Reading, characters, cigars and romance

[WhiteWolfIndulgence]

That title fell apart halfway through LOL!

My publicist and agent are telling me I need to cross market and build a larger fan base outside of the norm and do things exceptionally well and when I told them that the only thing tying all my diverse interests together was me they told me what about my cigar smoking? Wine drinking? My horrible flirtations online and offline!

Got me thinking though, because they asked if some of my characters smoke and drink. All my characters drink...and as of late a lot of my heroes are cigar and/or pipe smokers.

So the question is: Would you be more inclined to read either outside your normal genre (I write erotic romance) if you found out any of the characters smoked cigars and that the hobby played a significant role such as in helping craft the mental movie? What would draw you into picking up an erotic romance (outside of the Military romances of course!)

Thanks in advance folks.

 

[twenty5]

Isn't the target audience for a romance novel women?

 

[blooz4u]

Isn't the target audience for a romance novel women?

Not necessarily...

I used to skim those books for the dirty parts! :laugh:

 

[WhiteWolfIndulgence]

Twenty5 - Yes BUT. The but comes in my case where as mentioned above, the cross marketing aspect has to come into play. And more men ARE reading romances these days. I know I'm NOT the only male that reads this genre. It's another aspect of connecting readers and writers together.

blooz4u - for men that's kind of the point. I inspire women to get randy and find their husbands LOL!

Much of my "female fanbase" thinks cigar smoking is sexy, ergo other BOTL might want to know why from a different standpoint? I don't know. I'm reaching heh.

 

[twenty5]

Im no publicist but it would just seem like a more productive solution to try and reach out to more women who would not necessarily pick up a romance novel if you are trying to build a larger fan base. To sell me on a romance novel, it would have to be a sweet story about a cigar smoker that works as a special agent or something (super powers are not necessary but are a bonus) and gets laid a lot... And if it was a movie it would be even better....


lol I kid, good luck with figuring it all out..

 

[WhiteWolfIndulgence]

Funny you should mention that Twenty5, latest unsold story is kind of a Burn Notice type thing.

The thing is, I can't apparently market to "just" women who've never read romance. There are men who like I mentioned LOVE Christine Feehan's Mind Games series because of the psy-ops aspect.

And yes, in my novels there is a LOT of sex...it forwards the plot!

Thanks again

 

[Dr. Xikar]

So the question is: Would you be more inclined to read either outside your normal genre (I write erotic romance) if you found out any of the characters smoked cigars and that the hobby played a significant role such as in helping craft the mental movie?

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar...

Sorry, I had to

 

[WhiteWolfIndulgence]

hahahaa is THAT it?

 

[Herfin' Harg]

Something tells me that, unless your reader is a cigar smoker, the "mental movie" is going to be much more stereotypical (ala churchill, gangster movies, grampa, etc.), and you're gonna have to work with that in mind.

More to the point, if you want a bigger audience, write a better novel. I'm not being critical, just noting that if you build a truly a better mousetrap, the rest takes care of itself without the gimmick.

That said, if the idea is to give you something in common with your characters for augmented depth/dynamics and you think it'll make your writing better, then go for it. Go nuts. And dont forget, if your mousetrap sucks, you can always write your characters into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, make them vampires, or both.

Best of luck!

 

[dpricenator]

Isn't the target audience for a romance novel women?

Anne Rice wrote 3 books about Sleeping Beauty that were friggin great. And I say "friggin" because I would come home and my girlfriend would be "friggin" herself. So I picked one up and well.... that's all I have to say about that.

However, I do not see me EVER picking up another erotic novel. The internet is a deep dark perverse place, and if the need arises…..well that’s all I have to say about that too.

Best of luck man

 

[Treinenwj]

Yup, I'm with these guys. If I had a vagina I would possibly be inclined to read a romance novel. Other than that, I don't think any gimmicks will bring in a significant number of readers.

 

[srduggins]

Offer a limited release Tatuaje stick with each book, that'll sell 'em to the men.

 

[Clinton]

No, I would not be inclined to read an erotic romance. I tend to think that, if it's true that more men are reading romances (which I doubt), that they are gay guys. I doubt there are a lot of cigar smokers among gays, so your potential market is exceedingly small.

 

[ChazHollywood]

I tend to think that, if it's true that more men are reading romances (which I doubt), that they are gay guys

Dude, I don't think gay works the way you think it works...

Or maybe I'm just assuming WWI was talking about hetero novels?

-Charles