Rant regarding the Romantic fantasy genre.. feel free to add your "2 cents"

[blakestackman]

Firstly, I want to give some context. Tapas is currently running a readers competition, though, when I took a look at the genres they were advertising, I was overwhelmed by the amount of Romantic fantasy, and to my disappointment, I could not find a single fantasy genre without it being tainted by the term, "Romantic".

As a fan of fantasy literature, I have to get something off my chest - the lack of diverse fantasy content on the Tapas app is incredibly frustrating. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a good romantic fantasy as much as the next person, but where are the epic adventures, the magical realms, and the heroic quests that make the fantasy genre so captivating? It seems like Tapas is fixated on catering solely to the romantic fantasy fanbase, completely neglecting the rich and diverse world of fantasy literature.

Fantasy is a genre bursting with potential, offering readers a chance to escape into imaginative worlds filled with mythical creatures, ancient prophecies, and breathtaking magic. However, Tapas seems to have tunnel vision when it comes to the types of fantasy it promotes, consistently favoring romantic subplots over the epic and awe-inspiring narratives that have defined the genre for generations.

This narrow focus on romantic fantasy not only limits the variety of content available to readers, but it also overlooks the vast and dedicated audience of fantasy enthusiasts who are hungry for more than just love triangles and forbidden romances. Where are the gripping tales of heroes battling ancient evils, the intricate political intrigues of fantastical kingdoms, and the mind-bending adventures through uncharted realms? These are the stories that have captivated readers for decades, yet they seem to be sorely lacking on the Tapas platform.

While it's understandable that romantic fantasy has its appeal, it's disheartening to see the genre pigeonholed into a single, narrow narrative. Fantasy is so much more than just romance, and by failing to showcase the full spectrum of fantastical storytelling, Tapas is missing out on an opportunity to engage a wider and more diverse audience.

It's possible that Tapas has chosen to focus on romantic fantasy because it's what they believe the majority of readers are interested in. However, by doing so, they're inadvertently perpetuating the misconception that fantasy is synonymous with romance, which does a disservice to the genre as a whole. There is a vibrant and passionate community of fantasy fans who crave stories that transcend the confines of romantic subplots, and it's time for Tapas to recognize and celebrate the diversity within the genre.

What are your thoughts?

[Kelheor]

They were running a romance competition. It was called "True Love". Why would you look for fantasy there?
Tapas is 99% into romance/reincarnation stuff right now, I just wouldn't look for fantasy anything on the front page for at least a couple more years. We can say all we want, apparently it is what makes them money. Before that it was BL. Before that it was gag-a-day. There are other platforms and there are not premium comics in Community/Canvas that feature non-romantic or at least non- predominantly romantic fantasy pieces.
Also Tapas belongs to Kakao now, they don't really decide much.

[Headypigeon4180]

Romance is the most popular genre which is why Tapas and other sites are doubling down on it right now. Problem is the bubble is going to burst at the rate it's going, oversaturation of any genre isn't a good thing. Comics years before Marvel came on the market where heavily oversaturated by Romance stuff which is part of why Superhero comics were able to get their foot in the door and take over.

The other 3 most popular genres are Adventure, Action and Horror. Tapas doesn't really go for Horror but Action can do well enough on here. If you're fed up with Romance being oversaturated try, Duck, Comic Fury and Globalcomix. Those sites are basically the wild west.

[BoomerZ]

My biggest problem is not the romance genre (I write a romance/horror comics) but the bargain basement story telling of them. You can hide a romance in a fantasy. Almost all fantasy has romance in it. But most are very basic and seem to be for people to read for about a month and move on as the story is going nowhere.

[NickRowler]

Romance is just very popular. Tapas did recently add a "Romance Fantasy" subgenre, so maybe that might help fix the fantasy tag. Also make sure you clicked on Fantasy and not Romance Fantasy in the search, I clicked Fantasy and didn't see that many romance ones.

I am sort of confused by some of the Romance Fantasy stories not really being fantasy. They have castles and kings and knights but not really magic or such. They almost feel like period pieces but in fictional countries. I guess the biggest magical element is the reincarnation. I guess they are fantasy in the sense that it's something that would never happen.

[KSlinger]

I feel this might be a more general 'art these days' problem than a Tapas problem. Tapas as a site has to support itself and will always prioritise the stories that make money, that'll never change. What's currently making the money WILL change, though. And the artists who are successful here are the ones who move and work with those trends.

