The Metro: Books on Black love deserve space in the romance genre
Only 11% of all romance books published in 2025 were written by authors of color. At the same time, books centering Black experiences are seen as their own “niche”, held separate from the genre at large.
For generations, we’ve all heard fairy tale love stories. We learn early on in life who gets to be loved and who doesn’t.
Oftentimes, those characters from those stories are written through a specific lens. Rarely do these great romantic tales center Black characters or characters of color at all.
Black love stories are seen as a niche genre.
The State of Racial Diversity in Romance Publishing Study tracks the publication of books written by authors who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color) in the traditional romance genre.
According to findings, only 11% of the books published within the romance genre were from writers of color.
So, what does it mean to call Black love “niche”? And who decides which love stories are universal?
Sylvia Hubbard is an author of over 70 romance novels. She joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to talk more about diversity within the romance genre.
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