My weeks of reading hornily: steamy book sales have doubled – and I soon found out why

From fairy porn to romantasy via the Omegaverse, publishing is sexier than ever. The reason? A big shift in gen Z and millennial attitudes to respectability and shame ...I spent a fortnight reading nothing but smut and I don’t need to give you a reason. But since there is one, here it is: business is booming in the publishing world of love and sex. Aficionados draw fine distinctions – between romance and erotica; “steamy” and “smutty”; fantasy and saga fiction – and endlessly subdivide the genres, but the takeaway is that the stigma around what used to be called “books that women like” has gone. And, as the UK literary agent Alice Lutyens puts it: “The steamier the sex, the better the book does.”I started two books simultaneously, which just happened to span the gamut, from the almost completely chaste The Stars Too Fondly, by Emily Hamilton, to the most pornographic thing I’ve ever read (and I’ve read De Sade): Heat Clinic, by Alexis B Osborne. So, I could give you a take on the difference between romance and erotica, but I would rather throw it to an expert. Leah Koch started the independent romantic bookshop Ripped Bodice in Los Angeles with her sister, Bea, in 2016 (they recently opened a second shop in New York). She says readers tend to assume erotica is sexier. “The technical definition is that, in erotica, character development happens from sexual situations. We stock both.” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2024-08-06 04:00:33 UTC ]

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Industry Notes: Omeda, Lytics Team Up | Emerald Acquires RFID Journal

The latest from around the publishing world. The post Industry Notes: Omeda, Lytics Team Up | Emerald Acquires RFID Journal appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2016-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Remembering Carole Blake, Literary Agent

Literary agent and bestselling author Carole Blake, a familiar face in the UK and global book community, passed away on October 25, 2016. The post Remembering Carole Blake, Literary Agent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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£10k rights bursary from DRF

A new bursary of £10,000 is to be awarded from the Deborah Rogers Foundation, targeting either a publishing rights professional or a literary agent. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orion's Forrester to become David Higham literary agent

Orion Fiction’s senior commissioning editor Jemima Forrester is moving to David Higham Associates to become a literary agent. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Former Orion editor Silk becomes literary agent

Former Orion editor Julia Silk is forging a new career path as a literary agent in association with MBA Literary Agents. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Illustrations, Design, and Above All Stories: China’s StoryDrive Asia 2016, Part 2

One literary agent's story at this fourth iteration of the international conference was about selling 2,000 English-language titles into the Chinese market. Going the other direction? Not so easy. The post Illustrations, Design, and Above All Stories: China’s StoryDrive Asia 2016, Part 2... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2016: Is A Flat Royalty Rate Possible?

A discussion on Wednesday between two publishers, a literary agent, and the executive director of the Authors Guild floated the possibility of a single royalty rate across book formats. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ilex joins the dots

Ilex Press, part of Octopus, will publish Superstars of YouTube: The 100% Unofficial Dot-to-Dot Book by Abi Daker in October 2016, featuring famous vloggers such as Zoella, Alfie Deyes and Dan and Phil. World rights are available. Zara Larcombe of Ilex said: “The popularity of YouTubers has... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Illustration to Thrillers, Fiction and Nonfiction: International Titles on Offer at London 2016

We asked a few publishers which international titles they are especially excited to present to the publishing world at the London Book Fair this spring. The post Illustration to Thrillers, Fiction and Nonfiction: International Titles on Offer at London 2016 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Short story collection smuggled out of North Korea sparks global interest

Dissident tales from pseudonymous author Bandi, still living in the country, are very rare fiction to emerge from the secretive dictatorshipA collection of short stories written under a pseudonym and smuggled out of North Korea is on its way to becoming an international literary sensation, with... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On Carmen Balcells: Remembering the Role of a Literary Agent

Kalem Literary Agency remembers legendary Spanish literary agent Carmel Balcells and her contributions to international authors, writing and agenting. The post On Carmen Balcells: Remembering the Role of a Literary Agent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Omaira Rodríguez is Uruguay’s Lone Literary Agent

Omaira Rodríguez is Uruguay's only literary agent, tasked with selling rights abroad and increasing the international awareness of authors from her country. The post Omaira Rodríguez is Uruguay’s Lone Literary Agent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Bauer Media ditched its sales team and went all programmatic

The publishing world has long seen programmatic as the realm of cheap, unsold inventory with far less revenue potential than what's sold through direct channels. But times are changing. Bauer Xcel Media, the U.S. arm the European magazine company, has shuttered its direct sales team in favor of... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ALA Midwinter 2016 Preview: We Need to Talk About Reference

We take a look back at some of the library stories that captivated the publishing world in 2015, and a look ahead at what they portend for 2016. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW's Top 10 Library Stories of 2015

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An Upstate Press Finds a Potential Local Hit in France

Open Letter press is well known in the publishing world for its literature in translation program. It's less known in its hometown of Rochester, though the press's new French novel might change that. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Talks with Global Kids Connect Speaker Ginger Clark

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Literary agencies host online 'Discovery Day'

Curtis Brown and Conville and Walsh are to host a Twitter based event dedicated to "de-mystifying" the publishing process for prospective authors, called Discovery Day Online. Following the literary agencies’ Discovery Days in 2012 and 2013, held at Foyles Charing Cross Road, Discovery Day... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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My Job in 5: Sarah O'Halloran, Literary Agent, Madeleine Milburn Agency

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Book Fair 2015: At Opening, Salman Defends Free Speech

Amid tight security, author Salman Rushdie told reporters that the publishing world must continue to defend free speech. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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