“Women aren’t interested in reading about this.”
Thursday, May 13, 2010Posted in: Laura Resnick aka Laura Leone
Laura Resnick a.k.a Laura Leone left a very interesting comment on my review of Fallen From Grace. It was such an interesting tale that I’m going to post it on here for you guys to read:
Laura Resnick (a.k.a. Laura Leone) here. How nice to see someone discovering this book!
It was the last romance novel I sold (my fourteenth), and it was VERY hard to find a market for it. The agent I had at the time castigated me for writing the proposal. Other agents whom I approached declined to handle it, telling me that “women aren’t interested in reading about this.” Eight or nine publishing houses turned it down, all of them saying it was “too left of center,” “too wild,” and “too dark,” etc. I believed they were wrong, but I set it aside for about a year while I tried to rethink how to break through that market barrier (and meanwhile kept writing fantasy, which–due to years of having precisely this kind of problem when marketing my romance novels–had by then become my full-time genre).
Then one day a male science fiction and fantasy editor who happened to be temporarily acquiring romance for a small press was chatting with me, and he asked, out of idle curiosity, why I had left romance. And, having recently come off this experience, BOY, did I give him an earful! He was curious and asked to see the book. The upshot was that he loved it and was determined to acquire it; and although I had originally hoped to sell the book to a house capable of much wider distribution, I was by then just so glad to find an editor who was enthused and “got” the book that I was delighted.
This book that EVERY major romance program assured me that romance readers WOULD NOT WANT to read… became a Rita Award finalist in comtemporary single title romance; was named a Desert Island Keeper by AllAboutRomance.com; and was recently listed on DearAuthor.com’s list of the Top 100 Romance Novels.
However, my last two sales in the romance genre, which occurred years apart and only after the books had been rejected everywhere else, were BOTH sales I made to sf/f editors who temporarily happened to be acquiring romance novels for small programs that didn’t last. And I can’t build an audience or making a living that way.
I also tried to sell these same two books (FALLEN FROM GRACE and FEVER DREAMS) to a mid-size romance reprint program about 18 months ago. Not only did the editor reject the books… she actually telephoned me to tell me (at excruciating length) just how bad she thought they were and how sure she was that romance readers would hate them, finding it too much of an “effort” to “wade through” my turgid prose.
Meanwhile, I’m heavily contracted in fantasy, where the only thing editors want from me to that I write faster, because they want to release more of my books. (At the present rate of my fantasy publishers’ demands, I may be able to take a weekend off some time in 2014.) Personally, I think I’m a reasonably good romance writer… but in more than a decade of marketing my books, I never once found a romance editor who thought so. So I’ve been a full-time fantasy writer for quite some time now, and this seems likely to be a permanent situation. I’d -like- to write more romance… but barring a substantial change in how romance editors think of romance fiction, it doesn’t seem very likely to happen; and I am very fortunate to have a lot of commitments in fantasy, a genre I love writing.
However, thanks to new technologies, the out-of-print situation with some of my old romances will soon change. As soon as there’s a let-up in my fantasy writing schedule (currently, I’m coming off one killer deadline and immdeiately entering another), I’ll get these books into affordable e-publishing and POD format. That’s vaguely on my To Do list for this year. Updated information about that will be on my website!
Anyhow, thanks for reading and reviewing this book!
I find it hard to believe that so many romance publishers refused this book. The criticism about it being too left of the centre makes me wonder if the majority of romance publishers at that time had right-wing leanings?
Anyway, I found her story totally fascinating.
katiebabs
May 13
8:17 pm
I really have no idea anymore what agents and editors want.
Look at Deidre Knight as an example with Butterfly Tattoo. No NY publisher would touch it and if not for epublishing, it may have never been published. And that would have been such a shame.
I guess you either write what you love and hope for the best or write what will bring in the money, and perhaps will be lucky enough to write what you enjoy.
Magdalen
May 13
8:26 pm
I had problems with Fallen From Grace, but not with the story at all! In fact, it had “legs,” meaning when I wasn’t reading it, I knew exactly where in the story I was and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.
Yet another example of publishers being clueless about what readers want, when it’s actually really simple: We want good stories.
vein
May 13
8:53 pm
How sad. There is definitely untapped potential in the romance readership when it comes to having a wider range of ‘hero’ types (amongst other things).
