Publishing Romance

Romance novels have attracted considerable attention since their mass market debut in 1939, yet seldom has the industry itself been analyzed. Founded in 1949, Harlequin quickly gained market domination with their contemporary romances. Other publishers countered with historical romances, leading to the rise of “bodice-ripper” romances in the 1970s. The liberation of the romance novel’s content during the 1980s brought a vitality to the market that was dubbed a revolution, but the real romance revolution began in the 1990s with developments in the mainstream publishing industry and continues today. This book traces the history and evolution of the romance industry, covering successful (and not so successful) trends and describing changes in romance publishing that paved the way for the many popular subgenres flooding the market in the 21st century.

Originally published in 1984, Reading the Romance challenges popular (and often demeaning) myths about why romantic fiction, one of publishing's most lucrative categories, captivates millions of women readers. Among those who have disparaged romance reading are feminists, literary critics, and theorists of mass culture. They claim that romances enforce the woman reader's dependence on men and acceptance of the repressive ideology purveyed by popular culture. Radway questions such claims, arguing that critical attention "must shift from the text itself, taken in isolation, to the complex social event of reading." She examines that event, from the complicated business of publishing and distribution to the individual reader's engagement with the text. Radway's provocative approach combines reader-response criticism with anthropology and feminist psychology. Asking readers themselves to explore their reading motives, habits, and rewards, she conducted interviews in a midwestern town with forty-two romance readers whom she met through Dorothy Evans, a chain bookstore employee who has earned a reputation as an expert on romantic fiction. Evans defends her customers' choice of entertainment; reading romances, she tells Radway, is no more harmful than watching sports on television. "We read books so we won't cry" is the poignant explanation one woman offers for her reading habit. Indeed, Radway found that while the women she studied devote themselves to nurturing their families, these wives and mothers receive insufficient devotion or nurturance in return. In romances the women find not only escape from the demanding and often tiresome routines of their lives but also a hero who supplies the tenderness and admiring attention that they have learned not to expect. The heroines admired by Radway's group defy the expected stereotypes; they are strong, independent, and intelligent. That such characters often find themselves to be victims of male aggression and almost always resign themselves to accepting conventional roles in life has less to do, Radway argues, with the women readers' fantasies and choices than with their need to deal with a fear of masculine dominance. These romance readers resent not only the limited choices in their own lives but the patronizing atitude that men especially express toward their reading tastes. In fact, women read romances both to protest and to escape temporarily the narrowly defined role prescribed for them by a patriarchal culture. Paradoxically, the books that they read make conventional roles for women seem desirable. It is this complex relationship between culture, text, and woman reader that Radway urges feminists to address. Romance readers, she argues, should be encouraged to deliver their protests in the arena of actual social relations rather than to act them out in the solitude of the imagination. In a new introduction, Janice Radway places the book within the context of current scholarship and offers both an explanation and critique of the study's limitations.

The romance publishing landscape in the Philippines is vast and complex, characterised by entangled industrial players, diverse kinds of texts, and siloed audiences. This Element maps the large, multilayered, and highly productive sector of the Filipino publishing industry. It explores the distinct genre histories of romance fiction in this territory and the social, political and technological contexts that have shaped its development. It also examines the close connections between romance publishing and other media sectors alongside unique reception practices. It takes as a central case study the Filipino romance self-publishing collective #RomanceClass, analysing how they navigate this complex local landscape as well as the broader international marketplace. The majority of scholarship on romance fiction exclusively focuses on the Anglo-American industry. By focusing here on the Philippines, the authors hope to disrupt this phenomenon, and to contribute to a more decentred, rhizomatic approach to understanding this genre world.

Are You Missing Out on the Indie Publishing Revolution? Tell us a love story! Writing Romance Novels in the 21st Century! This book is a simple beginner’s guide for YOU to get started immediately writing and publishing your first (or next) romance ebook. I want to make the process simpler for you and more direct. It’s filled with HINTS and TIPS that you can really come back to at any point while you're WRITING ABOUT LOVE, and you can jump to any section you need to for a bit of inspiration or information. I want to cut to the chase with the steps you need to take, and I want to let you know that AT ANY TIME you can put down this book and just GO start writing your romance novel or short story. (I’ll be here when you get back!) You are a writer today! We’ll discuss why you should write a romance novel, how to get started, and what’s involved with your main characters, your “world”, your storyline, and your plot. We’ll discuss everything from steamy love scenes to choosing titles and creating ebook covers. We’ll talk about editing, marketing, pen names, romance creativity, and so much more! (But we’ll be quick so you can get writing!)

Are you ready to have fun and make money self-publishing with friends? Writing can be difficult, lonely work when done alone. But it doesn't have to be that way. We offer a method of self-publishing that is collaborative and fun. If you’re breaking into the self-publishing world or just starting out, this is the guide for you! How to Self-Publish Romance with Friends is an indispensable blueprint for evolving your story ideas into published works. We want to save you from the frustration and loneliness of trying to do everything yourself. AJ Tipton is a highly successful self-publishing team, and we’re willing to let you in on the secrets, hard-earned lessons, and tips we’ve learned about this exciting world. This book includes: + The best way to choose your co-author + How to pick a genre and subgenre + A fail proof method to create a story that sells + An inside guide to hiring freelancers for editing, cover art creation, translations, and more + Formatting and editing tips + Publishing platforms and questions to ask: Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, Nook, etc. + The pros and cons of translating your book + How to create—and use—your budget + Tips to successfully market your books + The power of social media + How to keep your partnership sustainable, share tasks, and continue to write together And so much more! If you're ready to get creative and write with friends, read this step-by-step guide to start your journey to successful self-publishing now!

Emi's destiny was written by the gods. She has spent her life preparing to become the mortal host of a goddess, but when she discovers the lies surrounding her fate, she makes a dangerous bargain with a fox spirit to find the truth. As her final days as a mortal approach, she must choose whether to bow to duty ... or fight for her life.

Many authors write, then market. Successful authors write TO market Have you written a book that just isn't selling? Would you like to write a book that readers eagerly devour? Many authors write, then market. Successful authors write TO market. They start by figuring out how to give readers what they want, and that process begins before writing word one of your novel. This book will teach you to analyze your favorite genre to discover what readers are buying, to mine reviews for reader expectations, and to nail the tropes your readers subconsciously crave. Don't leave the success of your novel up to chance. Deliver the kind of book that will have your fans hounding you for the next one.

What makes a romance novel a romance? How do you write a kissing book?Writing a well-structured romance isn't the same as writing any other genre-something the popular novel and screenwriting guides don't address. The romance arc is made up of its own story beats, and the external plot and theme need to be braided to the romance arc-not the other way around.Told in conversational (and often irreverent) prose, Romancing the Beat can be read like you are sitting down to coffee with romance editor and author Gwen Hayes while she explains story structure. The way she does with her clients. Some of whom are regular inhabitants of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists.Romancing the Beat is a recipe, not a rigid system. The beats don't care if you plot or outline before you write, or if you pants your way through the drafts and do a "beat check" when you're revising. Pantsers and plotters are both welcome. So sit down, grab a cuppa, and let's talk about kissing books.