Romance novels for men?

[redzinger]

Is there such a thing?

I've had plenty of men comment that they've enjoyed my stories, which led me to thinking of rewriting some of my published novels to make them more male friendly.

However, when mentioned to some male friends, I haven't had the best of responses, even after calling them happy-ever-after novels instead of romances.

Is there a market out there? How would you appeal to them?

 

[NotWise]

Is there such a thing?

As a separate genre? I don't think so.

I know that men read and write in the Romance category here. The majority of comments on my one story there appear to be from men.

A lot of men have read classic romances. My uncle used to read "historical novels," which were actually bodice rippers.

More romance stories might appeal to men if the main character were male.

 

[SimonDoom]

I don't know if there's a market, per se. I've enjoyed many great and entertaining novels that could be described as romances, but I don't read romance novels as a genre and my guess is not too many men do.

It might work if you restyle your stories as crossover stories, with elements of romance but also elements of other genres men do read regularly -- sci fi, westerns, detective stories, historical fiction (especially about wars), horror, suspense, etc.

 

[redzinger]

I think I found my answer - something similar was called 'lad lit' and it was a bit of a commercial failure about fifteen years back. Has anything/enough changed between then and now?

 

[MelissaBaby]

Is there such a thing?

I think there is such a thing, but they aren't marketed as romance. A lot of historical fiction fits the description, I think.

For example, Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain. A wounded Civil War soldier struggles to get home to be with the woman he loves. Sounds like a romance to me.

 

[NotWise]

I think I found my answer - something similar was called 'lad lit' and it was a bit of a commercial failure about fifteen years back. Has anything/enough changed between then and now?

I read what Wikipedia said about Lad Lit. I don't think things have changed so that something that was commercially a flop twenty years ago would succeed now. I think most men want strong male characters who succeed by being who they are, not through self doubt and change.

Rather than resurrecting Lad Lit, you'd be better off using a strong male character, placing him in a situation where problems have to be solved to make a relationship succeed, and giving it a happy ending. Like Mr. Doom pointed out, the genre wouldn't be Romance (or Lad Lit), but western, SciFi, historical, etc.

The story I'm slowly working out now (mentioned in my sig) is a neo-western told from the male character's point of view, and I'll put it in Romance.

 

[SimonDoom]

I think there is such a thing, but they aren't marketed as romance. A lot of historical fiction fits the description, I think.

For example, Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain. A wounded Civil War soldier struggles to get home to be with the woman he loves. Sounds like a romance to me.

That's exactly the kind of book I was thinking about. Men will read it because it's not a true "romance" and it focuses on the male character.

 

[Jessicathe69]

Women keep diaries, men keep journals. Just remember to mention beer and ESPN on occasion.

 

[KeithD]

Apparently some folks are surprised that men come in all sorts of varieties. There are even (gasp) men who read the Romance novels already written.

 

[ttvttp]

Love the romance genre and am definitely male. Don't need to be catered to though. Love romance for the romance no matter who it's aimed at.

 

[oggbashan]

Some of Georgette Heyer's novels appeal to men, for example:

An Infamous Army which includes the Battle of Waterloo, and The Spanish Bride which covers the Peninsular Campaign.

 

[R. Richard]

Check out 'Involuntary Nude' in Club Lighthouse.

 

[Kantarii]

Women keep diaries, men keep journals. Just remember to mention beer and ESPN on occasion.

Not necessarily true. I kept a diary for a long time and never referred to it as a journal. Kant

 

[redzinger]

Thanks for all your contributions - wish I could 'green' you or thank you separately as in some other forums.

It's all helped set me back on my original path instead of going wildly astray.

I haven't ruled out going for a neutral author name - I really need someone to brainstorm with who knows the market. And a marketing plan. And everything else. *sighs*

 

[SamScribble]

A friend of mine (who made his rep writing non-fiction) was engaged in writing a 'male-oriented romance' when he died.

As I recall, his publisher gave him a pretty strict list of 'rules'. The ones that I remember are 1. that the narrator had to be male; 2. that the narrator's physical characteristics had to be vague enough to allow other men to see themselves in his position (he couldn't be a young superman ); 3. that the 'hurdles' could not be down to his gross incompetence; and 4. that the ending had to suggest 'a future' for both him and her. There were some others, but he was telling me this over several pints of Pedigree.

 

[Maeven_quinn]

Is there such a thing?

I've had plenty of men comment that they've enjoyed my stories, which led me to thinking of rewriting some of my published novels to make them more male friendly.

However, when mentioned to some male friends, I haven't had the best of responses, even after calling them happy-ever-after novels instead of romances.

Is there a market out there? How would you appeal to them?

I remember the Ripped Bodice (Romance book store in LA) commented on their twitter feed on this.

