Old Skool Romance Traps

When does contemporary romance become historical?

This question was recently posed by another writer on social media...and it got me thinking. If you don't want to become a relic, it's worth doing your research when writing contemporary romance, even about things you, as a writer, think you already know. Consider the idea that what you know may be twenty or thirty years outdated. Are you up to date with how younger people communicate?

There's a trap for older authors aged roughly 40 plus (ahem, I'm one of them), when writing contemporary romance with characters aged in their 20s. The pop culture references authors unintentionally make can be quite outdated. The characters, if they were real, would probably have been born around the time Buffy the Vampire Slayer was made, or they may have been toddlers. They may never have seen this TV series beloved of Generation X, unless their mothers were fans. Am I blowing your mind yet?

But the big problem I've seen with a few recent contemporary romances is the lack of realistic technology or online communications.

Keep in mind your twenty-something characters would not:
- remember a time before ubiquitous internet access
- have any trouble using a computer or online apps
- use paper maps to get around a new city
- communicate with friends by landline phone calls
- remember a time before everyone owned a mobile/cell phone.

Your younger characters would:
- have a cell phone on them at all times (except if they lost it, which could be disaster!)
- use text messages and/or instant messages on various online apps
- have played online multi player video games as teenagers and probably made friends online
- watch YouTube or streaming services instead of TV, or be 'multi screening' using apps on a phone while watching a movie
- have tried online dating or met someone special online.

Twenty-something characters wouldn't use email as a communications method of choice except at work, or when contacting their parents (or grandparents). They’d have certain groups of friends contactable mainly by social media, maybe around the world from where they live. They would buy clothes online, use Uber or other apps to get around, get into ‘flame wars’ on topics they're passionate about on social media, or may have dealt with online bullies.

I think I'm pretty up to date with technology and social media, having worked in online communications including years at a university. But I’m now in my early 40s and I don't have the natural duck-to-water affinity for it my kids are already displaying. I think before sending a text message or Facebook Messenger direct message, not shoot them off at random at all times of the day like younger people. I don't use Snapchat or some of the other instant messaging apps that I know are springing up constantly. So I know I need to do my research.

Examples of contemporary romance traps

Re-reading older contemporaries can be a weird experience fraught with plot holes and unintentional hilarity. Some situations are just ludicrous because they simply wouldn't happen now.

A couple of years ago I read a category romance that left me confused and shaking my head less than half way through. The 20-something heroine in a big city started her own business in events management. She was apparently poor or at least didn't have much capital to throw at advertising. Guess what she did? She grabbed her laptop (she didn't seem to have a cell phone) and designed and printed hundreds of brochures to hand deliver and letter-drop to local businesses.

Can you spot the plot hole yet? Where was her social media? If she had an online network, she could have shared her business information instantly with thousands of people. Brochures would cost a few hundred dollars whereas a social campaign would cost virtually nothing. Where was her website? Did she have an Instagram account with photos of her previous events? Where was her Patreon or GoFundMe account to raise money?

Another women's fiction book I read a few months back made me laugh for all the wrong reasons. A famous man was hiding out in a seaside town in the off-season, which meant that he'd dropped off the face of the earth. No one could find him, no one in town recognised him or took a photo on their phone to post online. Someone had to run to the post office to send a letter before it closed for the day instead of sending an email or text message. A couple of chapters in, I realised the book had been originally published in the 1990s. The plot simply didn't make sense anymore, in a world where anyone could Google the famous man and communications are almost instant.

New social trends to watch

I watch social media trends and it's the odd, new things that catch my attention. A journalist I follow recently started a Twitter thread about her health issues. She was in pain and was having trouble getting treatment. By the end of the day, she'd used her online network to reach tens of thousands of people, including health professionals. She crowdsourced her diagnosis and had word-of-mouth referrals to several specialists!

I'd strongly recommend that writers keep an eye on younger people, online and out in the world— maybe go hang out on a university campus for a while, or in a major city at lunchtime. Grab your kids or nieces and nephews and question them about what they'd do if they wanted to meet someone, or if they wanted to find a new restaurant, for example.

