by Erica Vetsch, Erica Vetsch on Facebook

Watching the market and trends in fiction is a good discipline for a writer to learn. Being familiar with what is out there and what readers want will help you craft stories that editors will be eager to acquire. 

Note: Does this mean you should chase the market? No, you should write the book you have on your heart and mind. But be aware of themes and trends that readers in your genre like and try to weave some of those elements in.

I’m currently enjoying writing in the Regency Romance genre, and I’ve noticed a few trends that you, if you’re considering jumping into the Regency arena, might want to consider:

1. This is really an ongoing trend, but Regency is popular. For the last 200 years, Regency has been popular thanks to the efforts of Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte. Regency readers are very genre loyal, desire historical accuracy, and want all the romance of the Colin Firth version of Pride & Prejudice. Ergo, there are readers out there eager for more Regency fiction.
2. Regency readers want more than just boy meets girl. They want more substance than ‘girl goes to a ball, meets a charming boy, mishaps and trouble ensue, but happily ever after.’ Today’s Regency readers want to explore tough issues. In The Lost Lieutenant, the hero suffers from PTS, and the questions of what to do with wounded veterans after war ends are raised. In The Gentleman Spy, the issues of poverty and prostitution are tackled. In my new release, The Indebted Earl, responsibilities to those in need as well as compassion for those suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s are addressed. Regency readers enjoy that depth and complexity. 
3. Regency Readers enjoy a bit of genre diversity. Elements of romantic comedy, suspense, and mystery all blend well with Regency era fiction. In my upcoming series, The Thorndike and Swann Regency Mysteries, I blend espionage, heist fiction, and police procedural with Regency fiction. Adding flavors of other genres broadens the appeal of Regency fiction.

4. There is a segment of the Regency reading populace that wants a quality alternative to secular offerings. With the rise in popularity of shows like Bridgerton based on the novels of Julia Quinn, there is a new resurgence of interest in all things Regency. But some readers don’t want some of the things that come along with secular Regency fiction. They would prefer books with no gratuitous violence, language or sex. Books they can share with their middle-grade daughter and their grandmother without exposing themselves to elements they would rather not experience. Inspirational Regency fiction offers that alternative. There are many gifted authors writing Regency romance at the moment that contains all the period specific elements that Regency readers crave, the clothing, the carriages, the manor houses, the grand balls, and all the romance their hearts could desire, without including subjects and treatments that they would not like to read about.
5. Regency readers want connection. They want to connect with the authors who write what they enjoy, and they want to connect with other readers who share their same interests. We live in an age that, thanks to the Internet, we can find people who share our interests. Facebook is a great place to find groups of people with common passions, and I was able to find several groups for fans of Jane Austen and for Regency fiction, but I was unable to find one specifically for readers of Inspirational Regency. So…I created one! It’s called Inspirational Regency Readers, and I have been thrilled with the response so far. There is new content nearly every day, with reviews, games, polls, questions and more. The members are encouraged to post their own content about books they’re reading, sales they’ve found, authors they’ve discovered. Authors of Inspirational Regency stories are encouraged to join in, to let people know about their books and research, new cover art, or whatever is going on in their writing life. We welcome new members!

These are just a few of the trends I’ve found in the Regency romance area. Perhaps you don’t write Regency. Study the genre in which you write. Thrillers? Suspense? Mystery? Women’s Fiction? There are trends that will be common to every genre…like the desire for connection, and some that are specific to your genre. It behooves us as authors to watch and learn and react accordingly.

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The Indebted Earl

Can Captain Wyvern keep his new marriage of convenience all business–or will it turn into something more?

Captain Charles Wyvern owes a great debt to the man who saved his life–especially since Major Richardson lost his own life in the process. The best way to honor that hero’s dying wish is for Wyvern to escort the man’s grieving fiancée and mother safely to a new cottage home by the sea. But along the way, he learns of another obligation that has fallen on his shoulders: his uncle has died and the captain is now the Earl of Rothwell.

When he and the ladies arrive at his new manor house in Devon, they discover an estate in need of a leader and a gaggle of girls, all wards of the former earl. War the new earl knows; young ladies and properties he does not. Still wishing to provide for the bereaved Lady Sophia Haverly, Charles proposes a marriage of convenience.

Sophie is surprised to find she isn’t opposed to the idea. It will help her care for her betrothed’s elderly mother, and she’s already fallen in love with the wayward girls on the Rothwell estate. This alliance is a chance to repay the captain who has done so much for her care, as well as divert her attention from her grief. When Wyvern returns to his sea commission, she’ll stay behind to oversee his property and wards.

It sounds so simple. Until the stalwart captain is arrested on suspicion of smuggling, and Sophie realizes how much he’s come to mean to her. Now she’ll have to learn to fight, not only for his freedom but also for his love.

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!