Male hero?

A_Napp · May 21, 2012

Hi everyone,

I just wondered if I had labeled my novel in the right way, when I wrote it was a "romance". The most romances I stumbled over so far have female protags.
I have a male hero. Okay, it's a love story in it and it is about two people finding each other, but not only.

So I just wanted to ask, are they romances with a male hero?

K. Taylor · May 21, 2012

Genre Romance is a story about two people coming together for a Happy For Now or Happily Ever After ending that is usually written with both the male and female POVs.

A_Napp · May 21, 2012

ok- thanks then I'm fine with it. =)

job · May 21, 2012

Does it have a happy ending with a committed relationship between the male and female protagonists?

Do we spend half the time in her POV?

Does the female protagonist make things happen in this book? Does she have agency?

Does your lead female character end up with what she wants and needs?

Heidi Belleau · May 21, 2012

As someone who writes M/M (aka gay) romance, yeah, a male hero is just fine

I think for M/F the convention is for the POV to be split in the 50/50 range between the hero and heroine, but honestly as a reader an all male POV might be intriguing... just so long as the main character has an interesting voice and the heroine is still a deeply developed character with agency in the plot.

triceretops · May 21, 2012

Heck, I risked it with a werewolf thriller and the female editors were very appeased. I do normally write female protags where the storyline has a heavy romance. Just be sure you have a good balance and that your gal is very well developed in the intellectual and emotional areas--give her a strong, independent personality with just as much to yearn for as the male lead.

A_Napp · May 22, 2012

triceretops said:
Heck, I risked it with a werewolf thriller and the female editors were very appeased. I do normally write female protags where the storyline has a heavy romance. Just be sure you have a good balance and that your gal is very well developed in the intellectual and emotional areas--give her a strong, independent personality with just as much to yearn for as the male lead.

Oh she has a very strong and independent personality - that's the problem

. Well, its his AND her POV, but he's the main character. Maybe a percentage 60-40.

(Just realizing I have always male protags in all of my stories. Never thought about that it might cause any problems.)

Cathy C · May 22, 2012

My first romance, and by far still our best seller after 10 years, is in male first person POV. The heroine doesn't start out strong or independent. She's a trainwreck who the hero wants to help BECOME strong.

There's lots of room for experimentation on the romance shelves. So long as you give readers great characters with lots of emotional development & the all important HEA (or at least HFN) you've got a good chance for selling it.

A_Napp · May 22, 2012

...just occurred to me... what about the age of the characters?! My male protag is 50 and the female 45

Its a lot about "being afraid of getting old", because it's set in the movie business.
(but I have another "couple" about 20/24 in there

)

VanessaNorth · May 22, 2012

Age shouldn't matter, though you may want to pitch it to publishers who have lines featuring more mature couples.

Only one of my books written so far has a protag (male or female) under 30.

Hildegarde · Jun 2, 2012

I just finished Bro-Magnet, which is a romance, hilarious, and written entirely in 1st person male POV.

Here is the Dear Author review.

Male hero?

A_Napp

K. Taylor

Bah Humbug

A_Napp

job

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

Heidi Belleau

mad black formal sunflower

triceretops

A_Napp

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

A_Napp

VanessaNorth

Purple hair, not prose.

Hildegarde

A newb in the fog