Illustrated fantasy couple standing close together in a fantasy world with a full moon, header image for a blog post comparing fantasy romance and romantasy genres

Fantasy Romance vs. Romantasy: What’s the Difference?

Okay, but… aren’t fantasy romance and romantasy basically the same thing?

That’s a question I’ve asked myself more than once.

If you’ve been anywhere near the book world lately, you’ve seen the word romantasy everywhere. It’s on bookstore shelves. It’s all over social media. People are recommending romantasy books, arguing about romantasy tropes, and debating whether a particular book is actually counts.

Which brings us to the obvious question: what is romantasy, anyway?

The short answer is that romantasy is a blend of romance and fantasy. The slightly longer answer is that both pieces matter enough to the story that pulling either one out would break the book.

And that’s where things get fuzzy, because fantasy romance and romantasy overlap. A lot.

Image for blog post "What Actually Counts as a Book: A reader's guide to story length."

Novel vs Novella vs Novelette vs Short Story vs Flash Fiction: A Reader’s Glossary

What’s the actual difference between a novel, novella, novelette, short story, and flash fiction? How long is each one? And, perhaps more importantly, does reading a novella or novelette actually count as reading a book?

I’ll give you the definitions. You can tell me what you think.

Somewhere along the way, we decided books only come in one size. Big. Chunky. The kind that leaves a dent in your nightstand and a crick in your neck if you read them lying down.

That’s a lie, and I’m here to correct the record.

Short fiction comes in four distinct flavors, plus the novel you already know, and most readers can’t actually tell you the difference between any of them. You’ve probably heard “novella” tossed around. You’ve maybe never heard “novelette” in your life, unless you were at that party with me. So let’s fix that, because knowing the difference between a novella and a novelette isn’t just trivia. It changes what you should expect to feel by the last page, and, more importantly for people like me, it changes your year-end reading stats.

A wet dog mid-shake, water flying, with the title "Why I Built the Wet Dog Reading Room" overlaid on the image

Why I Built the Wet Dog Reading Room (and What it Means for You)

I used to listen to everyone. Authors telling me to write to market. Readers asking why the sequel wasn’t out yet. Gurus insisting I needed better hooks, more content pillars, a stronger three-second opener. All of it contradictory. All of it loud. Somewhere in the noise, I stopped enjoying the thing I loved most: books. Holding them. Reading them. Writing them.

Then I read a quote that stopped me cold: comparison is the biggest thief of joy. I couldn’t shake it. So I asked myself what actually brings me joy, and I built something around the answer instead of around what everyone else said I should do.

It’s called the Wet Dog Reading Room, and the name goes back further than you’d think. This is the story of why I built it, what it means for readers who join, and why I’m giving my stories away free before anywhere else.