Non-romantic genres at Epublishers

UndergoingMitosis

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I've been researching epublishers for my science fiction novella. In my search, what I've found is that *most* epublishers seem to be focused on romance/erotica. Some of these publishers have non-romantic imprints, but that doesn't seem to be their primary focus.

I'm not looking for recommendations. I guess I'm just wondering...are there successful epublishers that focus on something other than romance and erotica? If not, why? If so, why are they so damn hard to find? Why does the market seem to be so dominated by these genres?
 

shelleyo

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Samhain also publishes more than romance and erotic romance. How many people buy non-romance genres from epubishers, I don't know.

Why does the market seem to be so dominated by these genres?

Romance has been the bestselling genre for years, long before ebooks came along. So it makes sense that it's also the biggest chunk of the ebook market, too.
 

UndergoingMitosis

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There's a difference between being the bestselling of many and being the dominant genre. You're not hard-pressed to find publishers that work in many different genres in trade publishing, but in epublishing things really do seem geared to romance and erotica.

Maybe I'm wrong, and I'm totally open to being corrected. But it seems to me that there is an imbalance, and I'm just wondering if people had any insight.

(And Samhain publishes what? Erotic romance, romance, and horror? That's not super varied.)
 

veinglory

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Erotic romance was a pioneering genre for specialist e-publishers, for a lot of reasons it would take an essay to get into. They took big market share and inspires several hundred johnny-come-lately imitators many of which have yet to go broke.

But horror was another one of those epublishing pioneer genres for a bunch of completely different reasons, they just don't call themselves "epublishers", you have to Google "small press".

The other one of the big three would be non-fiction self help. In case anyone cares. Other genres went into epublishing mainly via digital imprints of established presses. Again, no point googling "epublisher" as they don't call themselves that.

I would still say the best way to find a good epublisher, in any genre, is to read a lot of ebooks. IMHO the fact erotic romance standalone epublishers are plentiful hardly seems to be the point. You need to find the publishers you *are* looking for. Why dwell on the others?

p.s. I am curious, why are you exclusively looking for epublishers? Spec fic other than horror is still largely a print audience--the science fiction readership is notoriously late-adopting when it comes to ebooks.
 
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UndergoingMitosis

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I've been finding them, they've just been harder to find. (reading and looking up the publishers of books I liked has been my method of choice) It was just an odd sort of fact that I learned along the way that erotic romance seemed so big. I hadn't expected it, is all.

I can understand why erotic romance would find a home in ebook formats (social stigmas being what they are) but I suppose I just have a hard time believing that there is such a large demand for saucy books that they've taken over a market. But Fifty Shades of Gray, no? :Shrug:

And now I'm answering my own question. Don't mind me.
 

dolores haze

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Romance readers tend to be pretty voracious. My mother-in-law could knock back three a day. I was kind of surprised when it was romance readers who seemed to be the early adopters of e-readers. SF readers, on the other hand, still seem to prefer print. Surprising, isn't it?

By the way, Carina Press publishes science fiction without romantic elements. But contemporary romance and erotica definitely seem to be the biggest sellers there.
 

Amadan

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I've looked mostly in vain for genre epublishers of quality, outside the romance/erotica realm.

Samhain and ChiZine are about it, and Samhain's non-romance offerings are sparse.
 

UndergoingMitosis

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If Carina would take me, I'd be thrilled to be published by them :) I'm still in the gathering courage and putting together submission packages stage of life, but they are currently at the top of my list.

Plus, one of the editors lists "cowboy space opera" as something they're currently looking for. My novella is space western, so I'm thinking it can't be totally outside the realm of possibilities.
 
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UndergoingMitosis

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I've looked mostly in vain for genre epublishers of quality, outside the romance/erotica realm.

Samhain and ChiZine are about it, and Samhain's non-romance offerings are sparse.

Carina does seem to have quite a few titles that aren't romance or erotica. I've read and enjoyed a few of their steampunk books.

From their submissions page:

Important note: We do not require non-romance genre fiction books to have romantic elements. We read, acquire and publish non-romance with no romantic elements as well! If you have a mystery, thriller, science fiction or fantasy that has no romantic elements, we want to see it.

Something to consider.
 

veinglory

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I suppose I just have a hard time believing that there is such a large demand for saucy books that they've taken over a market.

