Did you find this glossary of book slangs and romance book lingo helpful? Have I missed any important book reader slang or romance novel abbreviations? We are a team of publishing industry veterans, literary agents, marketing specialists, and book production experts. Our mission is to provide valuable insights into the ever-evolving world of books and publishing. This hybridization often allows authors to tackle complex emotional themes—such as Online Bookkeeping identity, alienation, and transformation—through metaphor and allegory, enriching the narrative depth of M/M romance titles.
YA: Young Adult
Authentic representation of queer identities is a mm meaning in books defining element of M/M romance. Stories frequently explore issues such as internalized homophobia, coming out, intersectionality, and chosen family. However, the degree of focus on LGBTQ+ identity varies—some books treat queerness as central to the plot, while others present it as a normalized aspect of the character’s life. As I don’t use Facebook I can’t give any detailed info, but many romance readers are active on Facebook and there are both general MM romance groups and author-specific groups out there.
Expansion into Multimedia and Mainstream Culture
- Jump to specific sections or explore the complete bookish acronyms list below.
- Created as male equivalent of Sapphic, though currently used much less frequently.
- These are a great way to find out about recently released books, and books fellow subreddit members have enjoyed.
- They’re typically offered in exchange for reviews or publicity.
- Novella – A story that is shorter than a novel, typically between 17,500 to 40,000 words.
- So in the end, the question of whether or not a book is “good” is up to personal taste.
- Monster Romance – A story about a relationship between a human character and non-human character, such as orcs, demons, krakens, etc.
Requests must be specific and follow the subreddit rules. Requests for entire subgenres and tropes, or seeking an introduction to MM romance, are not allowed. Slow Burn – A story where the romantic relationship takes time to develop. A common definition is a story where it takes at least 50% of the story for the characters to enter a relationship, though the definition is ultimately up to the individual reader/author. Power Imbalance – A story involving a romantic or sexual relationship between characters with varying levels of power, such as teacher/student, employer/employee, etc. M/NB, M/X – A story about a romantic or sexual relationship between a man/masculine person and a non-binary person.
Second Time Lucky by Ethan Day
- An “ARC” is an advanced reader copy, a prepublication version of a book given to readers, journalists and other authors by the publisher.
- Some published MM books got started on these websites, and a few authors still post extras or smaller works there.
- Even back then, women dominated this genre with 90% of fan fiction authors being female by 1973.
- It usually involves a lot of gore or inferences of violence.
- Sites like AO3 and Wattpad have a plethora of fanfiction but also lots of original works that are available for free.
- They can or cannot conform to the actual historical facts of that time, but they do involve historical characters and historical times.
ScienceFiction/SciFi – romance that includes usually aliens, space travel, etc. RH – Reverse Harem, a romance between one FMC and multiple partners (usually more than three partners, of any genders). MMF – 2 Males and one Female where the males do interact romantically. MFM – 2 Males and one Female where the males do not interact romantically. All of the bookish abbreviations and terminology I could think of. Over the years, unique book slang terms and lingo have popped up on Booktok and Bookstagram.
- Anything ‘historical’ in the fiction world is generally considered anything twenty-five years before the novel is written.
- This distinction is crucial for readers and writers alike, as it sets expectations regarding tone, structure, and emotional payoff.
- Trisha Brown grew up in Washington State and moved to Washington, DC, to work on programs that support vulnerable families.
- This shared language fosters a strong sense of community among fans and creators, making the genre highly interactive and participatory.
- Come tell us what you’ve read in the Weekly Roundup (posted every Friday), join in on discussions, and share your thoughts and book recommendations.
Arr, Matey: Book Piracy and the Indie Author
Marriage of Convenience – the main characters must get married for reasons other than love (e.g. money or to avoid scandal). The progression of MM romance is a surprise to many that aren’t familiar with the genre and its beginnings. In a genre that focuses on homoerotic stories, it’s natural to think that the background in this type of literature would stem from the homosexual literature that has been written for generations. However, the modern view of this phenomenon starts at an unexpected place and took some interesting turns to get where the genre assets = liabilities + equity is today. The world of MM romance and homoerotic fiction is full of surprises.
Who Is M/M Romance For?
Most stories in this genre focus on college and coming-of-age. The dividing line between YA and NA is usually high-school graduation or reaching the legal age of majority. MMF – A relationship between two men/masculine people and one woman/femme. Typically, MMF is used to refer to a relationship where all three people interact with each other during sex. MFM is used to refer to a situation where the men do not have a relationship/sex. Enemies to Lovers – A story where the characters start off as adversaries, enemies, or opponents but become lovers as the story progresses.
- Paranormal can be a genre all of its own, but PNR usually always means a paranormal romance story.
- Paranormal romance and urban fantasy are considered subgenres of fantasy.
- Toaster Oven – a female character who goes through a process of self-discovery and figures out that she isn’t as straight as she previously assumed.
- Ace – An abbreviation of “asexual,” meaning someone who does not experience sexual attraction.
- In this genre, authors were able to take characters, places, and ideas that they loved from other works and put them in a world that they created.
- These decisions often don’t make sense for the character or in the context of the plot, but are made anyway to give the author an easy way to create suspense or danger.
M/M romance and gay fiction are often conflated, but they have distinct characteristics that influence how they’re written, marketed, and received. M/M (male/male) romance is primarily a subgenre of romance fiction that focuses on romantic and/or sexual relationships between two men. Its defining feature is the centrality of the romantic relationship, typically culminating in a happily-ever-after (HEA) or happy-for-now (HFN) ending. It adheres to many of the same narrative structures and tropes found in heterosexual romance novels.
