, 2011

I think it's more Undead, personally...

But publishingwise, no, vamps aren't dead but publishers are readers are more discerning than they were ten years ago. Then they were a fad and the market was flooded with fangs. i think things have balanced now. there are still vamp books hitting the market but they aren't dominating.

Personally, I got burned out on them. I'm more likely to skip books with vamps than read them. When I do pick up a vamp book, it has to be really good for me to read the whole thing.

c.m.n. · Nov 6, 2011

I love reading vampire romance; but I'd want to read the author's vampires, not an Anne Rice or Bram Stoker's or Meyer's watered down versions.
I also love writing vampires. Have for years. But I churn out my own vampire's, based on old lore, myths, unknown myths and lore, and maybe some movie lore, ect... They are my vampires, not anyone's else vampires.

Keep writing. Vampire romance isn't dead. LOL

Dee Carney · Nov 6, 2011

I will always write paranormal romance and since I don't have much of a preference for shifters and the other million were-creatures authors are coming up with these days, I fall back to writing about vampires. A lot of people are quick to say they don't read vampire romance any more, but my publishers grudgingly admit vampires and shifters are still the dominating creatures of the night when it comes to paranormal romance sales.

Write what you love.

scarletpeaches · Nov 6, 2011

I've sold one and one of my editors is after another one, so...no, they're not dead.

I don't believe vampires will ever go away, and thank goodness for that. I love reading about them, as many people do.

cbenoi1 · Nov 6, 2011

> That they aren't popular anymore.

I had the same feedback from an Indigo bookstore manager. She's not selling that many UF romance anymore - in bookform. But apparently the numbers are jaw-dropping good on Kobo (their ePub partner).

I get the feeling this is the case for erotica as well because those shelves keep shrinking month after month.

-cb

veinglory · Nov 6, 2011

Look on the romance, fantasy and YA shelves. They have been declaring this theme dead for a long time, and it hasn't happened yet. I have been reading them for over 20 years now and have books on my shelf from well before then... and last week.

Jupiter · Nov 6, 2011

Speaking as a reader, I'm suffering from a touch of 'vampire fatigue'. That said, a great book with a fresh approach to the genre will find an audience. The market will undoubtedly fluctuate, but great writing will always have a loyal readership.

Just my two cents

Jupiter.

BarbaraSheridan · Nov 6, 2011

Here's me echoing that vamp stories will always have an audience. I'm thinking (maybe that's hoping) that Johnny Depp & Tim Burton's remake of Dark Shadows might give the bloodsuckers a new little boost.

firedrake · Nov 6, 2011

BarbaraSheridan said:
Here's me echoing that vamp stories will always have an audience. I'm thinking (maybe that's hoping) that Johnny Depp & Tim Burton's remake of Dark Shadows might give the bloodsuckers a new little boost.

I think you could be right about Dark Shadows. (Can't wait to see that because I loved the soap)

I do hope we've seen the last of sparkly vampires.

STKlingaman · Nov 6, 2011

Aren't they Dead already?

veinglory · Nov 6, 2011

Not if you look at the shelves and best seller lists.

Rhoda Nightingale · Nov 6, 2011

Please--vampires are awesome. Those of us who loved them pre-Meyer will continuing loving them long afterwards, and watch the fads ebb and fade like they've always done.

Just don't make them sparkle. *cringe*

Also--see line in signature.

scarletpeaches · Nov 7, 2011

What sort of idiot would say th--

Oh. Right.

scarletpeaches · Nov 7, 2011

I really don't see how a zom-rom would work. Having sex with what amounts to a corpse would lead to, er...bits falling off, surely?

Yes, vampires are dead, but they're sexy and dead.

seun · Nov 7, 2011

scarletpeaches said:
I really don't see how a zom-rom would work. Having sex with what amounts to a corpse would lead to, er...bits falling off, surely?

I read a book called Warm Bodies earlier this year which gets into zomrom territory. Highly recommend it.

Marumae · Nov 7, 2011

Dead? No not really there will always be an audience for vampires, dimming down their popularity so that publishers aren't snatching up every Vampire Romance they can get their hands on? Yes. Over saturation always leads to a backlash, but hardly a death.

Jess Haines · Nov 7, 2011

WARM BODIES wasn't the only zom-rom. Lia Habel's DEARLY, DEPARTED is one of these, too.

Ahem, on the topic of the thread--I've been reading vampire novels (both of the horror and romantic variety) since the 90's. When INTERVIEW came out, it made vampires awesome and cool for about a year, and then it died down (hur hur hurrrr) until TWILIGHT. I'm sure there will be some other big vampire brouhaha at some point.

I have the feeling what people are saying when they get into the "vampires are dead" argument is how hard it is to sell one just because the market is so saturated. It's not impossible, but your work needs to be good and relatively original if it's going to make it onto the shelves these days.

Silver-Midnight · Nov 25, 2011

I don't think Vampire Romance is dead. I just think that some people feel overexposed or tired of it because it's extremely popular right now. However, what some people fail to realize is that the use of the vampire/werewolf/supernatural has been around way longer than Stephenie Meyer or Anne Rice. Now its uses has definitely changed, but the vampire itself still exists. So, even if it "dies down again", it'll just come right back up a few years later, either through a book, T.V. Show, or movie. So, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

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