Here’s an interesting development in the ever-expanding world of Amazon.com. According to CNNMoney (June 4, 2012), Amazon now runs eight separate publishing lines.
Amazon buys 62-year-old book publisher Avalon Books
http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/04/technology/amazon-avalon-books/index.htm
Adrienne
Erotica Readers & Writers Association
www.erotica-readers.local
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According to a New York Times article, on Tuesday, Penguin Group (publisher of such notables as Tom Clancy and Nora Robers) will unveil Book Country, a website for writers of genre fiction.
“In its initial phase Book Country will allow writers to post their own work — whether it’s an opening chapter or a full manuscript — and receive critiques from other users, who can comment on points like character development, pacing and dialogue.”
Sounds pretty cool so far, however, here’s the kicker: Later this summer the site will generate revenue by allowing users to self-publish their books for a fee. The books will bear the stamp of Book Country, not Penguin.
The project is spearheaded by Molly Barton, the director of business development for Penguin and the president of Book Country.
So, what we have here is a very clever way for Penguin to raise income by enabling authors to self-publish stuff Penguin is not interested in publishing. Got to admire that bit of business ingenuity.
By Lisabet Sarai
Approximately two years ago, the mega-publisher Random House acquired Virgin Books, including its celebrated erotica imprints Black Lace and Nexus. Roughly two weeks ago, Random House announced that they planned to shut down both lines. For many of us in the erotica reading and writing community, this is extremely sad though not completely unexpected news.
Speaking from a personal perspective, Black Lace is responsible for my ten year career as an erotica author. It’s not only the fact that Black Lace published my first novel, Raw Silk. I would never have written the book in the first place if I hadn’t picked up a copy of Portia da Costa’s Black Lace title Gemini Heat from the bookshelf of my hotel in Instanbul. Gemini Heat (which I’ve recently learned was Portia’s first novel) overwhelmed me with its sensuality, imagination, diversity and intelligence. To put it more crudely, it was possibly the hottest thing I’d ever read, far surpassing the Pauline Reage and A. N. Roquelaure titles that had been my touchstones up to that point.
My first reaction was “Wow!” My second was, “I’ll bet I could write something like that…”
Erotic fiction for women, by women. Back in 1993, when Black Lace launched, this was an original, even radical concept. Before the Best Women’s Erotica series, before Susie Bright’s Best American Erotica, there was Black Lace: carefully crafted, meticulously edited, classy stories about women and sex with three dimensional characters and non-trivial plots. Rich, delicious, graphic, transgressive—erotic fantasies that you could enjoy at both an intellectual and a physical level.
Some people, including members of the ERWA Writers list, have a long-standing gripe with Black Lace’s women-only policy, which they view as discriminatory. I do not plan to reignite that debate here. As a marketing ploy, however, the policy was effective, at least initially. Since 1993, Black Lace has published over 250 titles and sold more than three million books. Paper books, mind you.
Black Lace helped establish the mainstream market for erotica. Black Lace didn’t exactly make erotica respectable—that might be a contradiction, even counter-productive—but it provided a steady diet of erotic content that aroused without insulting the reader’s intelligence.
Markets evolve, however. It is a truism at this point that the publishing industry has changed dramatically in the last half decade, and is continuing to do so. The rise of e-publishing and Print-On-Demand pose challenges to traditional publishing concerns. Meanwhile, the erotica market has matured and diversified. Black Lace was a pioneer, but in recent years seems to have been involved in a game of me-too, jumping on the popular bandwagons of paranormal romance and softer core erotic chick lit. When I saw that that the 15th Anniversary reissue of Gemini Heat was being pushed as erotic romance, I just sighed. I had this sinking feeling that the end was near.
Still, I am personally saddened by what I see as Random House’s short-sighted decision. I realized while working on this post that in addition to bringing out my first novel, Black Lace also printed my first erotic short story, “Glass House”, which I wrote and submitted to the Storytime list a few weeks after joining ERWA in 1999. Actually, Black Lace rejected more of my work than it accepted (including my second and third novels) but I do not hold that against them. In fact, it might be considered as a mark of their discriminating tastes!
