Contemporary M/M Romance Question...

Lillith1991 · Sep 14, 2015

So I've got this idea for a short M/M Romance novel/novella, and I know that it counts as Contemp because basically anything set in the now or more recent history is. But I was wondering how something set in no later than 2005 would be viewed seeing as most Contemp whether LGBT, menage, or het seems to really be set in the proverbial here and now instead of the relatively recent past?

I've got plenty of reasons for the when the story takes place, but somehow I feel like I'm swimming against the tide of what is expected by not making the story be set in 2014/2015.

Captcha · Sep 14, 2015

Yeah, that's a bit tricky, isn't it? Not TOTALLY contemporary, but it would feel weird to call it historical or period.

No idea how to handle it, sorry!

Lillith1991 · Sep 14, 2015

Captcha said:
Yeah, that's a bit tricky, isn't it? Not TOTALLY contemporary, but it would feel weird to call it historical or period.

No idea how to handle it, sorry!

Don't feel sorry, I got myself into this mess. The story takes place in the music industry and includes a trend I've honestly seen no signs of after 2005.

Latina Bunny · Sep 14, 2015

Huh. Like Captcha said, that's a tough one. It's kind of Contemp., but not really. Hmmm...
I rarely see books set so recently in the past. The closest one I can think of is one set during 9/11. (And that wasn't a romance.)

Yikes. I really don't know. Hey, maybe ask some posters in the Historical and contemporary sections?

Maryn · Sep 14, 2015

One of my first sales was classed as contemporary even though it was set--by necessity of the plot--in 1999, which was a decade earlier. Nobody batted an eye.

In my experience, what publishers or editors mean when they use the term contemporary is that the feel of the time and place feels pretty much like here and now, not that it literally is here and now. For that reason, you probably want to sidestep clear labeling of the period as not-now by mention of technology or other things which will label it as the recent past--unless the plot requires it.

Maryn, whose story involved Bush's first election

AyJay · Sep 14, 2015

This may be partially why I mostly write fantasy or ancient world stories. It's hard for me to situate things in the present day against the backdrop of our rapidly changing culture. (Though some might say its harder to do all the research to create a totally different world).

I started writing a novel in April, and while marriage equality isn't a big part of the book, one of the characters is a philanthropist and it made sense that one of the causes he would support would be marriage rights for LGBTs. Then, just two months later, the Supreme Court makes it legal for everyone to get married in the states. My book will come out in late 2016 at the very earliest, so I can either find another cause for the character to support or work in that this modern story oddly takes place a few years back. (The former appeals more to me).

veinglory · Sep 14, 2015

Is there a particular reason the use of the term "contemporary" is critical? I have published work that was set a few years in the past at the time of submission and just never labeled beyond M/M and other sub-genres as applied.

Lillith1991 · Sep 14, 2015

veinglory said:
Is there a particular reason the use of the term "contemporary" is critical? I have published work that was set a few years in the past at the time of submission and just never labeled beyond M/M and other sub-genres as applied.

Critical in terms of labeling? Not really, it's also an interracial romance as well.

veinglory · Sep 14, 2015

Then I would suggest just not drawing attention to that aspect of the story. It's the kind of thing that might seem problematic to an editor if pointed out, and not bother them at all if left implicit.

Lillith1991 · Sep 14, 2015

Maryn said:
One of my first sales was classed as contemporary even though it was set--by necessity of the plot--in 1999, which was a decade earlier. Nobody batted an eye.

In my experience, what publishers or editors mean when they use the term contemporary is that the feel of the time and place feels pretty much like here and now, not that it literally is here and now. For that reason, you probably want to sidestep clear labeling of the period as not-now by mention of technology or other things which will label it as the recent past--unless the plot requires it.

Maryn, whose story involved Bush's first election

You've just highlighted another worry of mine. There's certain aspects of tech that I can gloss over, but other things which will clearly label when it takes place that can't be glossed over without the story falling flat. And those things are small things and big things, not just one or the other.

Contemporary M/M Romance Question...

Lillith1991

The Hobbit-Vulcan hybrid

Captcha

Lillith1991

The Hobbit-Vulcan hybrid

Latina Bunny

Lover of Contemporary/Fantasy Romance (she/her)

Maryn

Baaa!

AyJay

Luv's Conscript

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Lillith1991

The Hobbit-Vulcan hybrid

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Lillith1991

The Hobbit-Vulcan hybrid