1. Sponsored
by Romance romance
Writers of
America® sells
Winter 2007
Inside This Sample Issue:
Inside Romance Sells
Advertising Process
2008 Romance Sells
Advertising Schedule
Sample Articles
Sample Advertisements
Published Quarterly for Booksellers and Librarians
2. Inside Romance Sells
This sampling of pages from the Winter 2007 issue of Romance Sells
provides you a glimpse of this publication, which reaches more than
6,800 booksellers and librarians who use Romance Sells for their buying
decisions.
Categories include:
“Romance Sells is a phenomenal tool Anthology
Contemporary Series
for authors. For a very reasonable Contemporary Single-Title
price, information about your book Historical
Inspirational
gets into the hands of those who most Paranormal
want it—booksellers and librarians— Regency
in a clean, professional format.” Romantic Suspense
Women’s Fiction
— Niki Burnham Young Adult
Take advantage of this opportunity to
The Table of Contents provides the page reach the 6,800 booksellers and librarians
numbers of articles, subgenre categories, who specifically request Romance Sells to
and advertisements (alphabetically listed make their buying decisions. Contact
by author name). Marti Corn at 281-367-0800 or reach her
via e-mail at marti@corncreative.com for
Several pages of articles follow, offering further information.
insight as to how to increase romance sales
for both the bookseller and the librarian.
The advertisements are divided by sub-
genre and are placed in each section in the “I’ve been remiss in telling you I
order in which they are received. got a powerful surge of activity
shortly after your spring issue
came out. This has happened
before and I am grateful. Keep up
the good work….”
— Marjorie Holtzclaw,
writing as Francine Craft
2 Romance Sells Winter ‘07 Edition
3. Advertising Process
Registration
RWA will send out an e-mail when it is Simplicity will encourage participation
time to register for Romance Sells. Though
sponsored by RWA, Corn Creative handles even for people like me, who have
all aspects of this project. Go to graphics know-how and aren't too
www.corncreative.com and click on the
Romance Sells link. There, you will find
technophobic. I'm soooo swamped
an online registration form. Fill in the right now that I'd been putting off
information requested and follow the sending you the ad info, because I
instructions for providing the copy you
wish to be used in your ad, and e-mail or thought it would be a huge undertak-
mail your artwork. ing. When I saw how quick and easy it
was, I was thrilled!
Payment
One ad is $195. If you advertise more than —Pat Ryan/Louisa Burton
one title in an issue, you receive a 10 per-
cent discount. We also offer you the
opportunity to run the same ad, though in Approval
full color, on the StoryForU Web site. The A proof will be sent for your review, and
additional cost for this is $15. Payment once approved, you will receive a final pdf
may be made by check or via PayPal. copy for your records. Also, once the pub-
lication releases, two copies of Romance
Design Options Sells will be mailed to you.
There are three design options for you to
choose. It’s simple. Marti Corn is available to
answer any questions you may have. She
can be reached at marti@corncreative.com
or by calling 281-367-0800.
Option 1 Option 2 Option 3
Romance Sells Winter ‘07 Edition 3
4. 2008 Romance Sells Schedule
Romance Sells is published quarterly. “I started advertising in Romance Sells
with my very first book. Although I also
Spring
ran a full-page ad in Romantic Times
and mailed bookmarks to hundreds of
Registration Announcement: January 8
bookstores, I felt that the audience I'd
Advertising Deadline: January 21
reach with RS was different, and with a
Release Date: March 7
price of around $200 it was too good of
a deal to pass up. In my RS ad, I includ-
Summer
ed a short note asking booksellers and
Registration Announcement: March 31 librarians interested in promotional
Advertising Deadline: April 21 items to email me. Within a week after
Release Date: June 6 the issue mailed, I received nearly a
dozen requests from booksellers. Now,
Fall almost two years later, those booksellers
Registration Announcement: June 30 remain on my mailing list and they stay
Advertising Deadline: July 21 in touch to let me know my books contin-
Release Date: September 5 ue to sell well for them. These book-
sellers are mostly small independents
Winter
that I would never have found if not for
RS. Some are reading groups who saw
Registration Announcement:
the latest issue [of RS] in their local
September 29
bookstore, and again, I wouldn’t have
Advertising Deadline: October 20
known of them if they hadn’t contacted
Release Date: December 5
me. Marti Corn is wonderful to work
with and the bang for the buck is unbeat-
able. It’s the #1 item on my promotional
list, with everything else taking a distant
second.”
— Sylvia Day
4 Romance Sells Winter ‘07 Edition
5. Dear Booksellers and Librarians,
Welcome to the Winter 2007 issue of Awards and, of course, we’ll be host-
ing our annual “Readers for Life”
charity booksigning, with more than
Romance Sells. My earliest memories
center on books and reading, and I've 450 authors participating. If you've
long been in awe of booksellers and never attended one of the “Readers for
Life” booksignings before, it’s an
experience you shouldn’t miss! We’d
librarians. To this day, there aren’t
many things that rate higher to me love to have you join us there if
than walking into a book store or a your schedules and budgets allow.
