Love in the Time of Self-Publishing: How Romance Writers Changed the Rules of Writing and Success

The recent success of the romance genre can be traced back to the early efforts of the Romance Writers of America, a professional association founded in the 1970s, according to this enlightening account. Journalist Larson (Influence) argues that the RWA’s “unusually inclusive community” of mostly women writers was markedly generous compared to male-dominated author organizations; members swapped book industry intel and aided one another’s careers. This cooperativeness was crucial for bolstering work that was “mocked... and mistreated” within the publishing industry, writes Larson, who tracks how strategy-sharing among members resulted in the genre’s rewarding early adoption of self-publishing (“Romance authors’ median income... grew an astounding 73 percent between 2009 and 2014”). However, the RWA’s long-standing “color-blind” approach (Larson writes that for decades the organization “tolerated” relationships with “overtly racist editors” and had chapters that were “hostile to authors of color”) brought about the organization’s dramatic fracturing in 2019 with the expulsion of Courtney Milan, a champion of diversity within the RWA who was ousted for calling another member’s book racist; her removal led to mass resignations and the organization’s loss of prestige. Larson’s eye-opening “cautionary tale” about the importance of inclusivity and cooperation is built around tantalizing peaks into tense chapter meetings and informal hotel room parties. It’s a rewarding deep dive into an influential corner of the publishing industry. (June)