I can't explain exactly what's wrong with some contemporary romances, except to say they're not really contemporary but quite nostalgic. As a reader I have trouble understanding a supposedly modern heroine who doesn't know how to use a computer, or who doesn't own a phone. It's incongruous and weird. SMH (shake my head).

BTW (by the way) all of the above is irrelevant if your characters are Amish or lost in a remote jungle somewhere! If that's the case, happy low-tech writing to you. :)

About Cassandra O'Leary

**Winner of the global We Heart New Talent contest run by HarperCollins UK. Nominated for BEST NEW AUTHOR in AusRomToday 2016 Reader's Choice Awards for excellence in Australian romance fiction**

Cassandra O’Leary is a romance and women’s fiction author, communications specialist, avid reader, film and TV fangirl and admirer of pretty, shiny things. Her debut novel, Girl on a Plane, was published in July 2016. 

Cassandra is a mother of two gorgeous, high-energy mini ninjas and wife to a spunky superhero. Living in Melbourne, Australia, she’s also travelled the world. If you want to send her to Italy or Spain on any food or wine tasting ‘research’ trips, that would be splendiferous. 

Read more or sign-up for Cassandra's newsletter at cassandraolearyauthor.com

Can ‘Old’ Books Be ‘New’ Again?

Can ‘Old’ Books Be ‘New’ Again?

How successful are “new” releases of “old” books? Do they sell? Does “dated” technology put off readers? Might new covers tempt folks to buy books they’ve already read? Can novels that failed to command big sales on the first go-round win new fans when they’re re-released in a new format or at a lower price?

These questions puzzle authors as they re-gain control over previously-published books and, in some cases, over substantial backlists. Some books may have been published 35 years ago by large traditional publishing houses. (A 1976 Copyright Act gives authors and/or their heirs the option to terminate a book contract after 35 years. As a result, many authors are expected to seize this provision in 2013 to recapture titles published in 1978.) Or the novels may have been released more recently by smaller publishing houses with contracts that typically tie up ebook and/or trade paperback rights for a shorter timeframe—often two or three years.

Many authors now view independent/self-publishing of their backlists as a lucrative source of revenue. Other authors, disappointed by sales with former publishers, believe they can boost sales by self-publishing titles and offering them at lower prices or taking advantage of marketing programs offered by ebook distributors like Amazon.

Most re-released novels require new artwork unless the publisher allowed the author to create and own her own cover or the author purchased the cover rights from the artist/publisher. The need for new covers is probably a boon for illustrators. It also raises the possibility that readers may inadvertently buy the same book a second time. To keep from annoying readers, some authors new to the self-publishing game wonder if they should alert buyers that their book is a new edition rather than a “new” book. If so, where and how prominently should such notice be made—inside front cover, back cover, author note?

Then there’s the question of updates. If a book was written, say, ten years ago, should it be updated to reflect changes in technology such as cell phone advances? And, if the book changes are substantial, do copyright issues arise? Historical authors don’t face any “out-of-date” problems. Nor do authors like Sue Grafton who neatly sidesteps the issue of rapid technology advances by placing her characters in a set time period that doesn’t change from book to book.

My debut novel, DEAR KILLER, originally published as a trade paperback in 2011, has just been issued by Harlequin Worldwide Mystery in mass market format. This version has a different cover and is offered at a much lower price. The only text changes (with my blessing) replaced a handful of expletives. I have my fingers crossed this new release finds additional readers, who will want to purchase all my books. Harlequin’s Worldwide Mystery program, which only accepts previously published books, is another option for making an “old” novel “new” again. Here’s a link to the site: http://tinyurl.com/HarlDK

So, authors, what are your plans for previously contracted books? Do you plan to self-publish? How will you handle cover art? Will you edit/update? Will you wait until you have multiple titles available to self-publish so you can gain more market traction? Let’s hear from you.