Today’s NY Times explored how the romance novel is doing bang-up business in these lean times, thanks to savvy pricing and the ever-dedicated fan. That’s probably not news to the dedicated fan. She already knows how voracious a reader she is. But article’s main points were part of a learning curve I encountered when I considered making the switch from outright erotica to erotic romance.

First, I was absolutely surprised to discover wild-with-enthusiasm fans. I mean, I knew women read romance novels, but as a reader, I was very picky with the genre and therefore very isolated. Plus, I never ran into other readers in the romance section of my local bookstore, something that never happened in the SF/F section. But I quickly came to appreciate romance’s fandom and was completely smittered with their bright enthusiasm. You see, my personal fan involvement was, before this, limited to SF/F and a wee bit of /H where geekdom ruled. Ladies, you’re quite a different bunch from the fandom of my prior knowledge!

When I looked to promote my novels with Ravenous Romance, I quickly discovered that romance fans had captured Yahoo groups as their preferred on-line communication and socializing vehicle and remain loyal to it, despite the newer, bigger, better tools of the so-called Web 2.0. Because they use an older method, I knew they had banded together years and have been together ever since. I’m still blinking my eyes in amazement at the volume of traffic any one Yahoo romance group generates!

Last, I because exceptionally sensitive to the romance reader’s demand for affordability. You see, I come from a family of book collectors and readers. Spending good money on books was never frowned upon or discouraged. Upon my mother’s death years ago, everyone agreed I should have her library of poetry and fiction — which takes up three tall bookcases. I have my parents’ joint Shaker library, several dozen books that command a wide three-shelf bookcase. Our SF/F/H collection? Four tall IKEA bookcase. The erotic and erotic romance collection? Two ROOMS.

So money has never been a huge object. Sensible shopping, however? A must. But that’s another story for another day.

Most romance readers, I’ve found, are far more frugal than me. But they’re every bit as voracious in their consumption. To stretch a dollar and feed their habit, they buy and sell and trader among themselves. (You should see the second-hand market on ebay!) They eschew the trade paperback. They buy electronic books. The only other reading circle I’ve seen who come close to this kind of savvy sharing are senior citizens, either at local town centers or bridge groups. And they don’t binge read the way romance fans do!

So, yes, this is an appreciation. Especially because this old dog learned a new trick from y’all. Thank you.