When I was waiting for Raw Silk to come out, I fantasized about going to London to participate in a book release party that Virgin Books would throw. I saw myself drinking champagne and hobnobbing with all the other erotica authors, imagining them as a glamorous, sexy lot. I wondered about what costume I should wear to fit in. Leather mini-skirt and high-heeled boots? The red cocktail dress with the plunging neckline? Maybe I’d actually meet Portia da Costa! I pictured her as tall, curvy, and dramatic, rather like one of her heroines.
If Portia’s reading this now (we’ve become good cyber-friends, though so far we haven’t met in the flesh), I know she’s laughing. How little I knew about the prosaic, penny-pinching world of publishing!
Now, in fact, there will be a party, though it’s a bit late. The Black Lace editor, Adam Neville, has announced a wake in early August, to mourn the passing of Black Lace and Nexus. The image at the top of this post was part of his invitation.
Alas, I can’t attend this gathering—I’m even further from London now than I was in 1999. I’ll raise my glass, though, to toast sixteen years of lust-filled, literate sex, and observe a moment of silence. Requiescat in Pace.
Visit Lisabet’s Fantasy Factory: http://www.lisabetsarai.com
I’m very proud to announce that RWA has officially accepted the Rainbow Romance Writers Chapter for authors of GLBT romance into the National organization. Here is the official announcement from chapter president Jade Buchanan:
Rainbow Romance Writers is the newest Special Interest Chapter within the Romance Writers of America. A lot of hard work has gone into setting us up as a chapter, but we are very proud to announce that writers specializing in LGBT romance now have a specific place to network with other career-focused writers and concentrate on our unique needs within the romance genre.
Our goals are:
* to promote excellence in gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender romances
* to help members become published in LGBT romances
* to be an advocate within the industry for our genre
* to be a resource to our members and others on writing and the publishing industry
We currently have 50 wonderful members who represent all different aspects of the LGBT romance genre.
Interested writers can contact us at [email protected]
if they would like to become members of Rainbow Romance Writers. They can also email me directly at [email protected]
http://www.rainbowromancewriters.com
Laura Baumbach
http://www.laurabaumbach.com
The following is from Cynthia Sterling’s Market Newsletter:
[email protected]
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A survey conducted at BEA by Zogby International for Random House sought information about the book-buying habits on Americans. Pollsters surveyed 8000 adults. Among their findings:
82% said they prefer to curl up with a printed book over using the latest in reading technology. Women (85%) are more likely than men (79%) to say they prefer reading printed books. Reading printed books also has greater appeal among older respondents, although it is by far the preferred method among all age groups.
11% of respondents said they are comfortable reading books in other formats, such as online or with an e-book reader or PDA. Men (13%) are more open than women (8%) to reading books in other formats, as are 13% of those younger than age 30, compared to just 6% of those age 65 and older.
43% of respondents said they “somewhat often” head to the bookstore with a specific book in mind, while nearly as many (38%) “very often” head to a bookstore with a particular book in mind.
77% said that when they go into a bookstore for a specific book, they sometimes make additional, unplanned book purchases.
For 48%, the first thing that draws them to a book while browsing in a bookstore is the subject, followed by the author (24%) and the book’s title (11%).
When asked about their most recent book purchase, 43% said the book’s subject was the most important factor, followed by the author (29%) and a good recommendation or word of mouth (11%).
When asked what makes them want to buy a book, 60% said suggestions from friends and family members, while nearly half (49%) said they are influenced by book reviews.
You can read all about the survey at http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1513
Leonard & Virginia Editorial offers administrative and editorial services—from manuscript critique, editorial guidance, copyediting, line- and content-editing, research, to layout and design, typesetting and prepress formatting, and much more—all at reasonable author-friendly/small-business rates, served up with a refreshingly professional attitude and a smile.
While our primary editorial focus is on fiction and creative nonfiction, such as memoir, we’re ready, willing, and able to assist you with almost any project. Print or electronic media, short stories or full-length manuscripts, smut, romance, or academic studies, work for pleasure or for hire, even for submission and possible publication, or for publication yourself. We’re here to do the dirty work to make your writing sparkle and be the best it can be. We have very few taboos. Our background and experience include working with sexual and erotic content, so let it rip. There’s little we may reject simply because of its nature.
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Sad and interesting news – Susie Bright has edited her last edition of Best American Erotica (2008, out in February). Details at:
http://susiebright.blogs.com
News provided by author and editor, Rachel Kramer Bussel
