Sarah

Case in point, for years Burlington Coat factory refused to give people money refunds on returned merchandise. Enough people complained that they finally relented. Customer protests DO work.

Contact the publishers and tell them what you want.

I absolutely love romantica because it is simply that romance with an edge. Definitely not cookie cutter, no limits, it allows me to be completely and absolutely involved in the story. However the most important thing is the ROMANCE, the story, the plot. If all I wanted was sex there are plenty of things out there to read. I feel like those kind of books leave me empty, kind of like a meal you ate just because you were hungry as opposed to relished. And if I’m bringing out my pocket book, I want the whole experience the romance, the plot, the edgey sex and DEFINTELY the HEA. Even when I read about Menages, I want them to end up all together.

Another thing that bothers me is the covers, I really wish that they would respect the reader. I want to be able to carry my books out it public without people looking at me funny. I don’t like graphic images, computer generated images, bubble gum images…. come on now. I think that the cover of JR Ward’s vamp series, are beautiful and tasteful. I wish more were done along those lines.

I think that if NY publisher would just respect the readers, and realize that we are women who are intelligent, wise and successful… with money to spend on a couple of hours of an indulgent, romantic, erotic fantasy… that leaves you sighing and sometimes with a tear or two in your eyes.

Of course, I’ll probably be stopping by Barnes & Noble after I pick my son up from school today to see if there are any new releases I can’t live without. I’m ever hopeful.

It’s so hard and that just isn’t good marketing. Don’t make it hard on us readers!

I’ve been watching the results of the NY erotica/erotic romance lines and have to say I am very pleased that St. Martin’s places a lot of importance on the happy ending and having a satisfying romance; they truly are publishing erotic ROMANCE.

And knowing Berkley Heat doesn’t require an HEA, I’ll be buying by author and taking few chances. I know Jaci Burton’s upcoming Heat book is a romance!

I have to decide if the trade is worth going without 2 other books and if I don’t like the trade after I have spent the money on it. I very rarely will make the decision to try another book from that line.

Precisely, which goes to my point that NY doesn’t seem to understand the difference between erotica and erotic romance. I will say this, I think it’s easier for ePubs to define a trend, because the expense of putting an eBook out there is FAR less than a print book. They can adapt far more easily than NY. It’s why a lot of ePubs who’ve gone small press will only put a book in print that’s done well in eBook sales, or if they’ve a guarantee that the author is popular enough to sustain the print sales.

Monica

Erotica is sex based on emotions, sometimes love, but it can be other emotions too, hate, revenge, anger, etc. Erotica can have the HEA but that’s not a requirement. Good erotica will definitely have a storyline that gives the reader more than just sex for sex sake.

Erotic romance can be as hot as Erotica, but it MUST have the HEA.

I’m not a lover of pigeon holes or rules, but in this care, I think NY needs to understand the differences between erotic romance and erotica or lines will have problems. Although I’m an author, I’m a reader too, so I listen carefully to other readers about authors that they find hot reads. It’s how I found JR Ward. I really enjoy her books. I tend to buy authors not lines because I’ve a pretty good idea what I’m getting. I will try new authors, but if I don’t enjoy the first book, it will take some real sweet talk for me to buy another. I think most readers lean in that direction.

Just my .02 FWIW

Monica

Think of it as a “trust" relationship. If I can’t trust the line to deliver on the HEA that I demand, there is no relationship.

It’s about building and destroying brand loyalty. Hmm. Will have to blog about this on Monday.

As a reader, how am I to know how to pick and choose among the rest of the Heat line to find what I am looking for? Maybe that’s why some of these lines are failing. If I buy a Heat book with an HEA and love it, then I would automatically assume that the rest are written with relationships and HEA’s in mind. But the first time that I’d pick up one that doesn’t follow that premise would be the last book I’d trust from that line. Others like me could be the reason for falling numbers.

I think NY Pubs are making a big mistake in mixing erotic fiction and erotic romance. If I want a mystery or horror, I know just where in the bookstore to shop. If I want romance, I should be able to shop in that department and get exactly what I want, no matter the heat level.

Think of it as a “trust” relationship. If I can’t trust the line to deliver on the HEA that I demand, there is no relationship.

I think it’s also interesting that, when I see a list of print erotic romance lines, Berkley Heat is almost never mentioned. Why is that? I’m under contract for 2 books for that line as Shayla Black. The first, WICKED TIES, comes out in January. They keep saying the line is doing well, but I have no notion if that’s actually true… I don’t think Heat requires an HEA, but I’ve never written anything but–and I never will.

So to a certain degree, don’t we shoot ourselves in the foot here? Yes, it’s all in good fun. I’ve enjoyed it, laughed and participated in the discussions myself. However, with the popularity of the book and shows like SEX IN THE CITY it’s not hard to see how publishers might think romance readers want more sex in books and are less concerned with having a relationship driven romance.

For the most part, I don’t think the person who is reading SEX IN THE CITY is picking up Nalini Singh’s SLAVE TO SENSATION. However, these new lines sound more in line with SITC than StS but will be shelved in the Romance section as a one-size fits all sort of thing. It’s up to us then with our dollars and sense to be careful what we buy. Our spending is the only way we have to voice an opinion that a publisher will listen to.

As a reader I’m looking for not just a HEA, but an emotional commitment as well. That’s why I read romance. That’s why I read JR Ward — not because her books are about vampires — but because she delivers a great romance. No one will disagree about her vamps making a commitment in the end! Sexy, steamy, emotional, romantic and completely committed. That’s why I read Nicole Jordan – not because she writes historicals – but because she wraps her historicals in romance! I could go on and on, but the truth is romance is the genre I read. Paranormal, historical or erotica are just the vehicles they use to tell the romance.

If Lora Leigh ever decided to write a different genre I might not read her anymore. It’s why I no longer read Iris Johansen. I’m not saying that there is no room for Iris Johansen on my personal bookshelf, but I have only so much time and money to spend on my books. I’m going to spend my time and money on romance.

The truth is Harlequin *is* marketing Spice as erotic romance to the booksellers. Just as they did with Bombshell and Next. In our computers they are listed as ROMANCE! In fact, I double checked – Tease, Suzanne Forster, Spice – romance, contemporary romance. The Blonde Geisha, Jina Bacarr, Spice – romance, gothic romance. While the covers do say – An Erotic Novel – they are being placed next to Mary Balogh and Lori Foster.

Maybe the question should be, who are New York publishers marketing their lines to? Where are they being advertised? When you answer those questions I think you’ll agree how readers can feel as though they are being mislead.