Romance By The Numbers

Total Romance Sales in 2013
$1.1 billion
That’s roughly one-fifth of all adult-fiction sales.

Top 10 Fiction Genres
1. $1.09 billion, Thrillers
2. $1.08 billion, Romance
3. $811 million, General
4. $548 million, Literary
5. $442 million, Mystery & Detective
6. $377 million, Fantasy
7. $185 million, Comics & Graphic Novels
8. $156 million, Historical
9. $143 million, Contemporary Women
10. $113 million, Action & Adventure

Romance Readers At A Glance
Age 30-54
Education College-educated
Average Income $55K
Relationship Status 59 percent are coupled, 84 percent are women, 16 percent are men

Binge Readers
46 percent of romance consumers read at least one book per week. In comparison, the typical American reads five books a year.

On average they read more than one book:
A Week — 25.5 percent
Every Week — 20.9 percent
Every 2-3 Weeks — 17.8 percent
A Month — 16.1 percent

Romance Vs. All Adult-Fiction Purchases
Paperback
Romance: 51 percent
Adult Fiction: 46 percent
E-Book
Romance: 38 percent
Adult Fiction: 30 percent
Hardback
Romance: 10 percent
Adult Fiction: 21 percent
Audio
Romance: 1 percent
Adult Fiction: 3 percent

Sources: Nielsen, Bookstats, PEW Research Center, RWA