 |
| It puts the lotion on the skin . . . |
2011 had its share of such eye rolling moments but I refuse to link to them because
In real life, as in novels, everyone has an agenda. Just as every character in your novel should be trying to get their own way, anyone conducting research in the real world is pushing some kind of agenda.
Sometimes that agenda is to destroy romance novels.
The world has thrown everything at romance novels for centuries, but they are still here. We keep writing them, buying them, reading them and enjoying them. And yes, the maker of that video clip has an agenda - defending romance and selling romance novels.
Even during the 1980s, when the covers were so bad they were good – scotch that, they were AWFUL – they kept on selling.
Take this cover from 1988.
#He has a mullet.
#His top half is way out of proportion to his lower half.
#He looks like he's about to transition into a werewolf.
#He has elastic sided shorty shorts.
#Sally Field is already sunburnt on the chestal area, it's too late for the lotion.
This book is 23 years old. I too laughed at the cover for its badness. Because I've seen good covers - and if you permit me to grab this trumpet I carry in my pocket - my novel was voted 'favourite cover in 20 years' at RWA's Melbourne conference. Good covers get you noticed for all the right reasons.
People who love romance are the ones that read them.
People who hate romance are the ones that don't. Why don't they? Are they scared of being entertained? Of having fun? Of thinking other people will judge them based on the cover? The same way they judge other people by their covers?
And you know how I said everyone has an agenda? I have an agenda too. I love romance novels and want to keep reading them and writing them. I am making a career doing something I love.
So yes, when people slag off romance, they are also trying to curtail my ability to earn a living and support my family.
And they're sucking a little more fun out of the world, which in my book is a crime.
7 comments:
I'm a firm believer that not every book is for everyone. And knowing that, I would never slam a book that isn't for me, because it isn't the book's fault and I wouldn't want to deter someone from reading it who likes that type of book.
So true Heather.
It's also true that no matter how well written, no book can please everyone.
Thanks for the good laugh, oh that smile on their faces! Classic
It made me snort too Krista.
I'm trying to find a cover from Marion Lennox's early years. She showed them at the RWAus conference this year in Melbourne and we howled with laughter and sympathy with her.
The 'problem' with the 80s was that people had money, but not everyone had a computer at home. So there were actually more readers than there were writers. Now it's the other way around. I'm convinced there are more people 'writing a book' than there are people to read them.
Sorry, my point being that publishers were actually producing lots and lots of books that readers hungrily snapped up and life was good.
Or so I'm told. I was only 12.
This world can't afford to lose any more fun! Let's start a chant: Mullets, Mullets, Mullets! Oh. Wait. That probably isn't a good one...
LOL! Lisa, I'm already painting the posters.
What do we want?
More Mullets!
When do we want them?
Now!
Post a Comment