Special Order or Mass Market

 Pat Rice here:

Today, I’m cheating. Wench readers have sent several excellent questions lately, but none of them provide quite enough basis for me to write a whole blog and some of them touch on topics we’ve discussed in the past.  But combined, they present an interesting pattern of where reader thoughts are traveling, and I want to acknowledge that we read your questions, even if we can’t always answer them. Or I can’t, but perhaps another wench can in the future.

Jeanine Pellerin asks about relatively unknown authors.
Nina Paules would like to present readers with the world of e-publishing.
Jane Irish Nelson asks why illegitimate children have become a plot point for Regency romances lately.
And Joey Binard thinks today’s historical romances have been “dumbed down.”

The topics don’t sound related, do they?  But in fact, they are to some degree, and it’s all because of the publishing market and the economy and realllllly boring factors you probably don’t want to know about.

KISS answer:  Today’s mass market fiction must appeal to a very broad range of readers, which means eliminating any topic that doesn’t appeal to roughly 50% of the readership of that genre. Conversely, anything that DOES appeal to them, must be included.  Because of current market conditions, any book that doesn’t appeal to that middle-of-the-road readership ends up unknown or with an e-publisher. 

IE: If more illegitimate children are showing up as plot points, then apparently the majority of readers have voted with their dollars for illegitimate children. (That’s why Harlequin sold “secret baby” books for years—people bought them by the armload.)  If historical romance has been reduced to dialogue and sex, then that’s what the romance readership has demanded by shelling out their money for those kind of books.  It’s not as if there aren’t dozens of other books every month from which to choose, but the market follows the money.

The other readers, the ones who want all those different, quirky books, who want historical detail, who want to let their imaginations roam, have to scrounge around the outskirts of bookstores, hunting for books that aren’t on the drugstore or Walmart racks.  Now the question becomes, how do readers find the kind of niche book they want to read?

That’s the question I’m opening to our readers—How do you find the books you enjoy?  How can authors who write quirky or detailed, who write e-books, or who aren’t well known, reach the audience who wants their kind of books?  Hundreds of romance books are published each month.  How do you find new authors? Maybe we need to start a special order bookstore for the discriminating!

And how can authors reach readers like Joey who thinks new books are dumbed down and has resorted to pulling out old favorites instead of buying new? We’ll never show publishers that readers love intelligent books if no one buys them. Only bestsellers get attention. So, how do you find a good book if it’s not a bestseller?

And by all means, if you know an author or book that our readers might enjoy, include the name and title in your comment (just click one of the sign in links under “comment” below).  Our readers love to learn about authors new to them.

I'm adding a link to my "blind heroine" book, a very old Signet Regency that has just recently been reissued at www.RegencyReads.com. The original editor decided she was tired of ill and maimed protagonists and refused to accept a blind heroine, so I had to make her lame instead.  I've edited and edited to get rid of all the sensory description that made sense for a blind heroine but it's still hilarious.  But as the discussion in our comments indicates, this is another "middle of the road" decision!

Comments

[Linda Banche]

I think I can address the points 1 and 2.

OK, we start with the commercial.

I am an unknown e-pub author.

I have two e-book Regency novellas, "Lady of the Stars", a Regency time travel, (4 stars from Romantic Times, and available now), and "Pumpkinnapper", a Regency Halloween comedy (available September 30), both from a small e-publisher, The Wild Rose Press. For more info, go to my website www.lindabanche.com

Some other e-pubbed Regency authors are Joanna Waugh, Donna Hatch, Amy Corwin, and Maggi Andersen. For info on these authors, go to www.classicromancerevival.com

Where do you find us? Start with the small e-pubs, like The Wild Rose Press (www.thewildrosepress.com)

You will also find us on the yahoogroups on the romance loops. There are tons of them. I belong to almost a hundred. If you want a list, send me an email at [email protected] or from the contact page on my website.

You can also find us on facebook, myspace, twitter, and other social networks. Mary Jo Putney, Nicola Cornick and Andrea Pickens are all on facebook. Pat, I know you're on myspace. I just sent you a friend request.

Most of us on epub have stories that don't fit mass-market. We have too much sex (erotica), not enough sex (sweet), stories that are too long or too short, and, as Pat says, stories that don't fit the mold.

I tend to write detailed, with historical accuracy and very little sex, so I'm going to have trouble with mass market. For example, I have a full length that focuses on the hero, and has little sex.

There remains the perception that e-books are junk. Maybe some are, but not the ones I see. We work very hard on these books.

