Romance - biggest growth segment of 2010
Last year was the year that firmly placed ebooks in the public mind and yet surprisingly it was the Romance segment that was the fastest growing of all genres within this market - at least according to research done by Bowker (as reported by the NYtimes). As an example of this, Barnes & Noble, the popular American retailer, was previously considered a non-entity in the romance market, yet they have recently taken 25% of the segment for ebooks. Quite impressive.
The most common belief of why romance novels have taken off so rapidly since the [re]birth of the digital reader, is due to people having the option to purchase and read anonymously - would you want to stand at the checkout, or on a packed train heading in London Euston Station, holding up a paper book with some half naked chap on the cover? But with an eReader the contents of your ebooks are all but invisible to those around you.
So, if your reading mood is demanding something a little racier than Melville’s Mobi Dick, you should certainly check out eHarlequin or the ever popular Mills & Boon.