I've been reading a ton of romance recently. I've been taking notes about when certain plot points happen, and the types of heroines and heroes in the novels I love -- and the ones I don't.
I've noticed that the hero's profession is something that draws female readers in. I've seen carpenters and contractors. Very tall, handsome, and strong, with all that lifting and stuff. And they're very handy, if you catch my drift.
I like the construction type, mostly because I can't even pound a nail into the wall! :)
I've seen professional athletes, in football and bull riding. Again, tall, handsome, and strong. Really know how to play the game. I've liked those too.
I've read helicopter pilots, musicians, police officers, firemen, ranchers, cowboys, and actors.
I'm starting to wonder how important the hero's profession is. I haven't quite put my finger on it yet. I want my heroes to be familiar, but also unique. Sometimes that's really hard to do, because if you stray too far out of the lines, readers will be turned off.
So for now, I haven't tried coloring outside the lines. My heroes have fallen into the "acceptable" romance tropes for now.
What do you think about a hero's profession?
It's nice to see an author writing clean romance. You have to be practical. As a new published author trying to build a loyal group of women readers who will follow you and buy your books, you have to deliver what they like to read ... the familiar hero. Once you become a best seller author then you can experiment and choose an out of the box profession for your hero. You might wish to google for the top 5-10 professions for hero in romantic novels and stay within this list. Best wishes to you and your family.
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