And our own Nina Paules liked my "Lady of the Stars". Nina, I will love you forever!

[Patricia Rice]

I'm really supposed to be working and not peeking in here until noon, but it's Friday and I wanta play.

I just popped over to Wild Rose because e-publishing fascinates me. I'm still waiting for a good, cheap e-reader because by day's end, I'm not sitting at no stinkin' computer to get my romance fix. But sites like this tempt me...

But until I have that e-reader and can sample the selections, I'm still in a quandary. I still use publications like PW and RT to see what's out each month and choose which books to buy. With e-publishing in its infancy, it has no similar method of summarizing new releases and/or introducing us to new authors. Or old ones.

Promo isn't enough for me to choose a book. (I friended you, Linda!) Is there some objective review site that covers new e-releases I can bookmark?

[Patricia Rice]

Oops, and I probably should have mentioned that RegencyReads.com just released the e-version of my Mad Maria's Daughter, one of my extremely early Signet Regencies. So I'm quite aware of the future possibilities of this form of publishing.

[Jane O]

I think this is a great topic because I would like very much to know how people find new authors. I rely almost entirely on reviews and mentions on a few blogs, but I am not interested in social networking like facebook, twitter, etc.

Ebooks and ereaders sound wonderful, but until issues like varying formats, DRM and so on get settled (and prices tumble), I'll save my pennies. Though I think it's wonderful that epublishers are putting out old regencies that are impossible to find elsewhere.

[Patricia Rice]

I get the print versions of these, but online, here are PW and RT:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/Community/Reviews/47159.html

http://www.romantictimes.com/

PW covers very little mass market fiction but RT covers a great deal of it. Neither do much about e-publications.

[Jenny Brown]

The three book Regency-set historical romance series I just sold to Avon is written for an intelligent reader who appreciates accuracy in the historical setting, language that respects its period, and a plot that does not turn on a secret baby.

My editor tells me she believes this kind of book may be making a comeback. The term she used was "retro."

I hope she's right, and not just because I want my books to sell.
I need new books to read too--books as good as the books that got me excited about Romance back in the early 1990s when writers like Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, and Laura Kinsale showed me what a brilliant writer could do with a story in the genre.

The biggest challenge in marketing this kind of book--and I am not yet clear on how to approach this--is how to find those readers who love the older kinds of romances, who, like me, feel they've been abandoned by Romance publishers over the past couple years in favor of some imaginary reader who wants books that are lacking all the complexity that makes a book a book.

--Jenny Brown
Lord Lightning. Avon Books Nov. 2010.

[liz m]

I'm buying Jenny's book.

I have the flu, so hopefully I'll make sense - I'm scared to buy an e-pub by a non-established press because I've been burnt so many times over the years by small press and self press being so godawful. I don't trust e-pub solo houses.

I look at smart bitches, dear author, chatter about the books other places, I review all the books coming out each month for 'reliable' publishers and I try to talk myself into a new author instead of out of one. Until completely burned I make sure to buy 'trusted' author new, not assuming that they are 'big enough' to go used or library on unless they are superstars or someone I wouldn't pay for but like to scan.

A new way to reach me - Hm. Maybe like category used to feed into the contemporary market in the 80's the 'established' pubs will one day offer a 'new to us' line where they have a book they feel has potential but can't market. Sherry Thomas blew up - but would she have made it to market five years ago? I dunno - maybe there's another Sherry Thomas (or five or six) that just need that access to readers like me. I would totally subscribe to a 'recommend ebook debut' line if it was Avon or certain other houses and they were targeting fans of retro and midlisters.

[Patricia Rice]

thanks for posting, Jenny! I'm going to watch with interest to see if your editor's theory pays off. I know our readers, like Liz, are eager to see "real" historical romance again. I'm knocking wood.

Liz, I think some of the e-pubs allow you to download samples of an author's work for free or cheaply. I think that's one method that helps sort the wheat from chaff. But you're right, it's going to be a while before that kind of sorting happens on a level where we're willing to lay down big bucks.

[NinaP]

Linda! It's nice to be loved forever. :-) Lady of the Stars deserves very star RT gave it. Can't wait for Pumpkinnapper.

Recently, I've had my head buried in Lynn Viehl's Darkyn Series. Vampires, yuck to some I know, but the story... WOW! Deep, complex characters, a rich blending of history, mind-twisting plots... yum! I first found Lynn on scribd.com. She posts freebies that are "shorts" or fillers featuring characters from her current series. I read one (no e-reader required) and knew I had to have more. Anyone can post their work on scribd.com for free or charge. Currently, I'm taking a break to work on a non-fiction titled "How to make money selling dead people's stuff." Essentially it is the story of how I made money when I suddenly became (and still am) unemployed. My plan is to put it on scribd unless the agent who praised (but bounced back) my current paranormal romance wants a look. We shall see...

