Book Publishing & Marketing: A Case Study of the Romance Fiction Industry

A case study of the US romance fiction industry and its global reach. The romance novel is the most popular form of fiction in the world. Its industry is powered by women, produces a product consumed by women, and exports to global audiences. Includes: its history, role in popular American culture, and rise to dominate the fiction market; how creative projects become commercial products; dramatic shifts in the book industry over three centuries, including the ebook- and self-publishing revolutions; how notions of gender and sexuality have shaped the aggressive and ingenious marketing of romance fiction from its origins; representations of race in romance fiction.