Gen Zers are causing a boom in... romance
Gen Z love love
Welcome to the latest edition of The Gen Zer. This week, we take a look at the world of romance and why the market for it has been exploding over the past few years, moving from the fringes to more and more places in mainstream culture. We also cover the latest news about Pinterest, teen entrepreneurs, and the tempting offer of Olivia Rodrigo tickets. Read on for more . . .
Recently, there have been a bunch of interesting headlines concerning Gen Z, dating and the world of romance. Almost half of Gen Zers reportedly want less sex on screen. We’re also increasingly deleting dating apps. Given this, you might think there’s a move away from romance in general, and yet this is anything but true. Romance — from books to events to merch and more — is booming.
Vanity Fair recently sat down with Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur, expert lifestyle curators and trendsetters known for their A Thing or Two newsletter and podcast. Their latest venture is 831 Stories, “an entertainment company with books at the foundation,” which is all about romance as a force for good, from publishing novels from new voices, to hosting in-person events, to changing the conversation around the role of romance and literature in mainstream culture.
It’s no secret that the romance market and fandom are having a heyday. Sarah J. Maas alone has sold over 40 million books, causing her publisher, Bloomsbury, to up its financial forecasts after its “exceptional growth”. The premiere weekend of Bridgerton’s third season saw over 45 million views on Netflix. On the whole, the sales figures of romance stories have been exploding over the past few years; in 2022 they increased by a staggering 52% year-on-year, largely driven by an uptick of Gen Zers spurred on by BookTok recommendations and communities.
Just as A24 brought indie cinema from the fringes to the mainstream, imprints like 831 Stories are hoping to do the same with romance. It’s a genre that has typically been more on the outskirts of literary culture, despite having clear mainstream appeal, and yet this is rapidly changing.
Design is playing a role in this transition. You’re probably going to hesitate getting your book out on the tube if the front cover is of an oiled-up cowboy, but modern titles are much more plain-fronted. It’s similar to how later editions of Harry Potter had much more subdued covers, helping adults to feel comfortable reading them in public and, in doing so, helping to move fantasy more into the mainstream. Modern imprints are now doing a similar thing for romance.
In a world where marketers are screaming community, community, community, the world of romance offers a perfect example of just how powerful – and important – community can be. Fanfiction of the biggest romance and romantasy books literally numbers in the tens of thousands of stories. Stans of Robinne Lee’s The Idea of You have created real merchandise for the fictional boy band that features in the novel. All over the bestseller lists and BookTok, fan communities are the ones driving engagement and reaching new readers. For Gen Z, books and community go hand in hand — and romance is no exception.
When Ariele Fredman (Colleen Hoover's publicist) spoke to npr, she emphasised how the demographic for romance novels is getting younger and younger — not just readers in their thirties, forties and fifties, but increasingly Gen Z and younger Millennials as well. “Gen Z is a huge audience for romance,” Fredman said. “If you think about it, like millennials, their youth has been marked by global and social upset and unrest in many ways, so looking for a happy ever after or an emotional outlet in a book seems like a healthy way of coping.”
Representation is also an important draw for younger fans. For these readers, there’s a chance for self-discovery and exploration that they might not be able to find anywhere else, particularly in more conservative communities or families. It’s a bit like how André Aciman’s 2007 novel Call Me By Your Name is so beloved by the queer community, having helped young fans to explore their own identity in a safe, empathetic environment. Or, going back further, the love towards E. M. Forster’s novel Maurice, which was written in 1913 but not published until 1971.
The world of fiction is certainly changing. In Georgian society of Jane Austen’s novels, the main concerns for characters like Elizabeth Bennet or Elinor Dashwood typically were to do with marriage, money and class. Even if they rebelled against the patriarchal society they were living in, their actions were still confined by it. For the books being published by 831 Stories, it’s important that the protagonist’s life doesn’t hinge on their relationship, says Celuro. “We really like the idea of self-actualized female main characters. It’s just nice to see that in the world.” Increasingly, romance novels are highlighting the stories of a much wider audience, from those with diverse backgrounds to lovers who aren’t your typical couple (or throuple, for that matter).
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Romantasy is another area undergoing some seismic shifts. The genre (a combination of romance and fantasy, featuring things like elf-human love affairs or an enemies to lovers arc featuring dragons and magic) is increasingly occupying the space on bestseller charts. According to Bloomberg, this year one in every four bestsellers has been romantasy.
Sarah J. Maas is the name that gets brought up most often with the genre, and with good reason: this year she’s sold more books than the top ten most popular new releases combined. But the genre has been steadily growing ever since Twilight was published in 2005, exploding in the past year or two with a whole wave of new titles.
The wider market has been slow to get in on the action, however. Hollywood is in many ways a male-dominated industry, and there’s been a fair amount of reluctance to double down on these stories that are typically written by women, for women. As Mazur put it to Vanity Fair, since romance fans “have the sort of force and engagement and enthusiasm of every other fandom, where is the Marvel of romance fans and where is the Bravo of romance fans and where is the WNBA of romance fans? That just doesn’t really exist.”
Given the sales figures, not to mention the plethora of new romance book events, merchandise and collaborations, this reluctance will slowly begin to ebb, I’m sure. What’s more, as Franklin Leonard pointed out to Bloomberg, the ROI of movies made by women, for women, actually exceeds that of primarily male-targeted movies (although most of the money is still going only towards the latter).
For Gen Z, this new era of embracing romance, passion and sexuality will continue to enter the mainstream culture, bringing us new stories from underrepresented voices and also simply getting people to enjoy reading. As Mazur concluded, “we are getting so much out of these books and just enjoying the shit out of ourselves, having a great time, but then also being like, I learned so much from this about—you name it—mental health, greed, social justice, whatever it is.”
Gen Z around the Web
the latest stories in youth culture and changing trends . . .
Gen Z are discovering brands via Pinterest (modern retail)
Gen Z is increasingly turning to Pinterest as a starting point for discovering brands and trends. With over 40% of Pinterest users now belonging to the generation, brands like American Freight and Béis are tapping into its visual appeal — Gen Z love a mood board, after all. (Or, in the words of Naomi Barrales, a member of “The Z Suite,” “Gen Z likes to kind of go off vibes.”) Read more
The rise of the teen entrepreneur (airmail)
From editing videos to developing personal brands to buying crypto, young entrepreneurs are bypassing traditional summer jobs for more lucrative opportunities online. Communities like Young Wealth, founded by the teenager Maurits Neo, are inspiring this shift, promoting routines and discipline (or ‘Monk Mode’, for the initiated) over mindless social media use. Read more
Amex is using Olivia Rodrigo concerts to woo Gen Z (fortune)
American Express is trying to attract European Gen Z and Millennials by offering exclusive perks at events like concerts and Formula One races. As a generation, we are increasingly prioritising experiences over more traditional rewards or goods — recognising this, Amex is increasingly focusing on lifestyle benefits like entertainment and dining. It’s a pretty good bet to try and gain Gen Z’s loyalty. Read more
Schools are struggling to engage school leavers (gallup)
Despite optimism about their futures, many Gen Z students don’t feel prepared for them, particularly those not planning to attend university. This is according to a recent Gallup survey which also found that 25% to 54% of the Zers surveyed lack engaging experiences, like schoolwork that they find important or interesting. Read more
That’s all for this week! Make sure to subscribe for the latest on Gen Z and youth culture, and check out The Common Thred for a weekly roundup of the latest news, trends and thought pieces.
See ya soon,