[Sue]

Thank you for this thread today. I thought I was alone in having an incredibly disappointing year of romance fiction. Three eagerly awaited books were published; Stephanie Laurens final Bastion Club book, Mary Balogh's last Huxtable child and the latest Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich. I am a huge fan of all three because they write with wit, plot and engaging characters. All three were an enourmous let down. In particular, Stephanie Laurens wrote what seemed like the script for a very bad porno movie - sex scene after sex scene and all highly improbable. I surmise that the pressure to churn out best sellers with formulaic inserts has hurt my book world.
I find myself turning back to Heyer and have just bought a couple of books "new".
I choose new authors on recommendations from friends who like the same authors as me. Anne Gracie has been a delight in a miserable year and she has done the rounds of all my friends now!
As for e books....sorry but I like an actual book that I can carry in my handbag and read whenever there's a free moment.

[librarypat]

I work in a small county library. With our reduced budgets, we spend our funds on known authors that we know are popular with our patrons. While the director orders the regulars, I search used book stores for books and authors that fit the profile of what is read, but are not what we have carried in the past. It is a small financial investment with a big payoff. No one at our library reads romance except me, so only a few big names were on the shelf. I've since found many authors that were enjoyed and have become regular new book orders. I have started searching the web for sites like this one to become more informed. I do know there are many patrons who have become tired of books seemingly written for the sex scenes and are very thin on plot. There is a good market out there for stories with good plot, good detail, and less sex. I've gotten to the point of "Please, find a room and close the door!" If you can get the books into a few peoples hands, the word will spread.
Many libraries have a R.E.A.D.S. program where you can get audiobooks and e-books. You check them out by downloading them for a designated time period and they automatically delete at the end of that time. Again, many of the items are by well known authors, but it is an area perfect for e-book authors to break into. It is an area to pitch your books to seriously. Under funded libraries can band together and expand their catalogues. It is matter of the market catching up with the technology. I'd gladly try new e-authors, but the computer is the only format I have to download it. That isn't the way I want to read a book.

[Donna Brown]

Pat - as every a set of thought provoking and good questions. I haven't gotten into the e-book arena as yet - although I'm going to try some of the e-authors who have posted to this thread! I personally have found a number of new authors from short story/novella anthologies that feature at least one of my current favorites, going on the theory that 'birds of a feather' ... has worked well. Have also found new authors by following guest posters here, and by following blogs of known authors and following their recommendations. All very traditional methods - I don't always trust reviews, though, and also find myself reading old favorites - Heyer, of course, Anya Seaton, others in the old traditional 'historical novel' mode when I get fed up with bad history, sex scene after sex scene excuses for regency/historical/romance novels. Some are in my current collection, others from the used book store or the library.

[Maggie Robinson/Margaret Rowe]

Please find me! I'm a new author with several books out next year, all in trade paperback format. In these tough economic times, I know it takes a lot to take a financial risk on a new author, but I've got my fingers crossed. :)

And I've got a confession---in the second book of my Courtesan Court trilogy, there is a secret baby, but as she's revealed in the first chapter, she's not so secret. *g* Believe me, I was half-way through writing the book when I gulped, "OMG! I've written a secret baby book!" I haven't quite gotten over the shock of it.

I too notice giant print and shorter books, many rushed endings, lots of 'telegraphing' so the reader is supposed to know just who they're dealing with without words to back it up. Cookie-cutter stuff can be comforting, but I love it when something stands out in a crowd.I admire Sherry Thomas for this--- her use of language is so extraordinary.

I find most of my new authors through active Internet research, visiting many romance sites for reviews and discussion.Sometimes the resources seem almost overwhelming---I've cut down on my own blogging with deadlines looming.But there is something for everyone.

[Cynthia Owens]

I'm a relatively new author, but I'm with Highland Press, a small publisher that releases both print (first) and e-books. One of the things my publisher insists on is historical accuracy, which is one of the reasons I chose to submit to them. I try to reach a broad audience, but I won't skimp on history, and I make sure my language, setting, etc. is as accurate to the time period as possible.

