Posted April 01, 2010 to Digital, Media Appearances
I was interviewed alongside intellectual masterminds Jane Litte and Angela James for The Big Money’s article on digital publishing: A Tale of Digital Desire: How the world’s most famous romance publisher fell for e-books.
It’s mostly a look at Carina Press and Harlequin, with a discussion of why they are as digitally-centered as they are:
But those readers—women from 31 to 49, in a romantic relationship—are still handling most of the nation’s child care, and that’s without even mentioning professional responsibilities. So e-books are quicker to buy and read on the go.
Online communities of readers are also pressing loudly for more digital options. Two voices have emerged to lead the online chorus for e-books: Sarah Wendell, the co-founder of SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com, and Jane Litte, the proprietor of DearAuthor.com. Both juggle careers and Web sites, as well as raising young children, and they’ve turned to digital formats for ease. “It’s a form of reading so attuned to a woman’s lifestyle right now,” says Wendell.
I think this is my favorite part of the article though: “So while the bulk of Harlequin’s revenue will still come from print, Carina could attract new customers. Most mainstream publishers won’t jilt their blockbuster authors to dally with new talents in the digital space. But they could learn a move or two.”
Tags: awesomesauce, Big Money, Slate
Posted March 03, 2010 to Digital, Media Appearances
I’m over at the NPR Monkey See blog today, responding with a big ol’ DUH to research into Harlequin titles and what they reveal about women’s desires:
Stop the presses: Harlequin titles reveal our — by “our” I of course mean “women’s” — evolutionary coding and psychological desire for … wait for it, wait for it … You sitting down? Good.
We prefer to mate with “a physically fit, financially secure man who will provide the resources needed to successfully raise a family.”
In other news, ice is slippery, water is still wet, and those silly romance readers are once again looking for fantasy men. Pah.
Tags: awesomesauce, npr, pop culture
Posted February 17, 2010 to Media Appearances, Print
Announced yesterday at Publisher’s Marketplace:
NONFICTION
Advice/Relationships
Co-founder of SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com Sarah Wendell’s EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE I LEARNED FROM ROMANCE NOVELS, to Sara Kase at Sourcebooks, by Daniel Lazar at Writers House (world).
Woo hoo! The book will look at different stages of relationships and how romance novels can serve as guideposts to people navigating normal relationship stuff. One thing that has always ticked me off is the accusation that reading romance novels gives women unrealistic expectations of real life, and I love having the opportunity to dismantle that hogwash page by page. I’ll be reaching out to authors, referring to scenes and books, incorporating real situations that people face – and I hope revealing more of the awesome women and men who write and read romance.
Glee- I has it. Lots of it!
