Publishing Romance ─ The History of an Industry, 1940s to the Present

This book chronicles the history and development of the romance novel industry from the 1940s to the present, particularly the role of managerial or editorial staff in deciding what novels to select or reject. It describes the origins of mass-market paperbacks in 1939; how Harlequin began as a publisher of general fiction and nonfiction, then moved to romance fiction; American romance publishing during the 1970s and the move from historical romances to “bodice-rippers”; the development of Silhouette Books; the Ecstasy Line, Second Chance at Love, and Circle of Love series; why many lines failed; the selectivity of editors and the role of reader input; Harlequin's purchase of Silhouette; the market from 1990 to 2014 and the small romance lines in the US, including BDSM, LGBT, minority, and other niche romance lines; and the current status of the market and the role of small presses, the digital environment, and HarperCollins. Annotation ©2016 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)

John Markert is associate professor of sociology at Cumberland University and has published numerous articles analyzing aspects of the social events and the media. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.