e-Book Anonymity Boosts Romance Novel Sales

by Terrence O'Brien on December 10, 2010 at 10:20 AM

Romance novels are enjoying a renaissance, largely thanks to the discreet power of the e-book reader. The tawdry books have always been popular among female readers, but many of the more self-conscious readers out there would be too embarrassed to read the books in public, in part due to their bodice-ripping covers, bearing long-locked Fabio clones and breathless damsels. But, since e-readers don't broadcast the cover of the book you're reading, commuters are free to read whatever they wish without worrying about a fellow traveler casting a judgmental glance.

Romance novels are now the fastest growing category of e-books. Barnes and Noble chief executive William Lynch told the New York Times that, until recently, the store was but a minor player in the romance novel market. Thanks to the success of the NOOK, though, the company now commands 25-percent of the market. The store has even launched a dedicated "romance shop" for the NOOK Color. Dominique Raccah, the chief executive of the independent publisher, Sourcebooks, told the Times that at the beginning of the year, only 8-percent of the company's romance novel sales were e-books. By the third quarter, that number had skyrocketed to 27-percent -- a shocking number when you consider that e-book sales only account for around 10-percent of total book sales nationwide.

Tags: books, e-readers, ebooks, ereaders, media, playroom, RomanceNovels, top

source: New York Times

Comments

John F.C. TaylorDec 13th 2010 7:50AM

Highly Ranked

Doesn't matter what the content is. I won't ever use an e-reader. I grew up reading real ink & paper books. It's going to stay that way. What about convenience? Well, that's nonsense. Unless it's raining, you can take a real book everywhere you can take an e-reader.

Dislike

Report

YonDec 13th 2010 12:17PM

Neutral

It is well known that so called "romance" drivel is simply pornography for women. So let them read it and who cares. "Roughly, breathing heavily, he pushed her toward the sofa, ripping her thin..." Romantic fantasies?

Dislike

Report

proud romance readerDec 13th 2010 2:25PM

Neutral

@Yon-I'm sorry but you sound slightly jealous which leads me to believe that you are either suffering from being a woman who has a severely constipated imagination OR you are a man who couldn't get that type of reaction out of a woman if you tried. You say,'who cares' so why remark on it? The people who write these romance novels are intelligent and imaginative people Oh! and some of them are MEN! I am proud to say that I read romance novels and I am also secure enough with my self not to care what someone thinks of me if they see my 'bodice ripping cover'

Dislike

Report

crazywriter99Dec 13th 2010 4:47PM

Neutral

@Yon oh gimme a break. 'well known' by whom? Just all the narrow minded, holier-than-thou people who love to feel superior by passing judgment on other peoples' reading choices? The sales speak for themselves - superior sales that indicate romance fiction is the top selling fiction in all genres.. .and has been for many, many years.

Dislike

Report

monicaburnsDec 14th 2010 8:43AM

Neutral

@Terrence OBrien It would really be nice if journalists would start doing their homework. When I was in school, it was called checking facts. Fabio isn't the rage on romance covers anymore. And describing a romance novel with "their bodice-ripping covers, bearing long-locked Fabio clones and breathless damsels" is making me wonder when you graduated from journalism school or the last time you actually stood in front of the romance section of a bookstore. That's soooo 80s.

As for tawdry books, it would be really nice if journalists would READ two or three romance books before writing about something they obviously show a full lack of knowledge of. PART OF that fact verification.

Please do ALL of your readers. Try to dig a little deeper and talk to sources rather than using Google to write something so light on facts as to make flimsy look like steel. Because as I recall from school, factual reporting was critical to being a good reporting.

Monica Burns
Monica Burns - http://www.monicaburns.com
Pleasure Me - 03/11 - RACY cover - definitely suggestive but artwork worthy of Titian
Assassin's Heart - 09/10 - Tame Cover comparable to an Eric Bana model shot
Assassin's Honor - 09/10 - Tame cover - More clothing than Joe Dubois wears at times (Medium)

Dislike

Report

CharCarterWriterDec 13th 2010 12:21PM

Highly Ranked

While Mr. O'Brien is quite correct in saying e-book sales are increasing, he is not at all up to date when he talks about 'bodice rippers.' Covers of romance novels have changed substantially over the past ten years. Furthermore, there is a romance novel for virtually every taste from erotic romance to inspirational romance such as my current release MONTANA HEARTS by Charlotte Carter, published by Love Inspired.

Dislike

Report

MGDec 13th 2010 2:51PM

Neutral

Are you kidding me with this article?

Barnes & Noble didn't even start shipping the Nook (and NookBooks/aka ebooks) until Nov 30 2009. Due to pre-order activity, backorders for the Nook were shipping well into February 2010.

So, I'm to believe that the increased in romance book sales at B&N from the 'beginning of the year' to the 3Q is entirely attributable to readers wanting to hide the smutty covers?

Well, let's consider B&N's 'vast' experience with ebook sales and their 'rapid' growth of romance as a percentage of ebook sales. 27% of their ebook sales are romance, do you say? ZOMG! That might actually mean something to me if it weren't for better and long-standing statistics that are easily Google-able (if one tried) and show romance *already* had the 'largest share of the consumer market... beating out all other categories such as mystery, science fiction/fantasy, and religion/inspirational' in overall publishing. http://www.rwanational.org/cs/the_romance_genre/romance_literature_statistics/industry_statistics

Why can't the logical conclusion be drawn that this share is due to ebook purchase behavior mirroring print book purchases, or attributable to overall convenience factor of the ereader, rather than --gasp! --how women can now hide their soft-pr0n from prying eyes!

Gah.

Dislike