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.
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!
In love with romance novels? You’re not alone! Romance is today’s most popular fiction genre, accounting for more than half of all mass market fiction sold. If you’re looking to make a serious effort at writing a romance and getting it published in today’s multifaceted markets, you need to learn as much as you can about this highly successful field—especially how to create the perfect heroes and heroines. Now, in this easy, step-by-step guide, a top romance editor gives you the know-how you need to succeed as a romance novelist! Writing A Romance Novel For Dummies is perfect for both beginning and more accomplished writers who are looking to get the leading edge on writing a romance novel and get it published. Leslie Wainger, Executive Editor at Harlequin Books, explains what it takes to become the next Nora Roberts, providing the techniques you need to: Select a pseudonym Write a compelling, heartfelt story Find the right agent and publisher Submit a manuscript Market your novel Join clubs and associations Packed with insider advice, this plain-English guide helps you grasp the building blocks of a great romance, providing practical tips on the craft of writing as well as savvy pointers on how to hook your reader from page one, write with passion, and shape a proposal that will wow agents and editors. You get lots of expert tips on analyzing the marketplace, creating compelling characters, and finding your own voice. Wainger also: Demystifies the sub-genres of the romance world, from historical, contemporary, and multicultural to paranormal, romantic suspense, and Christian/inspirational Explains plotting, pacing, and writing those crucial love scenes Discusses how to conduct research, assign credits, and get permissions Helps you decide whether it’s best to write alone or with a partner Complete with a manuscript preparation checklist, tips for revising your work smoothly and successfully, guidance in understanding and negotiating a contract, and a list of romance writing resources, Writing A Romance Novel For Dummies is your one-stop guide to becoming a published novelist!
As the first encyclopedia solely devoted to the popular romance fiction genre, this resource provides a wealth of information on all aspects of the subject. Romance fiction accounts for a large share of book sales each year, and contrary to popular belief, not all of its readers are women: roughly 16 percent are men. This enormously popular genre continues to captivate people reading for pleasure, and it also commands a growing amount of academic interest. Included are alphabetically arranged reference entries on significant authors along with works, themes, and other topics. The articles are written by scholars, librarians, and industry professionals with a deep knowledge of the genre and so provide a thorough understanding of the subject. An index provides easy access to information within the entries, and bibliographies at the end of each entry, a general bibliography, and a suggested romance reading list allow for further study of the genre.
There’s never been a better time to be an author! Books like the Harry Potter series create a media phenomenon, with people lining up and camping outside bookstores to purchase newly released titles. Yet book sales overall – not just those of mega-sellers – are on the rise, as more and more people seek knowledge and entertainment through reading. The Library of Congress currently registers about 60,000 new titles for copyright each year. 60,000 books by 60,000 authors. Imagine yourself as one. Getting Your Book Published For Dummies is your complete guide to realizing whatever gem of an idea you’ve been carrying with you. If you’ve ever thought, “this would make a really good book,” be it the next great American novel or a guide to naming babies, here’s your chance to put pen to paper and find out! Written from both sides of the editor’s desk – by a widely published writer and a HarperCollins veteran publisher – this guide puts in your hand the advice you need to: Pick an idea Approach the publisher Craft proposals and queries Work with agents, or act as your own Self-publish Negotiate a contract Create the actual book Sell your published book Full of examples, proposals, query letters, and war stories drawn from the authors’ extensive experience, Getting Your Book Published For Dummies shows you how to clear all the hurdles faced by today’s writers – freeing up precious time for you to refine your manuscript. You’ll get the inside scoop on: Titling your book Major publishers, smaller houses, niche publishers, university presses, and spiritual and religious publishers The 12 elements of a successful nonfiction proposal How editors read queries Submitting fiction Publishing outside the box And much more Getting Your Book Published For Dummies is the clear, A-Z handbook that makes the entire process plain and practicable. You don’t need to be a celebrity. You don’t need to be some kind of publishing insider. All you need to do is write.
Originally a euphemism for Princeton University’s Female Literary Tradition course in the 1980s, "chick lit" mutated from a movement in American women’s avant-garde fiction in the 1990s to become, by the turn of the century, a humorous subset of women’s literature, journalism, and advice manuals. Stephanie Harzewski examines such best sellers as Bridget Jones’s Diary The Devil Wears Prada, and Sex and the City as urban appropriations of and departures from the narrative traditions of the novel of manners, the popular romance, and the bildungsroman. Further, Harzewski uses chick lit as a lens through which to view gender relations in U.S. and British society in the 1990s. Chick Lit and Postfeminism is the first sustained historicization of this major pop-cultural phenomenon, and Harzewski successfully demonstrates how chick lit and the critical study of it yield social observations on upheavals in Anglo-American marriage and education patterns, heterosexual rituals, feminism, and postmodern values.
"Don't lose your way! The complete idiots guide to getting published, third edition, helps you to navigate the publishing process, from submitting a proposal to promoting your book." -- Cover.
This book explores how postmillennial Anglophone women writers use romantic narrativisations of history to explore, revise, repurpose and challenge the past in their novels, exposing the extent to which past societies were damaging to women by instead imagining alternative histories. The novelists discussed employ the generic conventions of romance to narrate their understanding of historical and contemporary injustice and to reflect upon women’s achievements and the price they paid for autonomy and a life of public purpose. The volume seeks, firstly, to discuss the work of revision or reparation being performed by romantic historical fiction and, secondly, to analyse how the past is being repurposed for use in the present. It contends that the discourses and genre of romance work to provide a reparative reading of the past, but there are limitations and entrenched problems in such readings.
