Very interesting question by Trix. Are you also curious to see the replies?
Thank you for the question Trix, you won a $10 giftcertificate for Loose Id
Trix: How do you think m/m romance has changed over the past four years?
Marieke:
I really do. My views on relationships has changed a lot and I’m more grateful than ever for how easy I have it as a straight female. I’m also more critical of f/m romance as they have to have a good plot without all the crap m/m couples have to face. And of course the sex is pretty darn hot, so erotic f/m books have to work harder to compare *grins*
Jen B:
The biggest change I’ve noticed recently is the number of self publishers. I believe some of it has to do with so many publishers closing their doors and the ease authors now have with getting the word out through social media.
Louisa:
I do. I think the genre has been constantly expanding. More people are getting involved. Not just in reading, but also writing, beta reading, editing, cover art, promotion and reviewing. There is also so many conventions and books signings to enjoy. The fan base are a powerful force too and I believe that their interest in reading all types of M/M books have helped to continually highlight issues within society. I also think social media is expanding, readers and authors networking. Growth is a great thing for the genre.
Roberta:
I think that there are so many new authors out there and that’s really freaking cool. I LOVE that so many people are writing about m/m romance and that our fan base is HUGE!!
One commentor will win a ebook of choice from Bold Strokes Books
Thank you for the post. It hasn’t been that long that I read MM books, but I constantly find new authors to read. I love being part of this community.
It really is amazing how so much can change in 4 years!
There is so much more choice now with lots of genres – I love the historicals and murder mysteries!
The demise of the publishing houses is a worry though
I started reading M/M about ten years ago and the genre has changed so much especially in the last 4 or 5 years and it’s great that blog has kept up with the changes too.
Good question and pretty consistent answers, but focusing on different things. And I’m one of the ones you’re talking about. I’ve been reading gay novels for years, and reading increasingly more m/m in the last few years as it’s gotten more prevalent and more choices. But the big change was due to my migrating to ebooks.
Yes, It’ is interesting how far publishing has come and how much has changed in the past few years. I’ve been reading MM fiction for about 11 years now and we’ve come a long way for sure.
Thanks for your answers to this question. I started reading m/m novels in the beginning of last year. Before that I only read BL manga and fanfiction. Nice to see how much can change in such a short timespan.
Thanks for the answers. While it’s sad to see some publishing houses close, we’ve also seen mainstream recognition in just the past couple years so that’s major! Hopefully we’ll keep expanding & getting more recognition.
Thanks so much for the candid answers! It does seem like there’s more variety than ever before…
Thanks for answering this. I’ve read M/M for more than 4 years and I definitely see it changing. But I also see some negative changes too. Sadly.
Change has to happen, and I like the more readers are finding it and more mainstream publishers are getting into the game. I don’t want it looked at as a “niche” market, I want anyone who loves romance or mystery or thrillers etc to be able to find these books too.
Great answers, all. I haven’t been reading M/M as long as others, and occasionally I’ll notice that someone mentions a “classic” that I haven’t read. 🙂