Our Conference theme this year is
Romance—Bridging the World, and
library where the book lover in me can
get lost in wonderland! Thank you for we’re already deep into the planning
all you do to bring the world of books stage. We’ll keep you posted in com-
ing issues about special librarian and
bookseller Conference events as our
to all of us.
I’d like to take this opportunity to plans develop.
thank each of you who entered RWA’s
first “Libraries Love Romance” con- In keeping with the theme of our
test. I had the opportunity to look over Conference this year, RWA will be cel-
all of the entries we received this year, ebrating the diversity of our members,
and each of them was absolutely won- of our books, and of our readers. If you
derful. All of us at RWA appreciate the have ideas or stories matching this
support you show for our genre. theme that you would like to share with
Congratulations to the Memphis the readers of Romance Sells, please e-
Public Library & Information Center, mail Erin at efry@rwanational.org. We
winner of the Division 1 category, and also have a wonderfully-talented book-
to the Wayne Public Library in seller and library liaison on staff with
Wayne, New Jersey, winner of the RWA Office, who is excited about
Division 2. If you haven’t yet had the working with all of you. If you have
chance to read the interviews with suggestions, comments, or questions
librarians Betty Anne Wilson and about RWA projects or services, please
Janette Pardo, you can find them in contact Stephani at:
this issue of Romance Sells. libraries@rwanational.org.
Our Annual Conference is scheduled Again, I’m delighted for the opportu-
for July 30 through August 2, 2008, at nity to spend this year with all of you.
the San Francisco Marriott. We’ll be It’s a young girl’s dream come true!
presenting awards to this year’s win-
ners of the Librarian of the Year and Sherry Lewis
Steffie Walker Bookseller of the Year RWA President
Romance Sells Winter ‘07 Edition 5
6. “Friending” Your Authors
by Heather M. Riley, Rockford Borders Romance Expert
Imagine if your best friend had pub- longer just about selling books, but
about supporting your friends.
lished a romance novel. You would be
Not sure how to go about contacting
your favorite author? Try a couple of
telling everyone you met to read it; you
would be passionate about promoting these approaches:
• Go to their Web site — Almost
that book because you genuinely care
about the person who wrote it. Now, every author has one, and there is
usually a “contact me” button for
you to send an e-mail on to her
what does this have to do with the real
world of bookselling? Simple: authors (or him).
• Check out MySpace — Many,
many authors have joined this
are your friends.
Authors and booksellers go together popular social networking site. If
like cookies and milk. They write you create a profile, be sure to
books; you sell the books. But there’s mention that you’re a bookseller.
more to it than that. In my experience, Before long, you won’t have to
booksellers are truly passionate about spend so much time finding
the books they sell. That passion is authors. They’ll find you.
even more pronounced when a book- • Join a Yahoo group — There are
seller has some personal experience several groups online dedicated
with a particular author, whether to the romance genre, and it’s a
online or in person. great way to message several
authors at once. My personal
A good habit for any bookseller to get favorite is Romance Junkies
into is contacting the authors of the Readers group.
books you’ve read and enjoyed, par-
ticularly if they are ARCs. Trust me, I love chatting with my author friends
authors love hearing from booksellers. online, and I love watching their
You are the one getting their books books sell off the shelves at work. It
into the hands of the public. always makes me feel good to know
someone is trying a new author thanks
Once you start thinking of your to me. Always remember: Authors are
favorite authors as friends, it will be your friends, and you want to support
so much easier to recommend their your friends.
books to your customers. It’s no RS
6 Romance Sells Winter ‘07 Edition
8. Anthology Releases
Journey into the heart of Celtic myth and legend in
the Love & Lore anthology from Samhain
Publishing.
“Get ready for three original tales…Love & Lore is
pure magic!” — Michelle M. Pillow
“From selkies to gods, Love & Lore is a sensual, spell-
binding delight.” — Mandy M. Roth
In Sela Carsen’s “Heart of the Sea,” can the promise
of true love overcome a bitter Selkie curse? With pas-
sion drawn from the heart of the sea, Meriel and Ronan
set out to break an ancient selkie curse—and prove that
love is stronger than evil. “Humor and passion make
Sela Carsen’s Heart of the Sea a perfect read.”
