Romance genre thrives despite Romance Writers Association bankruptcy amid diversity controversies
The Romance Writers of America filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 29, after years of membership decline, money issues, and claims of racism.
The Romance Writers of America, the major trade association for romance authors, revealed in recent weeks that it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection — even though romance publishing remains a billion-dollar industry and romance is still the highest-earning fiction genre. Sales of romance novels have continued to climb in recent years even while overall book sales have declined.
Yet more than 40 years since its founding, the Romance Writers of America is floundering, in part because of years of controversy surrounding race and inclusion.
The RWA’s troubled history mirrors the race issues that have permeated the romance genre overall, with many Black authors saying they are rarely supported by the industry or are shut out of it altogether. Former members said they are not surprised that the organization filed for bankruptcy protection, citing a drastic decline in membership, money woes and diversity problems.
The bankruptcy filing is the RWA’s “best opportunity to survive and to continue to try to do the work of learning to be more inclusive,” said LaQuette, an author (using a pen name) who briefly served as president-elect then president of the RWA from 2020 to 2021.
The organization has lost 80% of its membership in the last five years, according to The Associated Press. With just 2,000 members left, it cannot afford to cover nearly $3 million owed to hotels where it planned to hold its conferences. All this after years of allegations of racism and internal friction sent members fleeing by the thousands.
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