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Is there such a thing as too intelligent?
Signs point to yes, at least when it comes to romance.
I recently got a work back, and the editor mentioned that my writing bent toward literary and the piece may be too intelligent for readers. Romance readers are looking for more fun, more fluff, she says.
First, have you read me? I am no Proust, that's for sure. It won't take much for me to 'dumb down' a manuscript. Change a word here, lift the mood there, take out the some of the anger and true-to-life emotion, and you've got a ready-to-read romance.
But does it need to be this way? Romance readers and writers face a huge stigma in our society. They're looked at as less than, sometimes, and for what? Because they like to read or write as an escape? Because they prefer topics that are fun for them? Because they don't trouble themselves by dealing with heavy topics all the time? Is that so bad?
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Your editor is close-minded. I guess I've been close-minded about romance, too. I don't read romance because I perceive it as being fluff... If a romance novel were marketed as literary, I'd be much more likely to read it. Actually, as a longtime reader of your blog, even though I know I like your (non-fiction) writing, this is the first post about your novel that has me tempted me to buy your book.
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