Outpaced for romanceComing soon

Get your book onto every trope list.

Romance readers shop by trope and by feeling, not by blurb. Outpaced would write the trope lists, if-you-liked slides and lend-this notes that get your book saved.

Built for apps today; romance is next. Join the waitlist and we'll email you once when it's live.

Join the waitlist See the examples

if i lend you this,

things i thought were red flags in a hockey player that turned out to be green flags

??? which one do i bring on the trip

  • The trope shopper
  • The holiday reader
  • The show-to-book reader
  • The spice checker

Who it’s for.

The people romance posts would be written for, one persona at a time.

  • The trope shopper

    Searches by trope (rivals, fake dating, one bed) and saves lists to buy from later.

  • The holiday reader

    Packs two books for the trip: funny first, sad for one chapter, happy at the end.

  • The show-to-book reader

    Watched the adaptation, needs the book tonight, then every book that feels like it.

  • The spice checker

    Wants to know the heat level before buying, from a reader, not from page 200.

How it works here.

The same four steps Outpaced runs for apps, as they'd work for romance.

  1. 01

    Strategy

    Find readers by trope

    Outpaced would read romance threads on Reddit, reviews and viral comments to propose personas by trope and mood, each with dated evidence and a quote it actually read.

  2. 02

    Content

    Tropes, feelings, then the book

    Trope lists and lend-this notes to get found, red-flag-green-flag flips to build trust, which-one-for-the-trip to sell. The title stays off the cover slide; the book is the reveal.

  3. 03

    Distribution

    Where romance readers scroll

    Posts to your TikTok and Instagram at each account's next free slot, on one calendar across an author's backlist. Warmed accounts already active in romance BookTok mean first posts reach readers.

  4. 04

    Routines

    A trope a week

    A routine could write a trope carousel for a different book each week, and switch to adaptation posts when a show drops. Nothing posts until you approve it.

What do romance readers need to know before they buy a book?

Reddit research

Audience language · Reddit

r/RomanceBooks · r/romancelandia

Readers want the heat level and tropes before they buy, from another reader.

  1. 1.7Kr/RomanceBookshow spicy is it? looking for a 2 out of 5
  2. 540r/romancelandiatrope lists are great until you open the book
  • "spice level please, i read on the train"u/example_1 on r/RomanceBooks · 263 points · 7 Oct
  • "the blurb said slow burn, it lied"u/example_2 on r/romancelandia · 118 points · 19 Oct
ThemeThreadsQuotes
Heat level before buying2016
Tropes that deliver1612
Blurbs that mislead97

IllustrativeExample data for an example niche. Not real accounts.

Content for every stage.

Every carousel has one job. Each format names the hook template it follows from our viral-hooks playbook.

Readers who don't know the book yet meet its trope and its feeling.

  • Paper notesL1 · Top of funnel

    if you have ever reread a text forty times,

    A fragment only the last slide finishes; the reason is person-shaped, which is how romance gets passed on.

    Playbook · Fragment cover, message on the last slide

  • Countdown to #1L1 · Top of funnel

    the fictional rivals with insane banter >>

    Pairs are how romance readers talk; one couple per slide, best last, a send-this-to close.

    Playbook · The pairs with insane chemistry

  • POV storytimeL2 · Top of funnel

    pov: you can't stand him, but there's only one bed

    POV only works with a contrast; the trope is the contrast, and it names no title.

    Playbook · POV with a contrast

Readers who've seen it on a list find out why people won't stop talking about it.

  • Apple Notes listL2 · Middle of funnel

    things i thought were too much in a love story that turned out to be the whole point

    The library's red-to-green flip, aimed at a love interest; each flip is a true beat from the book.

    Playbook · I thought: / I realised:

  • Paper notesL3 · Middle of funnel

    annotations from my second read (the margins got worse)

    Annotation photos prove the reread; romance readers tab by trope and by swoon.

    Playbook · List with a self-aware parenthetical

Readers who want the author get a reason to pick the next one now.

  • Note revealL4 · Bottom of funnel

    ??? which one goes in the beach bag

    Two of the author's books, one per slide; the comments argue and both get bought.

    Playbook · Which one should I go with

  • Tweet screenshotsL3 · Bottom of funnel

    i dare you to read the first chapter on your lunch break and go back to work

    A dare for readers who already know the author; the payoff is chapter one, not a link.

    Playbook · I dare you

What we’d post.

Example carousels, written as if leaders in this industry made them.

Playbook

Hook template

Story

Stage

Niche photo

if i lend you this,

Example Emily HenryGet found

things i thought were red flags in a hockey player that turned out to be green flags

Example Heated RivalryBuild trust

??? which one do i bring on the trip

Example Emily HenryMake the sale

Emily Henry and Heated Rivalry are shown as examples only, to illustrate the content Outpaced would create for this industry. They aren't Outpaced customers and aren't affiliated with or endorsed by Outpaced.

FAQ

Not yet. It's built for apps today and books are next. This page shows how it would work for romance authors and imprints. Join the waitlist on this page and we'll email you once when it's live.

Yes, tropes are fair game. The book's title is what stays off the cover; it's the reveal at the end. That gap is what makes people swipe.

Only as your brand allows. Heat levels and warnings would be product truths you set, and never-words keep explicit language off the slides.

A routine could rotate the backlist by trope and persona, and What's working would show which books and hooks beat your own median, so winning angles get picked more often.

Can’t find an answer to your question? Get in touch

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