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Romancing the tome: How romance writers surprised the publishing world

Writers of romance novels, unlike authors in every other category, saw their incomes rise with the advent of digital publishing. What was the source of their success? Christine Larson was inspired to investigate. In her book “Love in the Time of Self-Publishing: How Romance Writers Changed the Rules of Writing and Success,” she asks, “Why did romance writers, arguably the most mocked, maligned, and mistreated group of authors in history, become the most successful and innovative writers in the e-book revolution?” Dr. Larson, a journalism professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, finds the answer in the cooperative spirit of Romancelandia, the term used to describe the genre’s community of overwhelmingly female writers and readers. Romance Writers of America (RWA), founded in 1980, was Romancelandia’s most prominent organization, with membership of the networking and advocacy group topping 10,000 at its peak. But internal strife, mostly revolving around issues of diversity and inclusion, splintered RWA, which filed for bankruptcy in May. Dr. Larson spoke recently with the Monitor. The interview has been edited and condensed.

Why has romance been disrespected as a literary genre?

Because in Western society, women have traditionally been disrespected, women’s writing has traditionally been disrespected, and women’s sexuality and romantic joy and pleasure have been sidelined and discounted. We see all of these forces coming together. It’s the perfect storm of misogyny. 

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