So You Want to Write NA Contemporary Romance?

Photo credit: idea ablaze on Flickr

Note: The inevitable has happened, my friends. After 600+ posts, I've accidentally re-written a post. The original is here, and this one is slightly different (since, you know, I wrote it thinking I hadn't written it yet). Think of it as having 1.5x the resources if you want to write NA Contemporary Romance. :) 

What is it? 

College (or college-age, at least), swoony book boyfriends (and girlfriends), awesome voices, awkward moments, stepping into adulthood, there are so many components of NA Contemporary Romances.

What do they have in common? They all feature college-age protagonists, are in a modern day setting, and the plot largely revolves around a romance.

Pros/Cons of Writing NA Contemporary Romance: 

Pros: 

• Wonderful voices. Like YA, one of my favorite things about NA are the incredibly diverse and powerful voices. There’s a very distinct sound to NA and some really wonderful voices that set them apart and absolutely fit the age range of their protagonists. 


• Adorable (or heart-wrenching) romances. The tone in NA novels varies greatly, but in the end, the romances are really great. From the light, fluffy and adorable to the darker, emotionally-ridden conflicts, the romances stick with you long after the book has ended. 


• Very popular (right now). Which means there’s so much to choose from! And it’s pretty good from a marketing standpoint, because books in popular categories and genres generally have a better chance of selling well. 

Cons: 

• Stigma/common misconceptions. There are a lot of people out there who still believe (and say) that New Adult is Young Adult with sex. Or that New Adult is the same as erotica. Neither of which are true, but it is an assumption a lot of people make about the category, particularly NA Contemporary Romance. 


• Mostly digital. I mean, this is really only a con if your dream is to be traditionally published in print. NA is actually doing really well in the digital marketplace, and some NA authors have gone on to be traditionally published after their digitally published books took off (see Tammara Webber, Cora Carmack and Jennifer Armentrout, for example). But at the moment at least, NA is mostly a digital phenomena, and while it’s (painfully) slowly breaking in the traditional print sphere, it’s not quite there yet. 


• Very popular (right now). Which means it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. Being part of a popular movement definitely has it’s pros and cons. 

Recommended Reading: 


As I’ve said in every other So You Want To Write post, reading in the genre (and category) you’re writing in is mandatory. Lucky for you, there are loads of awesome books out there to enjoy and learn from.

Note: I’ve read (and enjoyed) all of these except for Unteachable, which is on my TBR list because I’ve heard great things about it.

• Easy (Contours of the Heart duology) by Tammara Webber 
• Faking It (Losing It series) by Cora Carmack 
• Make it Count (Bowler University series) by Megan Erickson
• Only the Good Die Young by K.K. Hendin
• The Sound of Us (Radio Hearts series) by Ashley Poston
• Unteachable by Leah Raeder

For more, check out Goodreads’s New Adult page (which includes more than just Contemporary Romance) and their Popular New Adult books books shelf (which are mostly, but possibly not all Contemporary Romance).

Helpful Links:

• What is ‘New Adult’? Romance Editors and Authors Tell All by Natalie Zutter for bookish.com (partially) reposted on xoxoafterdark.com.
• RT14 Panel Recap: NA: Capturing the New Adult Voice by me on Writability.
• RT14 Panel Recap: NA: What’s Next in New Adult? by me on Writability.
• New Adult: No Sex Required by me on Writability.
• Young Adult vs. New Adult: What’s the Difference? by me on Writability. 

Do you enjoy reading or writing NA Contemporary Romance? Share your experience! 

Twitter-sized bites: 

Thinking about writing NA Contemporary Romance? Writer @Ava_Jae shares some tips, recommendations and more. (Click to tweet)  

Do you write NA Contemporary Romance? Share your experience at @Ava_Jae’s So You Want to Write series. (Click to tweet) 

Book Review: THE SOUND OF US by Ashley Poston

Photo credit: Goodreads

So once upon a time, the amazing Dahlia Adler posted about some New Adult books anyone interested in the category should read, and The Sound of Us by Ashley Poston was super highly recommended.

So I read it. And loved it. But before I begin my raving, here’s the Goodreads summary:

“America's favorite pop band, Roman Holiday, is done, dead, and so totally last year. For eighteen-year-old rockoholic Junie Baltimore, this is music to her ears. But when she discovers their sexy ex-lead singer hiding out on the boardwalk, her summer vacation becomes the cover story of the year. 

She's willing to keep him a secret, but when a sleazy paparazzo offers her the cash she needs to save the bar her father left behind, could she sell out for the chance to save her future? Who is she kidding? That's a no-brainer...but she never planned on falling head over heels for the lead singer.”

If I had to describe The Sound of Us in one word, it’d be ADORABLE. Gah. This book was so freaking cute, I don’t even know where to begin.

I picked up this book because I was promised some laughs and a light-hearted, fun read, and that’s exactly what I got. Junie is a delightful protagonist with major snark and some really funny thoughts and Roman is sexy and entertaining and their romance is so swoon worthy and fun and I just loved it.

A lot of NA books have some pretty heavy themes (hell, a lot of what I read in general has some pretty heavy or dark themes), so The Sound of Us was a wonderful breath of sweet, fresh air. Also, I’m not a huge music buff, but if you are, you’ll love this book. For real. So if you’re looking for something fun and downright cute and have an interest in music (or even if you don't!), definitely give this one a try.

Have you read The Sound of Us or something fun recently? 

Twitter-sized bites: 

.@Ava_Jae gives 5/5 stars to THE SOUND OF US by @ashposton. Have you read this fun NA romance? (Click to tweet)  

Looking for a light-hearted, fun NA read? Try THE SOUND OF US by @ashposton. (Click to tweet)