My book, In Sunshine or in Shadow, is set in post-Famine Ireland. You can find it, and many other wonderful wonderful historical romances, at HighlandPress.org

[Anna B]

I am very picky about what and who I read in any genre. I want great characters, involving plotlines and with historicals, accuracy and a sense of the period. How do I find such gems? Well, the Word Wenches are a great source for new author suggestions. I subscribe to the Romantic Times magazine and chat with fellow book lovers when ever possible. To find the not so best sellers, I use Amazon and am lucky enough to have not only a Barnes & Nobles, but an independent book store in my neighborhood. And my local Meijers has an awesome book selection.

[Joanna Waugh]

Thanks for mentioning me, Linda, and other Classic Romance Revival authors. As for the quality of small press and epub books -- I can't speak for all but, in my case, NY rejected BLIND FORTUNE because my heroine is blind, not because the book was badly written. Like Pat said, the story didn't fit NY's "middle of the road" criteria. But it's had wonderful success in the small pub universe and for that I am grateful.
To read excerpts, go to my website at www.joannawaugh.com and click on "Joanna's Books."
~Jo~

[Madeleine Conway]

I'm definitely a special order kind of a reader. And writer. When I started writing romance about 9-10 years ago, I read probably 300-400 books over a couple of years, but now I read maybe 10-15 romances a year - and quite a few are re-reads. I always always check out blogs and read excerpts. Current autobuys are Anne Gracie, Jo Beverley and Janet Mullany. I will always check out Loretta Chase, though I will not always buy. Same with Anna Campbell.

I think the problem is that I am not looking simply for a historical romance, I am looking for a great historical novel (step forward Dorothy Dunnett and Diana Norman) and most romances are too focused on the hero/heroine/HEA for me. For me a really good book sweeps me into another time and place fully and most romances cannot do that because they have neither time nor space for that level of complexity. That's the way the market works.

As a writer, I have plenty to learn in terms of plot and character development but I don't usually get that from romances. So I'm moving away from trying to write romance to trying to write historical fiction.

[Linda Banche]

librarypat, thanks for telling me how you can "loan" an ebook.

As not everyone realizes, making a copy of an ebook and either giving that copy away or selling it is illegal--a violation of copyright. Libraries seem to have found a way around this, which is quite a problem when loaning ebooks.

[Linda Banche]

Jenny, nice to hear that about Avon. I gave up on Avon because just about all of their books are now thin stories and sex, sex, sex.

[anne gracie]

Interesting post, Pat. As someone who has written a few illegitimate children (one as a hero) in my time, I have to say in my case it's not driven by what readers want or even what my editor wanted -- it was an attempt on my part to look at a little-travelled but common aspect of the Regency period. Anyone who's done any genealogy will know that secret babies happened, and happened more often than we were ever told.

Illegitimate children were a fact of life, often swept under the rug, or called a cousin or a sibling, but still there. Sometimes children were legitimate (ie born in wedlock) but were in fact a cuckoo-in-the-nest, and though people "knew" the father was not the husband, it was not provable the way it is now, and unless the husband took steps to have the child legally repudiated (which was very complicated and a huge scandal) the child was legitimate in law. And legitimacy is ALL about law. And that situation interests me.

So my suggestion as to why there are so many illegitimate children cropping up in historical novels is that it's caused by authors trying to do something a little different, taking an era we know and love and looking at it from a slightly different angle.

Sue and Madeleine, thanks for your compliment on my books. I'm so pleased they've hit the spot for you.

Joanna Waugh and others who write books that don't fit what NY sees as acceptable middle of the road story ideas, try Harlequin Mills and Boon, London. Seriously. If it's a good story and well-written, they don't mind if they're a bit different -- in fact they like it. Elizabeth Rolls's first book, The Unexpected Bride had a blind heroine. Some 10 years ago. And they bought Diane Gaskin's courtesan book, The Mysterious Miss M, when NY had been too nervous to buy it. It had such huge success that a slew of courtesan books published in NY followed, but that one paved the way.

And HM&B reaches a huge international audience. One of my old books came out again in Japan last year, not just as an e-book, but in downloadable chunks, readable on a cell phone.

[Patricia Rice]

Maggie! Call me slow, but I hadn't realized you had a book coming out. You're definitely on my buy list.

I knew we had a lot of "special order" readers on here! Thanks for speaking up and adding to our idea collection.

Jo, have to LOL on the blind heroine book. I'm going to go in and edit my post to include the link to my blind heroine book, MAD MARIA'S DAUGHTER. Except the heroine isn't blind any longer. "G" The only way my editor would publish it was to make her lame instead, which was...ahem...pretty lame. It came out as a Regency back in the mists of time and is now an e-book. There are so many wonderful things you can do with a blind heroine!