Romance is fully half of all fiction sold, more for ebooks. Erotic romance is currently the single largest sub-genre.

But also consider that most of the romance epublishers currently functioning are probably selling in double-figures per title. Number of publishers =/= number of sales.
 

veinglory

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I've looked mostly in vain for genre epublishers of quality, outside the romance/erotica realm.

Samhain and ChiZine are about it, and Samhain's non-romance offerings are sparse.

I would consider at least half of the epublishers I listed to be "quality". All of them were good enough to get me to part with my cash for at least one title.
 

gingerwoman

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Samhain also publishes more than romance and erotic romance. How many people buy non-romance genres from epubishers, I don't know.



Romance has been the bestselling genre for years, long before ebooks came along. So it makes sense that it's also the biggest chunk of the ebook market, too.
Samhain's best sellers are erotic romance and romance in digital format (e-book) HOWEVER there are both fantasy and horror and sci fi writers who seem to be selling quite reasonable amounts in trade paperback.
 

gingerwoman

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I've looked mostly in vain for genre epublishers of quality, outside the romance/erotica realm.

Samhain and ChiZine are about it, and Samhain's non-romance offerings are sparse.
Carina? CarinaUk JouralStone http://journalstone.com/journalstone-publishing/
And I disagree that Samhain's non romance offerings are sparse. That isn't true. Although they DO want their sci fi and fantasy to have romantic elements.
 

gingerwoman

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There's a difference between being the bestselling of many and being the dominant genre. You're not hard-pressed to find publishers that work in many different genres in trade publishing, but in epublishing things really do seem geared to romance and erotica.

Maybe I'm wrong, and I'm totally open to being corrected. But it seems to me that there is an imbalance, and I'm just wondering if people had any insight.

(And Samhain publishes what? Erotic romance, romance, and horror? That's not super varied.)
No Samhain also publishes Urban Fantasy, Fantasy and Science Fiction but those books must have romantic elements which means they are not romance novels but they must include a romance subplot. Basically I would consider them to be Fantasy, Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction aimed at a female audience. I know that Samhain's fantasy authors are reasonably successful. About the only type of genre fiction that Samhain doesn't do is thrillers (unless romantic suspense) and young adult fiction.
 

UndergoingMitosis

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Have you looked at Masque Books (digital imprint of Prime.) Looking for SF/F, with or without romantic elements.

I hadn't heard of them, but thank you!

No Samhain also publishes Urban Fantasy, Fantasy and Science Fiction but those books must have romantic elements which means they are not romance novels but they must include a romance subplot. Basically I would consider them to be Fantasy, Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction aimed at a female audience. I know that Samhain's fantasy authors are reasonably successful. About the only type of genre fiction that Samhain doesn't do is thrillers (unless romantic suspense) and young adult fiction.

I wasn't aware of this--I went back to the website, though, and found the romantic elements section, right there for all to see :chair Whoops.

Can I ask what constitutes "romantic elements?" Is a happily ever after required, or just some kind of romantic something? I'm just a little confused on the separation between something like a paranormal romance and an urban fantasy w/romantic elements.
 

Beachgirl

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Can I ask what constitutes "romantic elements?" Is a happily ever after required, or just some kind of romantic something? I'm just a little confused on the separation between something like a paranormal romance and an urban fantasy w/romantic elements.

For a true romance story, if you took the romance out of it the story would fall apart. For a story with romantic elements, you could take the romance out and still have a complete story.
 

gingerwoman

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I just have a hard time believing that there is such a large demand for saucy books that they've taken over a
Back in 1993 when I was finishing my Masters Degree we had a kindly professor that brought in a few professionals to talk to us fools who had chosen to get graduate degrees in English Literature, and who were now waking up and realizing there were no jobs for us.
He brought in an editor to talk to us about writing for Harlequin. The editor told us romance novels accounted for 47% of ALL fiction book sold.
I had never read a genre romance novel.
I figured it was about time I did.
 

gingerwoman

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I hadn't heard of them, but thank you!



I wasn't aware of this--I went back to the website, though, and found the romantic elements section, right there for all to see :chair Whoops.

Can I ask what constitutes "romantic elements?" Is a happily ever after required, or just some kind of romantic something? I'm just a little confused on the separation between something like a paranormal romance and an urban fantasy w/romantic elements.
Actually if you read the guidelines for Samhain it should be noted that they say STRONG romantic elements.