If there's anyone here who's actually in it for the money I'll bet they can't afford to pour their heart and souls into alternative stories like the ones you describe because they have to make ends meet. I've no doubt those stories exist, but publishing them takes time and energy. If romance sells and Tapas endorses it, that's what will appear. The day Tapas showcases and fully supports high fantasy stories featuring political intrigue and a lack of romantic themes, those, too, will appear.

I say all this as the maker of a fantasy story without major romantic themes that's been on the website for years and years and has never been featured. I'm not sure I've ever been on the front page at all. But it is what it is. We are here, you just need to find us.

[joannekwan]

As a mod for the forum and the Tapas discord I see nearly everything people post. And lo and behold, people ARE reading a lot of romance fantasy and isekai currently.
I had thought the isekai subgenre wasn't popular with creators, but to my surprise, I've run into a few on the discord who do love them. Additionally, I'll see threads on here asking for help identifying stories where the OP (usually a reader, not creator) has forgotten the titles, and many of them are indeed romance or romance fantasies. So if those are just small samples, then surely there are a bunch of readers out there who are definitely consuming these genres and giving Tapas their money.

[Mallory]

IDK if you’ve ever taken a peep at industry numbers, but romance is responsible for 80% of all profits generated from fiction book sales. It is an absolute behemoth when it comes to money-making, and it has an enormous amount of dedicated readers who are willing to spend frequently and generously. Even in traditional publishing, “Romantasy” is the current hot trend, with every publisher clamouring for more books in the genre. At the end of the day, this is a business to Tapas and a life’s goal/career to the writers, if they at all enjoy romance and fantasy elements and it's successful, why would they choose to focus on anything else?

I say this as someone who has never touched a romantic fantasy book (or romance in general. I LIKE the idea of a romantic book, but I don't really like the tropes that everyone else seems to go gaga over). Not every book has to appeal to every reader. Not every publisher (traditional, digital, or web) caters to absolutely every audience. You have to find your own space as a creator, and as a reader.

[cherrystark]

Well, if you're looking for a good fantasy story in a romance contest - you're looking in the wrong place.

As someone who does get tired of the same types of stories filling up online reading platforms, romance is just a part of the game. People want to read it, so sites push it to make money. It's the nature of the game. Fiction is cyclical so if a person's reading a lot of fantasy romances, that's what they're going to right.

And honestly, if you don't want to read fantasy romances or feel like David is going against the romance Goliath - maybe it's time to branch out on your own. You can write the fantasy you want and not worry about the competition.

[ratscout]

Well, it IS called the True Love on Tapas contest for a reason. XD honestly, romance is one of those genres I heavily disliked as a kiddo. I was all like, "I hate romance why does every story have to have a romance!" But as an adult I realize that people love romance and one of the reasons why it's one of my favorite genres as an adult when it's done well is because, obviously, humans are hardwired to want to find love and have families. Nothing wrong with that. I find that stories that have love as a core theme can be deeply touching and indescribably meaningful. 🥰 I do agree that a lot of romance is questionably written though lol

[TheArtificerOwl]

I concur. I am a proud owner of a simple fantasy genre that dedicates MOSTLY to a journey-like or adventerous vibe... actually all of them do. I wish there was at least a general genre called "adventure" or "Adventure Fantasy" and add onto it "SciFi" it's just way too vague. I can't fit my stuff in much because of the limited terms of what is made and all this romance is making me sick. Yes there's romance in my stuff but it's not ooey and gooey with girly crappy crap. It's just... normal relationship engagement... interests. It doesn't revolve around just action and it doesn't revolve around just romance n stuff. Soul Stasis is a beautiful culmination of a LOT of genres put together but most of all it is a SciFi adventure filled with neat twists and horror bits.

[jwabeasley]

Shoot, ya got me. I'm doing a romantasy myself and I'll agree that there is a lot of just absolute smut and the genre seems to be clogged to the gills at first blush, although if you look at the community creators there's probably only a dozen or so of us that have active regularly-updating ongoing fantasy romance comics.

Partly, romance fantasy is just a really large umbrella term - there's a big difference between smut about vampires/werewolves/pirates, romances that take place in D&D-like settings, and modern paranormal adventure-romances like mine. There's still a tremendous amount of untapped narrative potential in stories that are about two people who like each other where something beyond mundane happens.

Have hope, though. I hated isekai for crowding out regular fantasy in the late 2010's, but non-isekai fantasy has started to make a real comeback in the anime world recently, and they're better for the competition.

Since indie webcomics are slow-moving, now's the perfect time to build a backlog in the genres you feel are underrepresented. To a degree, that's what I'm doing - I thought well-written non-smut kitsune-type romances are lacking right now, so I've taken a stab at writing one.

Read Etherwood | Tapas Web Community

[joannekwan]

[joannekwan]