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Pickens]

Pat, thanks for stimulating such a great discussion. It's fascinating to hear everyone's reaction to current trends. I think there is no question that e-publishing has made a huge difference in keeping quirky or offbeat books available—and that, IMO, is a wonderful thing. It would be a shame to see imagination stifled by the economics of publishing. And all of us who deal with big NY publishers know what I mean. These days, it's a lot harder to push the envelope. So I encourage readers to make their opinions known.

[Janice]

Lately I've been reading a lot of Victorian-set mysteries, because, even though I'm not exactly crazy about mad serial killers & other maniac pervs, these books give me a sense of being transported to another era which the current day 'accessible' regency sex romps do not. Not that the latter can't be fun or well done, but it's like garlic fries - the first one is great, the second one is really good, the third one still pleases, but eat more after that and you begin to feel a little ill.

I also look for regencies on paperbackswap.com, ebay, et al., looking to fill in my stash of older titles which have the texture and substance I prefer. I often think that these older books, as well as new books in that style, would do very well as trade paperbacks. They'd look tony enough to draw in readers who are looking for something a little more complex. Georgette Heyer in those trade paperbacks seems to be selling well, and I wonder why that wouldn't work for other writers too.

[Nicola Cornick]

Pat, this is a fascinating discussion! Thank you! The first point I'd like to make is about word count. I was reading an older book by Mary Balogh the other day. It was complex, nuanced, rich with sub-plots and minor characters - but it was also fifty thousand words longer than the word count I have to write to and that is a publisher's decision based on finance and there is nothing we authors can do about it except write the best book we can within the constraints.

The second point is that I think that you can still be a bestselling author AND be original and different. Loretta Chase is an example of someone whose books always thrill me in this way and who sets the bar. Historical accuracy matched by compelling storytelling. That inspires me.

I've written a "secret baby" book this year as part of my trilogy. I chose the topic because it fascinated me in an historical context and an emotional sense. I thought it was a rich subject to explore. I believe that you can write a “secret baby” plot (or any other of the favourite romance staples) and do it in a way that is fresh, different and interesting. So let’s not throw the (secret) baby out with the bath water. One of the fun and challenging things to do as a writer is take romantic themes and put a unique twist on them.

[Patricia Rice]

Anne, you must have been posting at the same time as I was, so I'm just now reading it. I just finished a book with an illegitimate child and have used it in the past for the same reasons as you. I simply used it as an example because a reader mentioned there seemed to be a lot of books on that topic. I'm clueless as to whether they actually sell well. "G"
Secret babies and MOCs and all the other tried and true plotlines are tried and true for a reason--they work and readers like them. We may think we're being unique when we write them, but that's because we happen to have mass market mentalities, which is a good thing. "G"
Nicola, I used to write those 150k books, so I know what we're missing. It's both a good and bad thing. Not having that word count forces me to think harder about what needs to be there and what doesn't. But man, it does leave out nuance. Since nuance makes my editor insane--maybe there's a reason we're supposed to leave it out.
But I happen to enjoy quirky. I get bored by sameness. So I'm still trying to find the best ways of enjoying the best of all worlds.

[Valerie L.]

It all comes down to voting with our wallets. If there is an author we know will consistently give us a great plot and story, buy her books new, not used. If there are reissues coming out, BUY THEM. The publishing world can't say that traditinal Regencies are dead if the reissues sell so well. I've just about given up on Avon, but I will definitley look for Jenny's book. If we buy in numbers, publishers will listen. That's really all we can do.

[liz m]

I know this is late, but I was thinking about your asking us about ebooks. Here's what publishers should NOT do. I pre-ordered Lisa Kleypas's new book. (Keep in mind ebooks are not returnable) only to discover that the book is available for a much lower price than advertised. St Martin's sent the book out as having a list price of $14.99 and a discount to $9.99. In fact, the book has a list price of $7.99 and can be had for $5.99, in paper.

I know this isn't in Kleypas's control, but it damages her as a brand for me, and not being given honest information about my pricing options makes me extremely reluctant to do business with the publisher. It's CERTAINLY not Christina Dodd's fault, but to be honest I just removed all of their authors from my to be purchased list. Because at this moment, I'm really angry with them.

[Jeannine Pellerin]

Well, thank you for giving me the opportunity to introduce my very dear friend HAZEL STATHAM,a British author who has four books published and who just signed with Avalon. Some of her works include LIZZIE'S RAKE, HIS SHADOWED HEART, DOMINIC, MY DEAREST FRIEND. Please look her up at [email protected]