Love & Lore –Michelle M. Pillow
One man. One woman. One Harley. And one danger-
ously horny goddess. Ireland may never recover. From
by Carolan Ivey,
Gia Dawn, Carolan Ivey comes “Wildish Things,” a tale of
Sela Carsen Cailleach, an ancient Irish goddess—when her lust is
roused, legend has it that men die. “Carolan Ivey’s
fluid writing and beautiful descriptions in Wildish
Things makes me long to capture the notice of a certain
Publisher:
meddling hag.” — Michelle M. Pillow
Samhain Publishing
Fairies, fairies everywhere…and not a flyswatter in
ISBN: 1-59998-723-6
sight. When otherworldly beings reveal their true
natures in Gia Dawn’s “A Fairy Special Gift,” Meara
Price of Book: $14.00
must choose to accept her gift of sight, or risk losing
Jamison forever. “From the delightful beginning to the
Release Date:
perfect end, Gia Dawn has penned a tale of true magic
November 2007
Hometown: with A Fairy Special Gift.” — Michelle M. Pillow
Carolan Ivey lives
Also Written by the Authors:
in Toledo, OH;
Sela Carsen lives
Abhainn’s Kiss: In the Gloaming Anthology, Feb. 2008
in St. Louis, MO;
and Beaudry’s Ghost, January 2008 by Carolan Ivey.
and Gia Dawn lives
in Lawrenceburg, IN
www.carolanivey.com Not Quite Dead by Sela Carsen.
Lord Demon’s Delight and Lady Strumpet by Gia
www.selacarsen.com
Dawn.
www.giadawn.com
8 Romance Sells Winter ‘07 Edition
9. Anthology Releases
In The Gloaming
by Carolan Ivey, Isabo Kelly,
J.C. Wilder
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 978-1599986395
Price of Book: $14.50
Release Date: 2/20/2008
Also Written by Author:
Shadow Dwellers, In Moonlight
Hometown: Central Ohio
www.jcwilder.com, www.carolanivey.com, www.isabokelly.com
In the grey edge between light and dark Review Quotes
lives a world unseen. That elusive edge is
called The Gloaming. Venture with three “It was like falling into a Brian Froud
of Samhain’s most talented authors to that painting that I never wanted to leave. This
edge and beyond, where dwells danger, is definitely a keeper shelf book, one I’m
magic—and love. sure I’ll return to again and again.”
— Bronwyn Green
“Abhainn’s Kiss” – Carolan Ivey lures
you beyond the mists where a fragile Faery “…action, adventure and passion…it will
and has just one chance to restore Avalon to certainly keep you entertained.”
its former glory. Trouble is, her success— — The Romance Studio
and her life—depends on a human man
who doesn’t believe in Faery tales. “designed to keep you turning the pages.”
— Ecataromance Sensual
“The Heron’s Call” – Enter Isabo Kelly’s
fantasy world, in which a sword mage “…well worth losing sleep over.”
returns from an ordeal to claim his soul — Leslie Tramposch, PNR Reviews
twin, only to find out she wants nothing to
do with him. www.jcwilder.com
www.carolanivey.com
“Thief of Hearts” – Steal away to J.C. www.isabokelly.com
Wilder’s shadowy futuristic, where honor
among professional thieves could make a
woman’s career, or once again break her
heart.
Romance Sells Winter ‘07 Edition 9
10. Anthology Releases
When He Was Bad
by Shelly Laurenston
and Cynthia Eden
“Miss Congeniality” by Shelly Laurenston
It’s those damn stockings that get me every time. They
have this sexy little line down the back and I can’t help
but stare at her legs…constantly. And you’d think she’d
be all over me like every other female in the Seattle area.
I’m young, good looking, and one day I’ll be Alpha Male
of my family’s Pack. But Professor Irene Conridge acts
like I don’t even exist. How is that possible? Now she’s
got enemies coming out of the woodwork and I have to
protect her. Why? Because that’s the kind of man I am. Yes, I am that amazing. Of course,
it doesn’t hurt that while I work to secure her safety, she’ll be hanging out at my house.
That’s hours…days even that I’ve got Irene Conridge right where I want her.
“Shelly Laurenston not only has the ability to create some incredibly kick ass characters
but she makes said characters appealing and almost lifelike, [albeit] a little blood thirsty.”
— Claudia, A Romance Review
“Wicked Ways” by Cynthia Eden
I’m too dangerous for her. I know it, but I can’t get my sexy new neighbor out of my head.
When I hear her scream one night, the absolute last thing I expect to see is Miranda
Shaw—star of my hottest fantasies—being attacked by a vampire. Now the undead jerk
is after her, and I’m the only thing standing between the beautiful lady and a killer who
just won’t stop. Well, too bad for him, because that vamp has just made the worst mistake
of his afterlife—he’s tangled with a shifter. And Miranda, well, she’s so busy watching out
for him that she won’t see me closing in on her—not until it’s too late—and I’m about to
show her just how wild I can get.
“Ms. Eden’s strength lies in her ability to create sexual tension that is remarkably realis-
tic, to the point you can almost feel the character’s deep passions and wanton desires flow
across your own skin.”
— Janalee Ruschhaupt, Loves Romances and More
Publisher: Kensington Brava Also Written by Author:
Shelly Laurenston: The Mane Event,
ISBN: 9780758227263 The Beast in Him, Go Fetch!
Cynthia Eden: Hotter After Midnight,
Price of Book: 14.00 A Red Hot New Year
Release Date: 06/2008 www.shellylaurenston.com
www.cynthiaeden.com
10 Romance Sells Winter ‘07 Edition
