WHAT BOOK GENRE SELLS THE MOST?

​Even if you are NOT a reader, chances are that you are one of the millions of other Americans who purchased over 674 million books last year—and who continue to make the publishing industry one of the biggest in the United States, raking in almost $28 billion in revenue in 2015. That’s a lot of money!
 
Who doesn’t buy a book? Everyone buys at least one book in their lifetime—cookbook, DIY book, textbook, children’s book, photography book, companion book, poetry book, fiction, nonfiction… Something!

​But not every book (or genre) is created equal: some genres sell better than others.
 
Can you guess which one it is?
 
You're right. It's romance!

​Ever since people started writing stories millennia ago, falling in love has been a common theme. Romance was a theme in many of Shakespeare’s great works. Romance stories today are different, but they still keep readers turning pages. The modern romance novel first surfaced in 20th century England, and as this genre’s reader base grew and evolved, so did the books. Today’s romance readers want in their romance books more sensuality, more confrontation, and more conflict. Now, romance books are also paired with other genres—think suspense, comedy, or eroticism—to tie in other elements along with the love story, just like my novel Pinnacle Lust.

Today, romance book sales alone account for over $1.4 billion, with the newest subgenre—erotica—making up a large part of that. See how well Fifty Shades of Grey did and you’ll see my point.
 
Does it surprise you that romance is the best selling book genre? What is your favorite romance book?

Michelle