Good News for Romance Sales

Romance Writers of America put together their yearly stats about book sales recently for the year 2014. In print sales, romance comes in a close second to general fiction (whatever the heck that is). General fiction captured 24.2% of print sales with romance following at 22.3%. In digital sales, romance claimed the top rank with 32.1% of the sales with thrillers a distant second at 15%. An interesting note about digital sales is that fantasy lurked in at #5 with 5.7%. I love reading fantasy and science fiction but they seldom make the top of the lists for units sold. I know from my own fantasy writing, my sales numbers are minute compared to how much romance I sell.

Another thing of interest to me in the report was the list of growing subcategories in romance that are really gaining in digital sales. Science fiction is one of them and for once I'm actually writing what is currently popular with my two published space opera series and my third series that is coming soon.

My birthday was last week and my dear children came up with some great gifts. Three gift cards to bookstores, a really cool thumb drive that my daughter bought for me in Oman(it's shaped like a dagger), and a half dozen cans of iced coffee. My dear husband bought me that Shark Rocket I've been eyeing because my vacuum cleaner is just too heavy to lug up and down the steps. Yes, we've been married long enough that I appreciate household items for gifts when they're meant to make my life easier. He bought me flowers too.

I checked two things off my 'to-do' list last week and only added one. What we call progress in my little writing office. It's also that time of year when I start shopping around for my new desk planner. You've heard me rave about The Old Farmer's Almanac Engagement Calendar for the past two years, but I always look to see if there's something else that I might like better. Things I require in a planner are that it be spiral bound so it lays out flat and that it displays a week at a time. It also must have enough space for each day for me to jot down appointments, blogging ideas and my to-do lists. The bookstores are putting their selections out now as they prepare for Christmas shoppers.

Good things to look ahead to this week for me. My husband doesn't need me to help with his paint job anymore. I'm having lunch with a friend on Tuesday and going to give blood that day. That always makes me feel good. And I should get more writing done since I'm not painting.

What are you looking forward to this week? Do you us an appointment calendar and if you do, what requirements do you have for your choice? Do you mind getting household items for gifts? Did you find anything interesting or surprising about those book sales stats?