There already is romance for men. Its still called romance though. Men can read those books too.

 

[gordo12]

I will confess to reading the odd short romance story here and enjoying it. But it's not a habit. If there isn't some pretty good sex scenes I wouldn't continue reading the author.

You can call it a diary, a journal or anything you like. I've never met a guy in 60+ years that kept one! LOL, Why leave evidence around?

I've noticed a real trend lately with authors trying to make lead male characters more "frail". They fail, they make mistakes. They're taking it to the point where they look like incompetent twits that I wouldn't trust to go to the bathroom on their own. Books like that get a poor rating from me. I want to see competent strong characters that can succeed, not someone who needs constant bailing. There has to be action of some kind, a pure romance sucks!

Lad Lit? Even the name doesn't work for me.

 

[Etaski]

I've noticed a real trend lately with authors trying to make lead male characters more "frail". They fail, they make mistakes. They're taking it to the point where they look like incompetent twits that I wouldn't trust to go to the bathroom on their own. Books like that get a poor rating from me. I want to see competent strong characters that can succeed, not someone who needs constant bailing.

Lad Lit? Even the name doesn't work for me. :

*chuckling* You've just described every single hammer-point I've dropped on male writers asking me for feedback how they portray their female characters.
The good news is, they've all improved after the feedback, except one.

Also my main problem with Jim Butcher, why I stopped reading after his 3rd Dresden book. The female characters never get out of this rut.

You've also described every "chic lit" story I've ever avoided, written ostensibly by a woman.

Seems each of us like a competent character to relate to.

 

[gordo12]

*chuckling* You've just described every single hammer-point I've dropped on male writers asking me for feedback how they portray their female characters.
The good news is, they've all improved after the feedback, except one.

Also my main problem with Jim Butcher, why I stopped reading after his 3rd Dresden book. The female characters never get out of this rut.

You've also described every "chic lit" story I've ever avoided, written ostensibly by a woman.

Seems each of us like a competent character to relate to.

Couldn't agree more. She comes home and find the door jimmied and the lights not working. Naturally she immediately flees and calls the police..... NOT. No, she pushes her way in and promptly gets herself murdered.

Hollywood DREK!!! The helpless (and apparently brain dead) female.

It puzzles me that people go on swallowing that kind of stupidity in their entertainment. But I guess that leaves the strong male character to save her from her stupidity.

I think it's ingrained into our culture.

 

[NotWise]

There already is romance for men. Its still called romance though. Men can read those books too.

If they're going to call it a romance and market it for men, then I have to wonder if those might be gay romances. From what little I know of them, the GM category here seems to accept them well. A lot of the readers, though, would still be women.

 

[KeithD]

If they're going to call it a romance and market it for men, then I have to wonder if those might be gay romances. From what little I know of them, the GM category here seems to accept them well. A lot of the readers, though, would still be women.

Yep. I write romance novels for men. In fact, a GM romance I coauthored won Literotica's Romance contest here last year:

https://www.literotica.com/s/the-forever-man

https://dwtr67e3ikfml.cloudfront.net/bookCovers/2ab1ce2409cd214daf548499ae36701578b3ecb3__300x0

And a GM romance I coauthored would have won this year's Literotica Romance contest (with a 5.0 rating) if it had gotten two more votes. (It now has enough votes and is at a 4.86):

https://www.literotica.com/s/i-met-a-man


https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41ixeAIWJSL.jpg

 

[Bramblethorn]

If they're going to call it a romance and market it for men, then I have to wonder if those might be gay romances. From what little I know of them, the GM category here seems to accept them well. A lot of the readers, though, would still be women.

OTOH, there seem to be a significant portion of men reading romances over in Lesbian. Going by my feedback, some are even there for the story.

 

[rutger5]

Though not a romance novel I always found the first two Tarzan books had a great romance inside if you can slog through all the pulp trappings. I mean Tarzan was not only willing to risk his life for Jane but give up his birthright in order for the woman he loved to have the proper life. They both follow their code of honor to where they won't be happy but the author comes to the rescue and delivers a happy ending.

 

[Maeven_quinn]

If they're going to call it a romance and market it for men, then I have to wonder if those might be gay romances. From what little I know of them, the GM category here seems to accept them well. A lot of the readers, though, would still be women.

That's not what I mean. I'm saying that Romance books already exist. Men can read them too.

Asking "Is there any romance for men" is like saying "Is there any science fiction for women?"

 

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

I think there is such a thing, but they aren't marketed as romance. A lot of historical fiction fits the description, I think.

For example, Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain. A wounded Civil War soldier struggles to get home to be with the woman he loves. Sounds like a romance to me.

GONE WITH THE WIND CAME CLOSEST. But there must be a burn the bitch aspect such as Rhett Butler. Guys cant relate to Ashley Wilkes.