What's Wrong With Romance?

I know this subject has probably been talked to death, but I got slapped in the face with it again today. I got the weekly email from Writers Village University that includes a writing market at the beginning. I read through, and think it's sounding pretty good. They even encourage beginning writers to submit their stuff and simultaneous submissions are okay, too! Woo Hoo!

Then I read this: Does not accept science fiction, erotica, westerns, horror, romance, or children's stories.

For crying out loud... what's left?

It's discouraging because I have a really, really difficult time finding short story markets and flash fiction markets that accept romance. And though, occasionally I do write something that isn't overtly romantic, romance has a strong hold on my heart, my brain and on my typing fingers.

It's written off everywhere as drivel. Sub-standard writing. Only for people with an IQ of 7.

And yet, take a look at what the vast majority of book buyers are buying. Why is that? Well, IMHO it's because romances make you feel good. They end happily. Real life does not.

I took a look at the RWA website where they list fiction buying statistics for 2005.

Check this out:

• 54.9% of paperback sales in 2004 were romance fiction

• 39.3% of all fiction sold is romance.

And a breakdown of fiction sold by genre:

• Romance -- 39.3%
• Mystery/Thriller -- 29.6%
• General Fiction -- 12.9%
• Other Fiction -- 11.8%
• Science Fiction -- 6.4%

If you were a marketing major and opted to start a magazine, do you think you might include romance and mystery as an accepted genre? So, why oh why do I only have a handful of short markets I can submit to?

Is it all about image? Like tucking your romance into a copy of Tennyson?

Argh.

That said, I was watching American Idol last night and wishing I was young enough to justify a crush on this guy (man, he's cute -- singing voice okay, but he'll sail into the top six on his looks and personality):