Hey, they say third time’s the charm. But really, I wouldn’t have brought it up again, except Hilary Sares, Kensington Aphrodisia editor, emailed me in regards to my July 29th post in which I stole a quote from HelenKay Dimon’s blog that she snagged at Nationals this year. Ms. Sares (looking at my stats, it appears she Googled herself and found my blog. Google is a wonderous thing, eh?) felt she was quoted out of context. If you’ll all recall, this conversation started on my blog with a post about an interview Kensington editorial director Audrey LaFehr did with Paraphenelia back in May, in which she discussed the marketing of Aphrodisia and HEA optional. Dear Author picked up the thread of the conversation and it went on to other blogs from there.
The July 29th blog post that Ms. Sares emailed me about for those who are too lazy to click the link:
Not that we haven’t already covered this before, but Hilary Sares, Kensington Aphrodisia editor, said it again.
From HelenKay Dimon’s blog, where she writes about RWA and more specifically, the Kensington presentation. The emphasis in bold is mine.
**In the never-ending Aphrodisia v. Brava debate, the editors say: Aphrodisia is about sex and Brava is about romance. Hillary Sares (the main Aphrodisia editor) says the term “erotic romance” with the imprint is a misnomer. The books are not really romance and don’t have to be. Use of the title is for marketing – Kensington wants the books in the romance section and wants to reach romance readers. That’s it. And, the only legal on the sex is that it be legal.
I know, I know, we beat this dead horse before, but still, this…bothers me…as a romance reader and seller, because it feels so very dishonest. The books are not really romance and don’t have to be. Use of the title is for marketing
. It feels like writing a young adult novel and marketing it as romance, because it will sell better. If it’s not romance, and the publisher says it’s not, then what is their obligation to the reader?
**keeping in mind that this is HelenKay quoting from a speech given from Hilary Sares, so it’s not a direct quote. But I’m going to assume that HelenKay is savvy enough not to misquote an editor from her own publisher.
On Tuesday, I received an email from Ms. Sares. I’ll just paste it here in its entirety (she gave permission at the end of the email for it to be posted) and she certainly deserves to have her say. Here it is, no commentary from me. Talk amongst yourselves.
Email subject: my quote on your blog page
Just read it–and have to say that the undated quote is misleading and taken somewhat out of context. In fact, Aphrodisias are romances more than often than not, although they are intensely erotic as well. But–and this is the big difference–they don’t have to follow the rules (such as they are) of traditional romances: a HEA ending, for one, is not required. However, when we were first developing the line, booksellers were as new to the genre as we were, and no one was certain where such books would or should be shelved. (Books generally are positioned in the store according to the category on the spine: mystery, sci-fi, horror, etc). Therefore, we and other publishers had to tag them in a way that didn’t make major booksellers too skittish and erotic romance was the tag of choice. We didn’t want the books stuck in a back room, so to speak–and we had no way of anticipating the avalanche of positive media attention nationwide–TV, print and online–for erotica and erotic romance that coincided with our launch in January 2006. To put it mildly, the unexpected coverage changed the way erotic romance was marketed, from publishers to bookstore shelves.
True enough: some Aphrodisias are more frankly erotic and sexually diverse than others. But most are romantic as well, and some are very romantic. And I can supply review quotes for a number of titles to prove it.
Information posted online is seen by a lot of writers, published and unpublished, and it should be as accurate as possible. Thanks.
Hilary Sares
Editor
I just don’t think that answers the question for me. Now, I have read several Aphrodisia and have found, as a line, I like it better than any other NY publisher line of erotic romances out there (haven’t bought another spice or avon red since their debuts). BUT I still think that if you are selling a product in which you promise something specific and you have no intention of fulfilling that promise, you are in danger of suffering the loss of reader trust.
I am online. I know what is being said about this line – that some don’t have an HEA and so I am very careful about what I buy from Aphrodisia. The majority of romance readers, apparently, are not. They go to the romance section and they expect to see romance. And for a publisher to blithely say “Oh, this was just a marketing technique because we didn’t want to be relegated to the self help section were Red Sage and the Penthouse Letters can be found because this would affect our sales” smacks of deceit, no matter how you color it.
This may be an unpopular opinion and I am not attacking Ms. Sares as I am sure that it was a group decision as to marketing but it is LYING to the readers when you promise an HEA by saying this is a romance and don’t deliver it. It really makes me angry. Kensington wants to have its cake and eat it too, at the reader’s expense.
Well said Jane. I couldn’t agree more. Its false advertisement any way you look at it.
:exactly: What Jane said.
If is says Romance it needs a HEA.
Oh, my. Certainly didn’t mean to tick off an editor at the publishing house that puts out my books…
Now, I don’t write for Aphrodisia, so I won’t pretend to be an expert. And, seems to me the editor of the imprint knows what she’s talking about and doesn’t need me chiming in. I will say that many of the authors I’ve chatted with who write for the Aphrodisia imprint insist that they are writing romance and do not appreciate suggestions to the contrary. In fact, one published Aphrodisia author in the audience at the RWA Kensington chat raised her hand and said: “I write romance so should I be released through Brava rather than Aphrodisia?” An Aphrodisia author! Yeah, we’re all a little confused.
I’m thinking the confusion arises out of a few different areas:
(1) if Brava is romance and Aphrodisia is romance – what separates them, if anything, other than the guarantee of a satisfying/HEA ending, especially if many Aphrodisia novels have a satisfying/HEA ending;
(2) Aphrodisia is new and expanding and finding its way with many of its writers coming from ebook romance – it’s a bit of a work in progress and is doing really well, so whatever Sares is doing is working;
(3) there is a general discomfort with the term “erotic” both in relation to marketing and also in feelings experienced by some readers and authors in that many view “erotic” as porn and readers and authors don’t want to be associated with porn; and
(4) I still believe the blending between erotica, erotic romance, hot/steamy romance and all of these descriptions and labels do us all a disservice. I sat on an author panel recently where the discussion was these “hot” romances. All of us write them, but the level of sexuality differed in our work. And, the frustrating part is that we didn’t agree on the definitions. No one seems to agree, so that we’re left with a mess that probably is helpful in terms of getting books on the shelves but, as Jane points out, feels as if it lacks veracity on some level.
I am off to never speak of this topic again…
“Romantic” and “Romance” are two separate things. For me, a *genre* romance *must* have an HEA. It’s a deal breaker.
A romantic story, or love story, on the other hand is a different animal. Wutherington Heights, The Notebook, Love Story, Romeo & Juliet, are all very moving, romantic stories. But they’re not romances. jmo. I have no problem with romantica/erotica, but if you tell me I’m going to get a ‘romance’ then that’s what I want.
I think the real problem might be the definition of HEA? I can understand stretching the boundaries beyond the ‘oldschool expectations’. Personally, I just want to see some sort of commitment to the relationship/future and an acknowledgement of love. It’s not necessary for marriage/babies. But other readers will feel cheated if ‘I dos’ & impending pitter-patter of little feet isn’t promised bye *The End*. I haven’t read an Aphrodisia book yet, (there are several in the tbr pile) but it almost sounds like the H/h can go their separate way at the end of the book. Is this the case? If it is, then, imo, these are not romances, erotic content aside.