Julia Rachel Barrett
May 13
9:07 pm
This post and the author’s comments to you are so intriguing that I looked up your review, read it, and ordered the book. I’m in the midst of a similar experience – I’ve written a full-length romantic novel, not erotic romance – and while my publisher and editor love the book, they will not pick it up because it’s so dark. My editor called to tell me that women will not read a dark novel.
For the moment, I’ve put it on hold while I attend to other WIPs, but I’ve actually decided to re-write the book and make it even darker. I held back some of the deeper, darker elements of the story on the first writing in the hopes of selling it. Since it’s already too dark, I’m going all out – when I have time – and we’ll see what happens. Wonderful post and comments!
Moriah Jovan
May 13
10:07 pm
I may be way off base, but I don’t think it was meant in a political right/left way. I think it means that it’s too left of what they THINK readers want, as “evidenced” by the fact that the romance junkies will buy whatever they’re given and “prove” that they don’t want anything else.
So I get the impression that the “center” in this case is left of what the sales department tells them will sell or not sell.
*I* think it’s a symptom of an industry being MILES out of touch with its end users.
Katharina
May 13
10:07 pm
This is such a pity, I adored every book I read by Leone, but my two favourites are Fever Dreams and Fallen From Grace!
KristieJ
May 14
12:07 am
I have to disagree with one thing she says
“Personally, I think I’m a reasonably good romance writer…”
She’s not a ‘reasonably good romance writer’, she is a GREAT romance writer. I’ve read a number of her books and loved every one. I’ve read Fallen From Grace AT LEAST five times and Fever Dreams more than a few also.
And FWIW – to the editors and agents who say women won’t read dark – I take a ‘dark’ romance over a light one every single time. The HEA is ever so much more satisfying.
It breaks my heart that rather than being supportive and encouraging of her ‘out of the box’ style romance, she is being turned down and turned down. I can only mourn at what we AREN’T getting.
And now that I will shortly have an ereader, I’ll pick up her back list that I don’t have as soon as they are released!!
Theresa Weir is another author I think is in the same boat. Her romances are definitely outside the box and dark and I LOVE them. Yet I believe she went through the same thing and is now writing suspense. Not that there’s anything wrong with suspense, but her romance books are wonderful.
Shelby Reed
May 14
10:20 am
All I can think is, if readers don’t want “dark,” I’m in serious trouble! LOL I too enjoyed Leone’s book and her lovely style. It’s on my shelf now and a keeper. I’ll have to pick up Fever Dreams.
Shiloh Walker
May 14
12:04 pm
This book is sitting on my shelf and it’s moving up to the TBR pile, but Laura, I’d highly, and I MEAN HIGHLY recommend you consider looking into sending it to Samhain-they do take previously pubbed works and their print runs aren’t POD, either-they actually have some pretty decent print runs for a small press. I can’t recommend them highly enough. PLus, they like the weird… *G* they pub also sort of my weird stuff. 😉
SarahT
May 14
12:30 pm
I really hope Laura republishes this book digitally. I’d love to read it.
Keishon
May 14
2:54 pm
Thanks for the follow-up,Karen.
To Ms. Leone/Resnick: like KristieJ said, you are more than a reasonably good romance writer, I think you are one of the best romance writers around and would have contributed many excellent stories to the romance genre. I’m hoping that you find someplace like Samnhain to sell your stories to because I’d buy them without thinking twice. I also loved Fever Dreams and one other category and I have a bunch more that I just hoard for rainy days. Thanks for sharing your story with us and good luck. Those agents/editors have NO idea what the heck they are talking about.
RRRJessica
May 14
3:58 pm
We romance readers talk a lot about being underestimated and misunderstood by outsiders. It really chaps my ass when our own editors and publishers do it to us, too.
Thanks for sharing folks.
Beverly
May 15
3:40 am
I don’t understand this idea that romance readers won’t read “dark” books. What do they think Anne Stuart is writing and what do they think Linda Howard’s books have been becoming … just look at “Death Angel.” It’s about a hitman and a drug dealer’s girlfriend falling in love. Both of those authors are highly successful, and though not everyone loves their books, they do very well writing what they do. Anne Stuart has build her career on dark books.
Katharina
May 15
10:07 am
I do like humorous stories from time to time, but very few author actually can sell me such a plot. Personally, I am with KristieJ, give me a dark, heart-wrenching, captivating romance over a run-of-the-mill piece of fluff anytime.
Bernita
May 15
1:08 pm
She might consider Carina Press as well – as a possible publisher.
