The romance industry is abuzz with news of Harlequin’s decison to revamp its entire lineup. AAR’s At the Back Fence wonders if we, the websurfing romance community, is so shocked by the news because we’re missing the pulse of the romance industry.
Isabel Swift, Harlequin’s VP of editorial is quoted as saying: “We are driven by what our readers tell us is relevant to them, are totally focused on the women’s fiction market and we constantly look for ways in which to lead rather than follow the competition.”
Laurie then writes, “Which leads me to believe that again, the online romance community is perhaps fairly different than the entire community of romance readers. What do you think, not only of the changes, but of the idea that online readers are not representative of readers at large?”
What a scary thought! A very important part of being a successful writer is knowing what is selling, judging the competition and finding our niche. Could it be possible that the romance readers who stay off-line, sit in the comfy chairs at Barnes & Noble with their lattes, and read their romances are buying romances that we, as an online group, don’t know about? Are they the ones buying all the fluffy Regencies that the publishers keep demanding and we keep bemoaning? Are they the ones who are truly driving this industry in its present direction? Are we behind the times and out of touch? *shudder*
I prefer to think we are leading the way into more creative avenues, exploring new areas, broadening our horizons. Perhaps that’s why e-books are doing so well. But maybe Laurie is right to ask if we are “fairly different”. And if we are out of touch, is it affecting our careers? Tell me what you think. Either here or on the message board.