JulieLeto
May 15
2:55 pm
Laura is not only a fabulous writer, but she is one of the smartest businesswomen in the industry. She’s been through so much professionally, but has managed to always remain in demand and writing and publishing. And doing it well! She’s an inspiration. I have no doubt that when she reprints these books, she’ll do so in a way that does not tie up her rights and allows for maximum availability. I, for one, can’t wait, because I’ve wanted to read Fever Dreams for ages and somehow missed it. I’d really like it for my Kindle!
JulieLeto
May 15
2:56 pm
Sorry for the double post! Meant to mention both her books, but particularly Fallen from Grace.
Lorraine
May 16
1:10 am
FWIW, I only read romance and have done so for 30+ years. I put Fallen From Grace on my TBB list the moment I finished reading Karen’s review. I think most of us like to read something a little different. And too left…is there such a thing? lol
MikiS
May 16
6:40 am
If I started seeing “male prostitute” stories as often as I see vampires, werewolves, or demons, I’d probably agree with the editors.
But jeez – as something unusual to read with the possibility of lots of angst? Bring it on! I’d compare that with Robin Schone’s “The Lover” and “Gabriel’s Woman”. I wouldn’t want to read those kinds of stories every day, but I love to read them when I’m in the mood for lots of emotional, angsty…stuff. (It’s late, I’m tired, and I’m NOT a writer. Obviously).
As long as a book has a blurb that’s up front about the story, I’ll pick up dark, light, and lots inbetween. And love them all!
Bonnie Dee
May 16
11:38 pm
I rarely read a book twice, but I have this one. Gound it through Bam’s recommendation a couple of years ago.
All I can say is, E-publishers wouldn’t have rejected such a fine book. The freedom to explore outside the margins is what makes e-publishing preferrable than traditional in many ways.
Book Run « Trivial Pursuits
May 18
12:37 pm
[…] I picked up after reading some of the comments over at Karen’s blog about one of the author, Laura Resnick’s, older […]
Laura Resnick
May 18
3:16 pm
Wow! What wonderful comments! Thank you very much.
And I am now convinced! I will make sure that, one way or another, I get some of my romance fiction back into the market this year, via the new opportunities available these days. I promise!
LauraR
Laura Resnick
May 18
3:32 pm
Oh, P.S.: “Too left of center” meant the editor thought the book was too unconventional or outside the boundaries fo what romance readers consider acceptable or engaging. It wasn’t a political comment. But certainly it indicated the OPPOSITE of the book’s values be perceived as too “old-fashioned” or “traditional” for the amrket.
Heidi
May 18
3:39 pm
@Shi — Thanks for the recommendation — might just change my signature line to “she who likes the weird” 🙂
SarahT
May 18
4:23 pm
@Laura Resnick: Yay! I’m delighted to see more and more authors bringing re-releasing their out-of-print books digitally. It is frustrating to hear great things about an older book only to discover it’s no longer in print. I have purchased books used, but I like knowing the author gets a share of the money I spend on a book.
Book Run… « Vamps and Scamps
May 18
11:44 pm
[…] I picked up after reading some of the comments over at Karen’s blog about one of the author, Laura Resnick’s, older […]
Angela
May 19
1:52 am
I have to say that between the review, and this discussion here I’m definitely going to be picking up this book. I’ve often thought that publishers and editors will frequently stifle the environment, instead of expanding it. Most readers I know are looking for something different, not the same thing over and over again.
I know I just want good writing, an engaging story, and fascinating characters I can relate to in some way. If I want to read the same story, I’ll pick up an old favorite.
Carolyn
May 19
11:22 am
I bought this book used on Amazon after reading Karen’s review and did not regret it. In fact, I liked it so much I bought another copy for my friend in Seattle.
And what cemented my decision? It was outside the romance box, something different.
I’ll read any story and just about any genre if there is good writing and characterization. Don’t even need to have much of a plot (although it does help).
I’ve ordered Fevers Dreams and can’t wait for it to get here. If these books are offered as ebooks, I’ll be rebuying. 🙂
Marissa Scott
May 21
7:52 pm
I totally feel for the author. Truly. What is thought to be too much of this and not enough of that and not enough of this and too much of that is all too common in publishing. Trust me, I totally know. I applaud and nod to Ms. Leone’s comments left on your post. But–I believe that there is someone out there in the publishing industry who will see the “gold” within each well-written novel and someone, somewhere will publish it–they have to or why else are we writing? 🙂
Persephone Green
May 25
8:11 am
Reading outside of my comfort zone means reading stuff that ISN’T dark. LOL.
Who are these editors, and from what planet do they hail?